E&L GROUP TOURS USA Terms & Conditions
WHAT IS INCLUDED IN E&L GROUP TOURS USA PROGRAM FEES?
Round trip transportation from Canada to the designated gateway. Breakfasts and dinners unless otherwise stated in the program and lunches on cruise ships. Accommodation in triple rooms, entrances to the sites as stated in the program, full-time E&L GROUP TOURS USA Tour Director, all transfers as per program, 2, 4 or 6 bed cabins during the night train rides, inside quad cabins on the cruise or ferry (or outside for an extra charge). Sightseeing as indicated in the itinerary, subject to restrictions beyond E&L GROUP TOURS USA control such as seasonality, closing times, holidays, strikes, traffic conditions, or inclement weather.
WHAT IS NOT INCLUDED IN E&L GROUP TOURS USA PROGRAM FEES?
Passport fees, visa processing costs, beverages with meals, bottled water, optional tours, adult and single room charges, local transportation, gratuities, and Travel Protection Plan (TPP).
RESPONSIBILITIES OF ALL PARTIES:
E&L GROUP TOURS USA is only responsible for the acts or omissions of its employees. Each tour begins with departure from your designated gateway and ends on arrival at the same gateway. E&L GROUP TOURS USA responsibility for a Land Only Program (LOP) begins upon your arrival in the designated hotel and terminates on checkout at the final hotel of the tour. E&L GROUP TOURS USA is not responsible for events beyond its control including and without limitation, acts of God, war, strikes, government restrictions, flight delays, loss of your passport, loss or damage to luggage or any personal belongings, acts of the individual(s) not employed by E&L GROUP TOURS USA: airlines, bus companies, cruises, restaurants, local guides or any other agency, company or individual. E&L GROUP TOURS USA is not responsible for any accident which occurs during your absence from scheduled daily activities, or if you disobey the recommendation from your Tour Director with respect to the local way of life. While abroad, you are obligated to respect foreign customs in a courteous and considerate manner. E&L GROUP TOURS USA reserves the right to cancel the program for any participant at any time for reasons deemed to be valid to the E&L GROUP TOURS USA Tour Director.
I – If the participant’s conduct jeopardizes the group’s schedule or E&L GROUP TOURS USA ability to send future groups to a location or venue, the said participant (s) will be sent home at their own cost, and no refund for “unused services” or additional costs created by the participant will be issued.
II – If any participant of the group damages property, those of hotels, restaurants, buses, sites, and museums, they will be charged for the damages at the said participant’s expense.
III – The Group Leader (s) is responsible for checking the rooms upon arrival and before the group’s departure.
IV – Any use, or trafficking of non prescribed or illicit drugs during the trip will result in immediate expulsion from the trip at said participant’s own expense.
PAYMENT SCHEDULE:
After your tour organizer confirms travel plans with E&L GROUP TOURS USA you will be informed about the payment policy. Payment policy will follow as written in your agreement with E&L GROUP TOURS USA If not otherwise stated then the payment policy is as follows:
Down payment: $300.00. The down payment is non-refundable.
The balance of the price will be divided by the number of payments agreed upon. The last payment is due 30 days prior to departure.
The insurance charge will be included in your first payment after down payment
METHODS OF PAYMENT:
Methods of payment:
E&L GROUP TOURS USA offers the following payment possibilities:
a) Individual checks
b) Single group check
c) Credit card payment (merchant fee of 4% applies)
d) E -payments
WE WILL TAKE UP TO 10 PAYMENTS
When you send checks to E&L GROUP TOURS USA we suggest you send them by courier or by registered or certified mail. E&L GROUP TOURS USA will not be responsible for any lost or late checks sent by regular mail.
All – INCLUSIVE INSURANCE – TPP (Travel Protection Plan):
Since the Canadian government may issue a travel advisory to your program destinations, for your own protection E&L GROUP TOURS USA offers “all-inclusive insurance” with your first payment after the down payment. If you do not want to purchase this insurance/cancellation protection you must sign the E&L GROUP TOURS USA Insurance/CANCELLATION PROTECTION Waiver form.
All individuals traveling with E&L GROUP TOURS USA must show proof of valid travel insurance.
TPP group rates are based on 10 paying participants or more. Rates depend on the cost of the base trip price and the age of the participant as indicated in the E&L GROUP TOURS USA Application Package. Clients who wish to purchase TPP must pay the amount as indicated on the E&L GROUP TOURS USA Agreement and the Application Package.
TPP Coverage Includes Trip Cancellation & Interruption, Emergency Hospital, and Medical, Lost Baggage, and Theft, 24/7 Customer Assistance.
Once accepted, the TPP is non-refundable, and may not be purchased at a later date. The insurance premium fee is nonrefundable.
