Air transportation (where included) is based on contracted bulk and/or published fares in economy class service. All fares are subject to change. Certain fares require advance purchase or instant purchase and are subject to a cancellation fee once tickets are issued. Should airline schedule changes result in a necessity to alter the land arrangements, the passenger must pay any additional expense. Latour cannot assume responsibility for the default of any airline carrier. Any expenses arising from such defaults must be borne by the passenger(s).
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Cruises
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Choice of accommodations (subject to availability) on the vessels as listed. All cabins have private facilities. Shore excursions are included in the cost of the cruise unless otherwise noted. All cruise companies reserve the right to substitute vessels or alter itineraries without prior notice.
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Hotels & Lodge
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Twin-and/or double-bedded, run-of-house rooms (unless specific category is indicated) with private facilities. At some jungle lodges and camping grounds, facilities are shared. Tour Operator reserves the right to substitute hotels and jungle lodges of similar category. Standard check-out time is 11:00 a.m. Guests checking out later without hotel authorization may be charged an additional night's stay. Standard check-in time is 3:00 p.m.
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Sightseeing
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By cars, minibuses, motor coaches or jeeps as reflected for each itinerary. Tours that are not featured as private car tours will be conducted by seat-in-coach, operated by local companies, some multi-lingual. As such, we are unable to predict the number of passengers that will be participating on each day of the scheduled program. All entrance fees to sites with the exception of the Galapagos Park Tickets and the Inca Trail Fee are included in the tours as published. Private car tours utilize the services of government-licensed, English- speaking guides. Tours that operate during conventions, congresses, holidays and other special events may necessitate last minute changes to the sequence of the tour.
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Transfers & Porterage
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Transfers to/from airports, hotels, lodges, camping grounds, and ports are included where indicated either by shuttle, seat-in-coach or private services provided passengers' days of arrival and departure coincide with their published tours. Alterations to the itineraries result in supplements for private car/taxi services. Transport in some areas may be by motorized boats/canoes. Due to government and international regulations, porters and tour representatives may not be allowed inside the customs and security areas of the airports or ports.
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Meals
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Meals are provided as indicated on each itinerary (B) Breakfast, (L) Lunch, (D) Dinner. Lunches or Dinners, when included at hotels or restaurants are table d'hote (unless otherwise indicated) and limited to specific dining rooms when at hotels. All meals are included while on cruise and are provided according to cruise line standards.
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Minimum Nights
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Programs less than 3 nights are subject to a $50 surcharge per person.
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Reservations, Deposits and Payments
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Air/Land & Land Only Programs
A deposit of $350 per person is required in order to process your reservations, together with Optional Insurance. The balance is due no later than 60 days prior to departure. Additional deposits may be required for other special packages appearing in this brochure and will be advised at time of booking.
Explora, Remota & Tierra Atacama Lodges:
A deposit of 30% of package price is required at time of booking; the balance is due 65 days prior to departure.
Galapagos, Patagonia & Amazon Cruises:
A deposit of $450 is due at the time of booking. Full payment is due 65 days prior to departure.
Patagonia Cruise:
Reservations require a non-refundable deposit of $200 per person. The balance is due 45 days prior to departure.
PLEASE NOTE: Optional insurance must be purchased within 7 days of deposit in order to insure that the pre- existing condition waiver applies. We therefore recommend that the insurance be purchased at the same time as the deposit is made. All payments including insurance premiums may be made by check or major credit card. Credit card charges will not be processed without a signed authorization form and copy of credit card.
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Change Fees
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Subsequent to initial reservation, a $35 fee per booking will be charged for each revision. Once final documents have been issued, a $75 fee per booking will be charged, plus any additional penalties imposed by the properties, airlines and the local operators.
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General Cancellation Penalties Per person Prior to Departure - (Except Cruise Programs, Lodges & Special Hotels)
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Please note that the listing shown below is a general guideline of the penalties accessed for cancellations. These penalties may vary - especially for cruises. Additional penalties may be charged by specific hotels, excursions and cruise sailings during peak periods.
We highly recommend the purchase of our insurance, shown on page 119 of our brochure.
