In making a booking with Greenland Explored, you agree to accept the following Conditions to which your booking is subject. Please read these carefully and retain them for your records. By signing the Booking Form you are stating that you have read and understood them and that they apply to you and any other party for whom you are booking a holiday.
Our Itineraries
Many of our itineraries and activities are dependent on weather and ice conditions and as such they are subject to alterations and delays at short notice. Alterations and delays may also arise due to problems with local infrastructure and local suppliers that are beyond our control. If alterations must be made, we shall always endeavour to follow as closely as possible the schedule relating to the original itinerary and budget. Additional costs incurred as a result of such changes must be met by the Client.
Inclement weather conditions and/or limited capacity in Greenland may also result in delays in travelling to and/or returning from our holidays with the result that scheduled flight connections may be missed or the itinerary may be limited, interrupted or changed. Additional costs arising from these eventualities may include those for meals, accommodation, transportation and so on, and these must be met directly by the Client.
Greenland Explored operates tours in remote places where the infrastructure may be less comprehensive and reliable than many of our Clients are accustomed to. Clients visiting Greenland with Greenland Explored must also be aware that severe weather conditions may be encountered and that conditions may change suddenly and are often cold and stormy.
In our itineraries and other literature we have described certain conditions, flora, fauna, experiences and other aspects of Greenland that are usually encountered on our trips. However, Greenland Explored cannot guarantee that they will be seen or experienced.
ACCURACY OF OUR LITERATURE
Greenland Explored has taken every reasonable care in the preparation of literature that relates to Greenland, our itineraries and our operations. However, some information may have been provided to us by third parties and as such we can accept no liability with respect to inaccurate information except where resulting from negligence on behalf of Greenland Explored. Please also note that our itineraries and prices are open to change and any changes will be made known to you in good time.
FITNESS, HEALTH AND SAFETY
It is Greenland Explored’s intention that our tours and services should be open to as wide a range of people as possible and as such they are available to people of any age and of reasonable fitness and health. If you are unsure that you have appropriate levels of fitness and health, you should contact us for advice. It is a Condition that you make us aware at the time of booking of any disability, medical problems or behavioural problems that may affect the well-being or pose a danger to your self, Greenland Explored’s staff or other members of the tour. Greenland Explored reserves the right to refuse a booking or refuse to take a person on a particular trip if it is felt that the person may endanger themselves or others.
Some of the activities included in our itineraries such as dog sledding, snowshoeing, boating, travelling over rough ground and travel in remote areas have inherent hazards and risks. Hazards may also be associated with local climatic conditions. By signing the booking form you acknowledge this and accept responsibility for your own safety. Greenland Explored’s leaders will as a matter of course ensure that all hazards and risks are minimised.
The Home Rule Government of Greenland does not officially endorse the use of Inuit boats and dogsleds for the carriage of passengers. Boats and dogsleds are nonetheless widely used both privately and commercially by tour operators and hotels, and they are only ever driven by highly experienced and expert people. Because of this governmental stance, each passenger must take complete individual responsibility for both their belongings and personal safety. Greenland Explored Adventures or the Inuit driver in charge of the boat or dogsled cannot be held responsible for such use of such craft or any accident, injury, death or loss relating to their use.
ACCOMMODATION
You should be aware that accommodation used in our itineraries is often basic and may include nights spent in basic huts and/or tents. We shall also stay at Inuit homes whilst in villages and you should respect them as such. Greenland Explored assumes that Clients travelling alone will be prepared to share twin-bedded rooms in hotels, guesthouses, hostels and houses. Whilst we always attempt to ensure that a room is shared with someone of the same sex, this cannot be guaranteed. Single rooms are not always available. Tented accommodation is often used and you should be prepared to stay in a tent in the types of conditions that can be expected in the region in question.
INSURANCE
It is your responsibility to ensure that you have appropriate travel insurance in place before joining the trip. Please ensure that the policy covers you for the activities included in the itineraries and any costs associated with delays incurred due to bad weather/unforeseen circumstances.
TRAVEL
It is your responsibility to pay for your travel as far as the start point of the tour.
GREENLAND EXPLORED’S LEADERS AND OTHER STAFF
By accepting these Conditions you agree to adhere to the authority and decisions of our Leaders, staff, sub-contractors and other agents associated with Greenland Explored. Our staff and associates reserve the right to exclude a Client from all or part of a holiday if their health or behaviour is deemed to pose a risk to the safety or enjoyment of other participants. Any additional costs that arise from such an eventuality are the responsibility of the Client in question. They also have the right to change all or part of an itinerary.
GREENLAND EXPLORED’S RESPONSIBILITIES AND THE LAW
It is our intention that our tours should be as enjoyable as possible and Greenland Explored promises to deliver all parts of the tour at a very high standard and within our Conditions. Greenland Explored shall not be liable for any illness, accident, injury or death sustained to you whilst on our holidays, except where it is the result of negligence on our part, nor shall we be liable for any uninsured loss or damage to your property. Claims against us with respect to liability or compensation fall within the jurisdiction of only the courts of England and Wales.
PROTECTION OF OUR CLIENTS’ MONIES
As a result of an EC Directive (The Package Travel, Package Holidays and Package Tour Regulations 1992) Greenland Explored must provide financial safeguards to Clients in the event of our insolvency. To this end, all Clients’ monies are deposited in a Trustee Account until the completion of the contract and the repatriation of the Client at which point the monies may be released to the company. In addition it is strongly recommended that Clients arrange their air travel via an ATOL bonded operator and they shall be subject to the operator’s Conditions.
BOOKING AND PAYMENT
Greenland Explored shall reserve a place for you on the requested tour on receipt of a completed booking form and a deposit of 20% of the tour price. A Contract exists once Greenland Explored has sent you written confirmation of your place on the holiday. The balance is required no later than 10 weeks before the start date of the tour. If a booking is made less than 10 weeks before the start date, payment in full is required at the time of booking. Failure to pay for the tour within the specified time periods will be treated as a cancellation and the deposit shall be retained.
SPECIAL REQUESTS
Please inform us at the time of booking of any special requests. Greenland Explored shall endeavour to meet these but they cannot be guaranteed. It may not be possible to cater for special dietary requirements, and vegetarian options may be limited on some of our itineraries.
CANCELLATION
Our tours may very occasionally have to be cancelled due to insufficient bookings or due to failure in transport or other logistical arrangements that are beyond our reasonable control. Greenland Explored reserves the right to cancel a tour up to one month before departure, or at any time if due to force majeure. A full refund of monies paid by the Client or the offer of an alternative booking shall be made, but Greenland Explored shall have no further liabilities.
You or another member of your party may cancel your booking at any time but the cancellation must be made by the person signing the booking form and it must be received in writing. The following applies to refunds for cancellations within the timescales shown:
Cancellation >6 months before departure 95% refund
Cancellation 4 – 6 months before departure 90% refund
Cancellation 10 wks – 4 months before departure 60% refund
Cancellation within 10 wks of departure No refund
If payments are made by Greenland Explored after you have booked in relation to special requirements for your holiday that fall outside our normal activities, these shall be retained by Greenland Explored except at our discretion. If the reason for your cancellation is covered by the terms of your insurance policy then any costs incurred should be covered by the insurance company.
AND FINALLY…
The most important thing to us is that you enjoy yourself in Greenland. Therefore your feedback, comments, complaints and praise both during your holiday and once you’re back home are extremely valuable to us. If you have a complaint, please let us know immediately so that we can act on it and rectify it, and make sure you let us know in writing within three weeks of your returning home.
If anything is unclear in this document, or if you have any questions regarding our trips or your booking, please don’t hesitate to contact us.