Terms & Conditions
AGREEMENT
Enrollment in and payment for a service or a package implies agreement and acceptance of the terms and conditions set forth below. In this agreement, Travel Pioneers S.R.L, may be referred to as the operator.
RESERVATIONS
All reservations must be made in writing by e-mail to travel@travel-pioneers.com. Every request will be answered by Travel Pioneers in the next 24-48 hours of receipt of the request (please consider the time difference between countries). If for any reason, more time is needed an explanation will be sent to the client.
All reservations and requests are subject to our written confirmation and the acceptance of the detailed reservation policies – which are considered accepted by each client at the time of reservation and/or through the payment of the initial deposit, when requested.
In order to guarantee the correct handling and processing of all reservations and reservation requests, please forward any change thereof only via e-mail to us.
General Reservation Information:
1) Last name & first name of each passenger
2) Nationality and passport number of each passenger
3) Children’s names, and dates of birth (if applicable)
4) Itinerary dates and tour program
5) Hotel accommodation, room types, number of beds (if applicable)
6) Arrival / departure details for transfers / flight arrangements (if applicable)
7) Any allergies, dietary requirements, medical conditions or disabilities (if applicable)
8) Any Special Requests or Requirements (if applicable)
We may request additional information as deemed necessary and/or required to handle and complete the reservation.
USE OF THIRD PARTY OPERATORS
Some Travel Pioneers trips and services, as noted in the itinerary, are scheduled with other travel companies or tour operators who sell their tours to the general public. In such cases, the traveler acknowledges that other groups and/or individuals may be a part of the same tour. This situation is most common when the tour is on a train, barge, sailing vessel or cruise ship.
CHANGES
We charge a USD 95 fee for each change made within fifteen days prior to client’s arrival or after the third change in a confirmed reservation or itinerary.
Itinerary Changes: Itineraries are subject to changes. We reserve the right to change the order of activities listed in our published tours. In the event there is an itinerary change, comparable lodging, meals and activities, programs, or entertainment will be provided. Changes may result from scheduling needs, unforeseen incidents, or other causes.
CANCELLATIONS
All cancellations must be received in writing either by e-mail and will be reconfirmed in writing. The following charges per person will apply when cancellation is made after the booking is confirmed by Travel Pioneers:
| Number of days left before departure date when your authority in writing is received by us | Cancellation Fee (expressed as a % of total program price per person) |
| More than 60 days | 10% non-refundable deposit + expenses (*) |
| 60-46 days | 30% + expenses (*) |
| 45-31 days | 60% |
| 30-16 days | 75% |
| 15 days or less prior to arrival | 100% |
(*) Expenses refer to specific items that require deposits to secure bookings and that are not included in the non-refundable deposit. This may include airlines, hotels, charters and other special services. Please note that these items may have different cancellation terms than those established by Travel Pioneers as well as black-out dates with specific policies, all of which shall be duly explained at the moment of the proposal and booking confirmation.
Refund for bookings made for festive season (Christmas, New Years, Easter) have to be decided on a case by case and depend on the hotel / suppliers cancellation policies.
Note: The same fees apply for partial cancellations of a booking. In addition to these cancellation fees, deposits required to guarantee hotel space might be nonrefundable. Any supplier penalties not covered by the above will apply as well.
PAYMENTS
Wholesaler: Any service fees, bank charges or processing/transfer fees are the responsibility of the sender. We reserve the right to cancel any part – or the entire tour arrangement – if the deposit and/or balances are not paid at the due date indicated by our representative. We cannot guarantee confirmed reservations if the deposit and/or balance are not paid at the due date indicated by our representative and services may be cancelled by us or our providers without notice.
An appropriate deposit per person for the chosen program is requested at the moment of the booking. This deposit includes a non-refundable amount applicable as penalty in case of cancellation by the client.
Confirmation +45 days before departure:
- Upon confirmation: 10% non-refundable deposit + expenses (*)
- 45 days prior to departure: 90% remaining balance
Confirmation within 45 days before departure:
- Upon confirmation: 100% program price
(*) Expenses refer to specific items that require deposits to secure bookings and that are not included in the non-refundable deposit. This may include airlines, hotels, charters and other special services. Please note that these items may have different cancellation terms than those established by Travel Pioneers as well as black-out dates with specific policies, all of which shall be duly explained at the moment of the proposal and booking confirmation.
50% deposit is required for bookings during festive season (Easter, Christmas, New Years). All deposits are non-refundable.
FIT’s: Full payment must be on our account at least 45 days prior to the client’s arrival. For Holiday dates (Fiestas Patrias, Christmas/New Year, Carnival & Easter Week) full payment must be on our account at the latest September 1st.
