Terms and Conditions


  1. HOW TO BOOK

    Please telephone, fax, email or write to Rives du Sud SARL ("the Company") at the address shown on the front of this insert.

  2. CONTRACT

    Each Passenger wishing to book a cruise must complete and sign the Booking Form attached to this insert. Once this has been forwarded and accepted by the Company together with the payment of the deposit due, a contract exists between such Passenger (hereinafter "the Passenger") and the Company. Under this contract the Passenger confirms that he/she has read, understands and agrees to the terms and conditions below (the "Terms and Conditions"). Any Passenger signing as tour leader on behalf of a charter or other similar group warrants that he/she is authorized so to do. Each member of any such group shall be deemed to be a Passenger as herein defined and shall be bound by the signature of the tour leader. Individuals booking as a charter will be subject to charter terms and conditions.

  3. CRUISE PROVISIONS

    RATES: The rates shown overleaf in Euros, are per passenger for a thirteen night double occupancy cabin cruise and are subject to change without notice. Meeting points, hotels and time of pickup may be changed without notice. Cruise includes: Accommodation with private bath or shower, all meals, selected regional wines and alcoholic beverages consumed aboard, all sightseeing tours and admittance fees as stipulated, use of the Vessels' bicycles and other facilities, and round-trip transfers from the specified meeting point. Cruise does not include: Air transportation, airport taxes, visas, health or accident insurance, trip cancellation insurance, superior Chateaux vintage wines, optional activities such as hot air balloon flights or items of a personal nature such as laundry, communication charges or purchases.

  4. INSURANCE

    Travel insurance to cover trip cancellation, health and baggage is strongly recommended for all passengers.

  5. DEPOSIT AND FINAL PAYMENT

    For individual bookings: a deposit of €750 per passenger per week is payable at the time of booking with the Booking Form attached hereto duly completed and signed. The balance is payable 60 days prior to departure. For charter bookings of an entire Vessel: an initial deposit of 30% of the total fare is payable at the time of booking with the Booking Form attached hereto duly signed. The balance of the charter fare is payable 120 days prior to departure. To qualify for the charter group rate, one person must act as tour leader and be responsible for contracting with and making all payments to the Company, as per the Terms and Conditions, on behalf of all passengers in the charter group.

  6. CANCELLATIONS AND REFUNDS

    Cancellations must be made in writing to the Company and are effective only upon receipt by the Company at its address overleaf. All issued tickets must be returned together with notice of cancellation. Please allow 4 weeks from receipt by the Company of cancellation notice and unused cruise ticket(s) for forwarding of any refund due. The following cancellation fees apply based on the date on which the Company receives written notice of cancellation.

    For individual bookings:

    • more than 120 days prior to departure and subsequent to payment of the deposit, an administrative fee of €250 per passenger shall be retained,
    • from 120-61 days prior to departure - the full deposit shall be retained,
    • 60 days prior to departure to day of departure, or in the event of failure to embark - 100% of total fare shall be retained.

    For charter bookings:

    • charter deposits are non refundable,
    • more than 180 days prior to departure deposits may be applied toward individual bookings on the same Vessel subject to a €350 surcharge per passenger,
    • 180-121 days prior to departure - the full deposit shall be retained.
    • 120 days prior to departure to day of departure, or in the event of failure to embark – 100% of total fare shall be retained. No refunds will be given in the event of interruption or cancellation of the cruise by the Passenger after the start of travel, nor for unused portions of any package or cruise, nor for any unused sightseeing tours or meals. The Company will not accept any liability for any claims that are not received within 30 days of the termination of the cruise week.
  7. ALTERATIONS BY THE PASSENGER

    Any date change by the Passenger subsequent to booking must be in the same year and will incur an amendment charge of €150 per passenger. Reductions in passenger numbers for charters are only accepted up to 120 days prior to departure. No itinerary changes can be accepted less than 90 days prior to departure. Transfers to cruises on another Vessel shall be treated as a cancellation and re-booking and cancellation charges will apply.

