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GENERAL TERMS & CONDITIONS
The aim of ROCS Travel and/or Charichelon Company
Limited of Mellieha & Floriana, the owner of the trade
name and trade mark Directions Travel Agency (hereinafter
referred to as the ‘Company’) is to ensure client satisfaction
through customers enjoying their Holiday and returning
convinced that they have been given good value for
money. The following Agreement has been drafted with
the intention of ensuring that the Company’s relationship
with the customer is clear and fair to both parties as well
as outlining the rights and obligations of the respective
parties.
The term “Holiday’ or ‘Holidays’ in this Agreement means
anymeans of transportation and/or accommodation and/or
any excursion booked by a customer through the Company
or through another travel agent selling or offering for sale
any means of transportation and/or accommodation and/
or excursion under an agreement with the Company.
The terms and conditions laid down in this Agreement
come into force from the time of the booking.
1. RESERVATION
Once the booking form has been completed and signed
and the relative deposit paid (a minimum of €150 per
person per Holiday or such higher amount as may be
established by the Company; kindly confirm exact amount
of deposit with the Company’s representatives) and in the
case of confirmation of a flight or cruise ticket or voucher
or accommodation full payment in respect of the item to
be confirmed received, with a receipt being issued by the
Company or your travel agent, the booking is deemed to
have been confirmed and the customer/s warrants that he/
she has read, fully understood and accepted the following
terms and conditions. The booking is also deemed to have
been confirmed in respect of all parties travelling in the
booking customer’s company. At this stage, the Company
shall make all the necessary arrangements for the Holiday
to be reserved.
2. PRICE
Prices and amounts quoted in the brochure/information
sheet are valid at the time of publication. Both the
Company and the customer/s agree and acknowledge that
at the time of the booking the actual price of the chosen
Holiday may have varied from the price quoted in the
brochure/information sheet, in which case, the price will
vary accordingly. Once the booking has been made and
deposit paid, the cost of the customer/s Holiday cannot
be revised except in the case of currency exchange rate
fluctuations and / or variation of dues, taxes and/or levies
and / or fees chargeable for services such as landing
taxes or embarkation or disembarkation fees at ports and
airports and / or transport cost variations, including the
cost of fuel.
A service charge of 3% of the cost of the Holiday will be
levied and such amount will be included in the final invoice
together with the taxes.
Prices for children are applicable for children under 12 years
of age when sharing with two adults.
3. STANDARDS ASSURANCE AND
ASSUMPTION OF LIABILITY
The informationanddescriptionscontained inthebrochure/
information sheet are based on information provided by
hoteliers and other service providers themselves. Hotel
rooms and ship cabins are always small, sometimes even
very small. Charichelon Co. Ltd works with hotels having
single or twin / double bedded rooms. Triple or quadruple
bedded rooms are never available. A third or fourth person
wanting to share a twin / double bedded room, will most
probably be either given a small extra folding ‘camp’ bed or
a bunk bed or sofa bed, which will make accommodation
quite uncomfortable. In America, three or four persons
wanting to share a room will invariably be given just two
matrimonial beds, (separate beds for each person are not
available). When two persons book a room for two, the
Company reserves the right to provide either two separate
beds, or a large matrimonial bed. All rooms provided
are not air-conditioned and fans will not be provided,
unless otherwise expressly and clearly specified on the
brochure/information sheet. Breakfast is only provided
when specified and when provided is always continental
unless otherwise expressly and clearly specified. Lunches
and dinners are invariably served on a three-course basis.
