11. Deposits & Special Requests You must pay a per person deposit of £99 (Europe bookings), £175 (Longhaul bookings), £200 (holidays with a cruise), and £500 (holidays to Australia & New Zealand, and Indian Deccan Odyssey trains). Avalon cruises require a per person deposit of £300 (Avalon Europe) and £500 (Avalon Longhaul). The £2.50 ATOL contribution is included in your deposit at the time of booking along with appropriate insurance premiums if applicable. If booking within 12 weeks (Avalon), 8 weeks (non-cruise holidays) or 10 weeks (holidays with a cruise) of your departure, you must pay the full cost of your holiday when you book. No deposit is payable for infants under two years of age at the time of return travel. If you have a special request, we will do our best to help, but we cannot guarantee it except as set out below. Please advise us, or your Travel Agent, of your request at the time of booking and make sure that we are given as much detail as possible. If your special request is vital to your holiday, it must be specifically agreed in writing with us before you book your holiday. General confirmation that a special request has been noted or passed on to the supplier or the inclusion of a special request on your Confirmation/Invoice or on the acknowledgement of your booking or any other documentation is not confirmation that the request will be met. Unless and until specifically confirmed, all special requests are subject to availability. If any additional cost is applicable, it will either be invoiced to you prior to your departure or should be paid for locally. 

 

12. Paying for the Balance of your Holiday Our Confirmation/Invoice will show the total price you must pay for your holiday. We must receive the full cost no later than 8 weeks before departure for non-cruise holidays, 10 weeks before for holidays with a cruise and for Avalon 12 weeks before. If you booked through a Travel Agent you should make sure that you pay them in enough time to allow the money to reach us by this deadline. If you decide to select the option to pay in full at the time of booking, you may do so, but this will not change any of the conditions which form part of this contract. If you book within 8 / 10 weeks or 12 weeks for Avalon you must pay the full cost of your holiday when you book. If for any reason the full cost of your holiday is not received by us or your Travel Agent on time, we or your Travel Agent will write and tell you that the payment is overdue. If it is still not received by us or your Travel Agent within 7 days of the written reminder being sent out, we will be entitled to treat your booking as cancelled by you and keep your deposit. If we do not cancel straight away because you have promised to make payment, you must pay the cancellation charges shown in clause 14 in the event of subsequent cancellation, depending on the date we reasonably treat your booking as cancelled. Where we are selling a flight-inclusive package holiday, all money you pay to a Travel Agent or an Accredited Body for that holiday will be held by the Travel Agent or the Accredited Body member on behalf and for the benefit of the Trustees of the Air Travel Trust at all times, but subject to the Agent's (or Accredited Body member) obligation to pay the money to us for so long as we do not fail. In the unlikely event of our failure, any money held at the time by the Travel Agent (or Accredited Body member), or subsequently accepted from you by the Travel Agent (or Accredited Body member), is and continues to be held by that Travel Agent or Accredited Body member on behalf of and for the benefit of the Trustees of the Air Travel Trust without any obligation to pay that money to us. Where we are selling a package holiday that does not include a flight, all money you pay to a Travel Agent for your holiday with us will be held by the Agent on our behalf until it is paid to us. Please note this does not apply to any money paid to the Travel Agent for any services not provided by us (for example Travel Agent’s administration fee or service charge or car parking). The ‘balance due date’ is subject to change and may vary, but it will be confirmed to you at the time of booking. 

 

13. If you Change Your Booking (a) As per our price promise should you wish to make a change to your existing holiday booking we will do our utmost to make this change but it may not always be possible. We will not charge an amendment fee for any changes to the actual holiday arrangements made before the balance due date however we will charge you for any costs that we incur from our third party suppliers as a result of the amendment. For clarification the balance due date mentioned above is dependent on the type of holiday you have booked and so is within 8 weeks for non-cruise holidays, 10 weeks for cruise holidays and 12 weeks for Avalon bookings. (b) Any changes made after the balance due date will be treated as a cancellation and re-booking by you, and therefore a cancellation charge as set out in the table in clause 14. In both instances where the price of your holiday depends on the number of people booked into the accommodation and someone in your party cancels, the price will be recalculated on the basis of the new number of people going. We will then send you a new Confirmation/Invoice. Any increase in what you have to pay as a result of this change will not be covered by your travel insurance policy as it is not a cancellation charge. Also, you may not change from any holiday featured in any other brochure or on any of our websites to one of our Late Availability Deals, or any other special offer holidays. 

14. If You Cancel Your Booking

(a) As per our price promise if you cancel your holiday before the balance due date then we can hold your deposit so that it may be applied towards payment on a new holiday. Should we however incur charges as a result of the cancellation from any of our third party suppliers this will firstly have to be deducted from the deposit and any remaining monies, if any, can then be held. This holiday would have to be booked through us within 12 months from the date of cancellation and the deposit may be transferred by you to another individual of your choosing by providing notice to us in writing. Please note a deposit can only be transferred once to a new booking. If the deposit is not used with the 12 month period no refund will be made.

