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AAA Exclusive Vacations 2% Cash Discount If you make payment by check, money order or electronic cash withdrawal and pay-in-full your AAA Exclusive Vacations trip within seven (7) days of making your reservation – we’ll discount the cost of your trip by 2%. Your entire balance must be paid by check, money order or authorized electronic debit withdrawal (ACH) from a checking account to qualify; and your payment must be received by AAA Exclusive Vacations not later than seven (7) days from the date of your reservation to qualify – we recommend using a traceable overnight delivery method. If your check or electronic debit is returned from your bank for any reason, your reservation will no longer qualify for the 2% cash discount; a $25 processing fee will be added to your account balance; and all future payments will need to be made by credit card or certified funds. Rates Prices in this AAA Exclusive Vacations brochure are based on land or cruise only and do not include international airfare. Land only rates are guaranteed upon deposit. Insurance and Visas With the exception of AAA Exclusive Shore Excursions, full insurance coverage is included with all vacation programs. Please see the Travel Protection Plan on page 51 for the summary of coverage. Purchase of insurance, however, is not mandatory and the policy can be optionally deducted from your trip cost at the time of final payment. When they apply, visa fees are also included in vacation programs, with the exception of AAA Exclusive Land Excursions. Air inclusive Rates Airfares purchased through AAA Exclusive Vacations on their selected airlines include our comprehensive travel insurance and are eligible for a full cash refund up to 30 days prior to departure. Rates quoted by AAA Exclusive Vacations’ call center are based on roundtrip purchase in designated classes of service from select gateway cities on select routings and include all government imposed taxes and fees, including the September 11th Security Fee. Air inclusive rates may require advance purchase, and carry airline restrictions, including specific travel date requirements, blackout dates as well as baggage fees; contact your airline or visit the airline’s website for applicable baggage fees. Seat assignments and flight schedules are subject to change without notice. Air inclusive rates are subject to change before receipt of full payment. For current prices, please see your AAA Travel Professional. Holiday Rates and Programs Trade fair periods, holidays and festivals may carry additional surcharges, payment requirements and cancellation penalties. During holidays or special events, sites such as museums, restaurants and shopping may be limited or not available. Transfers Transfers are included as indicated and are scheduled to meet air-inclusive arrangements purchased through AAA Exclusive Vacations. Transfers at other times may require an additional charge. Passport Information Passport number, date and place of issue, expiry and birth date are now required by foreign governments, airlines and trains, and may be required to confirm services. Names on your airline tickets must match the first and last name listed on your passport. Your passport must be valid for six months after your return to the Deposit A deposit of $100 per person is due within 7 calendar days of booking in order to secure your reservation. Full Payment Full payment is due 60 days prior to departure. Less than 60 days prior to departure, full payment must be guaranteed at the time of booking with a credit card. After any payment has been made a minimum $30 fee will be charged per transaction for any changes made to hotels, sightseeing or to ground or air transportation. Changes are considered cancelled services and additional cancellation penalties may apply as set forth below. Changes are subject to additional airline or hotel charges should the original rates no longer be available for your revised travel dates. Revisions to air tickets are subject to the airline fare rules, change fees and cancellation policies. Prices may vary depending on the day of travel, gateway city, routing, and airline class of service booked, which is determined by seat availability. If the Traveler Cancels AAA Exclusive Vacations travel insurance coverages is included in your tour package price and provides for a complete cash refund up to 30 days prior to departure for any reason. From 29 days up to the day of departure the following cancellation penalties apply. However, our included comprehensive travel insurance provides you with a complete cash refund for covered reasons and pre-existing conditions. (See aaa.com for complete details on covered reasons should you cancel your AAA Exclusive Vacations trip.) Cancellations must be received in writing. Cruises: All other programs: • 29-15 days prior to departure: 25% of price plus airline cancellation penalties There is no refund for unused services or unused portions of your trip. Changes to our Programs AAA Exclusive Vacations will make every effort to operate all programs as disclosed in this book. However, circumstances beyond our control may arise which would require an adjustment to the tour, its inclusions or the staff or celebrity accompanying the trip. We will do all that is possible to avoid such changes but we must reserve the right to make such modifications. Because waterways can be affected by severe weather conditions including rain or drought, high or low water levels, programs may require a change in embarkation and disembarkation points, sightseeing itineraries, modes of transportation and cruising schedules. Alternate programs may be arranged by the cruise companies without notice. Normal cancellation penalties still apply to the program that has been changed. Refunds All requests for refunds will be considered promptly, but they must be in writing and received within 30 days of the return date of the tour. Contact for Deposits & Final Payments AAA Exclusive Vacations, 53 Summer Street Tour Documents & Rail Tickets Documents are mailed approximately 21 days prior to departure for all tours. Documents for all passengers cannot be released until full payment and passenger information conditions have been met. Rail tickets are issued under the regulations of each country’s rail system and may require passport information. Train reservations may not be available for certain cities. Rail tickets are not refundable. A shipping and handling fee is charged for document delivery. Hotels All hotels offered in conjunction with our tours are consistent with classifications of the OHRG and established European standards. We must reserve the right to substitute hotels if absolutely necessary. Please note that it is standard policy that hotel rooms are not available for check-in before 2 p.m. Single rooms/cabins are often smaller than twin rooms/cabins. Triple rooms may not be available or may consist of a rollaway, cot, temporary bed or mattress in a twin room, and may not be comfortable for three adults. Hotel bookings cancelled after scheduled departure from the U.S.A. are subject to 100% cancellation. Gratuities Gratuities for the tour manager, local guides, drivers, and