Terms and Conditions & Assumption of Risk of Desert Island Survival Ltd.

We are Desert Island Survival Ltd with UK company number 10316746. Our postal address is F1, 3 Montagu Square, London W1H 2LA, United Kingdom. 

The following terms and conditions are your contract with us for provision of our services/expeditions and will become binding once you, the participant, have completed the deposit payment and once you have received confirmation in writing of this from us, Desert Island Survival Ltd. 

These are the agreed terms

DEFINITIONS

“Us” or “Desert Island Survival” refers to Desert Island Survival Ltd.

“You” or “The participant” refers to any participant on a Desert Island Survival trip that is not employed by the company.

“Expedition” or “Trip” or “Adventure” refers to any from us offered holiday trips mentioned on our website www.desertislandsurvival.com

THE CONTRACT

The contract based upon these terms and conditions is solely between the named participant(s) and Desert Island Survival.

We both agree that English law (and no other) will apply to your contract and to any dispute, claim or other matter of any description which arises between us (“claim”) except as set out below. We both also agree that any claim must be dealt with by the Courts of England and Wales only. 

No variation in this contract shall be acceptable unless agreed in writing by both parties at least one month prior to the relevant expedition start date.

BOOKING THE EXPEDITION

In order to make a booking on our website, the participant must be over 18 years old. 

If the participant is booking for more than 1 person, he/she must be authorised to make the booking on the basis of these booking conditions by all persons named on the booking and by their parent or guardian for all party members who are under 18 when the booking is made (only applies to our family expedition). By completing the booking process, the main participant confirms that he/she is so authorised. The main participant is responsible for making all payments due to us. All those named on the booking must be 18 years of age by the departure date, except for our family expedition where the minimum age is 10 years old. 

Subject to the availability of your chosen arrangements, we will confirm your expedition by issuing a confirmation invoice. This invoice will be sent to the main participant. Any electronic acknowledgement of your booking is not a confirmation of it. Please check this invoice carefully as soon as you receive it. Contact us immediately at info@desertislandsurvival.com if any information which appears on the confirmation or any other document appears to be incorrect or incomplete as it may not be possible to make changes later. We regret we cannot accept any liability if we are not notified of any inaccuracies (for which we are responsible) in any document within ten days of our sending it out. We will do our best to rectify any mistake notified to us outside these time limits, but you must meet any costs involved in doing so.

We will communicate with you by e-mail in relation to your booking. You must accordingly check your emails on a regular basis. We may also contact you by telephone, Whatsapp and/or post if we cannot, for whatever reason, contact you by e-mail. 

PAYMENT

In order to confirm your chosen expedition, a non-refundable deposit (or full payment if booking within 90 days of departure) must be paid at the time of booking.

When making a booking and paying the deposit to secure your space on one of our expeditions you will be redirected to the payment platform, this might be Stripe or GoCardless etc. Only once we receive confirmation of your payment, will we confirm your booking (see clause above)

The balance of the expedition cost must be received by us not less than 90 days prior to departure. This date will be shown on the confirmation invoice. Reminders might be sent.

You can settle the balance either via bank transfer or credit card payment (a 2% surcharge applies for credit card payments). 

If we do not receive all payments due in full and on time, we are entitled to assume that you wish to cancel your booking. In this case, we will be entitled to keep all deposits paid or due at that date. If we do not cancel straight away because you have promised to make payment, you must pay the cancellation charges shown in clause 7 depending on the date we reasonably treat your booking as cancelled.

Please Note: Discounts cannot be combined, and they are not valid for private trips or trips already offered at a discounted rate.

CHANGES 

• BY THE PARTICIPANT

Should you wish to make any changes to your confirmed expedition, you must notify us in writing as soon as possible. Whilst we will endeavour to assist, we cannot guarantee we will be able to meet any such requests. 

Flexibility Promise

We understand that plans can change, so we offer the following flexibility:

1. Reschedule Without Penalty: You can reschedule your trip to any available date within 24 months from the date of cancellation, provided you notify us in writing at least 90 days before your scheduled departure. All funds paid until then will be transferred to the new dates or destination. The change in expedition date or destination may result in the recalculation of the expedition price where, for example, the price of the original expedition has changed. Further changes are subject to a £50 fee.
2. Any changes of expedition dates after 90 days before the departure date will be treated as a cancellation of the original booking. In this case, the cancellation charges mentioned in the next section will apply.
3. Support for Unforeseen Circumstances: In exceptional cases, we’ll work with you to find the best possible solution. Contact us at info@desertislandsurvival.com.

