Package Holiday Booking Conditions
YOUR CONTRACT IS WITH Orlando Villa Holidays, a Member of ABTA and ATOL Holder
1. Your holiday contract
When you make a booking, you guarantee that you have the authority to accept and do accept on behalf of your party the terms of these booking conditions. A contract will exist as soon as we issue our confirmation invoice. This contract is made on the terms of these booking conditions, which are governed by English Law, and the jurisdiction of the English Courts.
2. Your financial protection
We provide full financial protection for our package holidays.
a) We, or the suppliers identified on your ATOL Certificate, will provide you with the services listed on the ATOL Certificate (or a suitable alternative). In some cases, where neither we nor the supplier are able to do so for reasons of insolvency, an alternative ATOL holder may provide you with the services you have bought or a suitable alternative (at no extra cost to you). You agree to accept that in those circumstances the alternative ATOL holder will perform those obligations and you agree to pay any money outstanding to be paid by you under your contract to that alternative ATOL holder. However, you also agree that in some cases it will not be possible to appoint an alternative ATOL holder, in which case you will be entitled to make a claim under the ATOL scheme (or your credit card issuer where applicable). Many of the flights and flight-inclusive holidays in both this brochure and our website are financially protected by the ATOL scheme. But ATOL protection does not apply to all holiday and travel services listed in this brochure or our website. Please ask us to confirm what protection may apply to your booking. If you do not receive an ATOL Certificate then the booking will not be ATOL protected. If you do receive an ATOL Certificate but all the parts of your trip are not listed on it, those parts will not be ATOL protected. Your booking is also subject the terms and conditions of all suppliers quoted and shown on your confirmation, details of which are available on request. Please see our booking conditions for information, or for more information about financial protection and the ATOL Certificate go to: www.atol.org.uk/ATOLCertificate
b) When you buy a package holiday that doesn’t include a flight, protection is provided by way of a bond held by ABTA.
3. ABTA
We are a Member of ABTA, membership number Y1468 We are obliged to maintain a high standard of service to you by ABTA’s Code of Conduct. We can also offer you an arbitration scheme for the resolution of disputes arising out of this contract. The scheme is arranged by ABTA and administered independently. It is a simple and inexpensive method of arbitration on documents alone with restricted liability on you for costs. The upper limit on claims is £5,000 per person and £25,000 per booking form. The scheme doesn’t apply to claims which are solely in respect of physical injury or illness or their consequences. It can however deal with claims which include an element of minor injury or illness subject to a limit of £1,500 on the amount the arbitrator can award per person in respect of this element. Your request for arbitration must be received by ABTA within eighteen months of the date of return from holiday. For injury and illness claims, you can request the ABTA Mediation Procedure and we have the option to agree to mediation. Further information on the Code and ABTA’s assistance in resolving disputes can be found on www.abta.com.
4. Your Holiday Price
a) We reserve the right to alter the prices of any of the holidays shown in our brochure. You will be advised of the current price of the holiday that you wish to book before your contract is confirmed.
b) When you make your booking, you must pay a deposit of at least £150 per person unless you are booking a Special Offer or Promotion when full payment may be required immediately which will advise at the time of booking. The balance of the price of your travel arrangements must be paid to your travel agent in cleared funds at least 15 weeks before your departure date. Occasionally an airline will impose a requirement that obligates us to issue air tickets early and specifically in those circumstances you will be required to pay your balance within 7 days of our written notification. If the deposit and/or balance is not paid in time, we shall cancel your travel arrangements and we shall retain your deposit. The price of your travel arrangements was calculated using exchange rates quoted in the Financial Times Guide to World Currencies on 1st April 2016 in relation to the following currencies: US Dollars and Canadian Dollars
c) The price we have charged you for your travel package holiday booked with us will not be increased unless it is solely to allow for a price increase which is a direct consequence of changes in the cost fuel or other power sources; the level of taxes or fees on the travel services included in the contract imposed by third parties not directly involved in the performance of the package, including tourist taxes, landing taxes or embarkation or disembarkation fees at ports and airports; and or the exchange rates relevant to the package that may increase the purchase cost by the Company. Before passing on any price increase the company would always absorb an amount equal to 2% of the holiday cost before passing on any surcharge and customers would be informed at least 20 days before the departure date of their package holiday with an explanation. Should the increase exceed 8% of the total package price, the options for the customer will include the right to cancel and receive a full refund. In the event of a price reduction in any of the items referred to, such savings will be passed on to the customer less any reasonable administrative expenses incurred by the company. Please note that the company may purchase foreign currency at pre-agreed rates which may not reflect the currency rate at the time of booking and or the date of package holiday departure.
