Terms and Conditions
The following terms and conditions form the basis of your contract with Siren Adventures Ltd (“we”, “us” and “our”) and the person(s) named on the booking (“you and your”), or any of person as the context requires, including anyone who is added or substituted at a later stage. The words “adventure”, “excursion”, “expedition”, “tour”, “travel arrangements”, “trip” or “workshop” mean or refer to any activity, transport, accommodation, or package trip organised by Siren Adventures Ltd. The word supplier(s) is any person(s) or organisation(s) that supplies Siren Adventures Ltd with services, activities, or products. The words ‘your party’ or ‘your group’ mean or refer to any other person on whose behalf you book a trip with Siren Adventures Ltd.
1) Booking & Payment
a) When you make a booking and we accept it, a legally binding contract is made. When you complete a booking online via our website you (and any other person on whose behalf you make a booking) agree to accept all these terms and conditions. You also acknowledge that you have read the tour itinerary for your chosen tour. You declare that the information provided at the time of booking is accurate and true. A contract will exist as soon as we issue a booking confirmation which will be delivered by email to the email address you supplied when making a booking.
b) To make a booking you can do so direct on our website online or by email, telephone, or messenger. The person making the booking (the ‘lead name’) must be 18 years old or over and possess the legal capacity and authority to make the booking and accept these Terms and Conditions on behalf of everyone in their party. You will need to pay a non-refundable deposit for each person per trip. The lead name is responsible for the accuracy of any information provided. Siren Adventures Ltd cannot be held liable for any problems that may occur from incorrect information that you provided. If you are under 18 you must be accompanied by a responsible adult over 18 years of age.
c) A deposit is payable if the booking is made more than 90 days before the start date of the tour, otherwise full payment is required at the time of booking. A deposit is only refundable where stated in these booking conditions. The receipt or banking of a payment does not imply acceptance of a booking. A confirmation will be emailed or posted, and it is not until we confirm acceptance of the booking in this manner that a contract comes into existence between us. Please check your confirmation immediately on receipt and let us know straight away if any information in this, or any other document we send you, appears to be incorrect as it may not be possible to make changes later without payment of any applicable charges. The moment we receive your deposit we start processing your booking and, therefore, it is non-refundable except under circumstances listed below.
d) Although we have made every effort to verify the accuracy of statements made in our trip documentation including brochure(s), website and trip notes we cannot be held responsible for any error, omission or unintentional misrepresentation that may occur.
2) Force Majeure
a) In these Terms and Conditions ‘force majeure’ means any event that we, or the supplier of the services in question, could not foresee, or avoid, even with all due care. Such events include, but are not limited to war, the threat of war, riot, civil strife, industrial dispute, hostilities, political unrest, government action, terrorist activity, natural or nuclear disaster, fire, acts of God, adverse weather conditions, pandemics, or other unforeseen circumstances.
3) Cancellations by you
a) You, or any member of your party, may cancel your tour at any time. If you cancel a tour after making a booking you will lose some or all the money you have paid for the trip, even if the circumstances are beyond your control. A cancellation will only be effective when we receive written confirmation by letter or email of the cancellation. Cancellation charges as shown below will be applicable.
i) 90 days or less, or failure to join the tour: 100%
ii) Between 91 and 140 days: 50% of the total cost
iii) 141 days or more: Deposit only
b) It is strongly recommended that you obtain adequate insurance that includes cover under certain circumstances against the loss of deposit or cancellation charges. If the reason for your cancellation is covered under the terms of your insurance policy, you may be able to reclaim these charges. Additionally, you will remain responsible for the full amount of your insurance premium, and this will not be refunded in the event of your cancellation. You may however be able to transfer this cover to another trip. If you leave a trip for any reason after it has commenced, we are not obliged to make any refunds for unused services.
c) Failure by you to attend the predesignated pick-up point and time at the beginning of the tour will be taken as a cancellation by you and no refund will be due. Should you not be able to attend the predesignated pickup point due to a breakdown of transportation you must make us aware as soon as possible and you will be responsible for making your own travel arrangements for joining the tour at a mutually agreeable point.
d) Rescheduling your trip may be offered to you at our discretion. If you decide to reschedule your tour, whether that be due to force majeure or any other reason, please be aware that these terms and conditions are in effect from your original booking and original tour date. Should you decide to cancel your rescheduled tour, or we are forced to cancel your trip due to force majeure the cancellation and refund terms outlined in paragraph 3,a apply from the original trip date and not the new rescheduled trip date.