(b) If you or anyone going on holiday with you is no longer able to travel for any reason you may transfer the booking to someone else deemed acceptable to us. You must write to us with full details of who cannot or does not want to go on holiday and who you would like to go instead. If this change is made before the balance due date we will not charge our normal admin fee. If the change can be made and is after the balance due date, you will have to pay an amendment fee of £35 per person named on the booking together with any extra costs we incur or are asked to pay in order to make the change.

(c) Please note, scheduled airlines often do not allow any name changes within a certain time of the start of the holiday and generally not at all after flight tickets have been issued. If you want or need to make a name change when an airline will not allow it, you will have to cancel the original flight (which means you will lose all the money you have paid for that flight) and pay the full cost of another flight (which may not be the original flight or at the same cost as the original flight as the airline is entitled to offer the cancelled flight to anyone on a waiting list for it). This is the airline’s decision and we have no control over it. 

(d) Everyone who goes on holiday in place of anyone who was originally due to travel must agree to these Booking Conditions and any other requirements which apply to the holiday before the change can be made. If the full cost of the holiday should already have been paid when the change is requested but has not been, this must also be paid before the change can be made. (e) If some or all of your party cancel their holiday we are entitled to treat your booking as cancelled in accordance with these Booking Conditions, and we will levy a cancellation charge on the scale shown in the table below. (f) The below cancellation charges are based on the estimated cost of cancelling your holiday at certain times before the departure date and reflects the expenses and losses we are likely to suffer if we cannot resell the holiday. These cancellation charges are applied as shown below except for items or services that are nonrefundable or if you wish to hold your deposit for another holiday with us (clause 14a). Non-refundable services are a scheduled service flight and/or a low cost carrier flight where the cancellation fee will solely depend on the amount we are able to obtain back from the air carrier for your ticket (if any) and therefore the cancellation fees as set out in the table below may be higher. If the reason for your cancellation falls within your insurance cover, you may be able to claim a refund of your cancellation charges from the insurance company less any applicable excess. 

No. of days before you departure we receive your written cancellation or we cancel as mentioned above
Amount you must pay per person cancelling
More than 70 days (10 weeks) Loss of deposit. * Deposit can be held for 12 months - restrictions apply 14(a)
69-59 days 50% of holiday cost** or the deposit if more
58-29 days 80% of holiday cost** or the deposit if more
28-15 days 90% of holiday cost** or the deposit if more 0-14 days
100% of holiday cost**

For non-cruise bookings: No. of days before you departure we receive your written cancellation or we cancel as mentioned above Amount you must pay per person cancelling
More than 56 days (8 weeks) Loss of deposit. * Deposit can be held for 12 months - restrictions apply 14(a)
29-56 days 50% of holiday cost** or the deposit if more
23-28 days 70% of holiday cost** or the deposit if more
16-22 days 80% of holiday cost** or the deposit if more
4-15 days 90% of holiday cost** or the deposit if more
Within 3 days of departure or after 100% of holiday cost**

For Avalon Cruises No. of days before you departure we receive your written cancellation or we cancel as mentioned above Amount you must pay per person cancelling More than 90 days Loss of deposit. * Deposit can be held for 12 months - restrictions apply 14(a) 29-90 days 50% of holiday cost** or the deposit if more 23-28 days 70% of holiday cost** or the deposit if more 16-22 days 80% of holiday cost** or the deposit if more 8-15 days 90% of holiday cost** or the deposit if more Within 7 days of departure or after 100% of holiday cost** *Should we incur cancellation charges as a result of your cancellation from any of our third party suppliers this will have to be deducted from the deposit and any remaining monies, if any, can then be held for a future holiday. **Holiday cost does not include insurance premiums and any handling/amendment fee or other costs paid such as for ATOL certificates if you changed your booking. These premiums and/or charges are not refundable in the event of your cancellation. Please also see clause 13 above. 

15. Your Holiday Insurance Adequate and appropriate travel insurance is essential for your protection and it should be taken out immediately after you have booked your holiday. Each member of your party must have either the holiday insurance policy we offer, details are available on our website, or another policy giving at least equal cover. It is your responsibility to ensure that the insurance cover you purchase is adequate and appropriate for the particular needs of you and your party but it should at a minimum cover the cost of cancellation of your travel arrangements by you, and assistance (including medical costs and repatriation) in the event of accident or illness overseas, as well as compensating you for permanent injury, death, delays or loss of baggage and personal possessions. We do not check alternative insurance policies. Please read your policy details carefully and take them with you on holiday. 

