This information supersedes all previously published information, terms and booking conditions.

Last updated March 2010.

Booking conditions

Booking your holiday

Deposits

Special requests

Holiday price

Payment of balance

Credit and debit cards

Pricing

Surcharges

Late booking charges

External suppliers

Insurance

Preview holidays

Holiday cancellation by customer

Holiday changes by customer

Holiday cancellation by Vitalise

Holiday changes by Vitalise

Guide dogs

Meeting point and time

Sighted guide ratios

Responsibilities of sighted guide

Responsibilities of holiday representative

Accommodation and rooming

Service standards

Included excursions

Excursions and activities not included in the holiday price

Passports, visas and health

Behaviour

Criminal Record Bureau disclosure

Suitability and additional requirements

Vitalise liability to you

Force Majeure

Conditions of carriage

Complaints

Consumer protection

Privacy policy

Booking conditions

These conditions apply to Vitalise Holidays customers and set out the terms of your contract with Vitalise. They shall be governed by and construed in accordance with English law, being subject to the courts of England and Wales. No variation shall be of any effect unless in writing and by the authority of Vitalise.

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Booking your holiday

You must be over the age of 18 to participate in any Vitalise holiday. You can book a place by calling the Vitalise Holidays Team on 0845 330 0149 or by emailing viholidays@vitalise.org.uk. Please note that it will not be possible to make any bookings via email on the day that the booking lines open.

You may provisionally reserve a place on a holiday for seven days at which point you must confirm the booking by paying the appropriate deposit and completing a booking form. You will receive a booking form as part of your booking acknowledgment; this should be returned by post, email or completed over the telephone by speaking to a member of the Vitalise Holidays Team. If any information you provide changes after completion, you are responsible for informing us as soon as possible. Providing fraudulent or inaccurate information could preclude your participation in future holidays and lead to holiday cancellation and subsequent cancellation charges.

Your booking will not be considered confirmed until both the deposit and booking form have been returned.

Deposits

Deposits for holidays are as follows:

• Holidays priced up to £150 require a deposit of 50% of the holiday price
• Holidays priced from £151 to £500 require a deposit of £100
• Holidays priced from £501 to £1000 require a deposit of £200
• Holidays priced over £1000 require a deposit of 25% of the holiday price

For some holidays a higher deposit amount may be charged to cover non refundable costs levied by our suppliers at the time of booking.

If booking after the balance payment deadline, the full balance will be due at the time of booking.

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Special requests

If you have any special requests such as a single room, double bed, to share with another participant, or to travel from a different location to that specified in the holiday information, you should present this to a member of the team at the time of booking. If your request cannot be confirmed at this time, we will endeavour to meet your requirements, however we cannot guarantee that this will always be possible, and additional charges may apply.

Any requests made verbally should also be stated on the booking form.

Any supplements for the provision of alternative room types or departure points, will be payable at the time they are confirmed by Vitalise Holidays along with an administration charge of up to £10 depending on the nature of the request.

Any supplements applying to special requests are non-refundable.

The price includes the provision of accommodation, transport, meals, activities, equipment and the services of a Vitalise Representative or Activity Leader as described in the holiday brochure and information sheet.

Information included in the brochure and information pack is correct at the time of printing, however we reserve the right to make changes to this information under clause 8 of these conditions.

Any exclusions will be listed in the information pack you will receive after making a provisional booking. Insurance, tipping and gratuities are not included in the price of any holiday. Please remember that tipping in some countries is culturally expected; guidelines of additional costs will be provided in the holiday information to help you budget for your holiday, however these are subject to fluctuations and should be regarded as an estimate only.

Where optional excursions and activities are available payment will normally be made during the holiday direct to the supplier; any alternative arrangements will be notified to you on an individual holiday basis.

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Payment of balance

The final payment for the holiday will be due 60 days before the start date of a UK holiday and 90 days before the start date of an overseas holiday (unless stated otherwise in the Information Sheet).

You will be sent a payment reminder two weeks before payment is due. If the balance is not received, we will assume that you wish to cancel your booking; your deposit will be retained and your place made available to other holidaymakers.

