Thank you for booking with us.
Following are some terms and conditions when booking a tour with us.
Booking Terms and Conditions
1. The Terms
The purchase of your travel booking constitutes a contractual agreement between the traveler(s), the customer(s), and/or purchaser(s) (collectively as “You”, ”Traveler”, “Applicant”), and World Deaf Adventures dba D-travel Agency with MTravel/Corporate Travel Management (CTM), the host travel agency of D-travel Agency. (“D-travel Agency”, “MTravel”, “CTM” “We”, “Us”) pursuant to the following terms and conditions (“Terms”, “Agreement”).
2. Travel Agent
D-travel Agency with MTravel/CTM act as the travel agent, only. We sell various travel-related products on behalf of numerous transport and accommodation service providers, including, but not limited to, airlines, coaches, rail, cruise line operators, hotels, and tour suppliers.
D-travel Agency may host a trip with partner suppliers and participate in the trip as the tour conductor. D-travel Agency may also work as an advisor to partner suppliers in their itinerary for Deaf tours.
D-travel Agency does not own, operate, manage, or control these independent suppliers of services and is not liable for their acts or omissions.
D-travel Agency’s obligations to you are to make travel bookings on your behalf and to arrange relevant contracts between you and the travel service providers. We have no responsibility for these services, nor do we have the authority to make any warranty or representation regarding their standard. Requests cannot be guaranteed.
All bookings are subject to the terms and conditions and limitations of liability imposed by these travel service providers and tour suppliers. You understand that your legal recourse is against the specific provider, not D-travel Agency. Conditions can change rapidly in a country at any time. It is your responsibility to check the US Department of State travel advisory about traveling in the country of your destination. Check the US Department of State – travel.State.Gov website.
3. Responsibility
D-travel Agency is committed to doing its best to make sure your travel arrangements are satisfactory. However, D-travel Agency and its employees, agents, successors, directors, affiliates, and assigns do not own or operate any entity that provides goods and services for travel, including without limitation lodging facilities, airlines, vessels, motor coaches, or other transportation companies, guides or guide services, local ground operators, providers or organizers of optional excursions, food service providers, or other hospitality service providers, etc. All such persons and entities are independent contractors.
4. Important Conditions
The price for travel services, tours, and cruises are subject to increases prior to the time you make full payment.
Prices are not subject to increases after you make full payment, except for taxes and sub charges resulting from increased government-imposed taxes or fees.
By signing the terms and conditions for your travel, tour, or cruise, you expressly acknowledge your acceptance of these conditions (i.e., increases before full payment and increases attributable to government-imposed taxes or fees after full payment will be your responsibility) applicable to your purchase.
5. Booking/Reservations
To reserve your spot on a tour or cruise and with travel services, you must sign up and book yourself for the tour.
You receive a registration packet. You are required to register, complete the booking forms, agree to the terms and conditions, and pay the required deposits
Instructions for payment of the deposit are in the registration packet.
6. Deposits
A deposit of $500 per person is required at the time of booking for any tours, cruises, shore excursions, and any specific travel arrangements such as inter-flight, ferries, or any travel pass. A paid deposit guarantees you the tour.
After D-travel Agency receives your deposit, your travel account is set with the travel, tour, or cruise suppliers. Your bookings are processed and guaranteed.
Note that the $500 deposit is prepaid services and is non-refundable. Although there are some options to secure this deposit. Please see below Cancellation and Refund.
Note that some travel and tour suppliers and cruise companies may require further deposits. The additional deposit is invoiced directly to you. The additional deposits may or may not be refundable or a cancellation fee may incur where only a partial refund will be issued back to you after cancellation. Please read the policies of other suppliers that ask for additional deposits.
Deposit requirements particularly for tours and cruises vary. The amount of deposit required is calculated by the type of room, tent, cabin and on a cruise the type of stateroom you plan to book. And whether you sign up for the optional touring activities that are not on the itinerary and also whether you join the cruise company’s shore excursions.