Groups: A 50% down payment is due at the time of reservation. The outstanding balance of 50% must be on our account at least 60 days prior to the client’s arrival. For Holiday dates (Fiestas Patrias, Christmas/New Year, Carnival & Easter Week) full payment must be on our account at least 120 days prior to the client’s arrival. In the event a reservation is made less than 30 days in advance we require full payment of all tour arrangements at the time of reservation.
Payment must be made to the bank account of Travel Pioneers SRL in San José, Costa Rica. Travel Pioneers will assume Costa Rican bank taxes and Costa Rican bank transfer costs, but all country of origin taxes and bank transfer costs will be accountable to the client.
Please note that the payment deadlines specified in our invoices and in the communication with our Travel Designers indicate the effective date in which the money has to be in Travel Pioneer´s bank account – not the date in which the agency / client sends the funds. Any delay of payment may be subject to a minimum 5% surcharge (over total program price) in order to cover re-booking fees and additional work caused by the delay. This surcharge will be applicable per re-booking. Any delay in the reception of payments may result in third-party supplier increased fees, ie. Air rates and not guaranteed bookings.
Remember: You are entering into a legal and binding contract with us. According to our company policies we will strictly enforce payments on overdue accounts.
CREDIT POLICIES
Travel Pioneers will not offer credit to any wholesaler company. All contracted services must be paid in full according to our payment policies.
REFUNDS
No refund will be made for no-shows or any unused portion of the itinerary, whether voluntarily or caused by airline delays or cancellations. Involuntarily unused services will be refunded subject to the policies of individual suppliers. In this case, we reserve the right to deduct a service charge. No responsibility can be accepted for expenses incurred due to delays or changes in schedule or other causes. Any application for refund must be received in writing within 30 days of scheduled departure and must be accompanied by all negotiable tour vouchers, air tickets, taxi receipts, and so on.
Please forward all requests directly to the General Management and allow a processing time of approximately 2 (two) weeks.
If for any reason (including acts of God, the political climate, threats of violence or war, strikes, robbery, medical problems found before or after a tour, terrorism, failure of any means of transportation to arrive or depart according to the travel plan, government regulations or restrictions, transit, service hotel and restaurant disturbances out of our control), Travel Pioneers reserves the right to make any reasonable changes and/or substitutions in the itinerary where necessary. For excursions or tours where Travel Pioneers is not the operator or direct supplier and it is acting only as an agent, Travel Pioneers will not be responsible if the supplier does not provide the service.
If for any of the mentioned causes, Travel Pioneers cancels the tour, the amount paid to Travel Pioneers for the tour will be refunded according to our suppliers’ refund policies. We reserve the right to charge a handling fee for additional expenses.
Travel Pioneers will not be responsible for procuring any refund of amounts the traveler paid to third parties for transportation or otherwise, or for the payment of any change or cancellation fees on the travelers chosen mode of transportation to or from the tour location. Travel Pioneers is not responsible for any event or activity change and/or cancellation during the tour due to weather or to circumstances beyond its specific and immediate control.
FORCE MAJEURE
Force majeure: Impossibility to operate the program due to unusual or unforeseen circumstances outside Travel Pioneer’s control. These may include but are not limited to delays in departures, flights and/or travel arrangements caused by technical problems, weather conditions, over-booking or closures, strikes, riots, personal, family or medical emergencies, decisions by State Governments or Tourist Organizations altering the itinerary, the duration of the time spent in a city or even omitting a city or part or all of the itinerary due to the local situation. It also includes acts of God, terrorist activities, insurrection, explosion, flood, tempest, forceful wind, fire or accident, earthquakes, war or threat of war declared or undeclared, sabotage, civil disturbance, requisition, sickness, quarantine, epidemic, government intervention and any sort of unforeseen circumstances beyond the reasonable control of Travel Pioneers.
Should Travel Pioneers and/or any of its suppliers be affected by Force Majeure, they shall be entitled to, and may in their sole discretion, vary, delay, or cancel any service or arrangement in relation to the initially booked program. Should this happen, Travel Pioneers will neither be deemed in breach of this agreement nor otherwise liable to you.
If any of the circumstances listed above occur during the trip, we reserve the right to alter the scheduled itinerary accordingly and no compensation will be paid.
