USEFUL INFORMATION


STATEMENT

Caribtours brochure and the website is prepared in advance, many months before the start of the holiday season and particular attention has been given to all details provided. However, for a variety of reasons there may be amendments made at any time to the facilities or services available. In this event, your Travel Adviser will inform you of any such change(s) immediately. Should any such event occur during your holiday, please contact either our local representative (where applicable) or our reservations team on 020 7751 0660.

OUR PRICING

All prices shown throughout this brochure are for guidance only and are correct at the time of going to print. A tailor-made quotation will be provided at the time of your enquiry, based on specially negotiated airline and hotel rates, which are subject to availability at the time of booking.  For the purposes of our brochure and across the website, generally, the lead prices shown are low season travel with 2 adults sharing the lead-in room category. Some villa resorts maybe priced on 6-8 adults sharing. Low season will typically be May/June/September in the Caribbean and May/June in the Indian Ocean. For the purposes of this brochure, generally, the lead prices shown are low season travel with 2 adults sharing the lead-in room category. Some villa resorts maybe priced on 6-8 adults sharing. Low season will typically be May/June/September in the Caribbean and May/June in the Indian Ocean. European pricing may be based on travel with low cost carriers. 

Your holiday price includes:

- Return air travel (if applicable) in the class booked on scheduled flights with your selected airline (plus inter-island flights where applicable), with appropriate in-flight meals. Excluding UK regional flights
- Access to one of the executive lounges at Gatwick, Heathrow or Manchester on departure. Excludes Stanstead and Heathrow Terminal 5.
- Accommodation with or without meals as confirmed*
- Any applicable free night offers or savings
- Private transfers to and from the airport (unless otherwise stated) except The Grenadines, Turks and Caicos, British Virgin Islands, Nevis and the Indian Ocean where transfers are included but may not be private for reasons outside of Caribtours’ control – you will be advised at time of booking. There may also be shared transfers for the Maldives and some resorts in the Seychelles – you will be advised at time of booking. 
- Services of Caribtours’ appointed local representatives in all countries except the Maldives, The Grenadines, St Barths, Anguilla, St Martin, Turks & Caicos, BVI and Europe.
- Mandatory hotel taxes and service charges (excluding local levies and tourism taxes in Barbados, Antigua, Saint Lucia, The Grenadines, Greece, Cyprus, Spain, Abu Dhabi and Dubai – which all must be paid locally) 
- Airport taxes and charges
- Air Passenger Duty and Security Charges

Your holiday price does not include:

- Overseas Departure Tax (where applicable) which is payable in cash only on departure in local currency. Details will be outlined in your documentation
- Items of a personal nature such as laundry, telephone calls, gratuities etc.
- Travel Insurance (you must ensure that your holiday is fully insured with adequate cover)
- Any surcharges – please refer to booking conditions

HOTEL ACCOMMODATION

Official hotel ratings vary greatly from country to country. Room and suite categories which are referred to throughout the brochure are in the hotel’s own terminology, but the descriptions are entirely our own. Most accommodation categories and prices are determined by location (e.g. proximity to the beach) and/or by size. For general guidance, please refer to the following or ask our Travel Advisers who will be pleased to explain specific room types and locations in more detail.

Room (double, twin or single): one room with en-suite bathroom (with bath and/or shower).
Junior Suite: one large room with a sitting area and en-suite bathroom (with bath and/or shower).
Suite: en-suite bedroom with a door separating it from a sitting room. A few of our hotels call their rooms ‘suites’, our accommodation description will make this clear.
Villa: separate bedrooms (generally each of them is en-suite) and living area/s together with kitchen facilities.

Please be advised that when booking a room for more than two persons, the extra adults or children may be accommodated on a sofa/rollaway bed or, on some occasions, the configuration may be two double beds. If you have specific requirements, please let us know. 

TAKING YOUR CHILDREN

Many of our destinations are welcoming towards children and most hotels we work with, which accept children, will be able to arrange babysitting locally at reasonable rates. We are generally able to offer reduced, if not free, child prices based on sharing a room with two adults and we have a number of other special offers for families, especially for travel in the summer season. Children sharing a bedroom with two adults will usually have a rollaway bed.

Infants: Children under 2 yrs, without their own airline seat, will be charged approximately £80 each (more if hotels charge supplements for a cot, or if flight upgrades are arranged). Details will be advised when you book, at which time we can also advise on the availability of essential items such as nappies, baby food and so forth.

