PLEASE READ CAREFULLY Any bookings made with SPANNing the Globe Tours LLC (herein STG Tours LLC), including without limitation, for airfares, cruises, packages, hotels, car rentals, independent trips or any form of travel service provided to client or customer (“You”) with an employee or contractor of STG Tours LLC (“STG Tours”) are subject to the following general conditions (“General Conditions”) together with any terms and conditions in the itinerary confirmation:
Reservations and Payment
A deposit is required at time of confirmation/itinerary sent to client. Upon payment of a deposit, client indicates acceptance of the General Conditions. STG Tours will advise when full payment is required. If client is part of a group and has a group representative, Your group representative is responsible for advising the group of any/ all cancellation penalties. Some deposits and/or parts thereof may be non-refundable and noted in each confirmation.
Cancellation and Refunds:
Within 180 days of departure day and later: 100% of total payments made are non-refundable; with exceptions, only if any vendor refunds are available. Vendor refunds, are those made by airlines, hotels, cruise ship operators, transfer companies, tour guides, etc. Vendor refunds, if any, are minus any applicable fees and penalties and will be returned to client ONLY after they have been received back into the accounts of STG Tours. Cancellation fees may also apply to services and any additional services, including extra night accommodations, independently supplied services, and optional excursions reserved prior to, during, and after the tour. Cancellation penalties will be quoted at time of cancellation. STG Tours reserves the right to cancel or reschedule any vacation departure for any reason, including insufficient demand or force majeure. If a vacation is canceled prior to departure, STG Tours’ only responsibility will be to refund the amount received for the reservation. STG Tours will try to rebook the same vacation with a different departure date, or a similar vacation but there is no guarantee of availability of offering. For air-inclusive vacations, STG Tours will try to confirm air schedules for the selected new dates, subject to availability. STG Tours cannot assume responsibility for any additional costs or any fees relating to the issuance and/or cancellation of air tickets or other travel arrangements not made through STG Tours.
Revisions and Revision Fees:
In addition to any airline-imposed change fees, a fee of $50 per transaction will be charged by STG Tours for any alteration or revision made to a reservation after deposit or payment is received. Any revision to a booking, including but not limited to flight cancellations or name changes, may result in the loss of confirmed airline reservations or increased airfare which will be payable by you. In many instances for Air purchases airline revision or change fees are up to $250, but in some instances may be up to 100% of the ticket price. A change of traveler name, vacation date, or itinerary within final payment will be treated as a full cancellation and new reservation; vacation and airfare cancellation fees (as above) apply.
Air Arrangements:
International airfare may be purchased through STG Tours for travel originating from the United States. All carriers are independent operators and are not owned, managed or operated by STG Tours. Your airline ticket is a contract between you and the air carrier only, even if you purchase through STG Tours. By purchasing your air services through STG Tours you waive all liability for STG Tours for such air services. STG Tours is not responsible if an airline cancels, reschedules, or delays a flight for any reason. If you purchased air through STG Tours, we will try to assist in making new arrangements providing you have not already checked in with your airline for your first flight segment. After check-in, you must work with the airline directly to reach your destination or to make any alternate arrangements including amendments to return services. Please be aware airline fees often apply for modifications to air schedules not related to airline imposed flight cancellations, reschedules or delays. These fees will be payable to the airline directly at time of request. If you miss your departure flight or connection, it is your responsibility to work with the airline on which you are ticketed to reach your destination. No refunds will be provided by STG Tours for portions of trips missed due to canceled, rescheduled or delayed flights after airport check-in, nor is STG Tours responsible for any additional expenses you may incur prior to joining your trip if you miss your departure flight or flight connection. For air purchased through STG Tours, if any air schedule requires an overnight stay in a gateway city, STG Tours can assist you with hotel reservations; however, the cost of the overnight stay (including but not limited to hotel and meals) is your expense. Air routings are subject to availability. Routings are not guaranteed and are subject to change at any time. If you make your own flight arrangements, STG Tours will not be responsible for any loss resulting from cancellation or changes in international gateways, itineraries or travel dates. Under the new Secure Flight Program enacted by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) requires airlines to collect information from you for the purposes of watch list matching. TSA may share information you provide with law enforcement or intelligence agencies or others under its published system of records notice. At time of booking a vacation with air reservations, STG Tours will collect the required information and add to your air booking to pass to the airline(s) for the Secure Flight Program. The information includes full name, date of birth, gender and redress number (if available). Failure to provide the required TSA information at time of booking will result in the loss of confirmed flights and airfare price as information is required for ticketing. Rebooking lost airfare is subject to schedule availability at time of rebooking and may result in alternate flight schedules and/or increases in airfare price. Any increase in airfare price is payable by you. TSA information is required at time of booking for Instant Purchase Air.