In case of force majeure prior to the trip departure date, Travel Pioneers will propose viable solutions to operate the program, new dates and/or comparable travel arrangements. We will make every reasonable effort to provide you with the booked program arrangements, but changes and price increases may apply. If they are significant, we shall, if possible, inform you before the departure date. All additional expenses derived will be at the expense of the client. Please note that Travel Pioneers will not be liable to reimburse additional expenses undertaken by the client in preparation for the tour, this including international tickets, used mileage awards and fees, cost of visas, immunizations, shots, among others. In the event of cancellation of services, experiences, a portion of the trip or the full program, Travel Pioneers will make every possible effort to reimburse all recoverable expenses. Should Travel Pioneers not be able to recover expenses, regular Terms & Conditions for Cancellations by the Client would apply. In case of expenses being recovered, these will be reimbursable in either cash or credit notes specifying a validity date - this will depend on third party terms & conditions applicable: Travel Pioneers will not be liable to refund in cash any service operated by a third-party who is extending a credit note or voucher for future services. In case of refunds, any airline ticket cancellation fees, non-refundable deposits paid to local suppliers and other penalties may apply and be discounted. This refund will constitute full settlement of claims you may have arising out of our cancellation. Travel Pioneers will not be liable by any means or reimburse any personal expenses such as airfare, hotel, or other travel arrangements done independently by the client.
*** EXCEPTIONAL TERMS FOR NEW BOOKINGS POST-COVID in case of CANCELLATION BY TRAVEL PIONEERS (valid for travel dates 2020) ***
Should travel be impossible due to COVID or another pandemic restrictions and bans, Travel Pioneers will waive all penalties for a postponement in the initial travel dates, giving maximum flexibility and aiming at maintain prices as quoted, with minimum impact, if any.
Should the client finally decide to not postpone and rather, cancel the booking voluntarily, cancellation charges as specified under the CANCELLATION BY CLIENT section would apply.
DISPUTE RESOLUTION
If any disagreement arises concerning payment or refund obligations, these policies, or the liability or responsibility of the traveler or Travel Pioneers, the parties agree to negotiate in good faith to resolve the disagreement. In the event litigation arises, the traveler agrees that the sole and exclusive venue (location) for any such law suit is in a court of competent jurisdiction in Costa Rica, unless applicable law makes venue mandatory in another location.
In case of accident, Travel Pioneers will not assume any responsibility, so it will be the sole responsibility of the supplier. For that purpose, Travel Pioneers will assure that all suppliers maintain the necessary insurances to cover such events.
OUR PRICES
All rates and services are quoted in US Dollars ($). Tour prices include all items as shown in the itinerary, applicable taxes, services of a local representative and all planning and operational charges.
Not included:
Any item not specifically stated in the itinerary, discretionary gratuities for local representatives, tour guides, drivers or hotel staff, and airport departure tax (USD 29; usually included in the inter-national airfare). Prices are accurate and available at time of publication. Travel Pioneers reserves the right to alter quoted prices to reflect changes in local air fares, land services or sales tax increases without notice.
All rates are wholesaler net and non – commissionable and are effective from January 01, through December 31 of the current year, unless otherwise stated. Optional gratuities for service providers, tolls, meals, national park fees, optional insurance, sightseeing tours etc. are not included unless otherwise stated.
DOMESTIC FLIGHTS
Travel Pioneers acts as agent for the purchase of domestic airline tickets and the passage contract in use shall constitute the sole contract between the airline and the passenger. Travel Pioneers is not responsible for cancellations or delays of domestic flights nor for any lost services as a result of the same. Domestic flights are regularly scheduled. In the case of non-operation of a domestic flight for any reason, the client will be responsible for any additional expenses or will pay the difference for a charter plane. Travel Pioneers always recommends clients to overnight in the capital prior and after their trip out of the city. Connecting local with international flights, either way, is always risky for the clients. If the wholesaler makes this kind of connections, and for any reason, the clients lose any of the connections, Travel Pioneers will not be responsible for any problem or extra cost this may cause. Please note that on domestic flights the maximum baggage allowance is 30 pounds (14 kg) per person. Excess luggage will be charged USD 1.00 per pound and will be transported only if local weight capacity allows it. Flight tickets are non-refundable or endorsable. Change penalties may apply.
TRAVEL DOCUMENTS
Each client shall be responsible for obtaining valid travel documents, complying with customs, immigration and other regulations of the country to which they are traveling. Travel Pioneers accepts no responsibility for any problems related to/and or in obtaining these documents. All clients receive upon arrival a full set of travel documents including personalized welcome letter, information about contact persons and emergency numbers, and our vouchers and itineraries (if so booked). Please note we do not send out any physical travel documents via regular mail.
INSURANCE
It is highly recommended that all participants insure themselves and their property prior to departure. Travel Pioneers will take the necessary actions to ensure that any supplier performing services to the company will have the necessary insurance to cover any situation.
INDIVIDUAL FAM-TRIPS
You and your staff are warmly welcome to Central America. We are more than pleased to help with reasonable prices and show you our beautiful country. If time allows us, someone from our staff will travel with you. For Fam Trips, please try to avoid peak season around Carnivals, Easter and Christmas / New Year as for these dates we cannot give out any price reductions.