7-Day Full Refund Promise

1. You can cancel your booking within 7 days of making your reservation for a full refund of your deposit, provided your departure is more than 90 days away.
2. After 7 days, our standard cancellation terms apply as outlined in the “Cancellation by Participant” section.

If any member of your party is prevented from travelling, the person(s) concerned may transfer their place to someone else (introduced by you) provided we are notified not less than two weeks before departure. Where a transfer to a person of your choice can be made, all costs and charges incurred by us and/or incurred or imposed by any of our suppliers as a result must be paid before the transfer can be effected. Any overdue balance payment must also be received.

• BY DESERT ISLAND SURVIVAL

We start planning the expeditions we offer many months in advance. Occasionally, we have to make changes to and correct errors on the website and other details both before and after bookings have been confirmed. Whilst we always endeavour to avoid changes, we must reserve the right to do so. 

Most changes are minor. Occasionally, we have to make a “significant change”. A significant change is a change made before departure which, taking account of the information you give us at the time of booking and which we can reasonably be expected to know as a tour operator, we can reasonably expect to have a major effect on your expedition. Significant changes are likely to include the following changes when made before departure; a change of accommodation to that of a lower or higher official classification or standard, a change of accommodation area, or a significant change of itinerary missing out one or more major destination substantially or altogether. 

If we have to make a significant change, we will tell you as soon as possible. If there is time to do so before departure, we will offer you the choice of the following options: –

For significant changes:

(a)  accepting the changed arrangements or

(b)  transfer to an alternative expedition from us, if available. We will offer you at least one alternative expedition for which you will not be asked to pay any more than the price of the original expedition. If this expedition is in fact cheaper than the original one, we will refund the price difference. If you do not wish to accept the expedition we specifically offer you, you may choose any of our other available challenges. You must pay the applicable price of any such expedition. This will mean you paying more if it is more expensive or receiving a refund if it is cheaper or

 (c)  cancelling the trip; in which case you will receive a full and quick refund of all monies you have paid to us (including the non-refundable deposit).

Please note, the above options are not available where any change made is a minor one. 

In the unlikely event, we may be forced to change your expedition due to “force majeure” after departure but before the scheduled end of your time away. In these booking conditions, “force majeure” means any event which we or the supplier of the service(s) in question could not, even with all due care, foresee or avoid. Such events may include, weather (actual or threatened), war, riot, civil strife, terrorist activity, industrial dispute, natural or nuclear disaster, adverse weather conditions, fire, and all similar events outside our control.

Except where otherwise expressly stated in these booking conditions, we regret we cannot accept liability or pay any compensation where the performance or prompt performance of our obligations under our contract with you is prevented or affected by or you otherwise suffer any damage, loss or expense of any nature as a result of “force majeure”.

CANCELLATION 

• BY THE PARTICIPANT

Should you or any member of your party need to cancel your expedition once it has been confirmed, the main participant must immediately advise us in writing. Your notice of cancellation will only be effective when it is received in writing by us at our offices. As we incur costs from the time we confirm your booking, the following cancellation charges will be payable. Where the cancellation charge is shown as a percentage, this is calculated on the basis of the total cost payable by the person(s) cancelling, excluding insurance premiums and amendment charges. Insurance premiums and amendment charges are not refundable in the event of cancellation. 

Depending on the reason for cancellation, you may be able to reclaim these cancellation charges (less any applicable excess) under the terms of your insurance policy. Claims must be made directly to the insurance company concerned.

Where any cancellation reduces the number of full paying party members below the number on which the price, number of free places and/or any concessions agreed for your booking were based, we will recalculate these items and re-invoice you accordingly.

See clause “Changes by the participant” if any member(s) of your party are prevented from travelling.

• BY DESERT ISLAND SURVIVAL

Due to the nature of the expedition being undertaken and the extreme environment in which this takes place, there can often be unforeseen changes to the itinerary and sometimes the exact location of activities that are given to clients in advance or in extreme circumstances not being able to occur at all. Whilst we always endeavour to avoid cancellations, we must reserve the right to do so. 