Not Included in Package Price:
Our price for Travel does not include porterage at airport (unless specified) and hotels; tips to local representatives, sightseeing guides, restaurant employees, hotel bellman and chambermaids, wines, liquors, laundry or any other items of a personal nature as well as any items not specifically mentioned within itinerary. Tipping is left to your discretion unless otherwise noted or included in a package or quoted itinerary. In addition, price for Travel are subject to holiday blackouts, peak period and surcharges and other restrictions may apply and vary by resort, cruise and airline carrier.
Participation:
STG Tours reserves the right to accept or reject any person; to expel any participant from the vacation; to make changes in the itinerary whenever the Company deems it necessary for the comfort, convenience, or safety of the participants; and to cancel a vacation at any time. STG Tours will not refund or cover any cost or expenses incurred for termination of vacation arrangements due to unacceptable behavior, behavior infringing on the enjoyment of other participants, behavior or activity deemed illegal in any jurisdiction, or any activity or behavior which threatens or harms any person or participant. The vacation participant agrees that neither the Company nor its affiliates shall be liable for any damage, loss (including personal injury, death, and property loss), or expense occasioned by any act or omission of any supplier providing services, any insurer or insurance administrator under the Travel Protection Plan, or any other person.
Travelers Who Need Special Assistance On Tours and/or Cruises:
You must report any disability requiring special attention while on tour or on cruise to STG Tours at the time the reservation is made. STG Tours will make reasonable attempts to accommodate the special needs of disabled travelers, but is not responsible in the event it is unable to do so nor responsible for any denial of services by air carriers, hotels, restaurants, or other independent suppliers. STG Tours cannot provide individual assistance to a vacation participant for walking, dining, getting on and off motor coaches, cruise ships and other vehicles, or other personal needs. STG Tours strongly recommends a qualified and physically able companion must accompany travelers who need such assistance. All travelers with STG Tours are subject to the Participation clause above. Not all sightseeing stops/sites accommodate wheelchairs and some locations and sightseeing activities require extensive standing, sitting or walking, sometimes on unpaved or cobblestone streets. STG Tours is not responsible for any missed activities due to a participant’s inability to participate with the group. The Americans with Disabilities Act is only applicable within the United States and facilities for disabled individuals are limited outside its borders. Most transportation services, including the touring motor coaches and cruise ships, are not equipped with wheelchair ramps. Motorized scooters are not typically suitable on international tours. Although some of our ships have elevators, many of our small ships (e.g., river cruise vessels) do not. Passengers requiring ship elevators should inquire before making reservations. Additionally, most stateroom doors and restrooms are not wide enough to allow access by standard wheelchairs, and bathrooms and other doorways may be fitted with coamings. For safety reasons, passengers in wheelchairs cannot be carried on ramps in ports where the ship is at anchor.
Price Policy:
Prices are subject to increase without notice, subject to the guarantees set forth here. All vacation prices are based on rates (reflecting foreign exchange rates) known at the time of publication and expected to be in effect at the time of departure, and do not include airfare except where noted on specific itineraries. Vacation prices are per person, based on double occupancy (two people sharing a room). Single room supplements and triple reductions or pricing are listed where applicable. Not all accommodation types are available on all vacations.