d) When you buy a flight-based holiday, all monies you pay to the travel agent are held by him on behalf and for the benefit of the Trustees of the Air Travel Trust at all times. This is subject to the agent’s obligation to pay it to us for so long as we do not fail. If we fail, any money held at that time by the agent, or subsequently accepted from you by him, is and continues to be held on behalf of and for the benefit of the Trustees of the Air Travel Trust without any obligation to pay that money to us. When you buy a holiday not including a flight, all monies you pay to the travel agent are held by him on our behalf at all times.
e) The company reserves the right to pass on the cost of processing credit or debit card payments as a separate fee when you pay either the deposit or the balance on all booking contracts created on or before 12th January 2018. Customers do have the option of avoiding this fee if they pay by bank transfer. All customer monies paid to the company are financially protected by either our CAA ATOL licence 3085 or ABTA membership Y1468.
5. If You Change Your Booking
If, after our confirmation invoice has been issued, you wish to change our travel arrangements in any way, for example your chosen departure date or accommodation, we will do our utmost to make these changes but it may not always be possible. Any request for changes to be made must be in writing from the person who made the booking or your travel agent. You will be asked to pay an administration charge of £50 per person, and any further cost we incur in making this alteration. You should be aware that these costs could increase the closer to the departure date that changes are made and you should contact us as soon as possible. Note: Certain travel arrangements may not be changeable after a reservation has been made and any alteration request could incur a cancellation charge of up to 100% of that part of the arrangements. If you change, amend or fail to take the travel services booked without getting prior acceptance and written confirmation from us, the remainder of your itinerary will be cancelled and you will not be entitled to any refund or compensation. Please note that as your contract is with USAirtours, our terms and conditions take precedent over that of our suppliers with reference to the cost of any amendments or cancellations that you make.
6. If You Cancel Your Holiday
You, or any member of your party, may cancel your travel arrangements at any time. Written notification or the completion of our online cancellation form from the person who made the booking or your travel agent must be received at our offices. As we negotiate the best possible prices with our suppliers on your behalf, the associated terms are usually very restrictive so all our bookings are sold on the basis that will be no refund of any monies paid to us up to the date of cancellation. However wherever possible we will always to our best to either obtain a partial refund or to transfer funds on to a future booking but this cannot be guaranteed.
7. If We Change or Cancel Your Holiday
As we plan your holiday arrangements many months in advance we may occasionally have to make changes or cancel your booking and we reserve the right to do so at any time.
Changes
If we make a major change to your holiday, we will inform you or your travel agent as soon as reasonably possible if there is time before your departure. You will have the choice of either accepting the change of arrangements, accepting an offer of alternative travel arrangements of comparable standard from us if available (we will refund any price difference if the alternative is of a lower value), or cancelling your holiday and receiving a full refund of all monies paid. In some cases, we will also pay compensation (see below). These options don’t apply for minor changes. Examples of minor changes include alteration of your outward/return flights by less than 12 hours, changes to aircraft type, change of departure airport between London Heathrow, Gatwick or Stansted or overseas airports providing they are changed to an airport no more than 90 miles or 90 minute drive than the original, change of accommodation to another of the same or higher standard within 30 miles or 30 minutes than the original, changes of airline or routing (including from non-stop to indirect flights) and the cancellation of a theatre or sporting event.
Group Bookings
To enable us to quote our customers the most competitive prices, we may book you on to a group departure date where we have negotiated special rates with our airline, hotel and cruise suppliers. If we do not sell the minimum number of flight seats, rooms or cabins required on certain dates, we are obliged to cancel the group. Should this affect your travel arrangements, you will be offered a comparable alternative but if this be considered to be a Major Change, you will also be entitled to cancel the booking and receive either a full refund or compensation as shown in the table below.
Cancellation
We will not cancel your travel arrangements less than 10 weeks before your departure date except for reasons of force majeure or failure by you to pay the final balance by the balance due date. If we have to cancel your holiday for operational reasons, you may either have a full refund of all monies paid or accept an offer of alternative travel arrangements of comparable standard from us. Unless the reason for the cancellation would be classed as force majeure, you would be entitled to compensation as shown in the table below.