4) Changes and cancellations by us
a) We reserve the right to cancel or make changes to any tour. We will notify you as soon as possible if this happens. Should a cancellation or significant change become necessary, you will have the choice of booking an alternative tour (subject to availability) and paying the price difference if applicable or receiving a full refund of all monies paid to us. Compensation will not be payable and no liability beyond offering the above mentioned choices can be accepted where (1) we are forced to make a change or cancel as a result of unusual and unforeseeable circumstances beyond our control, the consequences of which we could not have avoided even with all due care or (2) we have to cancel because the minimum number of bookings necessary for us to operate your tour has not been reached. No compensation will be payable, and the above options will not be available if we cancel because of your failure to comply with any requirement of these booking conditions entitling us to cancel (such as paying on time) or where the change is a minor one.
b) If we need to make a major change which results in a significant inconvenience during the tour, we will inform you as soon as reasonably possible if there is time before your trip commences. When a major change occurs, you will have the choice of either accepting the change or accepting a replacement tour of an equivalent or similar location, standard and price.
c) Because of the type of tours that we provide, arrangements and participants must be flexible. Itineraries given for each trip must therefore be taken as an indication of what each tour could cover, and not as a contractual obligation on our part. It is a necessary condition of you joining any of our tours that you accept this flexibility. It is unlikely that we will have to make any changes to your travel arrangements, but we plan the arrangements many months in advance and occasionally, we may have to make changes and we reserve the right to do so at any time. Most of these changes will be minor and we will notify you of them as soon as reasonably possible. In the case of such changes there is no entitlement to cancel without penalty and you will be subject to the cancellation charges listed in section 3,a. Examples of minor changes include change of accommodation to another of the same standard, using slightly different modes of transport or completing the tour in a different order to the itinerary.
d) We reserve the right to change your itinerary after the tour commences due to local circumstances or events outside of our control or anything amounting to force majeure. In such emergency circumstances you will pay for the additional cost of any necessary itinerary alterations. If due to paragraph 2 or any other circumstance beyond our or our suppliers’ control and we cut short your trip no refund or compensation will be made for any unused hotel accommodation, or any other unused service.
e) We reserve the right in any circumstances to cancel your travel arrangements. However, under no circumstances will we cancel your tour less than 30 days before the scheduled start date except for reasons of late cancellations from other persons on your tour, force majeure, or failure by you to pay the final balance or obtain adequate insurance cover.
f) We cannot be held responsible for any non-refundable costs you incur through booking your own flights/ferry/bus/car or otherwise, should we be forced to cancel your trip.
g) UK based Astrophotography Workshops. The weather is the one thing we cannot control and despite doing our best to plan as much as possible sometimes mother nature has different plans. We don’t cancel workshops if there is rain or cloud and may decide to move to an alternative location in an attempt to find a break in the clouds. If there is no success due to the weather conditions, participants who attend the workshop will have the option of a 15% refund or transferring any monies paid on to a future workshop of equal or greater value.
5) Adventure Travel
a) This is adventure travel, and many of the locations Siren Adventures Ltd visit are in remote areas, sometimes within developing countries. Many of the places that we visit do not have the same quality of emergency health and safety services that we are used to. Road transport can be sometimes uncomfortable and unreliable, and hotels often do not meet the standards of for example, Europe or North America. We will not be liable where any failure in the performance of the contract is due to you or a third party unconnected with the provision of the travel arrangements.
b) Siren Adventures Ltd takes every precaution to ensure the safety of all participants. However, by undertaking a trip with us, you are assuming the risk of any injury, including death. Siren Adventures Ltd and/or its employees, agents, subcontractors, suppliers, and their employees cannot be held responsible for any injury caused to you, or by you to others, resulting from your failure to follow an instruction(s) or recommendation(s). It is your contractual obligation to us to at all times act in a safe, responsible and courteous manner, comply with all safety procedures, listen and be present at all safety and information briefings; to immediately inform your guide / tour leader or any other person responsible for the provision of your activities of any equipment or site deficiencies or any other concerns relevant to the safety of you as an individual or the group as a whole; and to dress and/or equip yourself suitably for any event or activity as advised by your trip leader or any other individual responsible for the provision of your activities.
