Terms and Conditions

Dear Guest(s),

Thank you for considering Columbus Vacations Pvt Ltd as your travel partner. We put maximum efforts to ensure that you have a warm and a delightful holiday experience. We devote keen attention to every minute detail of your tour. At the same time we request you to follow the below terms and conditions so that we are successful in our earnest attempt to give you a hassle free and an enjoyable tour.

Brief Description and Commencement:

• These Terms and Conditions be called Columbus Vacations Pvt Ltd Terms and Conditions.
• They extend to all tours organised by Columbus Vacations Pvt Ltd.

Definitions:

In these Terms and Conditions, unless the context otherwise requires

• 'Columbus Vacations' is a brand name of Columbus Vacations Pvt Ltd., therefore, both these names will be considered one and same and used synonymously therein.
• Guest/s means the total number of people who have registered their names and booked the tour by having made the full payment for tours organized by Columbus Vacations (which expression shall, unless it be repugnant to the context or meaning there of be deemed to mean and include their respective heirs, executors and administrators)
• Company means Columbus Vacations (Columbus Vacations Pvt.Ltd) and also includes all its brands and divisions.
• Tour/s mean any Indian and World Tours organized by Columbus Vacations.
• First day of the tour shall start at any time (i.e. in the morning / afternoon / evening) at the first destination depending on the arrival of the respective flight/train/cruise or any other mode of transport and the same shall be in case of the last day of the tour. In other words, a 'Day' shall mean a part of the day or 24 hours or its part thereof.
• Force Majeure means an event or circumstance not within the reasonable control, directly or indirectly, of Columbus Vacations in its ability to perform its obligations / responsibilities regarding the tour including
  • war, hostilities invasion, act of foreign enemies;
  • rebellion, revolution, insurrection or military or usurped power or civil war;
  • epidemic, explosion, fire, flood, earthquake or other exceptional natural calamity and act of God;
  • ionizing radiation or contamination by radioactivity from any nuclear fuel, or from any nuclear waste from the combustion of nuclear fuel, radioactive toxic explosive, or other hazardous properties of any explosive nuclear assembly or nuclear component of such assembly;
  • riot, commotion or disorder;
  • any act or omission of any Government instrumentality;
  • a Change in Legal Requirements;
  • strikes, lock outs or other industrial disturbances; &
  • abnormal weather or sea conditions including tempest, lightning, hurricane, typhoon, rain & temperatures.
  • Extra Mattress : Means roll away mattress which is on floor (For domestic tour extra mattress & for international tour extra bed)
• Jain Food means: Food without onion, garlic served at the time of tour groups meals and not necessarily before sunset, it may or may not be served on the table.
• Meal: Include breakfast, lunch, dinner (they are pre set menus) and/or any other snacks (dry or wet) supplied.
  • Tour Escort / Leader / Manager / Assistant: A Person designated by Company to help / guide / assist the guest/s in and or during India and / or World Tours Organized by Columbus Vacations
• Gender: The masculine gender, shall also include feminine gender and vice versa, the singular shall include plural and vice versa and shall include grammatical variations if any.
• Each of these terms and conditions shall be severable and if any provision thereof is declared invalid, illegal or unenforceable, then remaining provisions nevertheless shall have full force & effect.

 

Liberty of activity:

Company as an organisation is co-ordinating with various independent service providers for conducting the tour. The company takes utmost precaution to ensure that the tour is comfortable. Also, Guests are updated from time to time through different media of communication in case of changes.

Though we take maximum care, neither we have control on the mode of transport like shipping, Airline, railways, coaches, buses etc nor on the hotels, restaurants or any other facilities.

Thus as a company we shall not be responsible for any kind of damage to the person or to the property because of these independent vendors.

 

Booking Criteria:

• Guest's interest to participate in the tour.
  Payment of the registration amount indicates that the guest is interested in the tour and has read and accepted all the terms and conditions mentioned on the Columbus Vacations brochure/website/booking form. In case of a guest who is processing the booking formalities on behalf of his/her family is deemed to have been authorised to do so by his family after reading all the Columbus Vacations terms and conditions mentioned on the brochure/website/booking form


• Health 
  When you book a tour, or when someone else books a tour for you, on your name , that means you are physically fit to travel to that destination. It is very important for you to take care of your health throughout the tour. Any health issue on tour or any stay back due to the same shall be borne by that respective guest only, the company shall not be held responsible in whatsoever manner.


• Non payment of full tour price before departure.
  The company reserves the right to cancel and forfeit the paid amount in case of non payment of full tour cost 45 days prior to the departure date.

 

Tour payment by guest:

• Registration amount

  The registration amount paid at the time of booking is non refundable and interest free. Guests have to pay the full tour price as per the guidelines given in the brochure.

  In case of a cheque paid by the guest in favour of the company is dishonored, a charge of Rs. 150 per cheque must be paid.

  If a Guest books a tour just 45 days prior to the departure date, he/she should make a payment of the entire amount.

  Payments can be made online at www.columbusvacations.in by Credit Card/Debit Card/Net Banking or by Cheque/Demand Draft favouring "Columbus Vacations Pvt. Ltd.". Columbus Vacations Pvt. Ltd. reserves the right to cancel your booking without notice if the payment is not cleared by the given date.