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Credit and debit cards

Payments by credit or debit card are welcomed and Vitalise accepts Visa, MasterCard, Delta and Maestro. Credit card payments will carry a handling fee of 3% of the payment being made (this does not apply to debit cards).

 

Pricing

Every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the information provided in our brochure and prices are correct at the time of publication. However, as we start planning holidays over a year in advance, it is occasionally necessary to make changes in line with our contract with suppliers. Vitalise Holidays reserves the right to make price changes after publication where this is considered necessary and you will be informed of any changes at the time of booking.
 

Surcharges

Vitalise Holidays reserves the right to apply surcharges; these may include (but are not limited) increases in fuel charges, taxes, changes to VAT and currency fluctuations. We will absorb any increase equivalent to 2% of your holiday cost excluding any supplements for special requests as outlined in these conditions.

Surcharges will be requested in writing and failure to pay surcharges will be deemed as cancellation of the holiday and charges will apply. If the surcharge is higher than 10% of the holiday cost you may choose to cancel your booking and receive a full refund. Should you choose to cancel your booking, you must do so within 14 days of us notifying you of any surcharges; if you fail to do so then cancellation charges will apply.

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Late booking charges

Bookings received within eight weeks of departure may be subject to additional costs levied by our suppliers these additional costs will be confirmed prior to accepting the reservation.

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External suppliers

Holiday fees do not include travel insurance. For holidays outside of the UK you are required to take out travel insurance which must cover the cost of repatriation and evacuation if an accident or illness prevents you from continuing your break. Your policy should include cover for any activities you expect to undertake during your holiday and medical cover for at least £5,000,000.

You are required to provide Vitalise with your insurance company name, policy number and emergency medical claims contact number prior to departure.

Although there is no requirement for insurance for UK holidays, we recommend that you take out cancellation and curtailment insurance.

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Preview holidays

These are advertised in the brochure with an estimated cost, approximate start date and outline itinerary. Places on the holiday can be reserved with a reservation fee of £100 per person which must be paid within seven days of booking. The reservation fee will be refunded and the break cancelled if the minimum group size is not achieved by the reservation deadline shown in the brochure.

If the minimum group size is achieved a confirmation letter will be sent confirming the dates, cost and itinerary. The £100 reservation fee will be deducted from the deposit required to confirm the holiday.

Customers are free to cancel their holiday and forfeit the reservation fee if they no longer wish to purchase the holiday. The reservation fee will be refunded if:

• the holiday cost has increased by more than 10% of the advertised price
• there are substantial changes to the itinerary
• the departure dates are more than seven days later or earlier than those originally advertised

All terms and conditions shown in this document will apply from the time the holiday is confirmed.

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Holiday cancellation by customer

Notification of a holiday cancellation should be made in writing or by email by the person travelling. The date of cancellation will be taken as the date you first inform Vitalise of your wish to cancel.

The following cancellation charges apply to confirmed holidays:

• More than 90 days before departure – loss of deposit
• 61–90 days before departure – charge will be 50% of holiday cost
• 31–60 days before departure – charge will be 75% of holiday cost
• 0–30 days before departure – charge will be 100% of holiday cost

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Holiday changes by customer

If you wish to change your booking to another holiday, this will be considered as a cancellation by you and charges will apply as outlined above.

If you or someone you are travelling with is no longer able to participate in the holiday, you may substitute them with another person as long as this person meets the suitability requirements set out by Vitalise Holidays. All monies paid may be transferred to the substituted person, less any charges levied by our suppliers for making the change. Any substitution is subject to the conditions of our suppliers and is not guaranteed.

If you wish to make any other changes to your holiday booking after your place has been confirmed such as departure point or room requests, these will be subject to availability, may be subject to additional charges and will not be guaranteed until any charges have been paid to Vitalise.

Holiday cancellation by Vitalise

Occasionally there is insufficient demand for a holiday; Vitalise reserves the right to cancel a holiday and provide a full refund if insufficient reservations have been made or if it is deemed necessary due to circumstances outside of the organisation’s control.

