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Important Information

1. Hotel Grades

Choosing the right hotel can be a dilemma, especially when travelling to long haul destinations. Whilst most hotels have official star ratings locally, in some cases these cannot always be relied on. We have categorised all hotels throughout our brochures and online to give a general guide. Standards can however vary between hotels of the same class, in different countries, and even in the same country. For example, city hotels which often cater for business as well as leisure travellers may have generally higher standards than a beach resort where the atmosphere will tend to be more relaxed. It is important to carefully read the individual hotel descriptions.

2. Single Rooms

If a single person occupies a double or a twin room a single supplement will be chargeable as the cost of providing the room costs the same to the hotel, regardless of how many people occupy it. Where single rooms are available, they are often smaller and sometimes less well-appointed than other room categories. On safari, excursions and touring holidays, single rooms cannot always be guaranteed. Please check to see if any special offers or single saver rates are available at your preferred hotel.

3. Triple/Quad Rooms

A third or fourth person sharing a room either shares existing beds or has an extra bed (which may be of camp-bed style) placed in a double/twin room. As conditions may be cramped, you may wish to consider booking two rooms.

4. Booking a Room for Early Arrival or Late Departure

Unless otherwise stated, check-in is generally between noon and 3pm on the day of arrival, and checkout is between 10am and noon, irrespective of your arrival or departure times. Please speak to your Personal Travel Expert if you would like us to book a room for you prior to the hotel’s standard check-in time or after the standard checkout. We may be able to reserve your room for you at an additional fee.

5. Public Holidays / Local Festivals / Events

Some celebrations may result in a reduction of facilities, entertainment and the availability of alcohol. Regional/local festivals and events may also take place throughout the year. You should research your destination if you have concerns about what impact these may have on your holiday. Local tourism offices can often be found online should you wish to check for information prior to booking.

6. Holiday Seasons

Some of the destinations that we feature have quieter 'off peak' periods when you can take advantage of uncrowded beaches and a more personal attention from hotel staff at excellent prices. At this time, it may be necessary for hotels to scale down the size of some of their facilities, such as restaurants, to match demand.

7. Peak Season Supplements

During peak periods such as Christmas and Easter when demand outstrips the supply of airline seats and accommodation, you may find that supplements are added to the cost of your holiday. The supplements may be for certain holiday departures and/or accommodation on specific dates. They do not necessarily indicate that additional services such as Gala dinners will be provided. The cost of these supplements will be quoted to you at the time of booking and are applied by the supplier, not Jules Verne Ltd.

8. Other Hotel Guests

Many hotels accommodate weddings, conventions and conferences. Also, some destinations may have an influx of groups such as students, associations or clubs. We have no control over the acceptance of bookings at the hotels that we feature. We are therefore unable to accept responsibility for any inconvenience caused by such groups or their activities.

9. Meals

Meals, if included, are based on table d’hôte menus, unless specified otherwise in your travel documentation. Holidays which include main meals generally commence with dinner on the day of arrival at your hotel and terminate with breakfast (on half board) or lunch (on full board) on the day of departure. No refunds on meals not taken can be given.

  1. ii) Special dietary requirements can seldom be catered for adequately within the constraints of a table d’hôte menu and cannot be guaranteed. Anyone with special requirements should consider which meal plan is most suitable for their needs.

iii) Where breakfast is included this will more commonly be a continental breakfast, although full breakfasts are provided at certain hotels. Please ask at the time of booking if this is important to you.

  1. iv) Supplements for optional meal plans offer you the opportunity of being able to budget for extra costs before you go. In some cases, you may find the cost of the meal cheaper locally, however we regret that it will not be possible to refund the difference either during or after your holiday.
  2. v) Pre booked meals may be subject to dining in the main restaurant only and on occasion it may be necessary to be seated with other hotel guests. If you have paid a half board supplement it may be possible in some hotels to ask for a credit from the table d’hôte dinner to be used against a meal in an à la carte restaurant. Please note that the value of the voucher will generally be considerably less than the half board supplement included in your holiday price.

For a full description of what’s included, check the hotel description. Hotels often place restrictions on restaurants and meal arrangements. Times for inclusive drinks, meals and snacks vary. All Inclusive does not necessarily mean that unlimited food and beverages are available 24-hours a day and it is uncommon for minibars to be included in such packages. An All-Inclusive package may not include bottled water, imported drinks, à la carte meals, or some specialty dishes. Some restaurants expect you to reserve a table and will be subject to availability. Not all bars and restaurants operate on an All-Inclusive basis. Also, there may be cash bars once participating All Inclusive bars close.

10. Flight Seat Requests, Airlines & Aircraft

Please ensure that you check in early if you a have particular seat preference, we have no control over the allocation of seats by the airline even if a request has been made with them to pre-book specific seats for you and the provision of particular seats does not constitute a term of your contract with Jules Verne Ltd. Although some airlines offer the facility to book seats online, this is not always possible when booking a holiday through us, as the holidays we offer are based on special Tour Operator fares. 

In accordance with EU directive (EC) no. 2111/2005, we are required to bring to your attention the existence of a ‘Community List’ which contains details of air carriers that are subject to an operating ban within the EU Community. The Community list is available for inspection at http://ec.europa.eu/transport/air-ban/list_en.htm.