Insurance
If we cancel or make a major change and you accept a refund, we will consider an appropriate refund of your travel insurance premiums if you can show that you are unable to transfer or reuse your policy.
Airline Schedule Changes
Can occur at any time after booking confirmation and the flight departure time for airline operational reasons that can include a change of to a smaller aircraft type, repositioning of aircraft or the re-routing of an itinerary to the final destination. Such changes are outside of our control and will be considered as Force Majeure. Consequently, we cannot be held responsible for consequential losses of a schedule change but advise that a suitable travel insurance policy is taken out by the customer to cover such eventualities.
Compensation
If we make a major change we will pay compensation as detailed below except where the major change or cancellation arises due to reasons of force majeure. The compensation that we offer does not exclude you from claiming more if you are entitled to do so.
MAJOR CHANGE TO YOUR HOLIDAY
| Period before departure in which we notify you | Amount you will receive from us |
| More than 70 days | £20 |
| More than 56 days | £30 |
| More than 42 days | £40 |
| Less than 42 days | £50 |
Force Majeure
We will not pay you compensation if we have to cancel or change your travel arrangements in any way because of unusual or unforeseeable circumstances beyond our control. These can include, for example, war, riot, industrial dispute, terrorist activity and its consequences, natural or nuclear disaster, fire, adverse weather conditions, epidemics and pandemics, unavoidable technical problems with transport and or computer systems.
8. If You Have A Complaint
If you have a problem with your holiday and cannot get a prompt resolution from the onsite manager, it is essential that you report this immediately to us directly (and not other third party) by calling our 24 hours Customer Care number on +44 20 8418 8202. You must follow this procedure or you will be depriving us of the opportunity of resolving the matter promptly and this may affect both your rights and claims for compensation under this contract. As your contract is with Orlando Villa Holidays (even if you have booked through a travel agency), please report any complaint directly to us either through our website or by post to the address below. We will always try to resolve complaints to your satisfaction but if that is not possible, we recommend that you take advantage of ABTA’s Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR) scheme that is approved by the Trading Standards Institute – see Clause 3. We should advise customers who elect to bypass an ADR scheme that they may have any Application directly to a Court rejected. It is a specific term of this contract that you accept that the point of sale is at the companies address shown below and that any legal dispute is dealt with by the nearest Court to: Trading Address: Orlando Villa Holidays, Lytchett House,13 Freeland Park, Wareham Road, Poole, Dorset, BH16 6FA. Registered Address: Orlando Villa Holidays: Fifth Floor Watson House,54-60 Baker Street,London United Kingdom W1U 7BU
9. Our Liability to You
If the contract we have with you is not performed or is improperly performed by us or our suppliers we will pay you appropriate compensation if this has affected the enjoyment of your travel arrangements. However, we will not be liable where any failure in the performance of the contract is due to: you; or a third party unconnected with the provision of the travel arrangements and where the failure is unforeseeable or unavoidable; or unusual and unforeseeable circumstances beyond our control, the consequences of which could not have been avoided even if all due care had been exercised; or an event which we or our suppliers, even with all due care, could not foresee or forestall. Our liability, except in cases involving death, injury or illness, shall be limited to a maximum of three times the cost of your travel arrangements. Our liability will also be limited in accordance with and/or in an identical manner to
(a) The contractual terms of the companies that provide the transportation for your travel arrangements. These terms are incorporated into this contract; and
(b) Any relevant international convention, for example the Montreal Convention in respect of travel by air, the Athens Convention in respect of travel by sea, the Berne Convention in respect of travel by rail and the Paris Convention in respect of the provision of accommodation, which limit the amount of compensation that you can claim for death, injury, delay to passengers and loss, damage and delay to luggage. We are to be regarded as having all benefit of any limitation of compensation contained in these or any conventions. You can ask for copies of the transport contractual terms, or the international conventions by writing to Operations Manager, Orlando Villa Holidays, Lytchett House, 13 Freeland Park, Wareham Road, Poole, Dorset,
BH16 6FA. Under EU law (Regulation 261/2004) you have rights in some circumstances to refunds and/or compensation from your airline in cases of denied boarding, cancellation or delay to flights. Full details will be publicised at EU airports and available from airlines. However, reimbursement in such cases will not automatically entitle you to a refund of your holiday cost from us. Your right to a refund and/or compensation from us is set out in clause 7. If any payments to you are due from us, any payment made to you by the airline will be deducted.