TRAVELLING WITH DISABILITIES

We are committed to making sure travel is accessible to all, but not all of our holidays are suitable for travellers with disabilities. Please speak to us about any special requirements you have - our experienced team will find accommodation that is right for you and can arrange additional services such as wheelchair assistance at the airport.

SPECIAL OFFERS

Many of our hotels offer early booking savings, free nights, family value packages, exclusive extras for honeymooners, etc. Offers may be withdrawn or replaced without notice so please call us for the latest special offers at your chosen hotel to ensure you receive the best price. There is no guarantee that booking later will result in a lower price (especially over popular holiday periods such as Christmas, Half Term and Easter) and most of our hotels offer incentives to book early. Booking early also means you can secure the dates and accommodation of your choice. Please see our website for our current special offers.

MEALS

Caribtours’ holidays that are booked on a Half Board, Full Board or All-Inclusive basis generally commence with dinner on the day of arrival and end with breakfast on the day of departure (subject to restaurant opening times). In some hotels, meals may be restricted to a table d’hôte menu at specific restaurants and there may be an additional charge at certain restaurants or premium dishes such as lobster or prime cuts of beef. Please check with our Travel Advisers prior to travel or with the hotel reception or maître d’hotel in resort.

CHECK-IN/CHECK-OUT

At many of our featured destinations, flight arrival times are early in the morning and you will arrive at your accommodation before the normal check-in time. It is recommended that your accommodation is reserved from the night before to allow for immediate check-in. Rooms will generally not available until mid-afternoon on your day of arrival. Check-out time from your room is generally 12 noon, however, if there are no incoming guests you may be allowed to remain until departure; please make arrangements directly with the hotel reception and note that a local charge may be payable. Similarly, many flight departure times are late in the evening, after normal check-out time (approx. 12 noon). In this instance, we recommend accommodation is reserved until the day after departure allowing a late checkout. Our staff will advise at the time of booking if either of these situations will apply to your individual holiday arrangements. Clients taking a cruise will normally disembark early in the morning; we can arrange use of a day room in a nearby hotel if required.

SPECIAL REQUESTS

If you have any special requests, whether it’s a special dietary requirement, a specific room request or seating on your flight, please do communicate this to your Travel Adviser at the time of booking so we can ensure the right people are informed. These special requests in some cases can only be requested with our partners and cannot be guaranteed.  

FLIGHT INFORMATION

All flight timings shown on your confirmation invoice are subject to change. Final timings will be detailed on your itinerary. Please note that changes to any flight departure times/days, routing/destination, any pre-assigned seats or aircraft type may be made by an airline at any time outside of Caribtours’ control. Virtually all of our transatlantic flights are ‘direct’ but not necessarily ‘non-stop’; a direct flight involves a stop at one airport en-route to another; you will not generally need to disembark. Details of any stops will be advised when you book and will be shown on your itinerary.

BAGGAGE ALLOWANCE

The baggage allowance on transatlantic carriers is 1-3 pieces per person (depending on the class of travel), plus one piece of hand luggage which must fit under the seat in front of you or in an overhead locker. Please note that a number of items such as scissors, tweezers, nail files etc. are not permitted in hand baggage and will be confiscated. If your holiday includes an inter-island flight, you should be aware that the baggage allowance may be less than the transatlantic baggage allowance, this is particularly the case if you are flying in First or Business Class on your international flight. Please check the baggage allowance for your specific journey with our Travel Advisers.

If you are connecting from an international flight for destinations such as the Maldives, we recommend that you carry overnight essentials and any medication in your hand luggage in the event that your checked baggage has to follow the next day. If you are connecting from an international flight for destinations such as The Grenadines or St Barth's, we recommend that you carry overnight essentials and any medication in your hand luggage in the event that your checked baggage has to follow the next day. If you are using helicopter transfers in Saint Lucia, please note that your luggage will follow by road and may take a few hours to reach you; again, some hand luggage with a change of clothes is advised.

CLIMATE

We have not included weather charts in our brochure as global weather patterns are increasingly erratic and such charts can be extremely misleading. The weather in the Caribbean is delightful year-round with tropical sunshine tempered by cooling trade winds. Rainfall, which is at its lowest in the winter months, usually consists of occasional tropical showers, followed by bright sunshine. Hurricanes, although rare, do occur in varying parts of the Caribbean and the season is officially June to November. We have not included weather charts in our brochure as global weather patterns are increasingly erratic and such charts can be extremely misleading. Some areas of the Caribbean and Mexico have been impacted by sargassum seaweed, this is a natural phenomenon and can change daily due to weather conditions and sea currents. Should this occur, the hotels affected work hard to clear the beach areas on a daily basis however swimming in the sea and other facilities such as watersports can be impacted. If you require any reassurance or information, please discuss the matter with one of our team.

