Holiday Terms & Conditions

FARES AND GENERAL INFORMATION

Your holiday is supplied by BAI SA 'Brittany Ferries' through its UK subsidiary BAI (UK) Limited and for holidays booked in Ireland your holiday is supplied by BAI SA 'Brittany Ferries' through its Irish subsidiary BAI Ireland Limited, at the time we confirm your booking by providing your booking reference. In all cases all holidays are subject to availability as are any promotional fare types offered in conjunction with holiday accommodation. Brittany Ferries is the organiser of any package holiday booked through us for the purposes of the Package Travel, Package Holidays and Package Tours Regulations 1992. In the event of our insolvency, any monies paid to us would be refunded to you by the Passenger Shipping Association in London, through a bond taken out by us with one of the major clearing banks. Travellers already abroad are additionally assured that in these circumstances, their travel back to the UK would be arranged by the Passenger Shipping Association. For bookings made in Ireland, in such circumstances, any monies due would be refunded to you by the Department of Transport in Dublin, through a bond taken out by us with one of the major clearing banks. If abroad, return travel would be arranged to Ireland by the Department of Transport. Accommodation prices for clients booking in Ireland should be converted at 1.45 to give the correct price in euros and any other values unless specified otherwise. Whilst we take great care in the compilation of this brochure, prices or details may change after the brochure is printed. We will bring to your attention any material changes at the point of booking or if notified later, as soon as we ourselves are made aware. For overnight crossings to France and on our Spanish and Irish service, a cabin or reclining seat must be pre-booked whilst availability remains. Bookings without on board accommodation will only be accepted after all such accommodation has been reserved. We will not carry passengers under the age of 16 unless an adult of 18 years or over accompanies them. All departure/arrival times are estimated and are local - please refer to your documents. Documents are only valid for the sailing dates/times indicated unless otherwise specified. On board facilities vary depending on route, vessel, dates and time of travel. Please note that smoking is only permitted on outside decks with the exception of the Normandie Express which is completely non-smoking.

CHANGES AND INTERRUPTIONS TO SAILINGS AND SERVICES

All departure/arrival times are local - please refer to your documents. Sailing schedules may be interrupted and/or crossing times extended or changed without notice to you due to adverse weather conditions, tidal conditions, unforeseen operational or technical reasons beyond our control. It may be necessary to use alternative ships on any sailing or to change/withdraw the facilities/services available for various operational, technical or scheduling reasons. If changes in route, facilities or timing advised before departure and before boarding are not acceptable to you and you choose not to travel then a full refund of the unused elements of your holiday cost will be made. Similarly, if a pre-paid facility such as on board accommodation is unavailable or provided to a lower category then the appropriate price difference will be refunded. We will try to notify you, if practicable in advance, using the contact number provided at the time of booking. We cannot accept liability for any losses, damages or expenses arising or any consequential losses howsoever caused as a result of the cancellation, diversion or delay of the ship where 'force majeure', or matters outside of our control apply, for example, extreme weather conditions, unforeseen technical breakdown to ship or port facilities, strike action or blockade of ports. If these circumstances become apparent after boarding or at sea our priority is to deliver you safely to the most appropriate port. In these situations our liability will be limited to a refund of the appropriate portion of fare if returned to the country of departure or fare differential if delivered to a different port to that originally planned. In all cases outlined above the refund of the appropriate portion of the fare paid will be the total extent of our liability to you. We shall not be liable for any losses, damages, expenses or any consequential losses howsoever arising.

INSURANCE

You must have personal and medical travel insurance and we will arrange this through our appointed supplier unless details of your preferred insurer, providing at least the same level of cover, are advised at the time of booking. The insurance provided by our appointed supplier is recommended as adequate for the purpose of normal requirements. You are responsible for arranging cover exceeding the maximum amounts payable under this policy, or providing cover for additional areas of liability if necessary.

PETS

The transport of small domestic pets to or from France or Spain must be in accordance with the relevant requirements of the countries concerned and a charge is made for their transportation. Please seek advice from your vet. It is the responsibility of the animal's escort to obtain and comply with current regulations for the transport of animals. If any problem arises with the transportation of a pet which requires the use of quarantine facilities upon arrival in Ireland or the UK, then the pet's owner/escort will be fully responsible for these expenses.