Please note this clause does not apply to any separate contracts that you may enter into for excursions or activities whilst on holiday.
10. Prompt assistance in resort
If the contract we have with you is not performed or is improperly performed as a result of failures attributable to a third party unconnected with the provision of the services, or as a result of failures due to unusual and unforeseeable circumstances beyond our control, the consequences of which could not have been avoided even if all due care had been exercised, or an event which we or our suppliers, even with all due care, could not foresee or forestall, and you suffer an injury or other material loss, we will offer you such prompt assistance as is reasonable in the circumstances.
11. Passport, Visa and Immigration Requirements
Your specific passport and visa requirements, and other immigration requirements are your responsibility and you should confirm these with the relevant Embassies and/or Consulates. We do not accept any responsibility if you cannot travel because you have not complied with any passport, visa or immigration requirements. Check the USA Government website for more information on what is required. Any questions should be directed to the US Embassy. Before making your reservation, please see the ‘Passport & Visas’ section of our booking conditions. Should you need the U.K. Passport Agency to issue new passports, we recommend you allow a minimum of 6 weeks for this process. At the time of going to press the US Government has stated that visitors with valid machine-readable passports may continue to travel without a visa under the Visa Waiver Program. The UK Passport Service suggests that ‘if you are 16 or over and haven’t yet got a passport, their recommendation is that you should apply for one at least six weeks before your holiday. The UK passport service has to confirm your identity before issuing your first passport and will ask you to attend an interview in order to do this.’ For up-to-date information, please contact the British Passport Office on 0870 521 0410 or www.ukpa.gov.uk or the US Embassy on 09042 450 100 or www.usembassy.org.uk If you are flying to or landing in any other country, please be sure and check the government website www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice.
Please be aware that if you have travelled to or been in Cuba any time since 1 January 2021, you can not apply for an ESTA to travel under the US Visa Waiver Program. You will instead need to apply for a US visa. You should consult the US State Department website to determine which US visa you will need.
Automated Passport Control Now Available on Arrival at Orlando
These Kiosks aim to speed up the arrivals process and are available to arriving International customers who meet the criteria.
Canada
Travel to or through Canada requires an ETA. The ETA is an entry requirement for all passengers from countries that currently don’t need a Visa to visit Canada.
All Other Destinations
For all other destinations please check here.
12. Excursions
Excursions or other tours that you may choose to book or pay for whilst you are on holiday are not part of your package holiday provided by us. For any excursion or other tour that you book, your contract will be with the operator of the excursion or tour and not with us. We are not responsible for the provision of the excursion or tour or for anything that happens during the course of its provision by the operator.
13. Your responsibility to check documentation
While we take every care to ensure that all passenger and travel details are booked as requested there may be occasions where a misunderstanding has occurred and consequently we always send a written confirmation immediately after your booking. It is a specific condition of this contract that you agree to carefully check all of the details including but not limited to the passenger titles, the spelling of their names (ensuring they match exactly those names shown in their passport), the travel dates, flight times, hotel names and their address to ensure they are correct and to inform us immediately if there are any errors. Failure to inform within one working day may incur fees and cost to correct any amendments for which you accept will be your responsibility to pay.
14. Additional Supplier Conditions
In addition to our own bookings conditions you are also bound by the conditions of carriage and terms of use issued by product and service suppliers that we contract on your behalf including but not limited to airlines, car rental companies, cruise lines, hotels and tour companies, details of which will be supplied to you on request.
15. Important Information
We include both useful and specific information relating to your holiday booked with us within our Important Information section in our brochure and on our website and this should be read in conjunction with these booking conditions. These booking conditions are valid for all new bookings made on or after 07th August 2022 and replace any previous conditions. As we reserve the right to amend these conditions at any time without notice please be sure to check the latest version before you book with us.
16. Telephone Call Recording
Our telephone calls are randomly recorded for training purposes and may be used where available for dispute resolution purposes.Important Information
Our written official confirmation forms the basis of our contract with you.