Note that some cruise companies may require you to put down a deposit to lock in the discount or sale offered to you. Read carefully the cancellation policies that vary with the tour and the cruise companies, with penalties increasing as the tour starts or the sailing date approaches.
An important note is that your bookings are not deemed made until your deposit is received by the tour supplier or cruise company.
7. Payment
D-travel Agency will inform the payments options.
D-travel Agency with Mtravel/CTM, our host agency accepts Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express, or any type of checks for deposits and payments. All checks must be payable to Mtravel/CTM and send a photocopy of the check to D-travel Agency for their record.
Note that your final payment is expected 60 ~ 90 days prior to departure. Due dates depend on the travel, tour, and cruise supplier policy. Be sure to read the terms and conditions with due dates set by the travel, tour, and cruise suppliers.
D-travel Agency will remind you when payment is due.
In case of typos and misprint errors on the invoice made by D-travel Agency, Mtravel/CTM, or the suppliers of the tour, reserve the right to correct and to re-invoice with correct information including pricing.
8. Installment Payments
Upon request, you may make installment payments on your trips to D-travel Agency. In the case where payments are to be made to Mtravel/CTM, D-travel Agency has the responsibility to manage and track your payments to our host agency, Mtravel/CTM.
Note that skipping or missing the final payment may result in the provider or supplier dropping you from the tour or cruise with no refund.
9. Adjustments on the Itinerary
All travel and tour itineraries are subject to change due to climate, detours, or obstructions of whatever kind that have impeded travel and tour suppliers from offering their services.
For any change in the itinerary, the travel provider and tour supplier will make every effort to modify the itinerary and replace any travel, accommodation, or cabin room at a comparable value. The exchange of activities or substituted visits is not a cause for a refund.
10. Changing Information in your Account and on your Bookings
Any change of information or correction of errors made on your reservation by YOU will be assessed a surcharge of $50 per booking entry. Airlines or cruise lines may require further fees. Some travel suppliers and tour agencies may require a fee, too.
11. Cancellation and Refunds
Note that canceled tours and bookings incur charges. We understand when a traveler needs to back out of the tour and cancel their bookings. Your cancellation must be submitted in writing to be shared with the suppliers that booked you for their travel, tour, or cruise services. If you do not submit your cancelation in writing, we may not be able to cancel your bookings with the suppliers.
Many policies state that whenever a traveler cancels their booking 60 or 90 days before the start of the tour or sailing. Each travel, tour, and cruise supplier policies vary. You are most likely able to get a full refund on the cost of your trip minus the deposit. Deposits are non-refundable.
Also, understand that refund policy varies with tour and cruise companies, those charge penalties and fees increase as touring or sailing date approaches.
The charges can be up to 100% of the cost of the booking, regardless of whether travel has commenced.
Where we incur any liability for a cancellation fee or charge for any booking that you cancel, you agree to indemnify us for the amount of that fee or charge.
You may secure your deposits with trip cancellation insurance purchased at the beginning of your booking.
Additionally, D-travel Agency will gladly help you secure your deposit when possible. There are two possible ways.
- Only those who cancel their booking 90 days before the start of the tour, may receive a deposit voucher for future tours at Deaf World Adventures by D-travel Agency. Vouchers are limited to two years.
- You seek a new traveler to replace you on the tour. The new traveler must pay a deposit to D-travel Agency to replace you. After receiving the deposit from the replaced traveler, we will refund your deposit minus any fees incurred, such as change of information on the booking, including names, addresses, and telephone numbers in the accounts with suppliers, and also any transaction fees.
12. Travel Protection
For your protection, we strongly advise that you purchase trip cancellation and travel accident insurance. You may purchase travel insurance from D-travel Agency.
Note that no representation or description of the insurance made by the D-travel Agency to you constitutes a binding assurance or promise about the insurance. D-travel Agency is not an insurance company and has no responsibility for submitting, paying, or adjusting any insurance claims.
Any insurance claims that may fall under the relevant travel insurance policy must be submitted to the insurance company identified in the policy.