In the unlikely event that, within 48 hours of travel, the ratio of sighted guides to visually impaired people falls below a safe level, Vitalise reserves the right to cancel the place of one or more visually impaired people to fulfill health and safety requirements. Vitalise undertakes to pay compensation at the following amounts as well as a full refund of any monies paid;

• For all holidays within the UK and any overseas holidays up to seven days duration, £20 per day.
• For holidays outside the UK of more than seven days duration, £30 per day.

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Holiday changes by Vitalise

In order to maintain the quality of your holiday, it may occasionally be necessary to make changes to some aspects of your holiday after it has been confirmed, these may included (but are not limited to) accommodation, transport methods, departure point or itinerary.

Occasionally Vitalise Holidays may have to make a significant change to the planned itinerary or arrangements in order to ensure the standard of service. Significant changes might include but are not limited to:

• A change in departure or arrival time of more than 12 hours.
• Change of departure airport (excluding changes between London airports).
• The main resort or town you were to stay in has changed.
• The standard of accommodation for the majority of the stay is lower than that originally booked.
• More than 25% of the included excursions or activities have changed.
• The duration of the holiday has changed by more than 20%.

You will be informed of significant changes as soon as possible. If you choose not to accept these changes, your break will be cancelled and you will be given a full refund of monies paid.

Any decision to cancel a booking in light of any change, other than one deemed significant by Vitalise Holidays, will be subject to cancellation charges.

Guide dogs

Guide dogs are welcome on the majority of Vitalise Holidays UK breaks. The brochure identifies breaks which would not be guide dog friendly. Owners are expected to be responsible for the control and hygiene of their guide dog and provide adequate equipment and supplies for the dog to cover the duration of the holiday.

Please be aware that laws regarding access to services overseas may differ from those in the UK. On those overseas holidays where the airline or route used by Vitalise Holidays is not suitable for guide dogs, it may be possible for guide dogs and their owners to travel to this destination via an alternative route or airline. Any arrangements will be subject to additional cost and organisation by the guide dog owner.

Vitalise Holidays uses information provided by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) which is believed to be correct at the time of going to print. We advise you to contact DEFRA to confirm the most up to date regulations regarding approved transport companies and routes, and any quarantine regulations under the Pet Travel Scheme (PETS). You can telephone the helpline on 0870 241 1710.

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Meeting point and time

The meeting place and time will be stated in the travel confirmation that you will receive around four weeks before travel. It is your responsibility to arrive by the specified time and at the correct place.

If, on the day you are travelling, you are unable to reach the meeting place at the specified time, you should contact the Holiday Representative on the mobile telephone number you will be provided with. The Representative will give any advice or assistance that they can, however it is not guaranteed that they will be able to make further arrangements for you in the event that the group must depart without you. The Representative is responsible for the entire group and will not be responsible for any costs or loss of holiday that you incur in this instance. Vitalise Holidays will be unable to offer compensation or reimburse any additional costs you incur in the event that you are delayed for travel.

Sighted guide ratios

Vitalise will endeavour to provide an equal number of guides and visually impaired guests on each holiday and guarantees that holidays will not operate with ratios below five visually impaired people to four sighted guides; with the exception of holidays where we have assessed that the safety of the group would not be compromised by lower ratios.

In the unlikely event that, on arrival at the meeting point, there are insufficient sighted guides for the holiday to proceed safely, one or more visually impaired participants will be asked to volunteer to return home. If no volunteers are forthcoming, the Representative will draw lots to determine which member of the group will not be able to participate in the holiday. If this occurs you will be compensated according to the length and destination of the holiday as outlined under the clause ‘Holiday cancellation by Vitalise’.

Where possible the Representative will give assistance in arranging homeward travel arrangements, or if this is not possible, you will be put in contact with a Director of Vitalise who will provide assistance from their location.

If an agreement cannot be reached as to the individual/s to return home, then the holiday will be terminated for the well being and safety of the entire group. In this instance no compensation will be available.