We are required to advise you of the actual carrier(s) (or, if the actual carrier(s) is not known, the likely carrier(s)) that will operate your flight(s) at the time of booking.  We do this by listing carriers to be used or likely to be used on your holiday confirmation invoice. Any changes to the actual airline after you have received your tickets will be notified to you as soon as possible and in all cases at check-in or at the boarding gate. Where we are only able to inform you of the likely carrier(s) at the time of booking, we shall inform you of the identity of the actual carrier(s) as soon as we become aware of this. Any change to the operating carrier(s) after your booking has been confirmed will be notified to you as soon as possible. If the carrier with whom you have a confirmed reservation becomes subject to an operating ban as above as a result of which we/ the carrier are unable to offer you a suitable alternative the provisions of ‘If we change or cancel your holiday’ will apply.

11. Direct Flights

A flight that is described as direct is one where there is no need to change aircraft during the journey. However, stops may be made en route for re-fuelling or to let passengers on and/ or off. Details of any stops will be given on your itinerary wherever possible.

12. Code Share Flights

It is a common practice for scheduled airlines to use a code share system, which may include you flying with a partner airline. Where this situation arises, it is not classed as a major change.

13. Scheduled and 'No Frills' Carriers

‘No frills’ flights do not generally include refreshments or in-flight meals. Please check with one of our Personal Travel Experts if this is important to you.

14. Flying Times

The times given in this brochure are approximate and based on outbound flights. They may vary depending on flight schedules, type of aircraft, weather conditions etc., and are indications of the hours spent actually flying (excluding time on the ground during stops en route or when changing aircraft). Where no figures are shown, we do not offer direct or same day connecting flights.

15. Excursion/Meal Packages

Excursion or meal packages which are offered are not always cheaper than buying the same arrangements locally. It is often the case that these packages are offered for the convenience of being both booked and paid for in the UK. The cost of any unused tours within excursion packages may not be refunded.

16. Local Purchases

We cannot accept responsibility for any items you may purchase locally e.g. jewellery/furniture etc. and the quality and value of such cannot be guaranteed. We recommend that you check whether or not any extra charges will be payable for import duty or freight as we are unable to assist with any costs you may incur in this respect.

17. Group Transfers

Our holidays include group transfers from airports/hotels and vice versa unless otherwise stated on the appropriate pages or your documentation. The duration of your transfer will be dependent upon the individual arrangements required. In many destinations, we also offer the choice of upgrading to your own private transfer at the appropriate cost. Where we are unable to provide group transfers as an option, private transfers will be quoted within your holiday arrangements. Please note some transfer arrangements may require reconfirmation locally. Be sure to check your travel documentation prior to departure.

18. Weather & Tidal Conditions

Information is supplied by the Meteorological Office, local tourist offices and other sources and is offered as a general guide only. Please note that many of the destinations we feature have a tropical climate where heavy rainfall and strong winds (sometimes hurricane force) do occur at certain times of the year. During monsoon season, you are likely to get more rain than sunshine. Most people go on holiday to spend time in the sunshine and although adverse weather conditions can be very frustrating, Jules Verne Ltd cannot assume any responsibility for the statistical information provided, nor accept liability to make refunds or pay compensation for alternative arrangements, damage to property or curtailed holidays as a result of such conditions.

Some destinations featured  are subject to tides at specific times of the year which can affect swimming. Depending on the destination you have chosen, there may be restrictions on areas where it is safe to swim due to strong currents or sea defences which protect the local beaches. We strongly recommend you listen to local advice to ensure your own safety. Please refer to meteorological websites for the latest and most up-to-date information on tides for the destination you intend to travel to.

19. Building & Development Work

Many hotels and resorts are continuing to develop, sometimes rapidly and intensively and often with little or no advance warning. Whilst we have no control over such work, as a responsible tour operator, it is important to us that you are aware of any significant building/refurbishment work that may be going on during your stay. General refurbishment at hotels is necessary to maintain standards but if we are informed of such work where this can reasonably be expected to have an effect on your holiday, we will endeavour to notify you of it as soon as possible, however near to your departure this may be.

20. Water/Electricity Supplies

In many of the less sophisticated destinations we feature, the water and electricity services struggle to keep up with the increased demands from tourism. Limited rainfall can put further pressure on their provision. Whilst hotels do everything possible to maintain full services, power cuts and/or water restrictions may be experienced that are outside of their control. We cannot be held accountable for such occasions where outages or interruptions arise.

21. Accommodation in the Tropics

In many hotels, especially beach resorts, ‘insects’ in the rooms (e.g. ants, cockroaches etc.) and the occasional rodent sighting around the hotel grounds are almost inevitable. It should by no means be taken as a sign of dirtiness, as it is simply a fact of life in these destinations. Views from some hotel rooms may be partly obscured by palm trees and other vegetation that can grow very quickly in tropical climates.

22. Our Staff

We pride ourselves on the quality and friendly professionalism of our staff. In our search to continually try and improve our level of service, we are committed to on-going training, part of which involves the recording of phone calls and the retention of other media communications, in line with our Privacy Policy, which can be found here.