13. Credit Card Chargeback
Anytime the travel, tour, or cruise company is unable to guarantee you their services for which you have contracted, your remedy lies against the travel, tour, or cruise company, and not against D-travel Agency or Mtravel/CTM.
In the event that payment has been made to D-travel Agency or Mtravel/CTM by credit card, you agree that you will not seek to charge back your payment to D-travel Agency or Mtravel/CTM.
If the credit card is passed through to the travel or tour supplier including the cruise company and you seek to chargeback your payment from them, you agree to be held liable and indemnify D-Travel Agency or Mtravel/CTM against this chargeback including without limitation any air debit memos charged to D-travel Agency or Mtravel/CTM.
If D-travel Agency or Mtravel/CTM incurs any costs, including but not limited to attorneys’ fees to recover any payments charged back by your credit card company, you agree that you will be liable for these costs. If the credit card is declined, you guarantee that you will settle any amounts owing to D-travel Agency Mtravel/CTM via money order or cash immediately.
14. Liability
D-travel Agency is not liable for any negligent or willful act or failure to act of any travel provider, tour supplier, cruise line, or third party. In addition and without limitation, D-travel Agency 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 failures of airplanes or other means of transportation, or any failure of any transportation mechanism to arrive or depart on time.
Also, certain foreign facilities or amenities, such as air-conditioning systems in public places, hotels, and motor coaches, may not be up to U.S. standards. If due to weather, flight schedules, or other uncontrollable factors you are required to spend an additional night(s), you will be responsible for your own hotel, transfers, and meal costs. And baggage is entirely at the owner’s risk.
You may see the name D-travel Agency affixed to motor vehicles, on signs around the hotel, or elsewhere. This use of our name is purely for reasons of identification and does not denote ownership, supervision, or control by D-travel Agency in any way.
The prices of these tours are based on rates in effect (including foreign exchange rates) at the time of printing and are subject to change without notice. Under circumstances where liability cannot be excluded, such liability is limited to the value of the purchased travel arrangements. You specifically agree that D-travel Agency or Mtravel/CTM is not liable for these changes leading to consequential loss or damage.
15. COVID-19 Liability
Applicant signing up for a tour or cruise is fully aware of the current global (COVID-19) outbreak, the current travel restrictions, and the inherent risks involved in choosing to travel and participate. You are aware that the majority of serious cases and deaths contributing to this virus are in people of all ages.
The Applicant understands that it is his/her responsibility to check the latest travel information regarding this virus outbreak and that he/she should have travel insurance to ensure they have cover for all medical needs and trip cancellation, but understands that medical expenses/and or cancellation relating to the COVID-19 may not be covered. Travel insurance generally only covers unforeseen events. Most insurers classified COVID-19 as a ‘known event’ in late January 2020.
This means that if you booked before that, you may still be covered; if you booked after 31 January 2020, it’s unlikely you’ll be covered for anything relating to COVID-19. Please note that most policies have a specific clause stating they do not cover epidemics and pandemics, especially when travel warnings are in place.
You confirm that you have adequate financial resources in case medical care is needed relating to COVID-19 and understands the inherent and potential health risks of travel during this time and that in some areas of the expedition, medical attention may be days away.
You are aware of your home country’s travel warnings, travel restrictions, and rules and understand the risks, is accepting of these, and know that D-travel Agency or Mtravel/CTM cannot be held responsible for any travel restrictions, illness, cancellations, financial loss, quarantining rules or measures put in place at airports or destinations you are traveling through independently or as part of the expedition.
You are aware that additional screening procedures and restrictions may take place at airports and in public areas. You are aware that Immigration restrictions may be put in place before or during your travels. Check with your destination country’s immigration department to confirm you’ll be permitted to enter the country and also your home country/final destination for their regulations.
You are aware that it is his/her personal decision to travel and is doing so with full knowledge of current travel recommendations and travel restrictions with regards to COVID-19 and take full responsibility for his/her actions with regard to this.
16. Liability Waiver Form
Therefore, any negligent or willful act including any third person in connection to the tour is not the responsibility of the D-travel Agency nor Mtravel/CTM.