• Cost of the Tour

  When the tour cost is quoted, the Foreign Exchange component is calculated as per the prevailing rate of that day. The company reserves the right to alter the cost of the tour before the departure, accordingly the guest will have to make the full payment before tour departure. Tour costs do not include government or other taxes raised by independent contractors like airlines, which are to be paid by the guest as per the actual.

• Discounts for Tour

  Guests can avail early booking discounts declared by the company, which are valid for a declared period only and are applicable for limited seats or for the particular dates as specified. The company reserves all rights to make changes in the discount policy at any point of time without assigning any reason.

• Additional taxes by Airlines, Visa & Government

  Airline is an independent vendor, the Company does not have any control on their operations; neither on the increase in air fare, fuel or any other taxes like YQ & YR etc. All such hikes have to be paid by the guest before the tour departure. Air Ticket Cancellation charges plus deposit forfeit charges applicable under the rules of the concerned Airline are to be paid by the guest immediately in the event of cancellation of the tour.

  Any Hike in visa fee/VFS fees or increase in government tax are not under the company's control. Therefore, any such additional charges shall be paid by the guest.

In case the booking month and departure month is the same, then guests are required to make full payment at the time of booking.

Guests who have booked online and paid less than INR 5000, need to reconfirm their booking with Columbus Vacations within ½ hour from booking, failing which the booking form will be cancelled and the amount paid will be stand forfeited. Guests would receive a reconfirmation call/message within ½ hour from booking.

 

Documentation required for a tour:

• Passport

  For a guest travelling abroad, a passport is an official document and also an identity. A Visa is a must to enter any particular country.

  The Passport should be valid for a minimum of 180 days from the date of arrival conclusion in India. Please cross check all your particulars including your name/address/validity/expiry date and Blank pages for VISAs as per requirement. All travellers booking tours for the European sector should ensure that the Passport validity is for a maximum of 10 years. The passports are well maintained and should have sufficient blank pages (that are not damaged/stapled/torn) for recording stamping of visas of various countries. Handwritten passports are not allowed.

• Visa (World tours)

  Visa permits the guest to enter another country. For tourists, generally a short term visa is granted by the respective consulate. We are visa facilitators and generally assist guests for preparing Visa documents, submitting them & collecting the passports from the consulate. The Consulate may call the guest for a personal interview even after all relevant documents have been submitted. The company is not responsible for any kind of error caused by the consulate. The decision to issue the Visa is at the sole discretion of the respective consulate; the company does not have a hold on the decision of the consulate and cannot object to it either. Just in case your visa is granted on the old passport and has a validity kindly cross check whether you need to transfer the visa on the current passport.

  As stated, Columbus Vacations is just a facilitator for procuring visas. We will not be able to represent any visa issue, either pre or post submission and after issuance of visa. Columbus Vacations requests all its guests to cross-check their visa copies and intimate any discrepancies well in time to their travel advisor

  Sometimes your Visa which is granted may have a longer validity than your passport in such a case please remember to carry your old passport along with your new passport.

• Mandatory Documents required for the visa

  Duly signed & filled VISA forms by each guest as per Passport signature & details. For Children, Thumb impression - If passport has thumb impression or signature along with Parent's Signature - Male - Left Thumb & Female Right Thumb.

  A Personal Covering letter stating purpose of the travel - Personal / Tour/ Employment etc. along with financial/ sponsorship details. (For Employed on Plain paper, Self Employed on Plain paper with Visiting Card, Business or Professionals on their letter head) Sometimes due to load factor at the embassies and consulates, the VISA processing takes longer time and in few cases VISA is not granted before tour departure or it is delayed. In such cases, Columbus Vacations as a facilitator shall not be responsible for any consequences and/or liable for any refund, the guest shall have to bear all the cancellation and re-booking charges for the next tour.

  Many countries are following the biometric system in a bid to ensure safer travel. For U.K & Schengen visas you will have to visit the VFS/Embassy personally and in case of USA you will need to visit the embassy twice. Once for Biometric and then for a personal interview

• Immigration

  Though you are holding a valid a visa, it only gives you the permission to enter the respective countries immigration point. Granting or rejecting the permission to enter a country is solely dependent upon the discretion of the immigration authority only. Sometimes a guest may be deported/ interrogated/ and may be held back by the immigration authorities for a longer span than the usual time. In such a case if the guest misses out on the itinerary program the company is not liable.

• Travel Insurance:

  Insurance is included in all the international tours upto age of 59 years. The over and above difference to be paid by the respective guest. Usually overseas Mediclaim Insurance covers hospitalization, medical emergencies and the loss of passport; hence, the company strongly recommends to FIT guests that they too buy the Insurance.

  In case of claims, the insurance company shall be solely responsible for granting or rejecting claims and we do not have any hold over it. It is at a sole discretion of the respective company we are only facilitator. Also, insurance does not cover pre-diagnosed ailments. In case of foreign nationals, insurance will have to be obtained by the individuals on their own.