cruise staff are not included and are at the discretion of the individual traveler. Smoking Policy There is a no-smoking policy on all of our transportation. Cruise ships have a non-smoking policy, except where permitted in designated areas of the open decks. Baggage Airline baggage allowance regulations are based on a weight and measurement system determined by the international carrier. Airline restrictions may include baggage fees: contact your airline or visit the airline’s website for applicable baggage fees and up to date dimensions. At the time of publication, combined overall dimensions for transpacific/transatlantic checked baggage can not exceed 106 inches. Carry-on luggage cannot exceed 45 inches. For flights within continents baggage restrictions apply: 25-44 lbs. Please consult your travel documents for additional weight restrictions. Travelers Requiring Special Assistance Any disability requiring special attention should be reported to AAA Exclusive Vacations at the time the reservation is made. We will make reasonable attempts to accommodate the special needs of such travelers, but are not responsible for any denial of services by carriers, hotels, and other independent suppliers. We regret that we cannot provide individual assistance to a tour member for walking, dining, getting on and off motor coaches, ships and other transportation vehicles, or other personal needs. Travelers who need such assistance must be accompanied by a qualified companion. Cruise ships have very limited handicapped facilities; almost all have stairs rather than elevators. Guaranteed Departures All of the departures in this brochure are guaranteed at the time of printing. However, all cruise ships and trains reserve the right to charter a departure date after publication. Modes of transportation and itinerary routings may change based on the number of passengers on a guaranteed departure. More than one tour manager or host may accompany you on your escorted itinerary. Problems beyond the Tour Operator’s control (such as civil unrest or acts of nature) may force a change in itinerary. Many Sites Around the World Require Careful Walking and Alertness Sightseeing, either guided or “on your own,” requires walking over uneven stones and unpaved surfaces, climbing steep stairs and paths that may have no railings, and exploring when weather conditions are wet. Travelers who choose to travel with AAA Exclusive Vacations assume responsibility for their personal safety, whether guided or during free time. Responsibility General Tours, Inc. (the “Operator”) packages and operates these programs solely as an independent contractor of AAA Exclusive Vacations. The tour services described in this brochure, including without limitation transportation, lodging, and sightseeing, are provided by the carrier, hoteliers, and other suppliers that are independent contractors and not agents for, employees, partners, or joint ventures of the Operator. The Operator issues tickets, vouchers, and other travel documents for such services merely as an agent for the companies that furnish such services. Such tickets, vouchers, and other travel documents are subject to all terms and conditions of the respective suppliers (some of them may limit or exclude the supplier’s liability). The Operator is not responsible for any loss of or damage to property or death or injury to persons, resulting from any act or omission of any supplier providing any tour service or any other person or entity or caused by strike, war, weather, quarantine, sickness, government restriction or regulation, or any other cause beyond its reasonable control, including supplier’s decision to withdraw and/or cancel a tour for any reason. The tour participant expressly waives all rights, which he or she may have against the Operator in connection with the foregoing. Under no circumstances is the Operator to be construed as a carrier under contract for safe carriage of the passenger or his or her baggage and belongings. The Operator reserves the right to remove a client from a tour and provide a full refund for unused services. Any unresolved dispute or controversy arising under or in connection with the services provided by the Operator shall be settled exclusively by arbitration, conducted before the American Arbitration Association in Boston, Massachusetts, in accordance with the rules of that body then in effect. The arbitrator shall not have the authority to add to, detract from, or modify any provision hereof nor to award punitive damages to any injured party. A decision by the arbitrator shall be final and binding. Judgment may be entered on the arbitrator’s award in any court having jurisdiction. Each party shall be responsible for the respective fees and expenses of their legal representation and the costs of arbitration shall be shared equally. Legal proceedings against the Operator may be instituted only in a state or federal court within the State of New Hampshire, and any claim involved in such proceedings shall be decided in accordance with the laws of the State of New Hampshire. Any legal proceeding against the Operator must be commenced within one year following the date of tour completion. Neither the Operator nor any affiliate shall in any case be liable for other than compensatory damages, and you hereby waive any right to punitive damages. Every effort has been made to accurately produce the information in this brochure. We reserve the right to correct errors. Catalog validity: January 2010 - April 2011 CST: 2009641-20 Visa and Passport Information Visa fees are included in all of our tours where they are required of U.S. Citizens. They are not included in AAA Exclusive Excursions and your AAA Travel Professional can assist you. If visas are required for a specific tour, you can determine that AAA Exclusive Vacations has included standard visa fees under the price box. (If you are not a U.S. Citizen, please consult your AAA Travel Professional or the embassies of the countries you will be entering to determine their entry requirements.) Standard visa fees require that your visa documents reach our visa service at least 30 days prior to travel. Documents received 29 days or less incur additional fees which are the responsibility of the traveler. Our tours that include Australia, Brazil, Russia, China, India and Vietnam require visa applications to be submitted in advance. Applications are available at AAA.com. Our tours that include Cambodia, Nepal, Egypt and Jordan do not require applications in advance. The costs of these visas are also included in the tour price, however our AAA Exclusive Vacations staff will assist you upon arrival to secure your visa. Please consult your travel documents for all the details or contact your AAA Travel Professional. Visa requirements are subject to change and should be confirmed at the time of booking. AAA Exclusive Vacations is not responsible for the refusal or delayed processing of visas and passports by Consular Authorities and normal cancellation charges will apply. A U.S. Passport valid for six months upon return to the U.S. is required of all tour participants. As passport processing can be unexpectedly delayed, we recommend applying early. |