Terms and Conditions
Please ensure you have read and understood the terms and conditions set out below
before making a booking. If you are unclear about anything, please contact us for clarification. Payment of your sailing holiday confirms your understanding and acceptance
of our terms and conditions.
Definitions and Interpretation
In these Booking Terms and Conditions, unless the context otherwise requires, the
following expressions have the following meanings:
Bespoke Sailing Holidays is a brand of Bespoke Sailing Holidays Ltd.
“We”, “Us”, “Our” – Bespoke Sailing Holidays Ltd. (Company number: 11555617,
Incorporated in Great Britain)
“You”, “Your”, “Organiser” – All persons named on the booking or added to the booking at a later time
“Online” – www.bespokesailingholidays.com. www.bespokesailingholidays.com
“Tour”, “Sailing Holiday” – The yacht charter you book with Bespoke Sailing Holidays Ltd.
“APA” – This refers to the Advance Provisioning Allowance kept as a float for all local
charges and costs. All expenditure is receipted and the balance of the allowance
reimbursed at the end of your trip.
The headings used in these Booking Terms and Conditions are for convenience only and
shall have no effect upon the interpretation of these Terms and Conditions.
Words imparting the singular shall include the plural and vice versa and references to any gender shall include the other gender.
A contract exists between Bespoke Sailing Holidays Ltd. and you, upon receipt of the
booking deposit.
Currency
All monetary figures are in Euro (EUR €) and Stirling (GBP £) and all payments are
inclusive of VAT and any other taxes, unless otherwise stated.
If you would prefer to use an alternative currency, please let us know.
Bookings
After making a booking with Bespoke Sailing Holidays (Bespoke Sailing Holidays Ltd.), the organiser will be required to complete a group booking form and include each member of the travelling party. It will be the responsibility of the party organiser to ensure that each traveller has read, understood and agrees to these terms and conditions.
A copy of each traveller’s passport will need to be supplied to Bespoke Sailing Holidays
Ltd., along with the completed group booking form.
The group organiser will be the point of contact for Bespoke Sailing Holidays Ltd. and will be responsible to keep your travelling party informed of all sailing arrangements.
If there are to be any changes to the travelling party, these can only be accepted by the organiser.
Payment
Unless otherwise agreed by Bespoke Sailing Holidays Ltd., on booking 50% of the boat
charter cost will be due directly to the boat charter company and 50% of our fees will be
due. The balance of both plus the advance provisioning allowance will be due 30 days
before departure. These 50% fees are non refundable.
If booking a date less than six (6) weeks before departure date, payment will be required in full. A booking confirmation of the booking cannot be given until payment has been received.
We prefer a bank to bank transfer but can accept credit cards.
When making payments, please ensure you have paid any international transfer bank
charges.
Local charges
Food, drinks, fuel, moorings, cleaning and insurance waiver are all payable locally and will be taken out of the APA.
Linen
One set of linen will supplied for everyone on board, including towel and hand towel. We
will also provide bed sheets (top and bottom), pillow, pillow case and blanket. Beach towels are not provided.
If extra linen is required, please give us at least two weeks noticed, otherwise we may not have time to make the arrangements. There is an additional charge for extra linen and for resetting your bed linen.
Water toys
A basic set of snorkelling gear is provided on each boat. Due to guest damages, there may
be more complete sets on some boats than others. There will be a minimum of 2 sets on
each boat. We aim to provide a minimum of 2 sets per cabin. If you want to guarantee a
set, we suggest you pack your own.
Floaties are not provided as standard equipment. Some boats may have more than others. If you’d like floaties, we suggest you bring your own.
Gratuities
Gratuities are not included in the price of the charter. The MYBA (Mediterranean Yacht
Brokers Association) issued tipping policy guidelines that range from 5% to 15% of your
total charter price as the customary range.
Itinerary
Our skippers will follow the itinerary, however there may be circumstances out of their control where this may not be possible. The skipper has authority to change the itinerary when and where he/she deems fit. These will be for safety reasons or adverse weather conditions. Dangerous winds may dictate we take another marina/port/berth to the listed itinerary.
If the group collectively requests a change to the itinerary, the decision to do so will be at
the skipper’s discretion.
Embarkation and Disembarkation
All Bespoke Sailing Holidays Ltd. sailing holidays end at 9am on the following Saturday. This is your time to disembark the yacht.
Embarkation / Check in time is different for each itinerary. If you can’t be on time, please
be early. We will check you in and conduct a safety briefing.
Excursions and onshore activities
We are not affiliated to any excursion company or onshore promoter. We have no financial relationship or otherwise with tour operators. You can participate with onshore tours and excursions, moped, car, bike hire at your own risk. All excursions are at your expense.
Non-payment of booking
If you fail to pay your deposit, we will cancel your booking without notice and make the
dates available to the public.