We take great care to ensure that the details that we have taken from you are correct. However, mistakes can happen, so it is important that we ask you to read through all travel documents as soon as you receive them to make sure that all is correct.
Please carefully check the following:
- All names need to be as they appear on each passport
- Please check flight details (including the free luggage allowance)
- Hotel details and hotel room types are as agreed
- If you have booked Car Hire, please check that your vehicle is large enough to accommodate you and your luggage and that the passenger name shown will be the driver
Passports and Visas
It is your responsibility to ensure that your documents are in order when travelling overseas.
For visitors to the USA each member of your party (including children) must have their own machine-readable full & valid British passport. It must be valid for at least 90 days from your arrival date if you intend to apply through the Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA) using the U.S. Visa Waiver Scheme. If your passport does not show that you are a British Citizen (for example British Subject), you will need a visa for entry into the U.S.A. Before making your reservation please see the ‘Passport & Visas’ section of our booking conditions.
Should you need the U.K. Passport Agency to issue new passports, we recommend you allow a minimum of 6 weeks for this process. At the time of going to press the US Government has stated that visitors with valid machine-readable passports may continue to travel without a visa under the Visa Waiver Program. Passports issued on or after October 26th 2005 are required to have a digital photo and integrated circuit chip otherwise you will be required to obtain a visa to travel to the United States. The UK Passport Service suggests that ‘if you are 16 or over and haven’t yet got a passport, their recommendation is that you should apply for one at least six weeks before your holiday. The UK passport service has to confirm your identity before issuing your first passport and will ask you to attend an interview in order to do this.’ For up-to-date information, please contact the British Passport Office on 0870 521 0410 or www.ukpa.gov.uk or the US Embassy on 09042 450 100 or https://uk.usembassy.gov/.
Please be aware that if you have travelled to or been in Cuba any time since 1 January 2021, you can not apply for an ESTA to travel under the US Visa Waiver Program. You will instead need to apply for a US visa. You should consult the US State Department website to determine which US visa you will need.
Automated Passport Control Now Available on Arrival at Orlando
These Kiosks aim to speed up the arrivals process and are available to arriving International customers who meet the criteria.
Canada
Travel to or through Canada requires an ETA. The ETA is an entry requirement for all passengers from countries that currently don’t need a Visa to visit Canada.
All Other Destinations
For all other destinations please check https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice.
ESTA, APIS & SFPD For Travel to the USA, Canada & All Other Destinations
USA
All visitors must supply certain information online through the Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA) if they wish to enter the USA using the current Visa Waiver Program (the alternative is to obtain a Visa from the US Embassy). ESTA is operated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and currently charge $14 payable online for authorisation that will be valid for two years. We strongly recommend that you complete the online ESTA process as soon as you have booked (and at least minimum of 72 hours before departure) because in the unlikely event that you do not receive an ESTA approval for travel, you will need to apply directly to the US Embassy for a Visa. To apply please click here.
Children aged 17 and under must hold a valid visa or ESTA on arrival. They must be able to provide evidence about the purpose of their visit, duration and place of stay if questioned by immigration officials.
If a child (17 and under) is travelling unaccompanied, with only one parent or someone who is not a parent or legal guardian, they will be asked on arrival to provide written consent to US Customs and Border Protection from both parents, or the parent who is not accompanying the child. Check the USA Government website for more information on what is required. Any questions should be directed to the US Embassy.
The US authorities can stop any person from entering the USA if they have safeguarding concerns. If this happens, the US authorities will take the child into their care. Their return from the USA could take months. The FCDO cannot speed up the return of British nationals under the age of 18 from the USA.
APIS & SFPD
In addition, The United States Customs and Border Protection require all airlines collect and transmit certain passenger information prior to departure, using their Advanced Passenger Information Systems (APIS). The information required includes your country of residence, the full address (including the zip/postal code) for your first night’s accommodation in the US. Please ensure that you enter this information via your airlines website before leaving for the airport to ensure that you do not encounter any unnecessary delays.
Canada
Travel to or through Canada requires an ETA. The ETA is an entry requirement for all passengers from countries that currently don’t need a Visa to visit Canada. For all other destinations please check https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice.
Travelling Overseas Safely - Foreign Travel Advice
Whether travelling within the UK or overseas, there are associated risks that you should be aware of. Consequently, we strongly recommend that you check the Government’s Foreign and Commonwealth website both before you book and before you travel for the latest advice https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice.