16. Your Responsibilities You must ensure that you and your party have valid acceptable passports, have provided any Advance Passenger Information (API), any appropriate visas required for your holiday (including your journey to and from your holiday destination) - see information on Passports & Visas in the Holiday Information section for more details. All costs incurred in obtaining such documentation must be paid by you. We regret we cannot accept any liability if you or any member of your party are refused entry onto any transport or into any country due to failure on your part to carry or submit correct documentation or data. Many of the airlines that provide the flight element of the arrangements we sell, or cruise lines we work with, impose fines and costs on us if any passengers who have booked with us do not have the necessary travel or other documents for the countries they are visiting or passing through, even where this occurs through no fault of ours. In this situation we have no choice but to pass on to you all fines, costs, surcharges, other financial penalty, and other sums of any description which are imposed on or incurred by us. You will be responsible for reimbursing us accordingly in full. All airlines require first and last names on airline tickets. This must be the same name that appears on your passport and the same name given to us when making your booking. It is your responsibility to ensure this information is correct on your Confirmation/Invoice and other documentation. Please see clause 13 for details of administration fees for changes or corrections. • You should check what vaccinations and other health precautions are required or are advisable for your chosen destination and journey with your doctor in good time before departure (see also the FAQ section of our website for more details). • Airline regulations state that women 28 weeks or more into pregnancy at the time of return travel must have written confirmation from a doctor that they are fit to travel when checking in for their outward flight. Normally, permission to travel is refused after 32 weeks. We can only accept your booking upon the clear understanding that we cannot be liable if any airline refuses to accept you or any member of your party as a passenger for this reason. • You must be responsible for the behaviour of yourself and your party. We can refuse to accept you as a customer or refuse to continue dealing with you by terminating your holiday arrangements if your behaviour is or is likely to be, in our reasonable opinion, or in the reasonable opinion of the commander of any aircraft or vessel, accommodation supplier or other person in authority, disruptive, unruly or dangerous either to yourself or anyone else or if you have caused or are likely to cause damage to property. We will not pay any refund, compensation or other sum whatsoever or any costs or expenses incurred by you if we have to terminate the holiday arrangements due to your unacceptable behaviour. In this situation we will then have no further responsibility for you (including any return travel arrangements). If your unacceptable behaviour means you are not allowed to board your outbound flight we will treat your booking as cancelled from that moment and you will be required to pay any unpaid balance of the holiday, without deduction for the unused part of it. If your holiday has been paid for in full, you will receive no refund for the unused part of it. You will be responsible for fully paying all damages occasioned by your behaviour. • Prior to booking, you must tell us if you or any member of your party is unwell, infirm, disabled, or has reduced mobility, including full disclosure of any requirements relating to this. Where we consider it strictly necessary, we may require that a disabled person or person with reduced mobility be accompanied by another person, as a fare paying passenger, who is capable of providing the assistance required. If in our reasonable opinion, your chosen holiday is not suitable for your condition or disability or you are not travelling with someone who can provide all assistance you may reasonably require, we have the right to refuse to accept the booking. If you do not give us full details of your medical problem or disability at the time of booking, we can also cancel the booking when we find out the full details if in our reasonable opinion the holiday is not suitable or you are not travelling with someone who can provide all assistance reasonably required. If we cancel in this situation, cancellation charges as set out in clause 14 must be paid by the person concerned, and we will have no liability for any other costs or expenses you incur as a result. Prior to booking, you must provide details of any medical equipment you intend to bring so that it can be determined whether such equipment can be carried safely. You must also ensure that you can operate the equipment, that it is safe to use (please check with the manufacturer/supplier); and it is in good working order (arranging for enough equipment/supplies to last the journey). It will also be your responsibility to arrange delivery of all medical equipment where necessary. Portable oxygen tanks and oxygen concentrators may be used on board a ship, provided that we are notified in writing at least 30 days prior to sailing and we have obtained the carrier’s consent in writing. There are airline restrictions on the amount and size of medical equipment that they will carry. If you require a disabled cabin or room there are a limited number which are available on a “first come first serve” basis. Some river cruise ships may not have disabled cabins. Please check at the time of booking. For cruises where there is a ship’s doctor it must be noted that the doctor is a generalist and the ship’s medical centre is not required to be equipped to the same standards as a land based hospital or designed for the provision of extensive or continuing treatment. The ship carries medical supplies and equipment in accordance with the requirements of its flag state. Neither we nor the ship’s doctor shall be liable to you or anyone else travelling with you as a result of any inability to treat any medical condition as a result. Charges will apply for services dispensed by the ships medical centre. We shall not be liable for any aspect of medical treatment provided to you or anyone else travelling with you, including, but not limited to, the consequences of any examination, advice, diagnosis, medication, treatment, prognosis or other professional services which such doctors or nurses may furnish you with. We make no warranty as to the quality of any such medical services. Please note that River Cruises do not have doctors on board. If you have any medical condition which may need emergency treatment then you must disclose this at the time of booking and a risk assessment will be undertaken. 