c) Our liability, except in cases involving death, injury, or illness, shall be limited to the cost of your travel arrangements. Your booking is accepted on the understanding that you realise the hazards involved in this type of tour, including death, injury, disease, loss or damage to property, inconvenience, and discomfort. Our obligations, and those of our suppliers providing any service or activity included in your tour, are to use reasonable skill and take reasonable care when providing such services and activities. You must demonstrate that reasonable skill and care has not been used if you wish to make any claim against us. The services and activities included in your trip will be considered provided with reasonable skill and care if they comply with any local regulations that apply, or, if there are no applicable local regulations, they are reasonable when compared to the local standards and accepted customs. We will not be liable for any loss of profit, or loss of business, or any form of consequential loss or damage, whether arising because of physical damage to property and/or person and regardless of the cause and nature of such loss or damage.
d) Siren Adventures Ltd’s liability will also be limited in accordance with and/or in an identical manner to any relevant International Convention (for example, the Geneva Convention in respect of carriage by road, the Montreal Convention in respect of travel by air, the Athens Convention in respect of travel by sea, the Berne Convention in respect of travel by rail and the Paris Convention in respect of the provision of accommodation) which limit the amount of compensation that you can claim for death, injury, delay to passengers and loss, damage and delay to luggage. For the avoidance of doubt, this means that we are to be regarded as having all benefit of any limitations of compensation contained in any of these Conventions or any other international conventions applicable to your trip. Where public transport (including taxis) is used we cannot be held responsible or liable for its standards or any damages, loss, injury, or death incurred during the use of such transport.
e) Occasionally our local suppliers may need you to sign an ‘Acceptance of Risk’ form prior to accepting your participation for an activity or service. The purpose of the form is to indemnify the supplier and us from any claims made by you for incidents arising due to circumstances outside of the supplier and our reasonable control.
f) There will be wildlife, domesticated and wild animals in all the areas we visit that can attack without warning. Siren Adventures Ltd or any of its employees or suppliers cannot be held responsible for any injury or death that occurs from you being attacked by any wildlife, domesticated or wild animal and you must accept the risks of injury or death from wildlife or animal attacks.
6) Excursions and other activities
a) Excursions and other activities not included on your itinerary, or any activity not included in the price of your tour do not form part of your tour supplied by Siren Adventures Ltd. For any excursion or other activity that you book, your contract will be with the operator of the excursion, activity, or service and not with us, and the decision to partake in any such activity is entirely at your own risk.
b) You accept that any assistance given by your tour leader or local representative in arranging optional activities will not render Siren Adventures or its employee(s) liable.
7) Tour Leader Authority
a) By completing a booking online, over the phone or in person you accept these Terms and Conditions, and you agree to abide by the authority of the tour leader, who represents Siren Adventures Ltd.
b) The decision of the tour leader as to the conduct, itinerary and objectives of the tour is final.
c) If, in the opinion of the tour leader, your behaviour and/or physical condition is putting the wellbeing of others and/or your general wellbeing at risk by continuing the tour, or if you are caught breaking the local law, you may be asked to leave the tour without the right to any refund for unused services.
d) No refunds will be made if you are required to leave any accommodation and we will have no further responsibility to you including any return/onward travel arrangements. We will not pay any expenses or costs incurred because of being asked to leave the tour.
e) Siren Adventures Ltd clients must only use the accommodation that we provide for you in the way intended. You are not permitted to let anyone else stay in your room (unless part of your booking) and you are responsible for the cost of any damage caused to your accommodation, its contents, and any other item you damage or lose whilst on one of our tours. These charges must be met by you and have to be paid locally.
f) You accept that you may not participate in part of the itinerary if you are late for an activity or part of your travel arrangements. If you miss a transport connection, you will be responsible for catching up with the group and all costs associated with re-joining the group. You must not do anything or fail to do anything that is reasonably likely to bring Siren Adventures Ltd into disrepute.
8) Our responsibility to you
a) Our responsibility to you does not commence until the start date of your tour and you have arrived at the starting point of the tour as stated on the trip itinerary. The starting point of our tours is usually the nearest airport/seaport in the country that your tour commences or the first nights’ accommodation.
b) We offer complimentary airport/seaport to hotel and hotel to airport/seaport transfers on all tours where the meeting point is the airport/seaport.
c) You are responsible for arranging your own flight, ferry, or transport to arrive at the meeting point of your tour. Under no circumstances can we be held responsible for you missing the start of a tour (See paragraph 3,c). We recommend not booking any flights or transport to the meeting point until we advise that the tour has reached the minimum number of participants for it to operate. Siren Adventures Ltd cannot be held responsible for you booking a flight or transport before you have been notified if the tour has reached the minimum number of participants to go ahead. We aim to advise if a tour is operating at least three months prior to the start date of the tour.