If, during the holiday, the ratio of sighted guides to visually impaired people drops below the minimum ratio through illness or injury, where possible, arrangements will be made for a replacement sighted guide to join the group at the earliest opportunity. If in the unlikely event that this is not possible and the safety of the group is at risk, the holiday will be terminated and arrangements will be made for the entire group to return to the UK if abroad, or to their homes.

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Responsibilities of sighted guides

Sighted guides take part in Vitalise Holidays in order to support visually impaired participants in gaining the most from their holiday. A visually impaired person can reasonably expect the sighted guide they are allocated or whom they share a room with to assist with the following activities:

• Orientation of their room, accommodation and local surroundings including fire evacuation procedures.
• Guiding during daily activities, excursions or leisure time in a manner that they are comfortable with.
• Description of the surroundings and places visited.
• Assistance during mealtimes in choosing food options and carrying their plate to their seat for buffet style meals.
• Assistance in locating and retrieving their luggage from a carousel or luggage rack.
• Assistance during included excursions or activities.

Sighted guides are not expected to provide any personal care which includes (but is not limited to) the following activities: personal hygiene, dressing, packing or unpacking, carrying luggage, manual handling, first aid or administering medication.

Many holidays include periods of free time, when the group is at leisure; during these times, sighted guides should not be expected to pay for optional excursions or visits if they are not comfortable with participating in these. If a sighted guide and visually impaired person who have been paired together do not wish to participate in the same optional activities, the Representative should be informed at the earliest opportunity so that alternative arrangements can be made. Sighted guides should not feel obliged to pay extra for optional activities that they do not wish to participate in.

Accommodation and rooming

The price for each holiday is based on two people sharing in a twin room (or in shared accommodation as stated in the brochure).

Accommodation on a single occupancy basis may be available for some holidays. Where this is available, a single person supplement may be payable.

Please contact the Vitalise Holidays Team for further information and costs for individual holidays.

If you are not satisfied with the accommodation or your room partner, it is your responsibility to inform the Representative at the earliest opportunity during the holiday so that alternative arrangements can be made. Please be aware that additional charges may apply for changes to rooming and you will be responsible for paying these direct to the supplier.

If you do not inform the holiday representative of your accommodation problems, Vitalise Holidays will not be held responsible for any negative effect this may have upon your holiday experience.

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Service standards

Vitalise Holidays endeavours to provide holiday experiences for a wide range of tastes and budgets, including travel to many destinations with different cultures. Please be aware that health and safety regulations overseas may not be as thorough as those in the UK. This is particularly important to remember on holidays classed as ‘adventure travel’. In these countries accommodation standards may be lower than you would expect from hotels in the UK, and meals may have less variety than you may be used to. We ask that you show a positive and flexible attitude in light of these differences, which we consider to add to the experience of travelling in countries where the culture and standards are very different to those at home.

Passports, visa and health

It is your responsibility to ensure that you hold a valid passport with a minimum of six months validity after the end of your holiday. Vitalise Holidays will not be liable for any costs incurred in the event that you are refused entry to or transit through any country through failure to carry the correct documentation.

For some holidays a visa service will be provided in the cost of the holiday, however where this is not the case, Vitalise Holidays undertakes to provide information on visa requirements for British citizens. On all holidays where you are responsible for obtaining the correct visa, you should allow plenty of time for this as Vitalise Holidays will not be liable for any costs incurred through failure to obtain accurate documentation.

Holders of non-British passports are responsible for contacting the relevant embassy to ensure that they will be allowed entry to the country to be visited. We advise that you do so before confirming a place on the holiday as cancellation due to an unsuccessful visa application will be subject to normal cancellation charges.

Vitalise Holidays is not qualified to give advice on current health recommendations, and as these change regularly you are responsible for ensuring that you are adequately protected before travel. We strongly recommend that you obtain a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) for visits to any countries within the European Economic Area (EEA). The EHIC entitles you to state provided medical treatment whilst abroad, however please be aware that in some countries this does not include all the services that are provided in the UK and you may be required to make a contribution to the cost of your care.