REROUTING THE ITINERARY:
If before the departure or during your trip any of the cities, sites, or countries become unstable and if particular world events create a safety concern E&L GROUP TOURS USA staff will discuss this issue with your chaperone and you will be informed about these costs.
In this case, you can:
a) Return home (as the whole group) and ask for reimbursement from the insurance company.
b) Accept changes in the program (as the whole group) and accept to pay the additional cost(s) if they apply.
E&L GROUP TOURS USA REFUND AND CANCELLATION POLICY:
Participants can withdraw from the tour at any time prior to departure; however, E&L GROUP TOURS USA will not issue refunds. Refunds can be issued only through the insurance company. E&L GROUP TOURS USA must receive the withdrawal by said individual, in writing. Allow a minimum of 60 days for the processing of refunds if the canceled participant is replaced by a new participant.
The requests for refunds E&L GROUP TOURS USA must be addressed with the insurance company. No traveler can travel with E&L GROUP TOURS USA without trip insurance. The insurance can be bought through E&L GROUP TOURS USA or from other insurance companies. The travelers must provide proof that they have bought the trip insurance. Please be advised that terms and conditions for refunds are spelled out in the insurance policy. The insurance company alone will determine the valid reasons for refunds. Should you request a refund E&L GROUP TOURS USA will provide you with the contact information of our insurance provider.
E&L GROUP TOURS USA will not issue any refunds for any payments made toward the trip, such as the deposit or any subsequent payments nor for any unused services, regardless of the time when the cancellation occurs. If you have not purchased the insurance and do not address your claim with the insurance company no refunds will be made.
Substantial payments and deposits are made on the travelers’ behalf to; airlines, hotels, bus companies, and overseas suppliers well in advance of departure and are nonrefundable. There will be no refunds for any missed or unused services, such as excursions, meals, entrances, based on your absence. Each participant is responsible to be on time for all services.
REPLACEMENTS:
A traveler may get a full refund, from E&L GROUP TOURS USA, minus the insurance premium, if he or she can find a replacement traveler for the entire trip, 100 days or more prior to departure. There will be a fee of $200.00 plus any charges associated with the replacement flight ticket. For replacements 46-79 days prior to departure, the possibility of any replacement is subject to seat availability.
No replacements are possible 0- 45 days prior to departure.
A person canceling the trip cannot transfer any portion of the money paid to E&L GROUP TOURS USA to another traveler already signed up for the trip.
No indirect replacements or transfers of money paid to E&L GROUP TOURS USA for a trip are allowed. A person already signed on the trip, or a new person being added to the trip cannot use the funds of another traveler who has canceled the trip, unless, he or she is specifically replacing the traveler who is canceling at the time that he or she is joining the trip.
Individuals or institutions cannot cancel the trip due to safety concerns based on personal opinion, or due to the changing of their mind. Information issued by the Government of Canada and government offices will be considered a valid indicator concerning safety and security.
SLEEP WELL PROGRAM (E&L GROUP TOURS USA future travel voucher valid for one year):
E&L GROUP TOURS USA Sleep Well Program allows groups who have submitted a down payment for a tour, to postpone their tour for a year (a tour of equal or greater value) up until 60 days prior to departure. All sums of money paid to E&L GROUP TOURS USA less any non-refundable fees, at the time a written request is received, will be transferred to the new program or tour dates.
Groups or individuals missing any payment deadlines must pay a late payment penalty in order to qualify for the Sleep Well Program.
This option is only available to the entire group and not to individual participants and group size must remain the same. If E&L GROUP TOURS USA cannot accommodate the revised tour request and participants decide not to travel on the original tour, E&L GROUP TOURS USA standard cancellation policy will apply. If there are additional fees resulting from the tour/date change participants will be responsible for the increase. E&L GROUP TOURS USA will make every effort to accommodate the revised tour request.
OPTIONAL TOURS:
The whole group is required to purchase the optional tour. Every optional tour must be confirmed and paid in full with the final payment. Once purchased and paid, optional tours are not refundable.
INSURANCE REFUND:
A traveler may get a refund, minus the insurance premium cost, from the insurance company. No traveler can travel with E&L GROUP TOURS USA without valid trip insurance.
ONSHORE EXCURSIONS during the cruises:
Shore excursions are not included in the price. They can be booked and paid through the cruise company. Please be advised that terms and conditions for refunds are spelled out in the insurance policy. The insurance company alone will determine the valid reasons for refunds.
GRATUITIES:
They are much appreciated and designed for: tour directors, local guides, bus drivers, and cruise ship crew. Please budget $2.5 per person per day for tour director, $5.00 per person per day for the local tour guide, and $10 per person per day for each day on your cruise. Cruise gratuities are compulsory.
Late payments:
Participants are responsible for adhering to the payment schedule as stated in the E&L GROUP TOURS USA Agreement. Any mailed invoices are considered a courtesy by E&L GROUP TOURS USA and are not a valid excuse for missing payments.