BOOKING AND PAYMENT

A deposit of £30 per person (€80 per person on Ireland-France route) and relevant insurance premiums are required to secure a booking. When you secure a booking we will issue a document that sets out the details and provides other information. Unless we hear from you within 5 days of issuing your document, we will assume you are satisfied with the arrangements we have made for you and the contract will take effect. If a booking is made within 14 days of departure, we will treat this as a late booking, the details will be confirmed to you and a contract based on these conditions will then come into force immediately. Any monies paid to your travel agent are held by the agent on your behalf until we issue our confirmation invoice (except in the case of a late booking, when the monies are held on our behalf immediately). Thereafter, your travel agent holds the monies on our behalf. Full payment must be received at least 60 days before departure, or at the time of booking if that is within 60 days of departure. If full payment is not received, we reserve the right to cancel the booking and retain any deposit. A charge is made for the use of all cards except UK debit cards (Irish euro debit cards for bookings made in Ireland). Documents are sent out 2 weeks prior to departure. Special requests cannot be made a condition of your booking as they are always subject to availability and cannot be guaranteed. Accommodation only bookings are made solely at our discretion and are subject to a £50 administration fee.

CHECK IN

The latest check in time for each journey will be shown on your documents. This may vary depending on whether you have any special requirements, are travelling as part of a group or for other reasons. If you do not meet latest check in requirements, then your space cannot be guaranteed. You must have all necessary documents to enter the countries which you intend to visit and for re-entry into the UK or Ireland. It is the passenger's responsibility to establish his or her own individual requirements. If you do not have valid documents you will not be able to board. Brittany Ferries accepts no responsibility for passengers refused entry to any country by the relevant authority for whatever reason. Brittany Ferries has absolute discretion whether or not to accept any passenger, their vehicle or luggage on board and reserves the right to refuse carriage or to refuse to retain any person as a client if their conduct is disruptive and likely to affect the enjoyment or safety of others. Brittany Ferries will exercise its discretion fairly and shall be under no liability for any additional costs incurred by such a person as a result of Brittany Ferries refusing carriage or refusing to retain any person as a client.

LOW SEASON FACILITIES AND SPECIALIST SERVICES

Resort and accommodation services and facilities may be restricted or withdrawn at certain times for maintenance, and/or bad weather or during low season. If the availability of a particular service/facility is of paramount importance to the enjoyment of your holiday then you should raise this with us at the time of booking.

CONDITIONS OF CARRIAGE

Carriage is subject to our Conditions of Carriage and The Athens Convention relating to the Carriage of Passengers and their Luggage by Sea 1974 (The Athens Convention). The Athens Convention limits liability for death or personal injury or loss or damage to 'luggage', which includes vehicles and makes special provision for valuables. It presumes that 'luggage' has been landed undamaged, unless we, as the carrier, have been advised in writing of apparent damage before or at the time of leaving the ferry. In the case of non-apparent damage written notice must be given within 15 days of leaving the ferry. No written notice is required where the luggage has been jointly inspected before leaving the ferry. The Athens Convention applies to all people travelling on our vessels. It imposes strict time limits for registering claims. Copies of our Conditions of Carriage, which incorporate relevant provisions of the above Convention, are available from us on request. You are responsible for the security and safekeeping of your possessions and Brittany Ferries cannot be held liable for the loss or theft of any items. High value items should be lodged with the Purser for safekeeping.

CANCELLATION BY YOU

If you have to cancel your holiday at any time after the contract has taken effect, you must do so in writing if you have booked direct with Brittany Ferries. If you have booked through an agent then by whatever means they stipulate. You will incur charges on a scale related to the period of notice given to us - see table opposite. No refund will be given for any unused part of an inclusive holiday or for the ferry travel booked in conjunction with an inclusive holiday. Personal travel insurance premiums are non-refundable and non-transferable.

TRANSFER OF BOOKING

If you are prevented from travelling (not merely disinclined) you may transfer your booking to another person. You must give notice in writing and enclose a £20 administration fee per booking. The personal insurance premiums are not refundable or transferable and the new party will also be required to have insurance.

ALTERATIONS BY YOU

If you wish to change your holiday arrangements and you have paid a deposit or the full amount, we will do all we reasonably can to accommodate your new requirements, subject to your paying an administration fee of £15 for each change (€50 for each change on Ireland-France route) plus any tariff increase for your new holiday requirements. Excluding a pre-arranged late arrival, we can accept no change to your arrival date at your pre-booked holiday accommodation or request for an alternative property within 42 days of your original confirmed arrival date, as this will be treated as a cancellation. Any change that results in a reduction in the total number of persons travelling will be treated as a cancellation of that part of the booking. If the change results in our incurring cancellation charges, these will be passed on to you.