The waiver from discharges D-travel Agency, Mtravel/CTM, and its’ employees, travel agents, and other contractors from all claims of liability for personal injury, COVID-19 illness, death, or property loss arising out of or resulting from an incident that occurred during a tour in which you are a participant.
You must sign the waiver form sent to you with your trip confirmation before you embark on your trip. Please note that failure to sign the waiver form by the embarkation date could result in expulsion from the tour or cruise at your own expense.
17. Young Travelers
A parent or guardian must accompany travelers who are under age 18.
18. Smoking
You are expected to abide by the smoking laws in the country you visit.
For smokers, D-travel Agency will make every effort to accommodate your request to the tour supplier for a smoking room. However, D-travel Agency cannot guarantee that the supplier will be able to accommodate your request.
19. Illegal Drugs
You are responsible for knowing and observing the licensing laws for drug possession for all countries and states you are visiting. Whereas any drugs stated illegal, any carriage or possession of illegal drugs on a trip may result in immediate termination. And repatriation is at your expense.
20. Passports
All individuals departing from the United States of America must be in possession of a valid passport. Please check that your passport is valid for at least six months beyond your intended travel time.
It is your responsibility to ensure that you have valid travel documentation, including but not limited to passports and visas, which meet the requirements of immigration and other government authorities at every destination.
You are responsible for confirming the requirements for visas and/or other requirements for admission to your destination with the United States Department of State or the representative government agency of the country to which you are traveling to confirm
Any fines, penalties, payments, or expenditures incurred as a result of such documents not meeting the requirements of those authorities will be your sole responsibility.
REAL ID: Beginning October 1, 2021, if you plan to use your state-issued ID or license to fly within the U.S., it is your responsibility to make sure it is REAL ID compliant. If you are not sure if your ID complies, please check with our local state Department of Motor Vehicles, or visit the TSA – Flying with Real IDWebpage.
21. Travel Documents
Travel documents include, without limitation, airline tickets, hotel vouchers, tour vouchers, or any other document (whether in electronic form or otherwise) used to confirm an arrangement with a Travel service provider.
Travel documents may be subject to certain conditions and/or restrictions such as, but not limited to, being non-refundable, non-date-changeable, and subject to cancellation and/or amendment fees.
Travel documents cannot be transferred to another person to use.
All airline tickets must be issued in the name of the passport/photo identity holder. An incorrect name on a booking may result in an inability to use that booking and the booking being canceled. Any errors in names, dates, and timings may result in an inability to use that booking and the booking being canceled. Any errors in names, dates, and timings on your documentation will be your responsibility if we are not advised at the time of booking.
22. Flight Confirmation
We strongly suggest that travelers reconfirm exact flight times at least 24 hours prior to departure with the carrier prior to departure. Air travelers are required to check-in at least 2 hours prior to departure time for domestic flights and 3 hours for international flights and must report to the gate at least 30 minutes prior to departure time. Failure to comply may result in the loss of the seat to another passenger.
23. International Flight
Some countries require insecticide spraying of aircraft prior to a flight or while you are on the aircraft. Federal law requires that we refer you to the Department of Transport disinfection website.
24. Taxes and Sub Charges
Additional taxes and surcharges that cannot be pre-collected may be charged locally by car rental agencies, hotels, spa facilities, or others. You will need to pay on-site during your trip.
25. Gratuities
Gratuity for tour guides and hospitality services are often not included in the tours. Some tour suppliers will add gratitude fees for the tour guides, conductors, and drivers. Many times sign language interpreters are added to the list. Ask D-travel Agency about gratuities for the tour guides in the tours.
26. Medical Attention During Your Trip
Understand that any tour supplier or their guides are not liable to perform any medical emergencies or provide any medical help, such as care for aches, injuries, wounds, and offering over-the-counter medicine to travelers.
Tour suppliers are expected by national tourism laws to call for emergency assistance or send travelers to medical clinics. Your tour supplier will do their best to ensure that safety and adequate measures are taken while traveling.