Please note, our expeditions require a minimum number of participants to enable us to operate them. If the minimum number of bookings required for a particular expedition have not been received, we are entitled to cancel it. 

We may need to postpone the trip. Desert Island Survival will endeavour to inform all clients of any postponement at least 90 days prior to the expedition start date. In the event of postponement, all monies will be carried over and applied to a future trip.

We may need to cancel the trip. Desert Island Survival will endeavour to inform all clients of such cancellations at least 60 days prior to the expedition start date. In such instances all monies paid to that date will be returned and wherever possible, alternatives will be given for cancelled expeditions.

In the unlikely event, we may be forced to terminate your expedition due to “force majeure” after departure but before the scheduled end of your time away. In these booking conditions, “force majeure” means any event which we or the supplier of the service(s) in question could not, even with all due care, foresee or avoid. Such events may include, weather (actual or threatened), war, riot, civil strife, terrorist activity, industrial dispute, natural or nuclear disaster, adverse weather conditions, fire, and all similar events outside our control.

Except where otherwise expressly stated in these booking conditions, we regret we cannot accept liability or pay any compensation where the performance or prompt performance of our obligations under our contract with you is prevented or affected by or you otherwise suffer any damage, loss or expense of any nature as a result of “force majeure”.

RESPONSIBILITY OF DESERT ISLAND SURVIVAL

(1) We promise to make sure that the expedition arrangements we have agreed to make, perform or provide as applicable as part of our contract with you are made, performed, or provided with reasonable skill and care. 

(2) We will not be responsible for any injury, illness, death, loss (including loss of enjoyment or possessions), damage, expense, cost, or other sum or claim of any description whatsoever which results from any of the following: –

– the act(s) and/or omission(s) of the person(s) affected or any member(s) of their party or

– the act(s) and/or omission(s) of a third party not connected with the provision of your challenge and which were unforeseeable or unavoidable or

– ‘force majeure’ as defined above

(3) Please note, we cannot accept responsibility for any services which do not form part of our contract. This includes, for example, any additional services or facilities which your hotel or any other supplier agrees to provide for you where the services or facilities are not advertised by us and we have not agreed to arrange them as part of our contract and any excursion you purchase. In addition, regardless of any wording used by us on our website, in any advertising material or elsewhere, we only promise to use reasonable skill and care as set out above and we do not have any greater or different liability to you.

RESPONSIBILITY OF THE PARTICIPANT

SPECIAL REQUESTS AND MEDICAL CONDITIONS / DISABILITIES

If you have any special requests, you must advise us at the time of booking. Although we will endeavour to carry out any reasonable requests, we regret we cannot guarantee any request will be met. Failure to meet any special request will not be a breach of contract on our part. Confirmation that a special request has been noted or passed on. All special requests are subject to availability, unless and until specifically confirmed and noted as an addition on your confirmation invoice. For your own protection, you should obtain confirmation in writing that a special request will be complied with (where it is possible to give this) where it is important to you. 

We regret we cannot accept any conditional bookings, i.e. any booking which is specified to be conditional on the fulfilment of a particular request. All such bookings will be treated as “standard” bookings subject to the above provisions on special requests. 

Due to the extreme environment, climate and activities that will be experienced throughout a Desert Island Survival expedition, Desert Island Survival strongly recommends that the client seeks medical advice prior to participating.

If you or any member of your party has any medical condition or disability which may affect your expedition or has any special requirements as a result of any medical condition or disability (including any which affect the booking process), please tell us before you confirm your booking so that we can assist you in considering the suitability of the arrangements and/or making the booking. In any event, you must give us full details in writing at the time of booking and whenever any change in the condition or disability occurs. You must also promptly advise us if any medical condition or disability which may affect your expedition develops after your booking has been confirmed. If we reasonably feel unable to properly accommodate the particular needs of the person concerned, we must reserve the right to decline their reservation or, if full details are not given at the time of booking or the condition / disability develops after booking, cancel when we become aware of these details.

Any changes of the condition / disability, such as recent injuries or illness must be notified to Desert Island Survival in writing prior to the expedition start date. Failure to do so may result in the client being refused permission to participate and forfeit all monies paid.

