Terms and conditions – Twenty-Six Atolls – Dive Trips in Maldives
Twenty-Six Atolls is the commercial name of the Maldivian company Trip Concept Pvt. Ltd who is the owner and operator of the “Manta Cruise” and “Mobula” vessels. With your confirmed booking, you automatically agree with these following terms and conditions. The Terms and Conditions form an integral part of the contract entered into with Trip Concept Pvt. Ltd.
Please read this Terms and Conditions carefully and return a signed copy with your registration form to confirm your reservation.
1. Prices, inclusions and exclusions
The prices quoted on our website and in promotional materials provide an indication but are not classified as a contracted price. For contractual purposes, the following documents will be provided: A full quotation valid for 15 days and requiring confirmation by the client and a copy of these general conditions and a registration form.
All prices quoted are per person in twin or double share cabin. In some special occasion and depending on the trip, we are able to welcome a 3rd passenger in some cabins that can accommodate 3 people (1 double bed + one single bed).
2. Inclusions
• Airport transfers to and from the boat.
• Domestic flight for Extended South Cruise (1 way ticket from/to Male).
• Cruise in twin bed or double-bed cabin (extra cost for the 2 Suites on the upper deck and single occupancy request).
• 2 sets of beach and shower towels per week.
• All meals, snacks, water, tea and soluble coffee.
• A maximum of three dives per day, including 1 or 2 night dives according to the itinerary. All the dives are subject to weather conditions and transit time. There is no diving on the days of arrival and departure.
• Diving services including tanks, weight, weight belt, fills and use of the Diving boat (Dhoni).
• Multilingual guides on board (Europeans and/or Maldivians).
• Visit of local island or desert island according to safari program.
• 12% GST on the amount paid during reservation.
• From 2016: fuel surcharge for Extended South Cruise and Extended North Cruise are included unless significant increase in fuel prices up to one week before the trip.
3. Exclusions
• International flight to and from point of embarkation/disembarkation
• NITROX supplement for Nitrox certified divers (US$7 / fill for 12L and US$9 / fill for 14L tank).
• Scuba diving courses (AOWD and Nitrox Course only, see price list).
• Extra dives exceeding the package (check itineraries for details): $30/dive.
• Diving and snorkeling gear (request for diving equipment should be made at the time of reservation to ensure availabilities. See price list).
• Beer, wine, spirits, cocktails and soft drink and all other drink other than complimentary soluble coffee, tea and drinkable water.
• Crew Service charges (US$ 10/day per person is recommended).
• Cancellation insurance.
• Diving insurance.
• 6usd/day green tax from November 2015.
• Entry park fees for Hanifaru Bay: US$20/pers.
• All personal expenses for boutique onboard or during visit on local island or resort.
4. Reservation
All reservation can be made through travel agent or email at info@twentysixatolls.com. It should include the name of all participants as it appears in the passport, exact dates of the cruise, nationalities, passport number, and any special request such as diving equipment, food requirement (vegetarian etc.).
Your reservation will be confirmed on receipt of your signed contract documents that will include a complete quotation valid for 15 days, a registration form and this terms and conditions to Trip Concept Pvt. Ltd. Via email (scan), fax or letter) accompanied with your first payment (deposit).
At this time your reservation with Trip Concept Pvt. Ltd. is validated and you will receive in return a confirmation from Trip Concept Pvt. Ltd relating to your reservation. From this time on, the rights and responsibilities of the contract, including these General Conditions, will take effect in the best interests of both, you the client, and Trip Concept Pvt. Ltd.
NOTE: Please note that the import of firearms, liquor, drugs, dogs, pigs, pork products and pornography in to the Maldives is strictly prohibited. Alcohol may be imported only with an official license. Trip Concept Pvt. Ltd cannot be held responsible for refusal of entry, fees, detention of merchandise etc. due to the possession of alcohol or prohibited merchandises at destination.
5. Children aboard
Children are accepted aboard from the age of 8 years old. During the cruise we remind you that children remain the total responsibility of their parents. Parents are required to ensure that the children respect all safety procedures and do not disturb the peace and quiet of the other passengers, or the effective management of the cruise. No babysitting services are offered onboard.