Visas & Passports:
You are responsible for obtaining and paying for all visas and entry documents, for meeting all health and other requirements, and for any documents required by the laws, regulations, orders, and/or requirements of the countries you will visit. Visa and entry documents must be obtained independently. Non-U.S. citizens must consult with appropriate consulates to determine if any visas are needed; you are responsible for obtaining all visas and entry documents independently. STG Tours is not responsible for providing you with specific visa and passport information or documentation, for any fees associated with obtaining these documents, and STG Tours cannot accept liability for any passenger refused entry onto any transport or into any country due to failure of the passenger to carry correct documentation. All passengers traveling internationally are required to have a passport. It is your responsibility to verify all visa and passport requirements. If you fail to supply the details as requested fully and accurately, your trip may be interrupted or cancelled. There are no refunds for failure to provide documentation or failure to provide documentation by the time required.
Hotels & Accommodations:
STG Tours reserves the right to substitute other hotels than those listed on the itinerary pages. No refunds are provided for hotel changes; full cancellation penalties as noted above apply.
Baggage Allowance:
STG Tours is not responsible for additional fees imposed by air carriers for baggage and these fees are not included in the airfare or the vacation package price. No responsibility is accepted by STG Tours for loss of or damage to baggage or any of the traveler’s belongings throughout the duration of the vacation.
Refunds:
Please note that any request for refunds is subject to these Terms & Conditions; no refund will be made for unused services.
Service Inquiries After the Vacation:
Any complaint or claim involving the vacation services offered in this brochure must be notified to STG Tours within 30 days of the vacation completion, except where such time limitations are prohibited by law. Any complaint or claim involving the vacation services offered in this brochure, involving the negligence of any suppliers, sub-contractors, or agents in relation to any service provided to the vacation participant, must be notified to STG Tours while on vacation or within 30 days of the vacation completion, except where such time limitations are prohibited by law.
Safety:
Payment of your deposit indicates you accept these risks and dangers and agree to hold STG Tours harmless for such.
Photographs or Pictures:
Travelers may at times be photographed and filmed and said photographic content may be included in future advertisements without the travelers consent. Making your initial deposit signifies the traveler is waiving their rights to consent.
Responsibility:
STG Tours and its employees, shareholders, subsidiaries, affiliates, officers, directors, successors, agents, and assigns does not own or operate any entity which provides goods and services for Your Travel including without limitation, lodging facilities, airline, vessel, motor coach, or other transportation companies, guides or guide services, local ground operators, providers or organizers of optional excursions, food service providers, etc. All such persons and entities are independent contractors and are in no way affiliated with STG Tours or any of STG Tours’ affiliated entities. As a result, STG Tours is not liable for any negligent or willful act or failure to act of any such person or entity or of any third party. In addition and without limitation, STG Tours is not responsible for any injury, loss, death, inconvenience, delay, or damage to person or property in connection with the provision of any goods or services whether resulting from, but not limited to, acts of God or force majeure, illness, disease, acts of war or civil unrest, insurrection or revolt, animals, strikes or other labor activities, criminal or terrorist activities of any kind, overbooking or downgrading of accommodations, mechanical or other failure of airplanes or other means of transportation, or for any failure of any transportation mechanism to arrive or depart on time. Also be advised that certain foreign facilities such as air-conditioning systems in public places, hotels and motor coaches are not up to U.S. standards. STG Tours reserves the right to withdraw any program or Travel in this brochure and/ or make such changes in the program(s) or Travel. If due to weather, flight schedules or other uncontrollable factors You are required to spend additional night(s), You will be responsible for Your own hotel, transfers and meal costs. Baggage is entirely at owner’s risk. Insurance is strongly recommended.
Any dispute between the vacation participant and the Company directly or indirectly relating to the Terms & Conditions shall be first submitted to mediation in Kings County, New York, before a mediator mutually agreed to by both parties. If mediation is not successful, the dispute must be resolved by binding arbitration or other alternative dispute resolution under New York law before an arbitration group selected by the company in Kings County, New York. The prevailing party shall be entitled to an award of costs and reasonable attorneys’ fees. Any action to enforce the arbitrator’s decision shall be brought in the state or federal courts in the State of New York. Arbitration against the Company must be commenced within one year following the date of vacation completion. Neither the Company nor any affiliate shall in any case be liable for other than compensatory damages, and you hereby waive any right to punitive damages. No person, other than an authorized representative of the Company by a document in writing, is authorized to vary, add, or waive any term or condition on its Web site, including any term or condition set forth in the preceding provisions.
Trade Name:
STG Tours LLC and STG Tours are service marks registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.