  In case an insurance is issued by a third party, and if any claims to the same arise, Columbus Vacations is not responsible for any coordination with the Insurance Company

 

Changes in the itinerary:

• The Company reserves the right to modify or alter the tour itinerary in case of force majeure conditions. Changes shall be informed to the guests at the earliest. Any additional charges, if applicable, are to be paid by the guest.
• Other than force majeure, for any other unavoidable circumstances, if the company curtails or cancels a certain day's sightseeing, refund for the concerned portion of the sightseeing/tour shall be given to the guest. The Company will not be responsible for any kind of claims.
• The Company reserves the right to change (addition/deletion on exchange) sightseeing places for betterment of the tour programme.
• If sightseeing timings aren't adhered to, or if an any add-ons are required then the same will be borne by the guests.
• Sightseeing days and closing of a particular sightseeing place are not in our hand, but we try our level best to cover all the sightseeings listed in the tour program. In case if any sightseeing is closed we may give you a replacement of that place or refund may be given for that particular sightseeing place only. Sightseeings of adventurous type are totally dependent on weather. In case, the weather turns out to be unfavourable & sightseeing is not possible, refund will be given.
• Guests are requested to issue their railway, air ticket/s only after speaking to their travel advisor. Tour particulars such as; Day, Date, Time, Place, must be cross-checked prior to purchasing of tickets. Columbus Vacations shall not be liable for any loss/cancellation for faulty ticket issuance. The onus of repurchasing the tickets will lie solely upon the guest.

 

Joining & Leaving Guests:

Guest may join our tour at the first destination as per their convenience. In such a case, guests must possess all the air tickets of the family, Visa and Insurance documents and are required to join the group at the first destination of the Tour. Such guests should furnish all information such as Flight details, local contact details & e-mail ID a minimum of 15 days prior to the departure. Not to issue non refundable tickets incase any change in date charged to be borne by guest.

Guests are requested to issue their railway, air ticket/s only after speaking to their travel advisor. Tour particulars such as; Day, Date, Time, Place, must be cross-checked prior to purchasing of tickets. Columbus Vacations shall not be liable for any loss/ cancellation for faulty ticket issuance. The onus of repurchasing the tickets will lie solely upon the guest.

In case of multiple coaches for one departure, guests are requested to issue their railway, air ticket/s only after speaking to their travel advisor. Tour particulars such as; Day, Date, Time, Place, must be cross-checked prior to purchasing of tickets. Columbus Vacations shall not be liable for any loss/ cancellation for faulty ticket issuance. The onus of repurchasing the tickets will lie solely upon the guest.

 

Deviation Guests:

If a guest who has booked a group tour wishes to deviate from the tour schedule before or after the tour, she/he can do so by paying an additional cost.

For Individual Bookings, Guests on an Indian Tour can co-ordinate with the driver of the car/coach. Guests on a World tour can co-ordinate with ground handling agents to plan the next day's visit and sightseeing program. The car/coach has specific time limits within which it operates coach.

 

Coach:

Seating arrangement in the coach shall be strictly on rotation basis.

In coach, the seating allotment shall start from seat number 5 onwards as the seats are reserved for the tour managers. 

There is a strict "no smoking", "no alcohol" and "no eating" policy in the Coach. Guests are advised not to keep valuables in coach while sightseeing. The Company shall not be responsible for the loss of valuables from the coach. If the coach is accidentally or otherwise damaged by the guest he/she will be required to pay the compensation for the same.

• World Tours Coaches / Buses: 
  The Company generally arranges air-conditioned/air-cooled, luxury coaches. Such coaches may be equipped with an emergency washroom, however this facility is not to be used in lieu of the rest rooms. In case, guest wishes to use this facility, he shall have to pay tips to the driver of the coach directly. The size and seating capacity of the coaches / buses generally varies from 20 to 40 and depending on the number of the guest/s. few coaches have one door or two door access, which varies from destination to destination.
• Indian Tours Coaches / Buses:
  The Company generally arranges air-conditioned/air-cooled, Non-AC coaches, mini coaches, jeeps or taxies of various seating capacities depending on the type of the tour, itinerary and number of guest/s, etc.
  In case of part tours which are a part of the main tours, the seating priority will be as per the booking. 
  Sometimes certain tours are merged upon the guests request or due to situational conditions. In such a case, the seating priority will be as per the booking.

 

Baggage:

Guest/s are responsible for their own baggage. The baggage at the airport, during any air travel, in coaches, in any train journey, at immigration point’s etc., guest/s have to verify and be responsible for the same. The porterage or the tips for services rendered to carry guest/s baggage to the rooms is guest/s responsibility and have to be paid directly to the service provider. The "porter" or any helper arranged by the guest/s at any train stations, airports, at immigration points or any other place, is the sole responsibility of the guest/s and guest/s shall have to pay tip directly to them.

 

Complimentary Items:

Providing a complimentary addition is at the sole discretion of the management .Columbus Vacations reserves all the rights to revoke/amend/stop/discontinue this service/ items, at any time without prior notice.

 

Cancellation Policy:

Cancellation by Guest:

If the guest decides to cancel the tour for any reason whatsoever then she/he shall give a written application to the company within a specified time limit along with the original receipt issued by the Company. Such cancellation will attract the cancellation charges stated hereunder.