6. Deposit and Payment of Balance
At the time of your reservation you need to pay a deposit equal to the price following the cancellation policies mentioned in article 7. The balance of the voyage price must be paid to Trip Concept Pvt. Ltd. at least 60 days before the departure date. In the case where a reservation is made less than 60 days before the departure date, the total voyage price must be paid at the time of reservation. If payments are not made in the time frames required, Trip Concept Pvt. Ltd. reserves the right to refuse the services contracted and to enforce the cancellation policy mentioned in Article 7. of these conditions. In the case of a payment made by credit card (Visa and American Express only), a surcharge of 6% will be added to the quoted bill to cover the card company charges.
7. Cancellation
In the case of a cancellation after the voyage has been confirmed, firstly, Trip Concept Pvt. Ltd must be informed by phone or email followed in writing (signed fax acceptable). At this time all documents already sent to the client need to be returned to Trip Concept Pvt. Ltd.
To determine the date of cancellation, the following business date of the signed fax or email will be used as the specific cancellation date. In the case of cancellation, the following conditions apply:
• More than 120 days prior to departure: 370usd fee.
• 120 to 91 days prior to departure: 50% of the total price of the voyage.
• 90 to 61 days prior to departure: 75% of the total price of the voyage.
• Less than 60 days prior to departure: 100% of the total voyage price.
We highly recommend taking out an insurance policy covering accidents and repatriation. This insurance should take into consideration the costs involved in accident treatment including hyperbaric treatment and/or repatriation. In the case of a diving accident, or other accident, where the accident was not caused by a service provided by Trip Concept Pvt. Ltd or their employees, Trip Concept Pvt. Ltd will not be held responsible and any requests for compensation will be refused.
8. Claims and Complaints
If you have observations, complaints or requests for reimbursement, you shall contact us within 5 days of the return from your voyage. Beyond this time it becomes extremely difficult for us to intervene. All requests for reimbursement relating to additional services, or services invoiced but not provided, will be studied on presentation of documentation and additional information.
In the case of litigation legal jurisdiction will be Maldives.
9. Modification or transfer of reservation.
For all modifications of reservations Trip Concept Pvt. Ltd reserves the right to invoice administrative costs at a maximum of $ 250.00 per person.
If for any particular reason a passenger cannot travel for the voyage reserved, the reservation may be transferred to another person. Trip Concept Pvt. Ltd must to be informed in writing within 7 days of the voyage, including the reason, and be supplied all information on the replacement passenger. The new passenger must respect all conditions of the contract and Trip Concept Pvt. Ltd cannot in any way be held responsible for any expenses or changes outside of the cruise (Hotels, flights etc.) A new contract will be established with the replacing customer in the shortest timeframe possible. All conditions of the contract must be respected including passport validity, dive certification, medical certificate etc. All documents need to be signed and the balance of the cruise paid including the above mentioned administrative costs.
10. Changes in brochures, internet site, prices and itineraries.
Trip Concept Pvt. Ltd reserves the right to modify brochures, website, and list of services, itineraries and prices at any time up to the date of the contract conclusion. In this instance Trip Concept Pvt. Ltd will advise the client leading up to the conclusion of the contract. The validity date for the contract is based on the date of receipt of the payment deposit.
11. Price Fluctuations
Trip Concept Pvt. Ltd may change the contract prices after the contract conclusion up to 30 days before the departure in the case of a sudden increase in operating costs that are outside of our control. These may include fuel prices, maintenance costs, catering costs, administrative costs, exchange rate fluctuations or evident misprints in our material.
If the increase in our prices is greater than 10% of the total voyage cost, the passenger has the right to cancel their contract, without penalty, in writing, within 5 days of the increase notification. In this case Trip Concept Pvt. Ltd will reimburse the entire amount of all payments made in the shortest timeframe possible.
Trip Concept Pvt. Ltd reserves the right to change an itinerary or certain services due to unforeseen or inevitable circumstances (for example adverse weather conditions).
Trip Concept Pvt. Ltd will endeavor to compensate for these changes by offering an equivalent alternative. Trip Concept Pvt. Ltd will notify the client as soon as these circumstances are known and also how these circumstances may have an eventual effect on the price.
12. Cancellation or trip interruption caused by the client
So as to preserve the serenity and safety of the boats “Manta Cruise” and “Mobula”, their passengers and staff, Trip Concept Pvt. Ltd reserve the right to cancel the reservation before departure or landing a passenger during the trip if an inappropriate action or indelicate behavior of the said client justifies it.
