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General Information
“It is the soul’s duty to be loyal to its own desires. It must
abandon itself to its master passion.”- Rebecca West
What’s Included
Transportation: All ground transport (except
to and from airport) during stay.
Accommodations: All hotels, villas, estates and inns are at
least three stars, charming and all with private baths.
Meals: Breakfasts, and lunches and/or dinners, as noted
on itineraries. Besides breakfast, all meals include wine, mineral water, coffee and
occasionally digestives. All meals are pre-arranged and not a la
carte.
Wine: All tastings and wine at dinner, in moderation.
Tours: All winery tours and other specified tours.
Tips: All restaurant and transportation tips.
What’s Not Included
Airfare (We strongly recommend purchasing
fully refundable tickets.)
Transportation to and from airport upon arrival and
departure.
Personal Expenses: Snacks and beverages between meals, phone
calls, laundry, internet access, room service, trip cancellation
insurance, health insurance or needs, etc.
Baggage handler/bell boy tips.
Museum or side tour fees (unless mentioned in the itinerary.)
Extra alcoholic beverages during meals: Drinks or wine other
than what are on our pre-arranged menus can be ordered separately by
you and put on your own tab.
Travel Arrangements
For trips outside of the U.S. it is necessary to
arrive the day before the tour begins. Passionate Palate Tours (PPT)
is happy to provide you with advice and/or suggestions for
transportation from the airport to first meeting place and from our
last stop to your departing airport. We will, whenever possible,
negotiate special rates for your first night’s accommodations if it
is at the same location we are using for the first night of the
tour. We are also happy to help you with plans for extending your
stay beyond the last day of the tour.
Insurance
We strongly recommend that you purchase trip
cancellation and delay, loss of luggage and airline ticket
insurances. We also ask that you carefully review your medical
insurance to determine whether you are adequately covered for any
eventuality while traveling in foreign countries. Purchasing
additional traveler’s health insurance, including medical evacuation
coverage, is highly recommended. See our Links
for recommendations of insurance carriers or speak to a travel
agent.
Your Responsibilities
While Passionate Palate Tours are not active
adventures, there will still be some walking involved within the
cities, at wineries, seeing sights, etc. We ask that you be in good
physical condition and able to walk at least a mile. Please take the
time to review our pre-trip information so that you know what to
expect in terms of weather, social etiquette, what to bring, etc.
for your specific trip. Upon arrival you should exchange any moneys
that you will need for spending money on the trip as well as
purchase any phone cards you might need, as we may not have an
occasion to do it once the itinerary begins. We recommend that you
keep a copy of your passport and credit cards with someone at home
in case any are lost or stolen. If you have any pre-existing
physical, mental or emotional disability that may require attention
or treatments, you must report them in writing to PPT prior to the
beginning of the tour. All participants must sign a
Participant Waiver and Release of
Liability prior to the trip. Clients are required to act with
respect and responsibility toward other guests, PPT personnel,
winery personnel, restaurant and hotel personnel and property at all
times. PPT reserves the right to require an individual to withdraw
from a tour, or to limit the amount of wine any guest may consume,
without claims or complaints against us. Any expenses caused by
delays or events beyond PPT’s control shall be borne by the
participant.
Reservations & Deposits
See
Registration Form
for more details. To reserve
your trip, call us at 866.511.VINO (8466) or 562.354.6664 or fax in the
Registration Form
to 562.627.9680. We require a $500.00 deposit per person to reserve a space. Once we receive your deposit, we will
send you a confirmation and a trip information packet. The balance
is due 90 days prior to the start of the program. If the start of
the trip is less than 90 days away, payment in full is required. If
you do not pay the balance of the program fee prior to 90 days, it
may result in the loss of your reservation. We do accept Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Discover, however our website
program fees reflect a 3% discount for payments made via cash or
checks. Payments using credit cards
are not entitled to this discount. Please add 3% fee to the total
cost of the program if using a credit card. This fee is
non-refundable. There
is a $25.00 charge for all returned checks. All customer
deposits are held in a business trust account, according to
California law.
Cancellations and Refunds
PPT strictly adheres to its cancellation policy and
cannot make exceptions (again, this is why we strongly recommend
Trip Cancellation Insurance.) If you cancel your trip 90 days or
more prior to the first day of the trip, you will receive a refund,
less a $100.00 administration fee. If you cancel your trip less than
90 days but more than 60 days, you will lose 50% of your deposit. If
you cancel your trip less than 60 days prior to the first day of the
tour, you must pay the full trip price. PPT will make every effort
to fill your spot, and if successful, you would receive a full
refund less a $100.00 administration fee. PPT reserves the right to
cancel any trip for any reason at any time. In such a case, we will
notify you as soon as that decision is made and you will promptly receive a
full refund of all deposits and payments which will constitute a
full settlement. (Transactions made by California residents
are fully covered under the California Travel Consumer Restitution
Fund, or TCRF. Under TCRF, California consumers have the right
to file a claim for moneys due for failure to provide service that
was paid for or failure to issue a refund for services cancelled.
Claims must be filed within 12 months after the scheduled completion
of travel. For full details see the TCRF
website.)
Trip Changes
Passionate Palate Tours reserves the right to change
itineraries as necessary, when necessary. While we try to keep changes to a minimum,
unforeseen circumstances (for example weather, strikes, acts of God,
dangers, etc.) can happen. PPT will always keep the comfort and
safety of its participants in mind and will make changes, as
necessary, to protect its clients. |