RESPONSIBILITY
Travel Pioneers (its owners, associates, agents and employees) assumes no responsibility to injury, loss, damage to person or property or for additional expenses due to acts of God (sickness, weather, etc.), strike, detention, riot, war, quarantine, thefts, civil disturbances or government regulations or restrictions. We are not responsible for any accidents, delays, inconveniences, expenses or mishaps of any kind whatsoever resulting entirely, or in part, from the negligence of others or from causes beyond our control. We reserve the right to make reasonable changes and/or substitutions in the itinerary where deemed necessary. For those trips and tours where Travel Pioneers is not the source or supplier, we act solely as agents and as such assume no responsibility should any supplier fail to provide the services contracted. If this should happen, a full refund for the missed service will be given, but Travel Pioneers is not responsible for any additional expenses. Baggage is entirely at owner’s risk.
CONDUCT
We reserve the right to decline, to accept, or to retain, any person as a tour member for any reason that affects the operation of the tour or the rights and welfare or enjoyment of the tour members. A refund of the recoverable land tour services is the limit of Travel Pioneers liability in this event.
HEALTH PROBLEMS
Persons with medical conditions or health problems should make them known to Travel Pioneers well before arrival, including special diets, allergies, etc. We reserve the right to disqualify anyone at any time during the tour if it is felt that the individual is physically incapable of performing an activity and/or if that individual’s continued participation would jeopardize the safety of the group or handicap the normal functioning of scheduling of the tour. Travel Pioneers assumes no responsibility for special arrangements necessary or problems experienced for or by passengers physically unable to participate in the planned activities.
MEDICATION AND MEDICAL INSURANCE
Having adequate supplies of all medications is the responsibility of the individual traveler. Travel Pioneers is not responsible for dispensing or procuring any medications and our guides are instructed not to provide any medication to our clients. Travel Pioneers does not provide individual medical insurance or accidental injury/death insurance coverage of any kind. A traveler’s medical insurance coverage may not cover “Out of Country” travel or claims, and should be checked prior to departure.
INVOLUNTARY/VOLUNTARY DEPARTURE FROM A TOUR IN PROGRESS
In the event that a traveler voluntarily chooses to leave a tour, Travel Pioneers may require a written, signed statement of the traveler’s intent to depart from the tour. In the event that a traveler’s voluntary departure is due to any personal reason or due to illness, or is a consequence of any government action (including arrest), Travel Pioneers will not refund any money. Transportation costs to return home, airline surcharges or penalties, and any other expenses will be the responsibility of the traveler.
PROSTITUTION AND THE COMMERCIAL EXPLOITATION OF CHILDREN
Prostitution or any compensation of sexual favors is prohibited in any tour or hotel facilities provided by Travel Pioneers. In addition, any client involved in this type of activities will be disqualified at any time during the trip. Travel Pioneers assumes no responsibility for special arrangements necessary for or by passenger’s due to his/her behavior.
Travel Pioneers condemns all forms of sexual exploitation of children and supports all acts of law made to prevent and punish such crimes. We consider that the exploitation of human beings, in any of its ways, especially sexually and when it affects children and adolescents, damages the main purposes of tourism and constitutes a denial in its essence. Travel Pioneers demands that all clients, partners and all members of staff refuse to take part in the sexual exploitation of children and report all cases of sexual exploitation of children, which come to their awareness. The breaching of this policy can result in dismissal, police report or the ending of ongoing collaboration.
ENVIRONMENTAL COMMITMENTS
Travel Pioneers is committed to comply with the policies stated in the section of Environmental Issues and will apply them to these Terms & Conditions where applicable.
ASSUMED RISK
All Travel has its own inherent risks, up to and including death and the traveler acknowledges such risks exist. Travel Pioneers will take reasonable precautions to protect the health and safety of our travelers. Travel Pioneers is not liable, and the traveler agrees to hold harmless Travel Pioneers, its employees and agents for illness, injury, accident, or death during the tours or vacations. Travel Pioneers is not responsible for expenses or harm caused or losses incurred by travelers who (a) disregard of the instructions of our representative(s), (b) depart from the planned activities of the tour, or (c) follow the instructions of a person other than our representative(s).
Travel Pioneers will not be responsible for any injury, damage, death, loss, accident or delay due to any act or default of any air, land or water carrier, hotel, restaurant, company or person rendering any of the services, activities or programs included in the tour. Travel Pioneers will not be responsible for the traveler’s cost of travel in returning home before completion of the tour.
BINDING AGREEMENT
These policies have the force and effect of a binding contract between the wholesaler and Travel Pioneers, and by proceeding with a reservation and paying a deposit, the wholesaler signifies his/her agreement to be bound by these policies.
TRAVEL PIONEERS S.L.R.
Dirección Calle 118, Trejos Montealegre,
Escazú, San José
Cedula Jurídica 3-102-736796
TRAVEL-PIONEERS.COM