Cancellation charges will be calculated on Gross Tour cost and the cancellation charges shall depend on date of departure & the date of cancellation.

Cancellation charges for any mode of transport ticket are applicable as per the rules of the concerned authority.

Air ticket issued on special fare & visa charges are generally non-refundable and the guest shall bear cancellation charges.

Any refund payable to the guest will be paid after the company receives refund from the respective authorities. The company deducts processing charges from the refund which is to be paid to the guest.

No of days prior to departure	% of cancellation charges per person.
	India	World
More than 60 days	10% or Rs.1000/-whichever is more	10%
60 to 46 days	25%	25%
45 to 31 days	50%	50%
30 to 22 days	75%	75%
Before 21 days (exclusive of travel date) / on travel date	100%	100%

Note: Charges are levied on the Gross tour price and not the discounted price. Cancellations does not include air ticket cancellation, visa charges & other entrance/transport tickets and they will be levied separately.

For tailor-made holiday, cancellation charges will defer accordingly as per services booked.

When the Company cancels a tour:
In case if any Tour is cancelled from the Company's end, then the full refund of amount paid by the guest will be made within 7 working days of cancellation of the tour by cheque only. Alternatively, the guest can take any other Tour option suggested by the Travel Advisor or can utilise the tour amount paid for any of the company's future tour.

 

Refund:

• Refunds if any, for variation / modification / amendments / alteration and / or cancellations etc. of any tour will be paid directly to the guest by 'A/C payee' cheque, in Indian Rupees at the prevailing rate of exchange on the date of the cheque, as per Reserve Bank of India Rules and Regulations, irrespective of whether the tour payments in part or whole were made in foreign currency.
• Refunds (if any) will be processed as per the applicable terms and conditions and will be interest free. The company shall not be liable to pay any interest on the amount refunded to the guest.
• No refund will be payable
  • For any missed/unused services of the tour including the meals due to whatsoever reason.
  • Where full deposit is required to be paid in advance to the concerned authorities to enable the Company to confirm the reservation
  • If services of the tour are modified, varied, amended, cancelled or not utilized.
  • If any guest decides and / or is required to cancel the tour due to any changes made in the rules by the concerned Government.
  • Where airfares are contracted in bulk for group departures.
  • If the tour is indefinitely postponed due to a natural calamity, riots, political calamities or any other unforeseen calamities.
  • Refund is not applicable for sectors on Indian/World tours wherein air tickets are non refundable and date change is not allowed.
  • For all Card payments - Payment received by Cards and if there is any refund, such refund will be done through the respective cards Financial Institutions and credited to the same card. The charges for transaction to be borne by the guests.
    • The Company reserves the right to:
    • Take the booking for the group tour and individual tour.
    • Cancel bookings even after the acceptance of the payment without assigning any reason. In this case the company shall refund the money to the guest.
    • Dismiss any guest from the tour for misbehaviour especially if it affects the group and Physical or verbal assault to the Tour Manager.
    • Withdraw discounts at any point of time.
    • Change the routing of Air Travel.
    • Change hotel and/tour programme due to unavoidable circumstances.

 

Guests in need of special assistance:

In a group tour, special services cannot be given to any specific person. However, if informed at the time of booking, the company, without being held responsible in any way whatsoever, will make reasonable attempt to accommodate the special needs of disabled guests or senior citizens. Most transportation services are not equipped with wheelchair ramps. A capable companion must accompany the guest who needs assistance.

 

Transfer of tour:

• A transfer from the originally booked tour to another tour is treated as cancellation of earlier tour and hence, a fresh booking of another tour has to be made. All cancellation charges will apply on the gross tour price and not on the discounted tour price of the earlier booked tour. The tour price and discounts available / given for the cancelled tour are not valid for fresh booking. Tour price and discounts prevailing on the date of fresh booking of another tour will be applicable. In case if booking is cancel and alternate booking is given in the same tour in that case whatever at actual air ticket cancel charges will be applicable and for new booking new discount will be applicable.
• Minimum booking of the tour:
  The Tour shall proceed only if the number of guest(s) who have booked the tour exceed 20 and the said booking of 20 guest(s) must be received by Columbus Vacations at least 30 calendar days prior to the scheduled start of the tour. If the number of guest(s) booked for any tour falls below 20, then tour may operate without Company tour manager and on MAP plan accommodation with breakfast and dinner and/or with an additional surcharge. However, Columbus Vacations may cancel the tour without assigning any reason and in such an event the guest(s) can claim only the amount paid by him after deducting the taxes. Till the total number of guest(s) reaches 20, the booking of the guest(s) shall be strictly provisional. In the event of Columbus Vacations deciding to cancel the tour, cancellation of tour shall be communicated at least 30 calendar days prior to the date of commencement of tour via any of the following modes (a) sms (b) telephone (c) email; as per the information given by the guest(s) or by any person for and on behalf of guest(s) at the time of booking of the tour. In case of cancellation of any tour by Company, actual amount paid by the guest(s) shall be refunded to the guest(s) and cancellation of air / rail cancellation done by guest will not be borne by Columbus Vacations and only actual paid amount will be refunded to guest by cheque.

