Terms & Conditions – Chatham Island Tours

1. Covid-19: Safety on tour. Pacific Trailways will always put the health and safety of our staff and guests first. Best practice Government authorised Covid-19 hygiene and safety practices will apply on every tour.

2. Tour prices. Tour prices are in New Zealand dollars and include GST. Prices are per person, twin share basis. An additional price applies for guaranteed single person room occupancy. Pacific Trailways will absorb extra-ordinary supplier price increases if at all possible, however we reserve the right to apply a surcharge in the event of significant fuel price rises. No surcharge will be applied once the final tour balance has been invoiced and paid.

3. Deposit, Payment and Acceptance of Terms. A deposit of NZD$500 per person is required to confirm the booking. Payment of the deposit confirms the tour client has read and accepted the Tour Booking Terms & Conditions. Full payment can be made at any time but is required no later than 35 days prior to departure (full payment is required for bookings made less than 35 days from tour departure). An interim non-refundable payment will also be required for the Air Chathams airfare component. We will advise details of the Air Chathams payment at the confirmation step.

4. Deposit and Full Payment Options:
INTERNET BANKING – Pacific Trailways Ltd. BNZ Account number 02-0400-0116109-001.
CREDIT CARD – Visa and Mastercard only.

5. Minimum booking numbers required. This tour will be confirmed to operate once bookings have achieved the minimum numbers required. In the event that minimum booking numbers are not achieved, Pacific Trailways will offer an alternative departure, or a full refund, this being the full extent of our responsibility. Any additional costs you may incur as a result of cancellation by Pacific Trailways will be your responsibility and we expect you to seek remedy via travel insurance cover.

6. Client Cancellations, not related to Covid-19. All cancellation charges apply ‘per person’. For cancellation 60 days or more prior to tour start date a full refund applies, less $50 administration fee. For cancellation: 59 – 35 days prior to tour start date: cancellation fee is 50% of the tour price. For cancellation: 34 – 00 days prior to tour start date: cancellation fee is 100% of the tour price. No refund can be made once the tour is underway and there are no refunds for unused tour components.
 

7. Client Cancellations due to Covid-19. If client cancellation is a direct result of Covid-19 and a requirement for the client to self-isolate, enter quarantine or seek medical treatment, Pacific Trailways will, at its discretion, review cancellation charges applicable to that client’s booking. Pacific Trailways will consider each case on its merit, taking into account the medical situation, personal circumstances and time remaining before tour departure. To consider a review of cancellation charges, Pacific Trailways will require an authorised Covid-19 test result. A $50 administration fee will apply to the cancellation charge review.
 

8. Covid-19: Lockdown tour cancellation. If the tour departure is cancelled due to a New Zealand Government Covid-19 lockdown order, Pacific Trailways will transfer your deposit and/or tour payments to a later tour departure.

9. Itinerary amendments. Pacific Trailways reserves the right to amend the itinerary if/as necessary due to weather and/or operational requirements and to substitute accommodation, transport and sightseeing services if required.
 

10. Travel Insurance. Pacific Trailways strongly recommends that ‘loss of deposit’ travel insurance is purchased at the time of booking. Cancellation fees will not be waived where travel insurance could have provided cover.

11. Luggage on tour – limits per passenger. Standard airline limits apply. One piece of cabin luggage, maximum weight 7 kilograms and must fit into an overhead locker or under a seat. One piece of main luggage to be stowed in the hold and a maximum weight of 23 kilograms.

12. Seat change daily. To provide a fair and equitable viewing experience for all tour participants a daily seat change policy applies. The process will be explained during the tour and all tour party members are expected to participate.

13. Accommodation. Tour basis is standard ‘twin or double’ rooms that may not include scenic or sea views. On some occasions, it may be necessary for bathrooms facilities to be shared.

14. Solo tour members – guaranteed single room preference. Limited single occupancy rooms may be available at the time of booking. To secure a guaranteed single occupancy room, the Guaranteed Single Room option must be purchased, if available.

15. Solo tour members – twin share room preference. Solo travellers may book ‘twin share’ basis and Pacific Trailways will make every effort to select appropriate same gender roommate pairings. Solo travellers booking on this basis must accept that there is no guarantee of compatibility with your selected roommate and that smoking is not permitted in rooms at any time.