- Up to 66 Days ..............................................................$200
- 65–45 Days...................................................................$300
- 44–22 Days....................................................................20%
- 21–7 Days.....................................................................50%
- 6 - 0.............................................................................100%
Additional Penalties apply for the following programs / properties:
Explora Lodge:
- Up to 61 days..........................................................................$ 100
- 60-31 days ...............................................................................$300
- 30-11 days ................................................................................35%
- 10- 0 days ...............................................................................100%
Galapagos Cruises:
- Up to 62 days ...........................................................................$350
- 61–0 days ...............................................................................100%
Patagonia & Ibero Star Amazon Cruise:
- Once Reservation is made .......................................................$300
- 59–45 days ..............................................................................$400
- 44–30 days ...............................................................................50%
- 29–0 days ...............................................................................100%
Aqua & Delfin Amazon Cruises:
- Once Reservation is made .......................................................$300
- 90–0 days ..............................................................................$100%
Orient Express Hotels & Trains, Inkaterra & Andean Experience Properties:
- 30–0 days ...............................................................................100%
Elite Series - Cancellation Penalties Per Person:
- Up to 121 Days......................................................................... $300
- 120-90 Days.............................................................................. 25%
- 89-60 Days................................................................................ 35%
- 59-31 Days................................................................................ 50%
- 30 Days or less......................................................................... 100%
Please Note: There is no refund for any unused services once travel has commenced.
Additional penalties apply for airline tickets once they have been issued for all above programs.
ALL CANCELLATIONS MUST BE REQUESTED IN WRITING. WE STRONGLY URGE YOU TO PURCHASE TRIP CANCELLATION INSURANCE AVAILABLE THROUGH LATOUR. INSURANCE PREMIUM IS NON-REFUNDABLE.
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Travel Documents
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All travelers must have a passport valid for six months after your return to the United States. U.S. citizens are required to obtain a tourist visa for travel to Brazil or Bolivia. Non U.S. Citizens are advised to check with their respective consulates as to visa requirement for the countries that they are visiting. Latour is not responsible for any delays, damages, losses, missed portions of tours or other missed services incurred by passengers who fail to obtain necessary travel documents.
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Health Requirements
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Currently, none of the countries included in our itineraries require a certification of vaccination if originating from North America. However, as this is subject to change, please check with the Center for Disease Control for updated information at their website at www.cdc.gov/travel If traveling to Peru & Bolivia (due to the high elevation) please confirm with your physician that you are in good health and able to tolerate the extremely high altitude before reserving the tour as there will be no refund made once touring has commenced. If traveling to the Amazon and tropical forests, Yellow Fever Vaccination may be required or recommended. If you are traveling to Brazil from Peru, Ecuador or Bolivia, Yellow Fever Vaccination is required for entry.
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Baggage
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Long Haul International flights allow two checked bags per person with neither to exceed 62 inches or 50 pounds currently, plus one carry-on bag not to exceed 39". Any excess is at the passenger's own expense. Infants: No baggage permitted. For domestic flights in the USA, most airlines permit one piece of checked luggage and charge $25 for a second piece of checked luggage. Some airlines may impose additional charges if you choose to check any baggage. However, currently these charges do not apply to passengers who have purchased their domestic connecting flight on the same ticket as their international flight from/to the USA and are entitled to two checked pieces per person not exceeding 50lbs per piece. Weight restrictions on some routes on inter- country or international air flights may apply. Please contact your airline or refer to its website for detailed information regarding your airline's checked baggage policies. Airline policies vary and may change at any time. LATOUR is not responsible for any excess luggage/weight charges levied by an airline. Baggage insurance is highly recommended, as we cannot be held responsible for lost or damaged luggage or personal items. Only one suitcase per person is permitted on all motorcoach and private car tours.
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Prices & Rate Fluctuations
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Prices listed in this brochure do not necessarily correspond to published rates of respective establishments or services as they include planning, communications and all other operational costs. All rates and airfares utilized were based on exchange rates valid at press time (Feb 2009) and are subject to change without prior notice, depending on currency fluctuation, fuel surcharges, and/or inflation.
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Not Included
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Visa fees, port taxes, park taxes, laundry, valet services, additional baggage in excess of allowance, baggage, accident and trip cancellation insurance (highly recommended), wines and liquors, mineral waters, food and beverages not on the regular menu of the included meals, and all other expenses of a purely personal nature. Departure taxes within Latin America, and/or customs and immigration fees are not included and must be paid locally by each passenger. Internal air within Latin America and domestic airfares are not included unless specifically indicated. Tips to your guide, driver and other service personnel are not included.