17. Financial Security We provide full financial protection for our package holidays. When you buy an ATOL protected flight or flight inclusive holiday from us, you will receive a confirmation invoice and an ATOL certificate from us (or our authorised Travel Agent if you did not book directly with us) confirming your arrangements and your protection under our Air Travel Organiser’s Licence number (1082). The ATOL certificate lists the flight, accommodation, car hire and/or other services that are financially protected, where you can get information on what this means for you and who to contact if things go wrong. In the unlikely event of our insolvency, the CAA will ensure that you are not stranded abroad, and will arrange to refund any money you have paid to us for an advance booking. For further information, visit the ATOL website at www.atol.org.uk. You also agree that any such claims may be re-assigned to another body, if that other body has paid sums you have claimed under the ATOL scheme. When you buy a package holiday that does not include a flight, protection is provided by way of a bond held by ABTA. For further information please see www.abta.com 

18. Data Protection We will need to use the details you give us to properly process your booking from the point of booking, during your holiday and beyond and for improving customer service. We will also need to keep your details in case we or our suppliers (such as airlines, accommodation providers and transport companies) and agents need to contact you in respect of your travel arrangements. The details we may need to store and use include the names and contact details of you and all parties to your booking, credit/debit or other payment and passport details and where applicable, details concerning any disability, medical conditions or dietary requirements (which might disclose your religious beliefs) which might affect the chosen holiday arrangements. We value your relationship with us and we strive to maintain an excellent level of customer service. Unless you ask us not to, in order to improve customer service across our business we will share your details with our UK group of companies (including Avalon Waterways and Archers Holidays). It may be necessary to transfer your details to a country or countries outside of the EEA, where the data protection and privacy rules are less stringent. We or our suppliers or agents may be required to pass your and your party’s details on to certain governments or government appointed bodies or agencies in the interest of security or because we are obliged to by law. For the purposes of protecting your security and safety, CCTV may be installed in the public areas on board all of our Avalon ships. We reserve the right to use images captured on CCTV where there is an incident or accident that we cannot be expected to ignore. Footage retained for evidential purposes will be retained securely and access will be restricted. Where footage is retained, we will ensure the reason for its retention is recorded, the use made of the footage and ensure its destruction once it is no longer needed. Please note that such footage may also be provided to law enforcement agencies for the purposes of detecting and preventing crime or where disclosure is otherwise required by law. In making this booking, you agree to us storing, using and passing on the information referred to for the reasons stated above and in our Privacy Policy which can be found at www.cosmos.co.uk/privacypolicy. We will of course inform you if there is any further information we require from you during the booking process. Please note that, in addition to us contacting you in relation to your travel arrangements, we may also contact you following your holiday with details of other holidays / tours provided by us that may be of interest to you. We may provide your contact details to our UK group of companies for this purpose, unless you inform us that you do not wish to receive such approaches in future. For the purposes of the Data Protection Act 1998 (“DPA”), we are a Data Controller (as defined in the DPA). You are generally entitled to ask us about details of yours that we are holding, why we're holding or processing them and to whom we have disclosed or may disclose them to. To do this, please send a letter to the address listed in Clause 8 above. We promise to respond to your request within 40 days of receiving the request in writing along with any applicable fee. There are circumstances where we shall be within our rights to refuse such a request. If you believe that any of your personal information that is held or being processed by us is incorrect then please write to us immediately as we cannot be responsible for any problems that may arise due to inaccurate information that you have provided us with. If you would like further information then you may find the following websites useful: http://www.hmso.gov.uk or http://www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk 

19. Website Accuracy We will provide the facilities and services advertised on our website. If we or our suppliers withdraw those facilities or limit them for any reason, we will use our best efforts to tell you as soon as possible and where appropriate pay you compensation. We will not pay you any compensation for events which are outside of our, or our suppliers' control. The information here is checked and known to be accurate on the date the information was published. However, as this may be many months before your holiday and despite careful checks, errors or changes may occur after the date of publication. If we are made aware of such errors, or changes, we will use our best efforts to inform you of them at the time of booking. 20. System Errors In rare cases errors may occur when putting together the brochure or when inputting prices into our reservations system or website. We regret that any contract entered into on the basis of an inputting/systems error or erroneous price will be null and void. In the unlikely event that such a situation occurs you will be given the option to either pay the correct price or cancel with a full refund. 

Please see https://www.cosmos.co.uk/legal-information/booking-conditions/  for these conditions in full