SECURITY AND HEALTH & SAFETY OVERSEAS

The most up to date information can be found on the Foreign Office website – www.gov.uk/knowbeforeyougo. Health and Safety is an important consideration for everyone who travels the world today and we would ask that you observe good housekeeping habits and a common-sense approach. Your personal welfare is our priority and we ask that you are fully aware of security and health and safety whilst overseas. Petty crime, robberies and muggings can occur anywhere in the world and some destinations, particularly large cities, are worse than others. However, the chances of anything unpleasant happening will be considerably reduced if you take a few precautions. Whilst out and about, try not to carry a lot of cash with you and always leave your passport and any expensive jewellery in a secure place.

RESORT ACTIVITIES & WATERSPORTS

None of the activities detailed in this brochure are organised by Caribtours and we cannot guarantee that they will be available. Some activities are also hazardous, and we cannot accept any liability. We therefore strongly recommend that, before taking part, you ensure that the persons or organisations providing these facilities are registered and that you are adequately covered by your own insurance. This advice applies to all sporting and recreational activities.

TRAVEL DOCUMENTS DISPATCH

Your travel documents will be available approximately 10 days prior to departure; please let us know if you require them any sooner. Your documents will include air tickets or an e-ticket reference, a personalised itinerary and any supporting information. Please check carefully the airport terminal and flight timings on your ticket.

PASSPORT, VISA AND HEALTH REQUIREMENTS 

We can provide general information about the passport and visa requirements for your trip, please see terms and conditions for more information. 

A full British passport is required for all destinations and it should be valid for 6 months after the return date of your holiday; please take special care to check the current passport regulations with regards to your children in good time before you travel. 

When travelling to Europe, please note that your passport must be less than 10 years old on the day you enter (please check the date of issue) and it must be valid for at least 3 months after the day you plan to leave (please check the expiry date). If you renewed your passport early, extra months may have been added to its expiry date. This could affect the requirement for your passport to be less than 10 years old. 

Up to date travel advice can be obtained from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, visit https://www.gov.uk/travelaware. Health and Safety is an important consideration for everyone who travels the world today and we would ask that you observe good housekeeping habits and a common-sense approach. Your personal welfare is our priority and we ask that you are fully aware of security and health and safety whilst overseas. Petty crime, robberies and muggings can occur anywhere in the world and some destinations, particularly large cities, are worse than others. However, the chances of anything unpleasant happening will be considerably reduced if you take a few precautions. Whilst out and about, try not to carry a lot of cash with you and always leave your passport and any expensive jewellery in a secure place. 

We strongly recommend that you check with your doctor, or seek professional advice in respect of vaccinations required for specific areas, as this is constantly changing and being updated by both the Department of Health and the destination country. This information is given in good faith for guidance only and may be subject to change. All clients are responsible for acquainting themselves with up to date health, passport and visa requirements for their holiday prior to departure. You must ensure that you confirm to the necessary regulations of the countries you are visiting and where necessary have the correct vaccination documentation. 

You must check the latest information regarding entry requirements relevant to you -https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice. To ensure that guests can enjoy their holiday safely, airlines and destinations may have restrictions in place to meet local and international health requirements. As a result, the availability of some facilities and services at your hotel or destination maybe subject to change. This may include, but is not limited to, rooms, restaurants, spas, kids clubs, pool and other activities. 

Visa requirements for UK passport holders and other nationals are under constant change. You should therefore check entry requirements with the appropriate embassy and please ensure that you are familiar with the requirements. Visas are required for UK visitors to Turkey, you can apply online where an e-visa currently costs $20, you should apply at least 48-hours before travel and can do so up to 3-months in advance. Some destinations, e.g. UAE, will require visas for stays exceeding 30 days. If travelling via the USA, a visa waiver programme (ESTA) is in operation. This requires all eligible passengers to complete an online application on website https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov, prior to travelling. In certain circumstances (if you have a criminal record, for example), a visa may be required, and you should check with the appropriate embassy. Non-British passport holders are advised to check with the appropriate authorities well in advance of their holiday. Please always verify visa requirements at time of booking.

HOTEL ONLY BOOKINGS

We are happy to arrange your hotel accommodation and any inter-island flights should you wish to make your own international flight arrangements using frequent flyer miles, for example. There is no booking fee for this service, but we will include the cost of local representation in your quotation.