 

Documents:

• Loss of Passport Guests travelling abroad should take care of his/her passport. Loss of the passport on tour involves costs and consequences such as filing FIR, visiting Indian Embassy, getting new passport or landing certificate, expenses on the stay, food, transportation etc. all of which have to be borne and paid by the concerned guests only. Getting the landing certificate or the new passport is the sole responsibility of the guest. The Tour Manager is not responsible or liable or under any obligation for the loss of passport and the consequences thereof. Entire consequential expenses shall be met by the guest(s). Any other guest accompanying the guest who has lost the passport wishes to terminate the tour intermittently, will have to meet the expenses etc. No refund will be given to the guest leaving the tour abruptly. The tour manager won't stay back in any case.
• Photo Identification 
  All guests are advised to carry the photo identification in the form of driving license, election ID card, PAN card and students must carry with them their school / college ID card. At certain sightseeing places, the Identification proof is mandatorily required and company has no control over it. The identification documents must be produced by the guests as per the rules and regulations prescribed at different locations. Also, please ensure that on tour you carry the same photo ID submitted in the office. In case of documents being in maiden name, provide & carry those documents.
• Documents required for foreign nationals
  For all foreign nationals who wish to join our various tours (Indian/World) the Visa fee and the other required documents differ than the Indian nationals. kindly cross check with our sales team. All guest must declare their NRI status prior to their booking. For NRI’s the rules and regulations differ than Indian nationals for certain countries. We advise you refer our website for further details.

 

Hotels:

• Single Occupancy
  Single guest provided with single occupancy/single bedded room have to pay single occupancy charges for the entire tour. Single rooms are comparatively smaller in size than the twin sharing rooms and may be located on a different floor or in corner side from the rooms of other group members.
• Check-in and Check-out time 
  Guest have to abide by the check-in and check-out time of the respective hotels. For Indian tours, generally the check-in time is 12 noon and check-out time is 10 am. For World tours, generally the check-in time is 3 p.m. and check-out time is at 12 noon. If guest wants any change therein, like early check-in or late check-out, he/she will have to manage the same on his/her own with hotel authorities on payment of additional charges, if any. Any loss to hotel property knowingly or unknowingly will have to be borne by guest. Company shouldn't be held responsible.
• Room Sharing
  Single person joining the tour may be given a sharing partner/s in twin or triple sharing basis & this is subject to availability of the room partner of the same gender. However, any misunderstandings or incidences like missing items or difference of opinion between each other will have to be settled between room partners themselves. The company is not responsible for any loss or mishap. If, for any reason, concerned partner cancels or alters the booking of the tour, then the other guest / partner has to bear entire room charges. No adjustments shall be made from the money contributed by guest / partner who has cancelled the tour. Shared rooms have 'No Smoking' policy. Cleanliness of the room and especially the bathrooms is to be maintained under any circumstances. Any Religious thing one does shouldn't be a botheration or force to other. Safety of money and valuables is own responsibility even one has to take care oneself and other person should not be forced to help or assist

 

Restaurants:

Columbus Vacations or any of its independent contractors shall not be bound to serve non veg food items during en-route journey and/or en-route lunch halts for Indian/Domestic Sector. While we endeavour to select the best quality restaurants for en-route lunch halts in terms of food, sanitation facilities, hygiene, and service. However the company has no direct control over their maintenance. Guest/s shall take note that the Restaurant Manager allots the table for the group & same depends upon the group size and infrastructure of the restaurant

 

Meals:

There is mostly a pre-set menu for meals depending on the tour program. Packed meals are served at some places. The Company mostly serves Vegetarian food along with few Non-Veg items. Columbus Vacations does not differentiate amongst the guest/s by providing a special meal or special diet.

In case of a baby meal, the Company generally provides tin milk, plain dal and rice, (we appreciate a prior intimation) Apart from that if any different diet is required, the said guest/s shall make their arrangements for the meal at their own costs and consequences. In case if any Columbus Vacations treat which is mentioned is not available, an alternate shall be given and no refund shall be applicable. No Complaints / Claims for refund in respect of the meals shall be entertained and Columbus Vacations reserves the right to change the menu and arrangements of the meals without assigning any reasons therefor.

 

Tour Managers on Tour:

Tour Leaders/assistants/escorts are assisting to the guest/s throughout the tour, they are not responsible for guest/s baggage or any kind of personal belongings. The guest/s themselves should carry their baggage. The instructions and information of the tour, are to be followed in the group tours and tour leaders is not responsible for any instructions overruled by the guest/s and its consequences.

For the sake of easy and quick information sharing, Columbus Vacations' tour manager will create a WhatsApp group of its guests on the 2nd day of the tour. This group would be created solely for information and tour sightseeing instructions. In case any guest has an objection to the creation of a group, then the same must be intimated to the tour manager immediately.

 

Liabilities and Responsibilities of the Company:

The liability of the Company is restricted only to make reservation in accordance with the guest's requirements & no further. Company is not liable for any loss of person or property caused or damaged or suffered by the tourist on account of deficiency in services by any independent contractor.