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Behaviour

As a charity that fosters diversity, Vitalise expects all customers to exercise consideration for other people. We will not tolerate behaviour that causes distress to other holidaymakers or compromises the safety of the group or members of the public. If, in the reasonable opinion of Vitalise Holidays or any person deemed by us to be in authority, your behaviour is considered to be inappropriate, endangering the safety of others, be causing or likely to cause offence or distress to others or damage to property, we reserve the right to terminate your participation in the activity or holiday without prior notice. In this event you may be required to leave the accommodation or service and all further responsibility for you will cease, including return travel arrangements. Vitalise Holidays will have no obligation to cover any costs you incur and you may be precluded from participation in future holidays.

If, on your arrival at the meeting point, the Representative considers that you are exhibiting any of the above behaviour, you will be prevented from participating in the holiday, and normal cancellation charges will apply.

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Criminal Record Bureau disclosure

In accordance with Vitalise Policy and industry best practice, all sighted guides are requested to apply for a disclosure from the Criminal Record Bureau before taking on the role as a sighted guide on a Vitalise Holiday. Failure to comply with this condition will lead to your holiday being cancelled. Information on how to do this will be included in your holiday information pack.

All new registrations from sighted guides will be subject to receipt of satisfactory references. Vitalise reserve the right to refuse registrations from anyone it deems to be unsuitable to act as a sighted guide.

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Suitability and additional requirements

It is your responsibility to inform Vitalise Holidays before you book if you have any requirements concerning medical conditions, mobility, fitness, dietary needs or any other aspect, which may affect your ability to participate. Wherever possible we will make any adjustments necessary, however we reserve the right to refuse a place on a holiday or suggest an alternative if we deem that your participation may have a negative effect on the safety and enjoyment of you or other participants. Information will be provided in the brochure and information pack regarding the level of fitness and skill required for each holiday, it is your responsibility to ensure that you come suitably prepared for the itinerary and level of activity and, unless you inform us otherwise, we will assume that you are in a good state of health and able to participate.

Vitalise Holidays undertakes to pass on to our suppliers any requests for special diets, access or rooming, however we cannot be responsible for any failure to accommodate these needs if these services are not available at the destination.

Vitalise liability to you

Vitalise will ensure that the holiday you book is provided to the standard of description in the brochure and holiday information pack. Where services are provided by air or sea carriers our liability is limited as if we were carriers within the appropriate international conventions. Should any payment be made to you by Vitalise in any circumstances referred to in this section, we reserve the right to claim in your place against the individual or organisation responsible for causing the illness, injury or death. This means that you must assign that part of your rights to Vitalise and assist us and our insurers in pursuing claims.

In the event that we are unable to provide any aspect of the holiday as described in our brochure and information pack and any changes made have not been due to reasons given in these conditions, we accept liability and will offer appropriate compensation. This means that every aspect of the holiday must have been subject to a significant change as defined in these conditions.

Subject to these conditions, we accept liability for any damage to property, injury or death, resulting from the actions or failure to act with due care and reasonable skill, of staff members or volunteer Representatives acting in a capacity on behalf of Vitalise Holidays, within the procedures and guidelines issued by the charity.

In the event of this occurring, you must be able to provide evidence that any damage to property, injury or death has not been as a result of:

• Your own acts or omissions
• The acts or omissions of a third person unconnected to Vitalise Holidays or the provision of the holiday which could not reasonably have been predicted or prevented.
• An event that falls under the description of ‘force majeure’.

Vitalise will not be responsible for any loss of enjoyment suffered due to something about which you have failed to inform us prior to travel, or that has arisen during the holiday that you have not informed the Representative of before returning home, unless this is due to our failure to provide the conditions of our contract.