16. Smoking. New Zealand Government laws forbid smoking in public transport, tour coaches, aircraft, airport terminals, accommodation, restaurants, bars, cafes and other recognised public places.

17. Personal expenses. Items and/or services not specified as included under ‘Highlights and Inclusions’ are deemed to be personal expenses and are not included in your tour price. Items considered to be personal expenses may include but are not limited to scheduled airfares and taxes, accommodation and meals and transport not included under ‘Highlights and Inclusions’, food not included on the regular tour menu, drinks, personal items, laundry, passport and visa fees, excess baggage, fuel surcharges, optional excursions and gratuities.

18. Personal belongings and lost items. Valuables on tour should be kept to a minimum and packed in your hand luggage along with personal items such as a camera, phone, small personal appliances, essential changes of clothing, toiletries and other personal items. You are responsible for your personal items at all times and must ensure you have adequate travel insurance cover in the event of any loss.

19. Health requirements. Payment of the deposit is a warranty by you that you or any persons covered by your booking are sufficiently fit and healthy to undertake this tour and associated travel arrangements. Pacific Trailways reserves the right, at its discretion, to remove tour participants who prove unable to meet these health requirements or who prove to be incapable of caring for themselves or who become a hazard to themselves or other tour members. No refund applies in such circumstances if the tour has commenced, and Pacific Trailways is not responsible for any associated travel arrangements or repatriation costs.

20. Pre and post tour connecting transfers, transport and air travel. Transport and travel before and after your tour are not included in your tour arrangements and these are your responsibility. Pacific Trailways will make every effort to keep your tour to the stated itinerary schedule but is not responsible for any missed connections before or after your tour.

21. Tour map. The tour map included on the website and in the brochure is not necessarily to scale. The map depicts an indication of the daily itinerary and route however the actual tour route may vary from the depicted tour route if operational or safety requirements make route changes necessary or desirable.

22. Illustrations. All photographs featured in the Pacific Trailways brochure, Facebook site and website illustrate and depict genuine events, places, occurrences and experiences. The use of these illustrations and images does not guarantee that such events, places, occurrences and experiences will necessarily be experienced or seen as depicted in the photograph or illustration.

23. Force Majeure. Force Majeure means an event or circumstance that is beyond the reasonable control of Pacific Trailways Ltd and that could not have been reasonably prevented by Pacific Trailways Ltd. It may include, but is not limited to, war, armed conflict, criminal damage, riot, civil strife, industrial dispute, terrorist activity or the possibility or threat of any such activity, natural disaster including but not limited to earthquake, volcanic eruption, cyclone, hurricane, tornado, tsunami, flooding, high or low water levels, fire, landslide, adverse weather conditions, nuclear or other industrial accident causing environmental contamination, or any change of law. In the event that Pacific Trailways Ltd cancels or changes your tour arrangements in any way due to a Force Majeure event, Pacific Trailways Ltd will not be liable to refund any part of your tour deposit or tour purchase price paid by you if Pacific Trailways Ltd subsequently changes or cancels your tour arrangements in connection with a Force Majeure event. As such Force Majeure events cannot be predicted and are beyond the control of Pacific Trailways Ltd it is your responsibility to purchase travel insurance that will adequately cover you against these risks.

24. Additional costs. Pacific Trailways is not responsible for any additional costs which may be incurred by tour participants as a result of events beyond the company’s control. Examples may include (but are not limited to) pandemic, strikes, industrial action, weather or any other man-made or natural occurrence.

25. Passport & Visa Requirements. It is the client/s total responsibility to meet passport and/or visa requirements for travel to and from New Zealand. Pacific Trailways is not responsible for, nor liable for, any loss or damage suffered by the client (or any person covered in the booking) resulting from client/s failure to meet required passport and visa conditions.

26. New Zealand law applies. All Pacific Trailways Booking Terms and Conditions and operations are governed by the laws of New Zealand and all parties submit to the jurisdiction of the New Zealand courts.

27. Pacific Trailways Partner. Pacific Trailways’ Chatham Island Tours are operated in conjunction with Chatham Islands Tourism, Travel & Tours Ltd.