ALTERATIONS OR CANCELLATIONS BY US

We reserve the right to change any holiday details, including the price, before you book, in which case we will tell you before the holiday contract takes effect. Very rarely, a change or cancellation may occur after you have booked but before you depart. If there is a major change (i.e. a change in scheduled ferry departure time of more than 12 hours, a change of ferry route, a change of holiday location or change to a lower standard of accommodation - any other change is 'minor') we will tell you as soon as practicable. We will then offer you the choice of accepting the change, taking an alternative holiday (if it is more expensive, you will have to pay the difference, but if it is cheaper, you will receive the appropriate refund) or cancelling and receiving a full refund. If there is a cancellation you will be offered the choice of an alternative holiday where available or a full refund. In addition, unless the major change or cancellation is caused by force majeure, or occurs before the date the final balance falls due for your holiday, we will pay you the following compensation: a) For a change of ferry route giving rise to additional driving time - 20p per additional mile per vehicle booked between the ports concerned. b) For all other major changes/cancellations - £20.00 per adult/£10.00 per child aged 4-15. If the change is notified within 14 days of departure or if we are obliged to notify you of a major change during your holiday then £25.00 per adult/£12.50 per child aged 4-15. If there is a minor change before you depart, we will try to let you know (although we are not obliged to do so) but you will not be entitled to cancel or receive compensation. Force majeure is unusual and unforeseeable circumstances beyond our control, the consequences of which neither we nor our suppliers could avoid, examples of which are war or threat of war, riots, civil strife, terrorist activity, industrial disputes, natural or nuclear disaster, fire, adverse weather conditions, level of water, closure of ports, technical or engineering problems or other similar events beyond our control.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

Limited medical services may be available on board. Where they are, there may be a charge for their use. Any special needs or boarding arrangements must be clearly specified at the time of booking, it is your responsibility to ensure your needs are known and understood. If you travel with a pre-diagnosed condition then travel is entirely at your own risk and you should obtain advice from your own doctor before travelling. If you require special assistance or disabled facilities please notify us at the time of booking and on arrival at the port, so that we may endeavour to accommodate your needs. We have a number of cabins adapted for disabled passengers and lift facilities for ease of movement between decks; however, facilities are limited on certain of our vessels so please enquire at the time of booking. Further details of the assistance we are able to provide is available on request or on our website. We are unable to transport anyone who is 32 weeks (28 weeks for the High Speed Service) or more pregnant at the time of travel or those with pregnancy complications.

HEALTH FORMALITY AND PASSPORT REQUIREMENTS

For information and advice on health matters while travelling abroad, the Department of Health leaflet 'Health Advice for Travellers' is available from Post Offices in the UK or local Health Board in Ireland. Alternatively visit www.ehic.org.uk or www.ehic.ie. You are advised to take out your own health insurance, as cover under national schemes is not always comprehensive. It is mandatory that you have all necessary documents, e.g. passports and/or visas, to enter the countries which you intend to visit and for re-entry into the UK or Ireland. Please remember UK Nationals and Irish citizens require a valid full passport but do not require visas for travel to France or Spain. If you do not have valid documents you will not be able to board. The carrier is liable to a fine, and other costs, if you try to travel without the correct documentation. We reserve the right to recover any such costs from the passenger. It is the passenger's responsibility to be aware of their own individual travel requirements. Non-EU passengers are responsible for ensuring that they have correct documentation. Please refer to the relevant Embassy.

SURCHARGES

Price revisions may be made to allow for variation in transportation costs, including the cost of fuel, dues, taxes or fees chargeable for services such as landing taxes, embarkation or disembarkation fees at ports, or the exchange rates applied to the package. If this means paying in excess of 10% more for your holiday, you may cancel within 14 days of being notified of the increase and obtain a full refund, excluding any relevant insurance premium. We will always absorb an amount equivalent to 2% of the holiday price, excluding insurance premiums and amendment charges before passing price increases on to you. We reserve the right to make a surcharge after the date of booking and before departure if there is an increase in taxes, fees or charges (e.g. government action, fuel charges etc). You will be given the opportunity to accept the surcharge or cancel without liability.