If you fail to pay the balance of the booking price by the required date, you will forfeit your booking dates and deposit. We will attempt to contact you/your party organiser, however it is ultimately your responsibility to pay the balance by the agreed date.
Cancellation of bookings has the following refund percentages:
Within 24 hours: 100% refund
After 24 hours and more than 6 weeks from departure date: 50% refund
Less than 6 weeks from departure date: 0% refund
There is a strict no refund policy if you cancel your booking within six (6) weeks before
your departure date.
N.B. You may be able to make a claim to your travel insurance provider.
Cancellation by us
We aim to have a zero cancellation policy, however sometimes they may be unavoidable
and therefore we reserve the right to do so. We will notify the group organiser of any
cancellations as soon as possible before departure date.
We will offer you a choice of the following:
reschedule to follow for the amended arrangements,
cancel the booking and receive a full refund of monies paid to us.
N.B. We will not refund other associated costs such as flights and transfers.
Refunds
In the event of a complaint or dispute, we will not issue a refund. We will discuss and apply
a fair credit.
Force Majeure
In this Clause, “Event of Force Majeure” means an event beyond the control of the
Authority and the Operator, which prevents a Party from complying with any of its
obligations under this Contract, including but not limited to:
Act of God (such as, but not limited to, extreme weather, fires, explosions, earthquakes,
drought, tidal waves and floods);
war, hostilities (whether war be declared or not), invasion, act of foreign enemies,
mobilisation, requisition, or embargo;
rebellion, revolution, insurrection, or military or usurped power, or civil war, contamination by radio-activity from any nuclear fuel, or from any nuclear waste from the combustion of nuclear fuel, radio-active toxic explosive, or other hazardous properties of any explosive nuclear assembly or nuclear component of such assembly, pandemics, riot, commotion, strikes, go slows, lock outs or disorder, unless solely restricted to employees of the Supplier or of his Subcontractors; or acts or threats of terrorism.
In the event Bespoke Sailing Holidays Ltd are not able to carry out the services contracted
due to reasons out of our control, we will not be liable.
The boats chartered in by Bespoke Sailing Holidays are fully serviced and maintained on an annual basis and also conduct running servicing throughout the season to keep
everything in working order. In the event of emergency repairs during your itinerary, it may be the case that we spend an extra day in a particular location. Although this is unforeseen and unpreventable, there will be no monetary compensation for a change in the itinerary, it means you get an extra day to enjoy that stop. The skipper will discuss options with the group and come to a decision about how to make up the time.
If the winds are in excess / forecast to be in excess of 25 knots, the boat(s) must find shelter and are not permitted to leave the safety of the marina / harbour / bay. This will result in a change in the itinerary. We will always put your safety first, even if this means a change to your itinerary.
The itinerary is a proposed itinerary and if the weather doesn’t allow for safe passage, it
may result in a changed itinerary, including staying in port. Any additional water taxis / ferries to continue to a proposed port is the financial responsibility of the guest.
In order to satisfy demand, Bespoke Sailing Holidays Ltd will charter additional boats from independent charter companies. Although all care is taken and a ‘check in’ procedure is completed with every charter boat, there will be from time to time faulty equipment, breakages and worn items. Bespoke Sailing Holidays Ltd is NOT liable for the condition of these charter boats and no monetary compensation will be given sub-par boats.
Meals
We provide breakfast and lunch on fulls days, excluding embarkation and disembarkation
days. On disembarkation day, we will provide a basic breakfast, as we are restricted for
time with an 9:00am guest check out.
As part of your booking process you will be sent an online preference form. This will
contain all information about you that we will use to accommodate your preferences. We can only rely on what you tell us.
Liability
Bespoke Sailing Holidays Ltd. operate in accordance with local law and regulations.
All due care will be provided to ensure the safety of your personal belongings, however
Bespoke Sailing Holidays Ltd. will not be held liable for replacement of your personal
belongings if there is a break in or theft on the yacht. It is your responsibility to have
adequate travel insurance before setting foot on board, covering you for personal possessions and against injury.
Your skipper will provide a safety briefing before all departures and will not leave the
marina until everyone is satisfied with their obligations and the skipper is satisfied that
everyone is capable and understands. Bespoke Sailing Holidays Ltd will not be held liable for any injuries due to guest negligence or mishaps.
Sailing is an active sport with variables such as wind, water, moving objects and other
vessels. All care will be provided and guest safety is the priority of the skipper, however
Bespoke Sailing Holidays Ltd. will not be held liable for any unforeseen incidents involving guest injury.
Guests may not wish to participate in active sailing, however by setting foot on board and
embarking with us on a sailing holiday, you assume any associated risks including but not limited to cuts, bruises, sprains, broken bones or rope burn.