By the nature of our trips and due to the environment in which we operate the client must have an acceptable level of personal fitness. Information of the level required for each individual trip is available from Desert Island Survival. If Desert Island Survival instructors deem a person is not physically capable of taking part in a trip they may be refused permission to continue.

In such circumstances, additional transportation and costs incurred due to this will be charged to the client involved.

PASSPORTS, VISAS AND HEALTH REQUIREMENTS

It is the participant’s responsibility to ensure that he/she is in possession of all valid and necessary legal, travel (including visa), and health documents (including vaccination) before departure. All costs incurred in obtaining such documentation must be paid by you. We regret we cannot accept any liability if you are refused entry onto any transport or into any country due to failure on your part to carry all required documentation. If failure to have any necessary travel or other documents results in fines, surcharges or other financial penalty, costs or expenses being imposed on or incurred by us, you will be responsible for reimbursing us accordingly.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office publishes regularly updated travel information on its website www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice which you are recommended to consult before booking and in good time before departure.

INSURANCE

Sufficient personal travel Insurance is mandatory for all parties attending a Desert Island Survival expedition. It is the attendees full responsibility to ensure their personal travel insurance covers all aspects including cancellation and medical needs in case of injury and repatriation in case of death. Should an air evacuation be required, the cost of this must also be covered by your own personal travel insurance.

Note, we do not check your insurance policies and cannot assist you with this.

ASSUMPTION OF RISK

Desert Island Survival operates in extreme environments. Despite conducting risk assessments, comprehensively briefing clients on safety and minimising as much risk as possible, potential dangers shall always remain. Given this, the participant acknowledges that it is at their own risk that they participate in the venture or expedition, and the participant acknowledges that there are circumstances where accidents could happen that are beyond Desert Island Survival control. Therefore, with the exception of gross negligence, Desert Island Survival accepts no responsibility or fault for any accidents or illness that occur during an expedition. The participant understands that by participating in a Desert Island Survival activity he/she is doing so at their own risk.

The participant acknowledges that they are liable for any damage or loss to Desert Island Survival equipment including the full cost of replacement and expenses.

Desert Island Survival does not accept responsibility for any loss, damage or tampering to any valuables and monies given to them for safe keeping during an expedition.

All personal belongings, personal equipment and valuables kept in a participant’s possession are the participants responsibility, and Desert Island Survival accepts no responsibility for them.

The participant also acknowledges that Desert Island Survival is not responsible for any expenses or loss of monies or personal belongings through delays or cancellations of a booking, and that Desert Island Survival liability is hereby limited.

The client must ensure they make the designated meeting place and time and if flight delays / cancellations affect this, it is the client’s responsibility to catch up with the rest of the group. Costs incurred doing this are the sole responsibility of the client.

BEHAVIOUR AND DAMAGE/ PARTICIPANT CONDUCT

The participant agrees that whilst on a Desert Island Survival course, he/she must adhere to the leadership instructions of the Desert Island Survival instructor and Desert Island Survival guides. The reasons for this are purely for the welfare and safety of the entire team. If a participant fails to show the respect and adhere to the instructions given, Desert Island Survival reserves the right to make arrangements for them to be removed from the course, even if this is against his/her will. In addition if a participant fails to participate in basic activities, the participant may be asked to leave if jeopardising the expedition for other clients.

In such circumstances, additional transportation, wages and costs incurred due to this removal will be charged to the participant involved. In addition, any participant who has to be removed from an expedition will not be entitled to any refund on the full payment received.

Should a participant wish to leave the expedition at any time without a medical requirement, the transportation costs will be those of the client.

COMPLAINTS AND PROBLEMS

In the unlikely event that you have any reason to complain or experience any problems with your expedition whilst away, you must immediately inform our local representative (the instructor or guide). Until we know about a complaint or problem, we cannot begin to resolve it. Most problems can be dealt with quickly. If you remain dissatisfied, however, you must write to us within 28 days of your return to your home country giving your booking reference and full details of your complaint. 

CHANGES TO THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Desert Island Survival may update these terms and conditions from time to time, and it is the client’s responsibility to ensure that they are aware, and agree to any modifications before joining any course.

If you wish to, you may contact us by e-mail for any of the reasons mentioned in these booking conditions (for example, to request an amendment) providing you do so to info@desertislandsurvival.com