HOLIDAY PRICE MATCH

Brittany Ferries will match the price of any identical holiday found at a lower price within 28 days of booking with Brittany Ferries. The holiday must include identical dates, times and route, vehicle/trailer size and on board accommodation, dates of holiday accommodation, duration of holiday and location, including type and standard of accommodation, facilities and party size. The travel and accommodation must be available and be offered as an inclusive package by the tour operator. The price match is based on published brochure prices and excludes group discounts, insurance, hotel booking service, special offers, loyalty bonuses and travel agent discounts.

OUR RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR BOOKING

a) We accept liability for any loss you may suffer if any part of the holiday arrangements you book with us is not as described and not of a reasonable standard within the context of the holiday and its price. We also accept liability if you suffer death or personal injury as a result of the holiday arrangements failing to be as described and of a reasonable standard. These acceptances of liability do not apply if there has been no fault on our part, nor on the part of our suppliers and the loss, death or personal injury suffered is attributable to your own acts or omissions, to the acts or omissions of a third party not involved in providing the services which make up your holiday whose consequences could not have been avoided or anticipated even exercising all due care, or to an event which, even with all due care, could not have been foreseen or forestalled. They are also conditional upon your assigning to us any rights you may have against any other person whose acts or omissions have given rise to our liability.

b) Our liability to compensate you and the amount of such compensation is subject to the following limitations. First, in the case of damage other than death, illness or personal injury, to a reasonable amount having regard to such factors as, inter alia, the holiday cost and the extent to which the enjoyment of your holiday can be shown to have been affected; we will not be responsible for your disappointment as a result of unrealistic expectations, where the holiday has been provided as described. Second, in all cases liability and compensation are restricted in accordance with the provisions of all applicable international conventions, which include: in respect of rail travel, the Berne Convention 1961; in respect of carriage by sea, the Athens Convention 1974; in respect of carriage by road, the Geneva Convention 1973; and in respect of hotels, the Paris Convention 1962. 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 holiday.

c) If you suffer death, injury or illness during your holiday arising out of any activity which does not form part of the inclusive arrangements you have booked with us, we will, at our discretion and provided it is requested within 90 days, give you general assistance in pursuing any claim you may have against a third party. This assistance will be limited to advice, guidance and a contribution of up to £5,000 per booking towards your legal costs. You must make an insurance claim under the legal expenses section of your insurance policy to enable subsequent recovery of these costs. In any event, we retain the right to recover any such contribution made towards these costs from you.

YOUR ACCOMMODATION & SAFETY

You undertake to take responsibility and exercise reasonable care in respect of your accommodation and its equipment. Brittany Ferries is actively working to raise safety standards to ensure that your holiday is safe and trouble free. We remind you of your own duty of care for your own and other members of your party’s safety whilst you are away. Local regulations, with which we comply, may mean that the layout and services within your accommodation are different from those to which you may be accustomed.

BRITTANY FERRIES CUSTOMER SERVICE

We are confident that you will enjoy your holiday but if you do encounter a problem you must immediately notify the relevant local owner, caretaker or supplier to try to resolve the problem at the time, and also contact our Helpline. A failure to do so will reduce or negate your right to claim redress from us. Our Helpline offices are manned by specialist bilingual staff. Full information on how and where to call accompanies your holiday documents. In the unlikely event that the matter is not resolved to your satisfaction at the time, you should write to Customer Services, Brittany Ferries, Millbay, Plymouth, PL1 3EW. Please quote your booking reference and provide full details of your complaint so we may investigate and respond to you. Where possible, notification should be within 30 days of completion of your holiday, to enable us to investigate your complaint. Any dispute arising from your holiday, which cannot be amicably settled, may be referred to arbitration under a special scheme devised for the travel industry by the Institute of Arbitrators, or referred to an independent conciliation service. Details of these schemes will be supplied by us on request.

DATA PROTECTION

Brittany Ferries takes its responsibilities regarding privacy and security of customer information very seriously. The data we obtain from you is required to process your booking or enquiry as requested and to comply with requirements under Government Legislation. We are registered and comply with the Data Protection Act 1998. The Data Controller is the Company Secretary, BAI (UK) Limited (Brittany Ferries), Millbay, Plymouth, PL1 3EW. Registration No 1080495. We may use certain data to inform you of future offers. If you do not wish to receive information then please contact us. You are entitled to a copy of your personal data held by us on payment of a fee. Please write to the Data Controller at the above address.

To monitor customer service and for training purposes, we record telephone calls.