Information for Booked Travelers

Tour & Cruise Packages

Thank you for booking with us! Once you have completed your reservation, you will receive two emails. The first confirms that we have received your reservation and that we are processing any payments and reserving any components which may be on a request basis. When this process is complete, we will send you a second email with an invoice and a final confirmation.

Below is important information about preparing for your upcoming tour, including details about final payments, forms you need to fill out, visa requirements, and our terms & conditions. Please review everything carefully, especially paperwork requirements and payment deadlines. Please also review your invoice for accuracy. If you have any questions, please contact us as soon as possible.

Paperwork for Your Tour

TOUR REGISTRATION FORM: Print, fill out and sign our tour registration form and scan/email or return via postal mail.

PASSPORT COPIES: Please scan the photo and signature pages of each travelers' valid passport and email them to . If you are unable to scan your passports, please make a clear, legible color photocopy instead and mail to our office address. If you do not presently have a valid passport, please send the registration form and include a note indicating when we can expect to receive your passport copies. If your passport expires within six months of your return date, please renew your passport without delay.

We must receive your completed tour registration form and copies of each travelers' passport photo/signature page within 14 days of your reservation or with your final payment, whichever is earlier. If we do not receive this promptly, your reservation may be subject to additional fees and/or cancellation.

FINAL PAYMENT: We must receive your final payment by the date printed on your invoice, usually 75 days prior to departure (varies by tour). Late payments are subject to a $50 late fee and may result in cancellation of your reservation.

To make your payment by check (including personal check, cashier's check or money order), make it out to Friendly Planet Travel for the amount indicated on your invoice and mail it to our office address (by overnight delivery, if necessary) so that we receive it by the payment due date.

To make your payment by credit card (including VISA, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express), use our secure payment form.

All prices listed are in U.S. currency. Payments must be made in U.S. currency or a conversion fee may apply.

The Fine Print

TERMS & CONDITIONS: Please review the Terms & Conditions governing our tour & cruise packages.

CANCELLATION POLICY: Cancellation of a reservation must be made in writing and is subject to cancellation charges; please see our cancellation policy.

Preparing for Your Tour

DOCUMENT DELIVERY: Your final travel documents will be sent to you via email approximately 14 days prior to your departure. This email will include a copy of your electronic air ticket receipt (e-tickets), the daily itinerary for your tour, hotel and emergency contact information, and any other relevant information for your tour.

For those tours with paper tickets, documents will be sent by courier service, with signature required. Prior to delivery, you will receive an email notice with shipment tracking information. Documents delivered outside the continental U.S. will incur an additional delivery charge of $40 if sent by courier service.

TRAVEL INSURANCE: We strongly recommend travel insurance coverage to protect your travel investment. Imagine booking a trip of a lifetime, at an incredible price, and then catching a nasty flu just before departure and being unable to travel. If you have protected yourself with travel insurance, you'll avoid the pain of turning your incredible travel bargain into a financial loss.

Cancellation fees for our tours are charged by our suppliers and are beyond our control. In most situations, travel insurance provides coverage for these costly cancellation penalties, as well as coverage for trip interruption or delays, missed connections, medical emergencies and evacuation, lost or delayed baggage, and much more. We offer several low-cost, comprehensive policies which you can purchase with your travel package or any time prior to making your final payment.

An insurance certificate describing the policy is enclosed with your confirmation packet. If you have already booked and didn't select travel insurance, but now wish to do so, simply pay the full balance on your invoice, which includes this optional premium. If you decide not to take this coverage, please subtract the premium cost from the balance due on your invoice. Insurance premiums are non-refundable once paid.

NOTE: If you are booking a special interest or group tour which already includes insurance, please do not purchase this coverage again.

VISAS: Travel visas are required for many countries visited on our tours. Since visa requirements vary by country and are subject to change, we will send comprehensive information and instructions for U.S. citizens, including application forms if applicable, in your confirmation packet. If you are not a U.S. citizen, you're welcome to join our tours, but you must check with your own government agency and/or the consulates of all countries visited for entry and visa requirements for your nationality.

It is the responsibility of each traveler, regardless of nationality, to determine and obtain the necessary travel documents for each country visited before departure. Please see our listing of visa requirements by country.

Flights

FLIGHT SCHEDULE: The flight schedule for your tour is included with your confirmation materials.

Be sure to schedule your domestic flights into our gateway city according to the times provided in the itinerary. Since schedules can change, we strongly suggest that you leave plenty of connecting time—at least 3½ hours—between flights. If you are traveling during the month of March or mid-October to mid-November, please note that each year the airlines traditionally undergo flight schedule changes during this time, when Daylight Savings Time begins and ends. We may only be notified of these schedule changes 60 days or less prior to your tour departure. If you are traveling during these months, we strongly suggest that you allow 5–5½ hours connection time between these flights. Please note that flight schedules are subject to change, even after flights have been confirmed, and we are not responsible for such changes.

ADVANCED SEATING: Most airlines no longer pre-assign individual seats for groups. Instead, each group is given a block of seats, and individual seats are assigned upon check-in. If you have a seating preference, we urge you to arrive at your departure airport for check-in as early as possible. The earlier you arrive, the better the selection of available seats.