d) We will not refund any money to you, pay you any compensation or pay for any transport arrangements for you to catch up with the tour group if you do not arrive at the starting point on time, nor will we pay for any accommodation or other expenses that you incur. You will not receive any money back for activities that you missed. However, we have an in-country agent that will assist you in every way possible (transport, accommodation etc) to catch up with the tour group at your expense.
e) If the airline you travel with loses your luggage you need to report it immediately at the airport. Under no circumstances can the start of the tour be delayed or disrupted in any way waiting for your baggage. We cannot be held liable for any problem that arises from the loss of your luggage. We therefore recommend that you keep all your valuables medications and essential kit in your hand luggage and wear any important clothing on the airplane. We are not responsible for any of your belongings, and we will not accept responsibility for them if they are lost, stolen, or damaged at any point on your trip however so incurred.
f) If you are unable to or choose not to complete part of your itinerary, we are not liable to supply alternative itineraries, excursions, accommodations, services, or staff for the period when you are not present with the group or a refund of any monies.
g) Siren Adventures Ltd will not be held liable nor accept any responsibility for any injury, death or problem that occurs while you are under the influence of alcohol or drugs. We have a zero-tolerance policy towards drugs and if found to be intoxicated through drugs you will be asked to leave the tour immediately. See paragraph 7,c.
9) Passports, Visa, and Travel
a) You must carry a valid passport and have obtained all the appropriate visas, for the countries that you will visit during your tout. Your passport must be valid for 6 months beyond the duration of the tour.
b) If you are travelling overland to certain destinations, you may also pass- through border controls of other countries and this should be allowed for with any passport/visa applications. There are restrictions on the number of times you can enter certain countries in a year and restrictions to certain nationalities. You are responsible for checking entry requirements to each country entered. If you are unsure, please check with the embassy of the country you are visiting. If you are a UK citizen, you can view entry requirements online at https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice
c) Your behaviour at a border can also stop you from entering a country. In some cases, countries will refuse entry to those who have criminal records, please check with the embassy or consulate of the countries that you are visiting. Siren Adventures Ltd cannot be held liable, nor can we assist you if you have been refused entry to or ejected from a country for any reason. Furthermore, you will not be able to continue with the itinerary of your tour and you will not be entitled to any refund or compensation.
10) Health and Wellbeing
a) Your wellbeing and that of your fellow travellers is of utmost importance to us and so it is imperative that you advise us at the time of booking of any condition, medical or otherwise, that might affect your or other people’s enjoyment of the trip.
b) To make a booking, you confirm that you are fit to take part on the tour, and that you have declared to us any disability or special need which is likely to affect the progress of the tour.
c) Your booking is accepted on the understanding that you realise and accept the risks and potential hazards involved in adventure tours and that you are mentally and physically capable of undertaking your chosen tour. If, in our reasonable opinion, the chosen tour is not suitable for your medical condition and/or disability we reserve the right to refuse your booking.
d) Should you require a carer or assistance with mobility, then you accept responsibility for including a suitably qualified person in your booking. You must however discuss this matter with us first. Exact details of the medical issue and the assistance and caring arrangements are needed in writing. You will need confirmation from us in writing allowing you to join the trip so please telephone us first to discuss details. We reserve the right at any time to ask you to produce a Doctor’s Certificate of Fitness before or after booking to prove you are in good health to join a tour.
e) If due to a medical problem or an accident of any kind that occurs after booking the trip with us you are unable to complete your itinerary you will be subject to the cancellation as listed under paragraph 3,a. You will also be subject to these cancellation charges if you do not disclose any medical information to us at the time of booking that we cannot accommodate on your chosen tour.
f) If you have a medical condition, serious illness, recently undergone surgery, or have suffered a recent accident, you must advise us as soon as possible, and you may need to be cleared for travel by your airline/ferry operator.
g) Some countries require you to have certain vaccinations. It is your responsibility for checking these requirements and paying for the required vaccinations. If in doubt, consult your doctor prior to booking.
h) If you become ill or injured whilst on a tour you may not be able to carry on with the itinerary and you will not be entitled to any refund for services or accommodation not used and the rest of the group and the tour leader may have to carry on without you. We will however make sure you are appropriately looked after and arrange transport and/or medical care, the costs of which will be your responsibility.
i) If you feel unwell or feverish either on trip or when you return you must go straight to a doctor and explain where you have been, what activities you have been doing and if you have spent time in water.