In this case Trip Concept Pvt. Ltd will not reimburse any of the amounts already paid. All complaints against Trip Concept Pvt. Ltd will be contested.
13. Cancellation by Trip Concept Pvt. Ltd
Unforeseen Event , Force majeure or other similar reasons
Trip Concept Pvt. Ltd reserves the right to modify, interrupt or cancel a charter when unforeseen events are imposed on the company or when the security of the travelling clients may be compromised. These may include but are not limited to: refusal or cancellation of navigation rights, flight landing rights, strikes, civil or international war, political or economic disturbances, terrorist threat or activity, fire, climatic, seismic or volcanic events endangering the safety of our passengers. In any case you will be informed by Trip Concept Pvt. Ltd as soon as is possible. In these particular cases, the traveller may not apply for reimbursement from Trip Concept Pvt. Ltd. Travellers, who have foreseen travel insurance taking these unforeseen events into consideration, may request reimbursement directly with their respective insurance company.
In case of technical damage occurred aboard “Manta Cruise” and preventing the departure of the cruise, Trip Concept Pvt. Ltd will:
•Either provide an equivalent service on a similar type of boat.
•Either postpone the trip without charge at a later date.
Compensation due to injury, sickness, death or material damage.
Trip Concept Pvt. Ltd assume no responsibility and offer no compensation for injury, death or damage occurred to the passengers property during the cruise and not directly involving its staff.
14. Lack of Participants
If the minimum number of 6 participants, mentioned in the contract, has not been met, Trip Concept Pvt. Ltd may cancel the voyage up to 21 days prior to departure. In this case an alternative program will be proposed. If this is not possible, or you decide to decline the proposal, Trip Concept Pvt. Ltd will reimburse all payments made up until that date. Any form of additional compensation will not be allowed.
15. Disabilities
The passenger must declare at the time of reservation that they do not suffer from any mental, physical, or other, disability that may put them, or other passengers at risk. Trip Concept Pvt. Ltd reserves the right to refuse the contracted services to a passenger presenting these risks during a charter.
16. Scuba Diving Safety
For Trip Concept Pvt. Ltd safety is of principal importance on all voyages. It is the client’s responsibility, as a certified diver, to respect and follow the guidelines given by the Manta Cruise guides and instructors, plus to follow the regulations stipulated by their certification agency and most of all by the country regulations.
In Maldives, depth is limited to 20m for Open Water Diver (or equivalent), 30m for Advanced Open Water Diver (or equivalent) and above. Only no decompression diving is allowed in the Maldives.
In addition, due to the potential technical aspect of the dives in Maldives (strong current), it is required for all divers to have logged at least 50 dives and have a minimum level of Advanced Open Water Diver or equivalent. 100 dives minimum are advised for Extended South Trips.
However, divers with less experience will be able to join the trips but the Cruise Director might refuse access to some dives if he/she considers that the skills of the divers are not sufficient for the dives planned. Also, Open Water Divers must take the Advanced Open Water Diver course on-board not to be limited to the maximum depth allowed in Maldives.
Clients are solely responsible to provide a diving medical statement or physicians medical dated within the last 12 months, certification card and log book. Ignoring the directions given by the guides, or not presenting certification card, log book or valid medical paperwork may cause a limitation or disqualification from scuba diving on the voyage. The diver accepts their responsibility to be technically capable of participating in the activity of scuba diving and fully accepts the risks associated. We reserve the right, for safety reasons, and at the discretion of the Manta Cruise guides, to refuse access to one/several dives if they do not have the necessary competence to participate safely.
We highly recommend an insurance policy covering accidents and repatriation. This insurance should take into consideration the costs involved in accident treatment including hyperbaric treatment. In the case of a diving accident, or other accident, where the accident was not caused by a service provided by Trip Concept Pvt. Ltd or their employees, Trip Concept Pvt. Ltd will not be held responsible and any requests for compensation will be refused.
17. Required equipment for each divers
Each of our divers must carry, during the dives, the following equipment: a BCB, Regulator with alternate air source (octopus), pressure gauge, computer, surface buoy with a minimum of 5-meter line, whistle and dive computer.
Document Editing
This current document was last updated and verified on November 22nd 2016.