No choice of food will be provided; neither can changes
be accepted (e.g. having fish instead of meat). Portions
served are moderate in size. When buffet meals are
provided a choice is available. Drinks, including water
during meals, are always to be paid extra. Use of items
from the mini-bar and telephone calls are chargeable to the
customer. Local charges to the customer may also apply in
relation to a TV in the room and safekeeping services, but
kindly confirm at hotel reception. Unless otherwise clearly
and expressly specified, all entrance fees to museums and
shows, boat, metro or cable car trips are always subject to
an extra charge. All optional excursions are subject to an
extra charge and unless clearly and expressly specified only
include transportation costs by coach, any entrance fees
are subject to an extra charge and exclusive of any local
guides’ fees. For convenience, prices are clearly marked
in the brochure/information sheet. The Holiday price only
includes those items listed as included in the price. It is
important to bear in mind that brochures and information
sheets are printed months in advance and the situation
may arise where an advertised facility, service, excursion
or entertainment is not available during the customer’s
particular Holiday. For instance the seasonal nature
of the facility, service, excursion or entertainment, bad
weather, natural calamity or any other act of God, essential
maintenance or cleaning, legislation or enactment of new
legislation, or religious or state restrictions may affect the
actual availability of particular facilities, services, excursions
or entertainment. Similarly, itineraries may have to be
changed sometimes at short notice, due to weather, road or
traffic conditions, mechanical breakdowns, police activity
as well as any other circumstances beyond the relevant
party’s control. Coaches or other means of transport
used are not air-conditioned and do not have onboard
toilet facilities, unless expressly and clearly specified in the
brochure/information sheet. Swimming pools may only be
operational during the summer months, and if still open in
the winter months, may only be heated in colder weather
at the discretion of the hotelier. The general standard of
hygiene, public utilities, drainage, plumbing and services in
general may not be of the same standards as applicable
in Malta. Each group tour organized by the Company will
be accompanied by either a Maltese or English speaking
tour leader who will be responsible for the implementation
of the programme. The tour leader, except in the case of
an emergency, is under no circumstance responsible for
carrying out work over and above the official programme
and is not obliged to accompany members of the group
tour organized by the Company around shops, flea markets
or theme parks.
Cruise companies reserve the right to change the itinerary
due to bad weather or industrial action, in which case
neither the cruise company nor Charichelon Co. Ltd. are
liable to pay any form of compensation or damages for the
missed ports or the change of programme or itinerary.
Even though such occurrences are unlikely, the Company
feels that it should act diligently towards its customers by
informing them of such possibilities accordingly. Whilst
the Company has taken all reasonable steps to ensure that
proper arrangements have been made for the Holidays
promoted in the brochure/information sheet, the Company
has no control over the provision of services to the
customer/s by other supplier/s.
4. CHANGE OF HOLIDAY ARRANGEMENTS
(a) Prior to departure date
It is the aim of the Company to promote Holidays,
which ensure customer satisfaction. Although unlikely,
circumstances may require the Company to alter the
customer’s Holiday arrangements and the Company
reserves the right to make such alterations at any time. For
instance, flight timings may change or be revised, hotels
may be overbooked or close down or the Holiday itinerary
may have to be changed. If any changes have to be made,
the Company will inform the customer/s or his/her travel
agent as soon as is reasonably possible prior to departure.
Where the Company is constrained prior to departure
to alter significantly an essential term of the agreement
with the customer, it will notify the customer as quickly as
possible in order to enable him/her to take the appropriate
decisions and in particular to withdraw from the agreement
without penalty or to accept a provision in the agreement
specifying the alterations made and their impact on the
price, if any. Of his part, the customer will inform the
Company and his chosen travel agent, if any, of his/her
decision as soon as possible.
(b) Throughout duration of Holiday
Occasionally, due to unforeseen circumstances a hotel
or some other Holiday arrangement/s may have to be
changed throughout the duration of the customer’s
Holiday, in which eventuality the Company will use its best
endeavours to maintain the overall standard of the Holiday
arrangements.
