Terms and Conditions

Terms and Conditions 

Small Group Tours

These are our published one day tours sold ‘ticket by ticket’. All our small group tour bookings are chargeable at the time of booking and payable via one of our web portals. If you encounter any difficulties making a booking this way please contact us. We can issue a personalised pro forma invoice on the same prepayment terms. We offer three payment routes via Square, Stripe and Paypal. We can also provide you with our bank transfer details. Contact us at: hello@orkneyislandtours.co.uk

Cancellation Policy for Small Group Tours: 

*  Boat tours have additional weather related conditions. Please see below for details.

Private & Group Tour Bookings

Group bookings and Private Tour bookings are payable against our invoice. A non-refundable 25% deposit is payable immediately to secure and confirm that booking and its associated services. The outstanding 75% balance is then payable at last 30 days before the booked date of the tour. We do issue reminders as the due date approaches. We will always try to contact you if final payment is not received by the due date but reserve the right to cancel associated services and reuse resources elsewhere if we do not hear from you. In that instance the booking deposit will not be refunded. 

Cancellation Policy for Private & Group Tour Bookings:

The 25% deposit paid to secure a booking is non refundable.

If you cancel before the 75% balance becomes due 30 days before the tour we will cancel the outstanding invoice.

After full payment has been received you may still cancel your Orkney Island Tours booking and receive a 50% refund of total charges up to 15 days prior to the date of your excursion. At 14 days prior to the date of your excursion all bookings become non-refundable. To cancel an Orkney Island Tours booking contact us at hello@orkneyislandtours.co.uk quoting your booking reference or other identifiable details. Our refunds are made back to the source of original payment. 

Some tours may have a special cancellation policy and this information will always be noted in the tour’s description. Group and Private tours may incur a cancellation service charge if special services or facilities have been procured by us in advance.

We welcome enquires from the travel trade. Travel trade terms and conditions are available on request. Contact us at: hello@orkneyislandtours.co.uk 

Boat Tours

All boat tours depart at the sole discretion of the vessel’s Master whose decision is final. If a boat tour does not depart because of equipment issues or weather conditions a full refund will be given. Other than this our normal cancellation policies apply unless specifically noted at the time of booking or (exceptionally) otherwise advised and specifically accepted by you before departure. 

Timekeeping

It is the responsibility of you, “the passenger” to ensure that you “the passenger” are at the correct departure point in good time and that you “the passenger” adhere to the departure times given in the Company’s publicity and by its representatives. Coaches, buses and boats will not be held for Passengers who are late. In such cases full cancellation charges will apply and the Company shall have no further liability to you “the passenger”.

Alterations by Orkney Island Tours

Whilst the Orkney Island Tours Limited will use its reasonable endeavours to provide the tour as planned, the Company reserves the absolute right to alter itineraries in any way, and for whatever reason.

Data Protection

In order to process your booking and to ensure that your travel arrangements run smoothly, we will need to use the personal information which you provide to us (such as your name, address, contact details, any special requirements etc). We may also use the information provided to keep in touch with you to obtain feedback and to advise you of the Company’s products and services (including special offers) from time to time. In addition, we may be required to pass this information on to third parties (such as accommodation providers or other suppliers relevant to your booking). We will not, however, pass your information on to anyone who is not involved in providing (or arranging the provision of) any product or service related to your booking.

Force Majeure

The Company does not accept any liability for any loss, inconvenience or damage caused by war, threat of war riot or civil strife, terrorist activity, industrial disputes, natural disaster, fires, sickness, weather conditions, airport regulations, temporary, technical, mechanical or electrical breakdown of transport or any facilities contained within advertised accommodation, explosion of any nuclear plant or part thereof or radioactivity/contamination arising from such plant or events beyond the reasonable control of the Company.

Notes for guests arriving by Cruise Ship

Cancellation of a Port Call – Exceptionally for Small Group Tour bookings ONLY (these are our published one day tours sold ‘ticket by ticket’) we conditionally offer a full refund if the ship in question doesn’t make it into an Orkney port at all. 

This offer is conditional. To take advantage of this offer YOU must have advised Orkney Island Tours that you are arriving from a cruise ship at the time of booking and YOU must contact Orkney Island Tours within 12 days after the date of your missed tour to tell us that your cruise ship failed to arrive and thus prevented you from enjoying the excursion. We always check against Orkney port records which are the sole determinate of whether a ship made a visit to our islands, or not. Valid refunds will then be made within 14 days. To invoke our offer please contact us at hello@orkneyislandtours.co.uk quoting your booking reference or other identifiable details. 

To be clear – this offer does not currently extend to Private & Group Tour bookings as we will have already incurred substantial charges on your behalf which we will be unable to recover. Please check your insurance covers you in this instance.

Late Arrival of a Cruise Ship – We do not offer a refund if your ship arrives into port late. In that instance we will work with you, and within the ship’s time limits in port, to provide as much of your booked tour as is possible. It is not always possible to cover everything, and it is not always possible to rebook a missed venue booking. We will, however, use our local knowledge and contacts to provide as full and as comprehensive a tour as possible.

Sometimes you may have information about late arrival before we do. Please feel free to contact us at hello@orkneyislandtours.co.uk 

Orkney Island Tours Limited. Incorporated in Scotland – SC625271

hello@orkneyislandtours.co.uk | +44 1856 525000

Registered Office: Innovation Centre F14, Hatston Pier Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, Scotland KW15 1ZL

This document is to be interpreted and understood solely by reference to laws currently in force within Scotland whose legal authorities, it is therefore implicitly agreed, have sole jurisdiction over it.

Reissued 6th February 2020.