Skipper authority and dispute resolution
The skipper has final say and ultimate authority on board the yacht. All guests must be respected at all time, including but not limited to guest personal space, personal
possessions, quiet time in the AM and PM, allowing for fellow guests to sleep if they have
retired to their quarters for the evening and respect of opinion.
If the skipper’s involvement is required in dispute resolution, his/her say is final. If an
individual or group refuse or are unable to comply with the skipper’s requests, it may be
requested that the offending person(s) are removed from the tour with immediate effect. If a person or group is removed from a tour, it will be their responsibility to find subsequent transport and accommodation. There will be no refunds provided.
Behaviour and early termination of tour
A responsible level of behaviour and consideration is expected whilst you are on board our yachts and you must comply with the yachts rules and regulations.
You will be liable for any damage or loss caused by you or by person(s) in your party whilst on board. If you or any person(s) in your party are deemed to be in our reasonable opinion behaving in a manner, which is likely to cause danger or distress to any third party or property, we are entitled to terminate our agreement with the person(s) involved without notice or refund. We also have the right to remove the person(s) involved from the vessel and have no further responsibilities towards the person(s).
If the matters are serious, the local Police may be involved.
The skipper’s decisions are final. In case of disputes or misunderstandings, the skipper’s
decision is to be respected.
Rights and use of digital media
If a photographer or another employee is taking photographs/video and you have an
objection to these being used by us, please make your objection known at the time. We
may publish digital media to a web platform and/or use it for marketing purposes.
Personal responsibilities
All person(s) intending to travel must be at least 18 years of age from the date of
departure.
Your personal responsibilities include, but not limited to:
Personal travel insurance,
Travel Visa (if necessary),
Current and valid passport,
Travel arrangements to and from the embarkation and disembarking ports/marinas,
You are responsible for notifying your skipper or Bespoke Sailing Holidays Ltd. if you or
members of your group are running late for check in,
Dinner meal arrangements,
Your personal safety on board and in port,
Bringing all medication for any illnesses or ailments,
Notifying your skipper of any physical or medical conditions, current or otherwise,
Notifying your skipper if you cannot swim or suffer from any medical conditions including
but not limited to panic attacks, diabetes, heart condition, black outs or epilepsy,
Follow all instructions given by your skipper,
Treat the yacht and equipment with care, which includes cleaning after yourself, keeping
your cabin and head (toilet) clean and keeping the common areas clean and tidy,
It is the parent’s responsibility to clean after children,
Report to the skipper any instances of other guests abusing the yacht, yacht equipment or
guest’s possessions.
You are responsible for personal items and the Company is not liable for any losses.
It is your responsibility to check you have all your possessions before you disembark the
yacht. If you leave any personal items behind on the boat(s), you will need to contact the
boat crew ASAP. If you notify us later than 24 hours after your trip ending, there is a high
probability your items have been considered trash you have abandoned and thrown out by the cleaners.
We are not responsible for any items lost or left behind.
If we locate any forgotten items, you will be required to pay for registered post to have the
items sent back to you. We are not responsible for any items that fail to arrive in the post.
Pets are not permitted on board the yacht.
Additional costs
If you plan on taking a water taxi to another island, these costs will be borne by you. Once
the yacht has taken a berth/mooring/anchor it will not be used as transport to nearby islands.
Guests are required to pay for any cave entry fees or other off-boat excursions.
You may request a list of additional extras, which include but are not limited to: additional linen, stand up paddle board, request dinner on board.
Damages and unforeseen costs
There are a few rules to follow while on your holiday, most of which will be covered by your skipper for a smooth trip.
There are a few rules that must be adhered to and it’s important we bring it to your
attention before your trip to minimise the possibility of things going wrong and attracting unforeseen charges.
While in a marina, you are not permitted to use your head (toilet), you should use the
marina’s facilities. If you pump the head into the marina water, the skipper may be fined
for this. This charge will be passed onto you.
Absolutely no personal hygiene products are to be pumped through the toilet. Any
blockages of marine toilets are charged to the guest at €250 per toilet blocked.
It’s important to arrive at the marina at the specified time for your check in. If the boat
leaves the marina late, the skipper is likely to be charged for another full day. The marina
doesn’t make any allowances for late arrivals and our late departure. This charge will be
passed onto you.
If there are any damages made to the boat or broken inventory, these charges will be passed onto you.
Boats
As we have a growing fleet, boats/yachts may vary from time to time and may be different
to those in our photos. We reserve the right to replace/swap boats at the last minute due
to unforeseen circumstances.
For private charters and special requests, we may outsource and use third parties for the
fulfilment of a charter.
Changes
We reserve the right to amend these terms and conditions at any time, without notice to
you.
We reserve the right to change the pricing structure of our tours without notice.
We reserve the right to change any part of the itinerary, whether we published the amends
online or not.