Any gesture of courtesy extended by the Company to the tourist to minimize such loss or damage will not constitute an admission of such liability or a waiver. The Company shall in no circumstances whatsoever be liable to the tourist or any other person for any loss or expenses because:

• Taking care of the valuables is the sole responsibility of the guest, in fact we suggest and recommend you not to carry unnecessary valuables like gold, high end equipments on tour.
• Train/flight delays, on account of any reason due to rescheduling/cancellation of train/flights/inter-connection/ meals not being served etc. is not in the control of the company.
• Any change due to force majeure including weather condition / strike / war / VIP movement and security, heavy rush at sightseeing places, road traffic congestion etc., are not in control of the company.
• Allocation of seats, and food service in the aircraft because the airline reserves the right of allocation.
• Celebrity assigned for the tour as an entertainer not turning up on the tour due to the reasons beyond the control of the company.
• Any personal injury, sickness, accident, loss, delay, discomfort, consequential loss and/or damage or any damage to baggage or personal effects howsoever caused.
• Any injury, loss, personal harm, death or damage caused to any person or property by the act or default of the management/ employees / agents of any independent contractor.
• Any damages, additional expenses or any consequential losses suffered by the guest due to cancellation, amendment and / or alteration of any of the services of the tour mentioned in the itinerary / brochure by the Company after the registration / booking by the tourist. Each of these conditions shall be severable from the other, if any provision declared invalid, illegal or unenforceable, then remaining provisions nevertheless have full force & effect.

 

Guest(s) Responsibility:

It shall be the sole responsibility of the guest/s to ensure that he/she possesses the required valid travel documents and statutory clearances, including passports, visas, confirmed travel tickets, insurance including medical insurance certificates, any other document used to confirm the services of tour including an arrangement with independent contractor and other statutory certificates, to enable him/her to undertake tour.

All travel documents are non-transferable and must be issued in the name of the passport/photo identity holder, otherwise the booking may be cancelled. The Passport must be valid from the start of the tour to at least 180 days subsequent to the scheduled arrival date of the tour - subject to rules of the specific visa embassy or consulate. The guest/s shall ensure timely collection of all such documents enabling them to undertake tour and be present in time for departure. Guest/s should keep certified true copies and photocopies of all documents including valid travel documents and statutory clearances, including passports, visas, confirmed travel tickets, insurance including medical insurance certificates, any other document used to confirm the services of tour including an arrangement with independent contractor and other statutory certificates, used by him/her while on tour.

 

Participation on tour Behaviour & Punctuality:

As you are traveling with a group on Columbus Vacations, all participants are expected to conduct themselves in a manner that is not disruptive to the group and in a manner that is appropriate for group travel.

For the benefit of everyone on the vacation, Columbus Vacations reserves the right to accept or reject the booking of any vacation participant and to remove any vacation participant from participating in or being a part of one or more itineraries where his or her conduct is deemed inappropriate & incompatible with the interest of the other travellers. Columbus Vacations is not responsible for any losses, including missed sightseeing or having to make alternate travel arrangements, if you fail to meet the representatives of Columbus Vacations at assigned timings and places/pick up points while on tour. Columbus Vacations will not refund nor cover any cost or expenses incurred for termination of vacation arrangements due to unacceptable behaviour or inability to maintain punctuality. The decision of behaviour being acceptable or unacceptable rests solely with Columbus Vacations.

Guest are requested to take care of their valuables and personal belongings on tour. In case, if a guest forgets their valuables or personal belongings on tour, Columbus Vacations will not be liable to bring the items back.

 

Safety:

Please be aware that during your participation in vacations operated by Columbus Vacations, certain risks and dangers may arise beyond our control, including but not limited to: the hazards of traveling in undeveloped areas; travel by boat, train, automobile, aircraft, or other means of transportation; forces of nature; political unrest; acts of lawlessness or terrorism; and accident or illness in remote regions without means of rapid evacuation or medical facilities. Columbus Vacations will not have liability regarding provision of medical care or the adequacy of any care that may be rendered. While Columbus Vacations will use its best efforts to ensure that adequate measures are taken, by agreeing to participate in a vacation and/or optional excursions you agree that you will hold Columbus Vacations harmless regarding any provision of medical care or the adequacy of any care rendered. Columbus Vacations is not responsible for such risks and dangers that may arise beyond our control. Payment of your deposit indicates you accept these risks and dangers and agree to hold Columbus Vacations harmless for such.

 

Additional Information:

