Cancellation Policy
A minimum of 60 days' notice is required to re-schedule or alter all or part of a reservation.
Any date and/or name change will incur a $20 administration fee.
We are required to notify the operator of any cancellations within the specified cancellation period. It is your responsibility to make sure you submit your cancellation request with adequate time, and during our standard business hours (9 am-5 pm), to allow us to contact the tour provider. All cancellation requests must be in writing and sent via email to: [email protected]. Any emails received outside of these hours will be considered received the following day.
Cancellation fees are as follows:
- 20% cancellation fee 60 days or more before departure
- 40% cancellation fee within 60 days and 30 days before departure
- 100% cancellation fee within 30 days before departure and for "No Show"
There will be no refund of any part of your tour costs should you fail to arrive at a scheduled tour departure time. Tour departures may not be delayed due to passenger circumstances - including events beyond your control, medical problems, airline delays, weather, etc.
All passengers are strongly advised to purchase comprehensive travel insurance that includes trip cancellation insurance, evacuation, and medical cover.
Terms And Conditions
This website acts as a booking agent only for the tours advertised herein. Although we endeavour to provide accurate information, we are not liable for inaccurate information concerning services.
Maximum baggage allowance of 20kg per passenger (additional secure baggage storage available free of charge).
All guests are required to sign an agreement to the terms and conditions of the trip and complete a medical statement in accordance with Queensland diving regulations. Some divers may be required to present a medical clearance to dive if they currently have, or have a history of, certain medical conditions or are taking any medication - please check with us prior to your trip if unsure.
Dive tours are for certified divers only - please bring proof of certification on the trip.
Travel and scuba diving insurance, including medical evacuation cover, are strongly recommended.
Travel and itineraries are subject to weather conditions and other unforeseen circumstances and may be cancelled at the discretion of the company and/or Captain for passenger and vessel safety.
Specific dive sites and the number of dives are not guaranteed.
Spirit of Freedom will endeavour to adhere to the advertised itinerary, but reserve the right to alter the itinerary or cut short the tour in the event of medical emergency, inclement weather severe storm or named cyclone in the region may delay our departure or require the trip to be cut short or cancelled. If you are travelling in the cyclone season (December to April) you are advised to purchase, well prior to your Travel Date, insurance that covers force majeure events (being events outside the control of the parties, such as natural disasters).
In the event that the advertised itinerary is altered or the tour is cut short:-
a) We will not be liable to provide a refund for your booking, or the unused portion of your booking;
b) We do not accept any liability whatsoever for any loss or out of pocket costs suffered by you, howsoever caused (whether direct or indirect), as a result of the cancellation or change to the itinerary; and
c) You may choose one of the following options:
I. Accept new arrangements that might, at our absolute discretion, be made by us; or
ii. Accept a replacement tour from us of equivalent standard and price that, subject to availability, might be offered by us at our absolute discretion.
4.4. In the event of a mechanical breakdown, you accept that we will only be obliged to refund fees on a pro rata basis, and will not be responsible for alternative accommodation or tours, nor will we be liable for any other direct or indirect loss, expense, inconvenience or disappointment.
4.5. You agree to accept that where we, Spirit of Freedom, make a major change to your booking prior to your Travel Date, other than in accordance with clauses 4.1 or 4.2, our liability to you, if you are no longer able to complete the tour, will be limited to a full refund of your booking and we will not be liable for any other costs or expenses you have incurred in connection with your booking, including but not limited to additional trips, flights and hotels, or any loss or damage suffered by you as a result of the change.
Please remember you need to allow 24 hours from your last dive before flying.
MEDICAL STATEMENT AND DIVER INFORMATION FORM
5.1. If you are participating in scuba diving on any of our tours, you are required to complete a Medical Statement at least 30 days prior to your departure date. The Medical Statement is included within the Diver Information Form and is available online on our web site. A link with instructions will be sent to you or your Agent at the time of your booking.
5.2. If you respond YES to Questions 2, 3, or 4 on the Medical Statement, it is a requirement that you produce a dive medical clearance that was obtained from a doctor within the last 12 months, without which you will be unable to participate in scuba diving. We are not responsible or liable for
any delays in medical related issues and any cancellation for medical reasons will be subject to the charges set out in clause 3.1 above.
5.3. Upon arriving at our vessel, and before commencing any dive activities, you will be required to complete our Diver Information Form. You will ensure that all information provided is strictly accurate.
5.4. If during the tour it becomes apparent that you have incorrectly completed the Medical Statement or our Diver Information Form, by omission or false statement, you agree that we have the right to prevent you from undertaking any scuba diving activities while on board our vessel. Any decision made in this regard will be at the absolute discretion of the Dive Master aboard the vessel.
INSURANCE ADVICE
6.1. We strongly recommend that you purchase a Comprehensive Travel Insurance Policy that covers you for personal injury and the events outlined in clauses 3 and 4, including but not limited to, your cancellation for any reason, and the cancellation or alteration to the scheduled itinerary for reasons involving weather or passenger, crew or vessel safety.
6.2. We strongly recommend that you also purchase Evacuation and Medical cover for scuba diving. Scuba diving and In-water activities are not covered by all Travel Insurance Policies, and you must read the wording of your Policy carefully. It is important to note that in the event you require medical emergency services, the evacuation, medical, and vessel relocation expenses are your financial responsibility.
6.3. Divers Alert Network (DAN) www.diversalertnetwork.org & Dive Assure www.diveassure.com offer comprehensive insurance packages specifically for scuba divers. In particular, Dive Assure offer a liveaboard Rider (insurance) which includes coverage specific to liveaboard trips such as flight cancellations or delays resulting in missed liveaboard departures, vessel mechanical failures, medical inability to dive, inclement weather (in addition to named storms/cyclones) and other incidents. We recommend that you purchase the options that include coverage for the events outlined in clauses 3 and 4 above. It is our experience that many travellers undertaking scuba diving activities hold both general travel insurance and a specific dive insurance policy.
Please refer to our website for our full Terms & Conditions: https://hotgetaways.com.au/about-hot-getaways/terms-conditions/