Conditions of carriage

Vitalise does not enter into agreement for carriage by air but only undertakes to reserve on your behalf. Transport utilising a third party aircraft, coach, train or ship will be subject to that company’s conditions of carriage, which may limit or exclude liability in the event of changes, delay, cancellation or curtailment of travel . These conditions are often subject to international agreements between countries, copies of these conditions that apply to your holiday journey can be requested from Vitalise or the carrier concerned. You are expected to abide by the conditions of carriage of any third party carrier at all times.

All holidays involving transport in a vehicle owned by Vitalise or for which Vitalise has sole use are subject to the following conditions in addition to any conditions of the owner (in the case of hired vehicles):

• The Vitalise Representative or designated driver has authority to determine the use of the vehicle during the holiday and decisions made by them to ensure the safety and well being of the group regarding travel arrangements, repairs and use must be adhered to. Failure to do so will be considered as inappropriate behaviour under the clause in these conditions.
• Any damage caused by you through misuse must be paid for in full.
• You are not permitted to carry any illegal substance on the vehicle, including undeclared goods that would incur customs duty if returning to the UK from abroad.
• Regulations regarding the use of seatbelts and safety equipment required by UK law or the laws of the country in which you are travelling must be adhered to at all times.
• You are expected to behave in a manner that does not cause distraction to the driver whilst they are responsible for the safety of the group. Any actions considered to be endangering the safety of the group in this manner will be considered inappropriate behaviour under the clause in these conditions.

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Complaints

If you have a complaint whilst you are on holiday, please tell the Vitalise Representative as soon as possible so that immediate action can be taken. If you do not inform anyone during the holiday of any problems arising, Vitalise will not take responsibility for any detrimental effect this has on your holiday experience. In the unlikely event that you have an unresolved complaint after the holiday, you should contact the Vitalise Holidays Team at the address below with full details of the complaint within 28 days of the end of the holiday. We will endeavour to resolve any complaint within 28 days of receipt; however complaints involving external suppliers may take longer. Subsequent correspondence from you regarding any complaint must be received within 28 days of you receiving a full reply from us.

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Consumer protection

Vitalise Holidays is a bonded tour operator and holds an Air Travel Organisers Licence (ATOL) number 5544. The air holidays in this brochure are ATOL protected. In the unlikely event of our insolvency, the Civil Aviation Authority will ensure that you are not stranded abroad.

Further information can be found on the ATOL website. Holidays not including air travel are covered under International Passenger Protection Insurance.

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Privacy policy

Vitalise Holidays takes proper precautions to ensure that any personal information you share with us is kept securely.

Vitalise Holidays undertakes to share personal information with third parties only if this is essential to the holiday requirements, information that may be shared includes (but is not limited to) name, address, date of birth, nationality, passport information, weight, measurements, dietary requirements and medical conditions.

For holidays outside the European Economic Area (EEA), data security controls may not be as stringent in the destination country as those of the UK. However Vitalise Holidays will only pass on information to persons or suppliers directly responsible for part of the holiday arrangements.

Without passing on this information we would be unable to arrange your holiday and we will consider your booking with Vitalise Holidays to be consent to this information being shared with the relevant persons or suppliers.

In order to better meet the needs of our customers, we will provide a list of places from where people will be travelling for each holiday. This information will be given in the travel confirmation which you will receive around four weeks before travel. The names of those travelling will not be disclosed to protect participants under the Data Protection Act 2003 as this is considered to be non-essential information. If you wish to contact someone on the same holiday, you may request Vitalise Holidays to contact them on your behalf; your personal contact details will only be passed on with your express permission.

We regularly use photographs taken on our holidays for publication in our brochure, on our website and in other marketing materials connected with the work of Vitalise. You will be given the option on your booking form to opt out of images of you being used for these purposes. Every endeavour will be made to ensure that images of you are not used for the above purposes; however you are responsible for ensuring that you do not pose for photographs taken by the Representative on the camera that they will be using for this express purpose. You should also remember to inform other participants on the holiday that you do not wish your image to be passed on to Vitalise.

Vitalise may contact you for marketing purposes, including offers for holidays and information on other services that the charity provides unless you have requested not to be contacted for these purposes. If you do not wish to receive further marketing materials, please inform us as soon as possible.