• For part tour: Tour Manager will not accompany you at the time of arrival or departure as per the itinerary
• For Joining & Leaving guests : air tickets & Visa fees , Insurance is not included in the tour cost.
• Government rules for NRI (Non Resident Indian) Guest: All guest/s staying abroad including NRIs or foreigners should abide by all the laws, rules, and regulations of Government of India and / or the country concerned while undertaking the tour.
• Valuables: Columbus Vacations advises guest/s not to carry valuable on tour. If valuable items are carried please not to keep them in your suitcase. It is always better keep them in safe deposit lockers. In case of any loss suffered by the guest/s Columbus Vacations is not liable or responsible for the same.
• Shopping: Shopping is a major activity of any tour and an experience in itself. All guest/s are hereby made aware that Columbus Vacations neither recommends nor promote any specific shop or vendor for shopping purpose. We understand that the guest/s are wise enough to decide themselves what to buy and where to buy. It is a sole discretion of the Guest. Hence, Columbus Vacations does not take any responsibility or liability in case of any cheating or misguiding by the shop owner.
• External guest(s) not allowed: External guest/s cannot be invited on tour by any guest and they are not allowed to use any of the services of the tour.
• Paid Toilets: At some places/destinations/country, there are paid toilet halts, which guest/s have to take care on their own.
• Grievances: Any claims, grievances and / or complaints in respect of services provided by any of the independent contractors, the guest shall immediately notify the same to the independent contractor in writing, and a copy of the same must be handed over to the tour escort/leader/Manager/Assistant and/or Company not later than 7 days thereof to enable Columbus Vacations to take up the matter with the concerned independent contractor.
• Privacy of Information: Any Information furnished by the guest/s to the tour escort / leader/ Manager / Assistant and/or Columbus Vacations, is subject to disclosure thereof as required by law or by an order of court or the rules, regulations and enquiry by any government / statutory authority. The Company shall not disclose any data of its own under any circumstances to any guest/s including any kind of clarification on itinerary, tour costs, cancellation charges etc.
• Photographs or Video Clips & Social Media: The Company reserves the right to use Photographs/Video Clips of the guest taken on tour and/ or given by guest, for promotion of Columbus Vacations' Business without obtaining prior permission of the concerned guest. Such Photographs/Video Clips can be used on any media with due respect for emotions/sentiments of guest/s.
• Reference Call: The Company reserves the right to refer a guest, on request, to prospective guest for the promotion of Columbus Vacations' business. The company is also authorised to send transactional as well as promotional sms/e-mail/phone calls.
• The maps given on the tour pages are indicative & just for your reference. They are not the actual maps.
• Jurisdiction: All disputes pertaining to the tour and any claim arising therein shall be subject to the Court of Jurisdiction at Hyderabad only.

 

Website

Accessing our websites
Columbus Vacations websites will only be available at such times as we may decide, and we do not guarantee that our websites, or any website content, will always be available or be uninterrupted. We may suspend our websites at any time without notice and for any reason, including for upgrade, maintenance, repair, prevention of damage, and investigation. We may suspend, withdraw, discontinue or change all or any part of our websites at any time without notice. We shall have no liability to you (including in negligence) if our website is not available for any reason, and we shall have no obligation to you to make sure that our websites are available to you at any time.

No misuse
You must not misuse our websites by knowingly introducing viruses, Trojans, worms, logic bombs or other material which is malicious or technologically harmful. You must not attempt to gain unauthorised access to our websites, the server on which our websites are stored or any server, computer or database connected to our websites. You must not attack our websites via a denial-of-service attack or a distributed denial-of service attack. By breaching this provision, you would commit a criminal offence, including under the Information Technology Act. We will report any such breach to the relevant law enforcement authorities and we will co-operate with those authorities by disclosing your identity to them. In the event of such a breach, your right to use our websites will cease immediately.

Completing forms and error correction

Mandatory and Necessary Primary and Secondary Information
When completing any enquiry, booking or other forms on our website, some information is mandatory before you will be able to submit the forms to us. Mandatory information requirements are clearly identified and are denoted by an asterisk (*). You will be prompted for this information if you try to submit a form which is missing any of this mandatory data. Where any information is not marked with an asterisk then such information is optional, and you need to fill it in if you wish to do so.

Accuracy and authenticity of your information
When you submit any information to us, including in connection with a registration, enquiry or booking, you must ensure that it is true, accurate, current, and complete in all respects, and you represent that it is. We will rely on your information provided.

Error Correction
When you are carrying out any enquiry, booking, order, registration or other process on our website, you may at any time before submitting use the back button on your browser to go back and correct or change any information. If you think there is any error in your information provided after you have submitted it, you can contact us at any time to correct it.

Registration on our website

Updating your information
Should any of your registration information change, please update your details using functionality provided within our website or alternatively write to us at ops@columbusvacations.in

Log-In Details
You are responsible for keeping any username and password log-in details relating to such registration confidential, safe and secure. We ask you not to share those details with anyone. You must ensure that any password you provide is unique and a strong password, being a random string of upper and lower case letters, numbers and symbols of at least 8 or more characters in length, which you have not used on any other website. You must let us know immediately if you suspect any unauthorised access to our use of your log-in details or any registration with our websites. We have the right to disable any log-in details, whether chosen by you or allocated by us, at any time, if in our reasonable opinion you have failed to comply with any of the provisions of these terms of use or if we suspect any misuse.

General purpose
Our website content is provided for general information only, with the understanding that we are not engaged in the rendering of legal or other professional advice or service. Your reliance on or use of our websites and website content is entirely at your own risk.

Validity and Change
Although we make reasonable efforts to update the information on our site, we make no representations, warranties or guarantees, whether express or implied, that the content on our site is accurate, complete or up-to-date. In any event, our website content is only valid at the time it is downloaded, and may change on a subsequent visit to our websites. We shall be entitled to change our website content from time to time, and cease providing any particular website content (including part, functionality or service of our websites), without notice, and for any reason.