11) Insurance
a) It is a condition of us accepting your booking that you agree you will have obtained adequate travel insurance before your tour commences. You are required to carry proof of insurance with you and produce it if reasonably requested by Siren Adventures Ltd employees or suppliers. We will not be held liable for any loss or inconvenience due to an inappropriate policy. It is your responsibility to check the amount of cover and terms and conditions of your insurance policy.
b) Your insurance must include cover for; medical expenses, injury, death, cost of repatriation and evacuation via whatever means necessary including by helicopter or air ambulance. If, in the event of an emergency you need medical rescue, hospital treatment, repatriation or evacuation from a trip either by foot, helicopter or otherwise and your insurance company will not pay these costs the responsibility for the payment of such costs will lie with you. Any subsequent costs incurred such as hotels, food, transport etc shall be your responsibility. If you make your own insurance arrangements you must ensure that there are no exclusion clauses which limit cover for the type of activities included, or the altitudes attained in your tour.
c) We reserve the right to cancel your booking without refund at any time before departure if we are not satisfied that adequate insurance has been organised by you.
d) All baggage and personal effects are your responsibility. We will not be responsible for any loss, damage, or accident to any luggage and/or property, however incurred. You are advised to check the limitations of your insurance policy in this respect.
e) We cannot be held responsible for you missing your departure flight or onward travel arrangements under any circumstances. Adventure travel in the countries we visit has unavoidable risks; vehicles/trains/ferries can break down and can be cancelled for days at a time, roads can be blocked etc. We will do our very best to try to make sure that you will make your transport connections and our itineraries are formed in a way that minimizes the risks. We strongly advise to ensure that your insurance covers a missed flight or onward journey.
f) It is your responsibility to ensure that you are adequately insured. If you join the tour without adequate insurance, you may not be allowed to continue with the tour and you will not be entitled to a refund.
12) Your data
a) Your credit or debit card information is not accessible or stored by Siren Adventures Ltd. We use the secure payment processing company Stripe, who process millions of credit and debit card transactions every day. They are fully compliant with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
b) When you make a booking with us you consent to all the information you provide (not including credit card information) being passed on to our suppliers, wherever they may be based. The information may also be provided to public authorities such as customs or immigration if required by them, or as required by law.
c) Siren Adventures Ltd are compliance with UK GDPR guidelines.
d) We do not pass information on to anybody who isn’t responsible for part of your travel arrangements. This includes any sensitive information that you provide such as details of any disabilities, dietary or religious requirements.
If you have any sensitive information, you can discuss with one of our staff in confidence and they will make sure that any specific requirements or health concerns are dealt with in a sensitive way. We ensure that proper measures are in place to protect you and your data.
13) Transfers and Refunds
a) Transfer of bookings are at the sole discretion of Siren Adventures Ltd and are only granted upon exceptional circumstances. Section 3 of these Terms and Conditions will still apply to any booking.
b) Transferal of bookings must be made in writing or email at least 90days before the start of your trip and will be considered on an individual basis.
c) Transfers will only be granted to a tour of the same or longer duration and any difference in price must be covered by you.
d) All booking transfers will be subject to a £25 administration fee.
e) Refunds will only be issued in line with these terms and conditions and will be processed within 30 days of being agreed.
f) All agreed refunds will be processed back to the original payment method used at the time of booking.
14) Complaints
a) Siren Adventures Ltd are dedicated to giving you the best possible service and ensuring that you have an enjoyable trip. If you have cause to raise a complaint during your tour, you must inform your tour leader in the first instance, or the supplier acting on our behalf. They will be able to establish facts and investigate the complaint locally for you. If you are not satisfied with the response or resolution provided you must notify our UK based team as soon as possible.
b) Any complaint made after your tour must be communicated to us in writing to Siren Adventures Ltd, 3 Pacton Walk, Rogerstone, Newport NP100AT where we will respond within seven working days.
c) Refunds or part refunds can only be actioned by a director of Siren Adventures Ltd following a thorough investigation process, and not by any other member of staff or supplier working on our behalf.
d) Siren Adventures Ltd are a UK registered company and are bound by English and Welsh Law. Any case raised against us will be subject to those laws and tested in English and Welsh courts.