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The fine print

Tour Policies and Procedures

Covid Protocol and Safety Measures:

We will adhere to local mask mandates and safety protocol.

If you test positive and must quarantine, you will be fully responsible for any fees associated with your stay including but not limited to health care costs and lodging. By joining the tour each participant voluntarily agrees to assume all of the foregoing risks and accept sole responsibility for any injury (including, but not limited to personal injury, disability, and death), illness, damage, loss, claim, liability or expense of any kind that they may experience or incur in connection with their Otehlia Travels trip and its activities.

Payments, Cancellations and Refund: If Otehlia Travels cancels the tour, all fees paid MINUS your $500 deposit (service fee) will  be refunded. We require trip insurance or a signed waiver in case of unforeseen events that result in the cancellation of your trip. Full payment due 90 days before departure. 50% refund before 90 days before the trip (minus deposit). 25% refund 89-31 days before the trip (minus deposit). No refunds within 30 days of departure date.

If you cancel your booking before 90 days before the trip, you may receive a credit for your deposit minus a $250 admin fee. You must use the credit within 3 months (90 days) for a booking within a year from your original tour date. Any credit not redeemed or used within this time frame will be forefeited. Credits can be used one time, and cannot be transferred or redeemed for cash.

Travel Insurance: Otehlia Travels requires travel insurance for all travelers with at least basic coverage for trip cancellation, delay or interruption. Two companies that offer insurance that I recommend are AIG or Allianz. I can help you get a quote. You will need to read the fine print regarding coverage. You would purchase your own coverage. There are various levels, but at a baseline, you want trip cancellation or delay, and medical emergency – Once you reach out to a provider, you can see the basic coverage and additions or I can offer options. For travel to Cuba, Cuba requires medical insurance and that is usually included in your ticket purchase (flight). We travel to Cuba under “support for the Cuban people”.

Payment schedule: Final full payment due no later than 90 days before the tour.

A) Minimum Group Size:

Otehlia Travels’ trips are priced based on a minimum group size that varies by trip, making our trips financially viable to operate. Otehlia Travels reserves the right to cancel any trip if the trip does not attract the minimum number of clients required to make the trip financially viable. Otehlia Travels will not, however, cancel a trip due to minimum group size any later than 21 days prior to the commencement of the trip. In the event of cancellation, Otehlia Travels shall not, in any case, be responsible for nonrefundable expenses incurred by the client, including, but not limited to airline cancellation fees or insurance purchases.

Alternatively, clients may choose to pay a small group surcharge that would be assessed to each guest in groups that fall below the minimum group size, which avoids us having to cancel the trip.

B) Force Majeure:

Otehlia Travels reserves the right to cancel a trip at any stage prior to the scheduled departure due to terrorism, natural disasters, political instability or other external events which make it unviable for Otehlia Travels to operate our planned schedule. In such a case, Otehlia Travels will, at its own discretion, refund a portion of the trip price (less incurred costs and the non-refundable deposit), reschedule the tour, or offer an alternative tour. Should the client choose to purchase “cancel for any reason” (CFAR) insurance coverage, and the tour becomes unviable for Otehlia Travels to operate or reschedule, Otehlia Travels will cover the client’s CFAR deductible up to 25% of the price of the tour.

BOOKING AMENDMENTS and credits

If you wish to change any part of your booking after your deposit is paid, you must inform us in writing as soon as possible. This should be done by the first named person on the booking. While we will do our best to assist, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to meet your requested change.

Where we can meet a request, an administration fee of $250 per booking plus any additional costs or charges incurred by us or incurred or imposed by any of our suppliers will be charged. You may request a credit of the deposit for a confirmed booking for a change or transfer to a different departure date or tour, up to 91 days prior to departure which will incur said $250/booking fee.** Thereafter all changes will be treated as cancellations and subject to the our cancellation policy. Changes are subject to availability and the credit must be redeemed within 3 months of the cancellation request and used within one calendar year from the start date of the tour that was cancelled/credit was requested. The credit is not transferable, can only be redeemed against one booking, one time, and cannot be exchanged for cash. No refund or further credit will be provided if the cost of the new booking is less than the value of the credit.

You are allowed a maximum of one transfer/per person/per booking. By submitting your deposit, you acknowledge and agree to adhere to these transfer terms.

Where we are unable to assist you and you do not wish to proceed with the original booking we will treat this as a cancellation by you. 

**Within 90-75 days a credit for the deposit will be issued minus the $250/pp administration fee IF the spots can be filled by another party. Within 74 days of the original booking/trip, no deposit credits will be issued for cancellations.

Any booking, planning or other amendments to your trip outside of the inclusions as specified in the tour, and outside of the date range of the tour are not included in the cost of the tour. We may be able to offer additional travel planning services for you for a fee or to direct you to our preferred vendors for booking.

SUBSTITUTION OF A CLIENT

If any member of the party is prevented from traveling because of the death, injury or serious illness of the passenger, close relative or friend, redundancy or jury service, it may be possible to transfer the booking to another suitable person (acceptable to Otehlia Travels) provided that written notice is given at least 30 days prior to departure. An administration fee of up to $150 may be imposed by the company to cover non-refundable costs. Airlines may impose 100% cancellation charges and the cost of a new ticket.

Photography release: The tour participants permits Otehlia Travels, LLC to photographs, films, images, text, testimonials of participants for its own commercial use without compensation to participants.

Any dispute related to these terms and conditions or the program itself, directly or indirectly shall be settled solely in the courts of Madison, WI. In such litigation, Wisconsin law will apply.

*Does not include round trip airfare, airport taxes, personal expenses, housekeeping and instructor/guide tips, tips for meals, Covid testing fees, travel insurance. Includes meals, alcoholic beverages and excursions as specified in itinerary as well as all standard tips to instructors and guides for included excursions. 

By registering, you agree to our Policies & Procedures including our Waiver & Liability Release policy.

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