Errors
We do not guarantee that our websites or any website content will be free from errors or omissions there may be mistakes and errors in our website content which we fail to notice, which will not be binding on us. We reserve the right to correct any errors in our website content and to change any of our website content (including services, products, availability, and pricing) at any time without notice, including in any booking or order you have submitted or contract you have entered into with us on the basis of it. If any correction affects any booking or order you have submitted or contract you have entered into with us to your material detriment, then we will give you the opportunity to cancel the booking, order or contract rather than accept the change.

Viruses
Whilst we make all reasonable attempts to exclude viruses from our websites and website content, we cannot ensure that they will be none or that our websites will not be subject to unauthorised access or modification. Thus, you are recommended to take all appropriate safeguards on your computer or other device (including installing appropriate protective software) before downloading any of our website content.

• No limitation of liability for personal injury and fraud
• We do not limit or exclude our liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, or for fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation.

 

Disclaimer
· Professional Advice: -The information provided on this site is distributed with the understanding that Columbus Vacations is not providing professional advice of any type. If you have a question requiring professional advice, such as question relating to law, tax or financial planning, please seek the advice of a qualified professional in the relevant field. Columbus Vacations specifically disclaims all warranties with respect to this Web site or your use thereof, express, implied, or otherwise, including without limitation, all warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose. Columbus Vacations shall not be liable for any damages resulting from the use or misuse of this site or the information on this site. his disclaimer, limitation of liability and exclusions shall apply irrespective of whether the damages arise from (a) Breach of Warranty, (b) Negligence (c) Breach of Contract and (d) any other cause of action to the extent such limitation and exclusion are not rendered invalid by applicable law.

· Accuracy of Information: - When you use the website for online booking of services, please ensure that all the information provided by you such as names, dates of travel, passport numbers etc. is accurate. Columbus Vacations cannot be liable for any erroneous information given by you. Columbus Vacations will not in any way be liable for any loss or inconvenience suffered by you as a result of erroneous information provided by you.

· Third Party Products: - In case of third party products displayed on our website, we take no responsibility for the contents, quality or safety of the product in any way. Columbus Vacations would not be in any way liable or responsible for any loss, damage or injury sustained by the User as a result of availing such products and services advertised by third parties on the website.

· Confidentiality: - Formation concerning Columbus Vacations or any of its subsidiaries, their employees, customers, agents, or others on whom data is collected, stored, or processed is the property of Columbus Vacations and is confidential except for the necessary disclosures required by law.

· Indemnity: - The User shall hold Columbus Vacations fully indemnified and harmless in case any suit, action, application, revision, writ petition, execution proceedings, claim, demand or any other legal proceedings are initiated against Columbus Vacations due to any action /s of the User in using the website.

· Enforceability of these provisions: - Should any of these terms and conditions be held invalid, that invalid provision shall be construed to be consistent with the applicable law, and in manner so as to remain consistent with the original intent of Columbus Vacations. Provisions not otherwise held invalid shall remain in force.

· Security Warning: - It is up to you to take precautions to ensure that whatever you select for your use is free of such items as viruses, worms, Trojan horses, malicious codes and other items of a destructive nature. IN NO EVENT WILL COLUMBUS VACATIONS BE LIABLE TO ANY PARTY FOR ANY LOSS OR DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES CAUSED BY USE OF THIS WEBSITE, OR ANY OTHER HYPERLINKED WEBSITE.

· Product & Services: - Please Note that none of the information contained in this Website should be viewed or construed as an offer to sell or as a solicitation to purchase any of our products or services. Rather, the information on our products and services is provided to you so that you can learn what products Columbus Vacations generally offers. The products and service statements on this Website are for general description purposes only. Furthermore, not all the products or services are available in every state or country.
 

Privacy Policy · We will not collect Personal Information without your knowledge and permission;
· We will not knowingly disclose your Personal Information to third parties, except as provided in this Privacy Policy;
· We will take reasonable steps to protect the security of the Personal Information we collect from you.
· If you reached our site by clicking on a link or advertisement on another site, then we also log that information. This helps us to maximise our Internet exposure, and to understand the interests of our users. All of this information is collected and used only in the aggregate; that is, it is entered into our database, where we can use it to generate overall reports on our visitors, but not reports about individual visitors.
· Cookies
· Registered User and Non – Registered User

Personal Information We use the personal information we collect to help both of us! As we mentioned above, registering with us allows you to personalize our Web site so that it is most useful to you. It also allows you to log into our site automatically each time you visit, rather than manually typing your user name and password every time. We may also use this information to periodically contact you with news or important information from Columbus Vacations or to request your feedback on our site. In addition to these periodic updates, we may email you additional materials, but only if you specifically request them. These might include opt-in newsletters and other materials that you proactively request from Columbus Vacations 

· You can review and update the personal information you have provided through the registration process by visiting https://www.columbusvacations.in

· Changes to this Privacy Policy: - We reserve the right to change this policy should we deem it advisable to do so. If we make material changes that will affect personal information we have already collected from you, we will make reasonable efforts to notify you of the changes and to give you the opportunity to amend or cancel your registration.