E&L GROUP TOURS USA will charge $100 per person for being late. Participants joining the group after the deposit must catch up with all payments. Otherwise, a late payment penalty will apply for each late payment.
No new participants can be added onto a group 45 days prior to departure.
GROUP SIZE:
Calculations for the tour cost are based on an agreed number of paid travelers as per contract. If your group has less then agreed on a number of paid travelers as per contract, it is not considered an independent group, and E&L GROUP TOURS USA will combine you with another E&L GROUP TOURS USA group. In that case, E&L GROUP TOURS USA reserves the right to change the price, the itinerary, and the departure dates of your trip.
PRICES:
Prices are based on airfares, tariffs, and exchange rates between CAD$, US$, Euro, BP, and other currencies at the time of the contract. In case of the significant change of any of the above E&L GROUP TOURS USA will adjust the price accordingly.
There will be additional charges for the services that are not included in the trip price such as insurance, adult supplements, optional tours, etc if required.
E&L GROUP TOURS USA RIGHT TO CHANGE ITINERARY:
E&L GROUP TOURS USA reserves the right to combine a group with other groups if the group fails to reach the number of participants that the original contract and price were based on.
E&L GROUP TOURS reserves the right to make changes in departure dates, itinerary, departure or arrival cities, daily activities, hotels, group leader assignments, airlines and service fees if the group fails to reach the agreed number of travelers. Changes in any of the stated services are not grounds for withdrawing from the trip or any refunds.
EXTENSION OR PRE-ARRIVAL OF THE INDIVIDUAL:
Individuals who would like to arrive at the starting point before the group or to stay longer E&L GROUP TOURS USA will issue air tickets as per request. The cost of this service is $200.00 plus any additional costs from the airlines. E&L GROUP TOURS USA is not responsible for individual accommodations or meals before the arrival of the group or after the group leaves, transfers or any other cost. E&L GROUP TOURS USA will treat this individual as absent from the group tour and we do not accept any responsibility for this individual during his/her solo journey. E&L GROUP TOURS USA will organize the accommodation and meals per request and with an additional charge.
NAME CHANGES:
The group leader and the participant have an obligation to provide E&L GROUP TOURS USA with a typed list of all participants’ first and last names as they appear on their passports. Any misspelling or change in any participant’s name later then 100 days prior to departure will result in a $200.00 fee plus the cost of the flight ticket (if issued). No handwriting will be accepted.
TRAVEL DOCUMENTS:
It is the responsibility of each traveler to have a valid passport. If you do not hold a current valid passport you are personally responsible for obtaining information about visa requirements and procedures. It is the responsibility of the travelers to obtain the correct information about possible visa requirements.
*Please note that Immigration requires passport holders to have passports active and expiry date no less than 6 months after you have returned from your destination. Airlines:
E&L GROUP TOURS USA cooperates with reputable and known airlines and does not provide charter flights.
ADULT SUPPLEMENT:
The adult supplement is required due to the higher entrance fees to the sites and museums.
Accommodation/1 night/person*:
In single: $110.00
In double: $70.00
In triple: $50.00
The supplement will be higher on night trains, cruises, and ferries.
HOTELS:
E&L GROUP TOURS USA guarantees the highest standard for hotels offered to any of our travel destinations. Hotel accommodations will be listed no less than 30 days prior to departure. Your accommodation is based on triple occupancy.
DEPARTURE DATES:
E&L GROUP TOURS USA strives to book your requested departure dates. In high season periods (Spring break, Easter break, Summer, Christmas) we reserve the right to offer departure dates 1 to 3 days earlier or later of the requested date as departure dates are based on airline availability.
GROUP LEADER REPLACEMENT:
Should your designated group leader not be able to attend the tour E&L GROUP TOURS USA requests that the organization, school, sports team, church group, university or company select a qualified replacement. This does not constitute grounds for cancellation without penalty and a standard cancellation penalty will apply.
YOU AS A TOUR ORGANIZER:
Tour leaders accommodations:
Single room for a tour leader in hotels. A single cabin on cruise or ferry will be charged extra.
Tour leaders companion:
Family or faculty members will be eligible for a 15% discount on a net fare based on accommodation in a double room. Participants receiving this discount do not count towards your free place. The number of discounted participants is based on the following:
1 if the group has 21- 40 paid participants
*ADDITIONAL SEAT ON THE AIRPLANE: If the traveler needs two seats on the airplane it is his or her responsibility to let us know. We will charge the traveler for the additional seat.
***WALKING: There will be a lot of walking on our tours. The travelers that cannot walk long distances will pay themselves for the appropriate transportation from site A to site B where they will reunite with the rest of the group. E&L GROUP TOURS USA will help them with logistics.
****BOTTLED WATER in hotels and restaurants will be paid by travelers. Bottled water and drinks are not included with our dinners.
E&L GROUP TOURS USA
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