5. CANCELLATION OF HOLIDAY ARRANGEMENTS
The Company may occasionally have to cancel the
customer’s Holiday arrangements, for various reasons,
including but not limited to the minimum number of
persons required for a particular Holiday to take place
not being reached (the minimum number of persons to
operate a tour is 30; for group departures a minimum
number of 10 adult customers is required). The Company
reserves the right to cancel the customer’s Holiday under
any circumstance, in which eventuality, the Company
will refund all the money paid by the customer/s to
the Company or offer the customer/s the possibility to
purchase an alternative Holiday of comparable standard,
if available. The Company shall where possible, inform
customers of such cancellation in writing at least 14 days
before the scheduled departure date.
In the remote event that the customer’s Holiday has to be
cancelled, unless for reasons beyond the control of the
Company, the customer’s travel agent or other supplier of
services the consequences of which could not have been
avoided even if due care had been exercised, including but
not limited to industrial action, natural disasters, terrorist
activities, breakdown of means of transportation and
further except in the case of a cancellation of a Holiday
due to the minimum number of persons required for that
particular Holiday to take place not being reached and
where the customer is informed in writing within 14 days
before the scheduled departure date, the Company will
refund to the customer/s all money paid to the Company
by the customer/s together with the following amounts per
person due by way of compensation:-
14 days before departure or more – nil
8 – 13 days before departure – €25
0 – 7 days before departure – €50
Where the customer withdraws from the agreement
pursuant to the Company being constrained prior to
departure to alter significantly an essential term of the
agreement or where the Company for any reason other
than the fault of the customer, cancels the Holiday prior to
the agreed date of departure, the customer is entitled:
(i) to take a substitute Holiday of equivalent or superior
quality if the Company is able to offer him/her such a
substitute and pay any difference in price; or
(ii) to take a substitute Holiday of lower quality if the
Company is able to offer such a replacement and to recover
from the Company the difference in price between that of
the Holiday purchased and the replacement Holiday; or
(iii) to have repaid to him/her as soon as possible all the
monies paid to the Company under the agreement.
6. YOUR FLIGHT & VOUCHERS
Details of airlines the Company anticipates utilizing are set
out in the brochure or information sheet. The Company
reserves the right to make arrangements and substitute
for alternative airlines and/or aircraft if necessary. Flight
timings are subject to alteration and confirmation. The
Company’s reservation system will provide the latest
timings as advised to it. The customer/s is kindly requested
to check his/her flight tickets upon receipt, as they will
indicate the final timing for his/her flight. Certain flights
may be subject to intermediate stops en route and as the
circumstances giving rise to such intermediate stops are
not always notified to the Company prior to the departure
date, the Company is not always in a position to inform
the customer/s in advance. All flights are non-smoking.
Flights are subject to the necessary authorizations, permits
and licenses being granted by the relevant authorities
in Malta and overseas. Should the customer’s flight
arrangements be changed or cancelled as provided in this
clause or clauses 4 or 5 of this Agreement, the Company
shall not be held liable for any damages, additional costs
or consequential loss arising, directly or indirectly, from
any independent contract arrangements between the
customer and any third party.
The customer is also requested to check his/her hotel
vouchers, excursion vouchers and/or any other vouchers
relating in any manner to the Holiday upon receipt. It is
the customer’s responsibility to check all documentation
including booking forms, invoices, airline tickets,
accommodation vouchers, transfer vouchers etc…
7. TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF CARRIAGE
Transport of any kind is subject to the terms and conditions
of carriage of the company providing that trip or journey.
Such terms and conditions are likely to particularly include
or make reference to the provisions of the law of the
country of the carrier (airline, coach, ship etc.) and/or be
the subject of international conventions with government/s,
any of which may exclude or limit the liability of the carrier.
8. Health and Vaccinations
Health facilities, hygiene and disease risk vary worldwide.
The customer should take health advice about his/
her specific needs as early as possible and ensure that
vaccinations and preventive measures, such as malaria
tablets, are taken early enough prior to departure in
order to be fully effective by departure date. We strongly
advise customers to consult their family doctor as early as
possible.
9. BOOKING FORM AND DEPOSITS
The customers’ booking form specifying all the customers’
names as set out in their passports, must be accompanied