  8. LIMITS OF RESPONSIBILITY OF THE COMPANY

    The ticket(s) issued to the Passenger by any Operator or service provider, if any, constitute(s) the sole contract between the Passenger and said Operator or service provider, and the Company assumes no responsibility or liability in any circumstances for acts or omissions connected herewith. The Passenger further understands and agrees that the Company is not liable or responsible for the following:

    • any personal injury, death, property damage or loss occasioned by theft, vandalism, fire, water, weather conditions, explosion, or any cause whatsoever, whether foreseeable or unforeseeable, or for any loss of whatever kind or nature arising out of or in connection with the acts or omissions, whether foreseeable or unforeseeable or any loss of any kind or nature arising out of or in connection with the acts or omissions, whether negligent or intended of any third party, regardless of the relationship, if any, between such third party and the Passenger or the Company;
    • and any event which is beyond the control of the Company, including but not limited to Acts of God, strikes, lockouts, work stoppages, riots, floods, government acts, terrorism, criminal activity, Passenger illness or vessel damage;
    • and any additional expenses incurred by the Passenger as a result of any delay or failure of and/or by any Operator or contractor of any services connected with the specific booking;
    • and any loss sustained by the Passenger as a result of any cancellation, delay, advancement or postponement of any tour by any Operator or any service provider such as steamship company, airline, railroad, vehicle rental company, hotel or similar or their agent.
  9. WATERWAY ROUTES AND VESSEL ALTERATIONS AND SUBSTITUTIONS

    All routes are subject to change without notice. Some waterways may be subject to occasional closures due to drought, storms, floods, canal or lock repairs or other unforeseen circumstances that result in conditions unsafe for navigation. In the unlikely event of such occurrences, the following conditions shall apply:

    • if navigation must be suspended, Passengers will continue to be accommodated on the stationary Vessel and the regular excursions will continue to be made, with cruising to be continued as soon as possible. By way of compensation for any suspension of cruising, additional excursions will be provided by the Vessel's crew,
    • the Company reserve the right to reverse a cruise route, cruise another waterway or transfer Passengers to another vessel of similar standard,
    • in any decision related to navigation, the judgment of the Vessel's Captain on any action or inaction is considered final.
  10. DISABILITY POLICY

    Passengers who are disabled are asked to advise the Company's reservations staff of the nature of their disability at the time of booking as some Vessels and/or itineraries may be unsuitable. The Company will recommend suitable cruise options but reserves the right to refuse a reservation request if necessary for reasons of safety.

  11. UNDERTAKINGS OF PASSENGER

    The Passenger expressly agrees to the following:

    • that he/ she is in good general health;
    • that he/she shall abide by the safety instructions as given out by the Captain and crew of the Vessel and displayed on board;
    • that he/she shall not operate or seek to operate any vehicle or other technical equipment owned or operated by a Vessel, hotel or other service provider except bicycles that are made available by the crew for the express use of the Passengers;
    • and that he/she shall indemnify and hold harmless the Company, its employees, agents, representatives and assigns against any and all liabilities, costs and expenses (including legal fees and costs of litigation) which may be incurred in connection with any claims, suits or any cause of action brought by him/her against any third party, or by any third party against him/her, his/her heirs, representatives or assigns regarding injury or loss to person or property sustained by him/her or such third party, directly or indirectly, arising out of events, acts or omissions, no matter how caused or created, that occur during the course of a cruise tour.
  12. NON-SMOKING POLICY

    In accordance with legislation, a strict non-smoking policy applies in the accommodation area of all Vessels. Those passengers who wish to smoke must do so outdoors ie on the deck and sun-deck area

  13. CHILDREN POLICY

    The minimum age of child accepted on board is 12 years except for Charters and special "Family Departures" (please enquire for further details) for which Children under 12 years are welcome. All children under the age of 18 years accepted onboard qualify for a discount of €200 per child per week.

  14. GENERAL PROVISIONS

    These Terms and Conditions are issued as of October 2010 and supersede and cancel all prior communications and agreements, whether written or oral express or implied. Any inquiries, claims or general complaints by the Passenger relating to the service provided by the Company must be submitted in writing to the Company within thirty (30) days of the completion of the cruise, and must contain full and evidentiary information.