FREQUENT FLYER POINTS: You may be able to earn frequent flyer points on some of our tours. Once you receive your tickets, call the airline directly to enter your frequent flyer numbers in your flight record. As you travel, check with the agent prior to boarding each flight on your tour to be sure the frequent flyer information has been entered properly. Keep your boarding passes and passenger receipt, as these documents are proof that you have actually flown the miles you are asking to be credited to your frequent flyer account. We regret that we cannot accept frequent flyer information for passengers traveling on group flights; our airline partners will not accept frequent flyer information for groups prior to check-in, since these numbers cannot appear on tickets that have been issued for groups. In addition, group tickets unfortunately cannot be upgraded using frequent flyer points. It is up to each passenger to take care of all issues involving frequent flyer points.

Other Important Information

LATE RETURNS: On some of our tour programs, it may be possible to extend your stay post-tour for up to 30 days from your original departure from the US. A late return costs an additional $100 per person, plus any applicable difference in fare. Price and space for late returns are subject to availability at the time of booking. Certain restrictions apply.

SPECIAL REQUESTS: If you have a special meal request or require wheelchair or electric cart assistance, please send us your requests in writing. We will forward all written requests to the airlines and our overseas representatives. Once you have received your final travel documents, please call the airline directly to reconfirm your requests. While we are glad to assist our travelers in any way we can, Friendly Planet cannot be responsible for special services not delivered by the airlines, hotels or land operators abroad.

LAND-ONLY PASSENGERS: If you are traveling with us on a "land only" basis, please note that arrival and departure transfers are not included in your tour price. On some tours, individual, private transfers can be arranged at a supplement in price. Taxis and other forms of transportation are also available and may cost less than private transfers. If you wish to arrange private transfers on those tours for which this service is available, please request them at the time of reservation.

OPTIONAL TOURS: On many tours, optional sightseeing tours and evening activities will be offered and should be reserved and paid for directly to your guide, unless otherwise instructed. Your travel documents will contain the most up-to-date selection and pricing for the optional tours for your tour, including payment information. Please note that optional tours are non-refundable once reserved and paid.

NON-INCLUDED MEALS: The hotels used on our tours usually have several dining choices, from coffee shops to specialty restaurants. Average costs vary by destination. Please refer to our comprehensive destination guides for specific recommendations for dining. You will find suggestions by type of food served and by cost. For destinations where the choice is limited, your guide or tour manager will provide suggestions for non-included meals. Most hotels and restaurants will accept credit cards for your non-included meals.

CREDIT CARDS & LOCAL CURRENCY: Most hotels and stores accept major credit cards; however, you will need local currency or U.S. Dollars for "street shopping." Many hotels, banks, and exchange shops can exchange cash for local currency. ATM machines are available in most countries, but we recommend that you also bring along cash in small denominations. Most hotels will have in-room safes or safe deposit box facilities. Leave extra cash safely locked away and carry with you only the amount needed for the day. For most destinations it is not advisable to change money before you depart. Almost every airport has money changing offices or booths where you can exchange enough money for the first few days of your trip. You can consult with your guide or tour manager as to the best ways to change money as you travel.

OTHER COSTS & FEES: Changes to your original reservation, such as a change from one departure to another or one tour to another, will result in a $150 change fee per person, per change. Changes to your invoice will result in a $25 per invoice, per change fee. Within 60 days of departure, all requests for changes will be subject to confirmation. Unused services cannot be refunded once the trip has begun. No refund can be made for absence by passengers from any part of the tour. Personal tips are not included in the tour price. We will provide each passenger with suggested tipping information for all of our tours. These suggestions will be part of the final tour documents.

HEALTH REQUIREMENTS: Please be sure to visit the "Fast Facts" section of your tour where you will find recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO). We suggest that you also consult with your family doctor or travel medicine specialist to find out if there are any special precautions recommended specifically for you.

PACKING FOR YOUR TOUR: Each passenger may bring one piece of checked-in luggage (suitcase) and one carry-on piece. The carry on must not exceed 18" x 10" x 8" so that it fits under your seat or in the overhead compartment. If your bag has slightly different dimensions but fits under your seat or overhead, it should not be a problem on our flights. You may also carry one personal item such as a purse or camera bag. While airline regulations may permit two bags per person on some itineraries, your porterage is covered for only one suitcase. Also, on flights within a country, luggage may be limited to only 44 pounds even though the transatlantic/pacific flights allow up to 70 pounds. Additional checked luggage will incur additional cost. Space for luggage tends to be limited aboard our cruise ship cabins. Pack a fold-up nylon or canvas bag for souvenirs. We recommend that you do not over-pack and that you take a variety of separates with climate and comfort in mind. For your convenience, bring a small voltage converter and plug adapter. Universal kits are sold wherever luggage is sold.

QUESTIONS & INFORMATION: Our website is constantly growing with new and valuable information about the destinations you are visiting on your tour. On every tour page, you will find links to useful information about weather, money, health requirements and suggestions, visas and other details. You will find links to pages describing our hotels and cruise ships, and you can read testimony from other travelers who have sent us their feedback, including their photos. We invite you to browse our website and take advantage of the information we provide so that you can better prepare for your travel experience. If you still have questions or require more information about your tour, please contact us by email or telephone. When you write or call, please be sure to tell us your full name, tour name, and date of departure.