27. Health and Special Requirements
It is your responsibility to ensure you are aware of any health requirements, health advisories, or travel restrictions applicable to your travel destinations and that you carry all necessary vaccination documentation.
Travel carriers and local authorities at travel destinations may require specific testing prior to boarding and/or upon arrival at your destination, including, but not limited to, a temperature check as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
You may be denied entry onto your carrier and/or entry upon arrival at your destination, or be required to self-quarantine at your destination and upon your return to the United States. You must comply with local government regulations. (See Liability & CODVID-19 Liability)
The additional costs are your responsibility.
Check with the Center for Disease Control (CDC) for current information prior to and during your travel.
28. Travelers Who Need Special Assistance
For the benefit of everyone in any tours organized or hosted/escorted by D-travel Agency, you are asked to report any disability or pre-existing illness on the medical form in your registration packet.
Failure to fully complete the medical form could result in expulsion from the trip at your own expense.
Please also take note that many tour suppliers and sites for visiting or excursions might refuse travelers with disabilities because of the potential risks involved.
Note that services and facilities for disabled persons outside the United States are more often limited or none at all.
The availability of any special assistive equipment or services including sign language interpreting: your travel provider or tour supplier will decide whether they can make reasonable attempts to accommodate travelers with disabilities or to include sign language interpreters on the tour. Please be prepared for any additional costs that might be charged to you.
Understand that D-travel Agency is not responsible whenever tour suppliers are unable to accommodate travelers with disabilities or to provide sign language interpreting.
D-travel Agency is not responsible for any denial of services by carriers, hotels, restaurants, or other travel or tour suppliers to travelers with disabilities including Deaf travelers.
D-travel Agency will do its best to negotiate for any Deaf and hard-of-hearing travelers’ needs during the trip.
29. Photography and the use of images
You agree that, while participating in Deaf World Adventure tours hosted/escorted by D-travel Agency, that any images, photos, or videos may be taken by the tour supplier, tour conductor, or other travelers that may contain or feature you in the photo.
You may consent to any such pictures being taken and grant a perpetual, royalty-free, worldwide, irrevocable license to the D-travel Agency, the tour supplier, its contractors, sub-contractors and assigns, to reproduce for any purpose whatsoever (including marketing, promotions, and the creation of promotional materials by or with sub-licensees), in any medium whatsoever, whether currently known or hereinafter devised, without any further obligation or compensation payable to you.
We are not responsible for other photos and the use of those photos by other travelers on the tour with you. You should speak directly with other travelers about the photos and their use.
30. Electronic or Handwritten Signature
Both parties agree that you may acknowledge and agree to these Terms: (i) electronically; (ii) by handwritten signature; (iii) by any other electronic means, including, without limitation, via email acceptance of these Terms; or (iv) by your implied consent deemed via your actions, which shall include without limitation the payment of the invoice and/or your use of the services provided by D-travel Agency or any other travel supplier related to your booking. All such means will be deemed to constitute effective acknowledgment and execution of this Agreement and shall be sufficient to bind the parties to the terms and conditions of this Agreement.
31. Refusal of Services
Travel service providers including tour suppliers reserve the right to refuse service to travelers at their sole discretion, including, without limitation, if the traveler: (i) Lacks proper documentation for the country of destination; (ii) Has a contagious disease, including COVID-19; (iii) Is under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or narcotics; and/or (iv) Manifests disruptive and/or unruly behavior.
D-travel Agency assumes no liability for the acts of the service provider in refusing service
32. Governing Law
Mtravel/CTM is the host agent for all travel bookings by D-travel Agency. The construction, validity, and performance of these booking Terms and any disputes between the parties shall be governed by and construed according to the laws of the State of California without giving effect to its conflict of law principles, and any federal laws applicable therein. Both parties submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of the State of California with respect to any legal proceedings relating to these terms.
33. Privacy Policy
D-travel Agency is committed to protecting the privacy and confidentiality of your personal information. Our Privacy Policy is available for viewing at D-travel Agency Privacy Policy.
Revised: March 31, 2022