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Insurance
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We recommend that you purchase adequate and comprehensive travel insurance before departure. Neither Latour nor your travel agent is responsible for loss or damage to luggage, accidents en route or ill health that may require you to cancel or miss part of your trip. Please see detailed Insurance information offered by Trip Mate Insurance Agency, Inc. on page 119 of our brochure.
Insurance Premiums are non-refundable, non-transferable and may not be purchased after final payment is made.
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Responsibility
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The Travel Agent and/or Tour Operators, Latour, an ISRAMWORLD Company, and its representatives abroad, act only as agents for various companies, owners or contractors providing the means of transportation, accommodation and other services. Latour does not own, manage, control, promote, run or operate any transportation or recreational vehicle, motel, hotel, restaurant, or any supplier of services. All exchange orders, coupons and tickets are offered subject to the General Information under which such services are offered or provided. Latour and its representatives assume no liability in arranging transportation, hotel, and other accommodations and are not responsible for any personal injury, illness or property damage or other loss or expense of any nature whatsoever arising directly or indirectly out of any actions of any person or supplier of services providing any of the services, programs or accommodations offered in connection with a tour. Further, by participating in a Latour tour, you are bound by our rules and you participate in the activities of the tour at your own risk. Latour assumes no responsibility at all and no liability at all for any death, injury, illness, quarantine, sickness, diseases, natural disaster, damage, loss, delay, accident, expense, defect or any other abnormality which may result from your participation in any activity during the tour. The aforesaid Latour and/or their agents can accept no responsibility for losses or accidental expenses due, as well, to delays or changes in schedules or departures, hotel overbooking, sickness, weather, strikes, war, quarantines, defaults, riots or insurrections or criminal acts committed by third party, political disorders of any type, or other such similar causes. All such losses or expenses will have to be borne by the passenger. Each exchange coupon, order and ticket is to be regarded as one contracted on or in behalf of the particular company or person named in it. The passenger contract in use by the airline or steamship company concerned, when issued, shall constitute the sole contract of air or steamship passage with the purchases of these tours and/or the Passenger. The airline companies concerned are not to be held responsible for any act, omission or event during the time passengers are not on board their planes or conveyances. The right is reserved to withdraw any tour announced in this Program and to make such alterations to the itineraries as may be found desirable for the proper carrying out of the tours. In the event it becomes necessary or advisable at the Tour Operator‘s discretion to alter the arrangements or itineraries for the passenger‘s comfort or welfare for any reason whatsoever, such alterations may be made without penalty to the Operator. Additional expenses, if any, shall be borne by the Passengers. The right is reserved to decline, to accept, or retain any person as a member of any group at any time. This program is issued on the sole responsibility of the Tour Operator. It is not issued on behalf of and does not commit any Airline whose services are used in the course of the tours.
It is agreed by and between the passenger(s) and Latour that all disputes and matters whatever arising under, in connection with or incident to this agreement shall be litigated, if at all, in and before a court located in The City of New York, New York State, U.S.A., to the exclusion of the courts of any other city, state or country. The issuance and acceptance of tickets and/or other documents in connection with a tour is considered acceptance of the above terms.
SPECIAL NOTICE: Delays, cancellations and overbooking may occur on air flights, cruises, and land reservations by the participating carriers and hotels. While Latour will do everything possible to avoid these inconveniences, it cannot and will not assume responsibility for the respective carriers and hotels.
Fares and surface arrangements are based on tariffs and exchange rates in effect at time of printing, Feb 2009. We reserve the right to adjust pricing upward should the value of the dollar decline by more than five (5%) percent from its value Dec 2008. Increases in the value of the dollar will not result in a reduction in pricing.
ISRAMWORLD® 2009 All Rights Reserved. The Itineraries and Programs described herein are unique and proprietary to ISRAMWORLD and any misappropriation of same is strictly forbidden.
HOW TO BOOK: Latour believes that your travel needs can best be served by booking your arrangements through a professional travel agent. Have your travel agent call weekdays between 9:00 A.M. – 7:00 P.M., EST for reservations and/or information. 1-800-825-0825.
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