Changes and Amendments
After your booking is confirmed, if you would like to make any changes, we are happy to assist. Changes are subject to availability & administration fees.
Names Changes
Name changes (including minor spelling) are not permitted by the airlines and will usually incur a cancellation penalty.
Travel Insurance
Your holiday price does not include travel insurance and it is vital that you purchase a policy that has sufficient cover for both medical expenses and costs relating to bad weather. Travel insurance provided by most credit card companies does NOT offer sufficient cover.
We strongly recommend that you purchase travel insurance that is specifically designed for travel to the U.S.A. and in particular covers the matters relating to interruption or cancellation caused by bad weather.
Travel insurance is important and you should take it out as soon as possible. Click here for some good advice from ABTA or link to the Government’s Travel Aware page.
Expectant Mothers
Travellers who are more than 26 weeks pregnant on the date of their return flight should check with their doctor as to the advisability of flying, the airline carrier as to their eligibility to fly and their travel insurance provider to ensure that the policy is valid.
Check-In Times (Flights)
With the increase in pre-flight security screening you are advised to be at the check-in desk at least 3 hours before the scheduled departure time. As the scheduled departure may be brought forward for operational reasons you must re-check your departure time by completing your online check in directly with your airline, 24 hours before departure. Please also allow sufficient time to get from the check-in desk to your departure gate at least 30 minutes before your departure time.
On-Line Check-In
Airlines
Customers are required to use the online check in facility provided through the airline’s website at the first available opportunity, which is usually no later than 24 hours before the flight departure time. This should ensure that the airline contacts you in the event of any significant change of departure information and would also be of benefit should you get unexpectedly delayed when travelling to the airport.
Cruise
All customers must complete online check in for your cruise no later than 4 – 6 weeks before travel. From here you will be able to make dining reservations and pre book shore excursions as well as downloading your Cruise Travel Documentation
If you have any issues with online check-in please contact us immediately to give us the opportunity to investigate and resolve any potential problems.
Reconfirming Flights
As unavoidable changes to scheduled flight times can occur, we recommend that you reconfirm every flight with the relevant airline directly or via the website 24 hours prior to departure. If your itinerary consists of several different flights and you either miss or do not intend to use any one of them, you must contact the airline in advance. Not using them in the correct sequence will result in the balance of the itinerary being cancelled and no refund will be available.
Reserved Seat, Meal and Special In Flight Requests including Medical
Where an airline accepts in flight requests for a items such as reserved seats and dietary meal needs, if required these should be made by you with us at the time of booking and will be passed through to the airline to action. For operational reasons including the change of aircraft type these requests can never be guaranteed and are still subject to change even after confirmation by the airline. Airlines will always try and seat members of the same party together but this cannot be guaranteed.
Further travel health advice can be found here.
Group Seats
To help ensure that our customers get the best prices over a large range of popular departure dates to the USA, we pre-book a number of flight seats on a group basis. The key benefits to customers are:
- Lower prices flight seats
- The opportunity to book popular departure dates that are often sold out
- Keeps prices low particularly during school holidays
Please note that as part of our commercial terms with our airline suppliers, the tickets for every customers travelling in the group can only be issued at them same time once we have passed all of the customer name to the airline approximately 21 days before departure.
Consequently customers wishing to take advantage of our Group Seats should be aware that we cannot issue tickets prior to 21 days before departure and therefore special flight seat requests will not be able before ticket issue.
Luggage
The free luggage allowance on international flights is more generous than for flights taken within the USA. Many airlines now charge extra for checked luggage and this must be paid locally. For details of the luggage allowance for our main airlines both to and from the USA, from the UK and internal flights within the US click here.
Check In/Check Out Times (Accommodation)
These times vary, but generally you will be expected to check-out between 10am and noon and check in no earlier than 3pm. You may be able to request a ‘late check-out’ with the hotel front desk on the day of departure,but some hotels make a charge for this, which must be paid locally.
Hotel Resort Fee and Charges
An increasing number of U.S. hotels are now introducing ‘resort fees’ to cover items such as newspaper delivery, in-room safe, the use of a gym etc. They are usually between $15 and $30 per room per day and must be paid locally unless we have stipulated on your confirmation that they are included in the price quoted. Unless you state otherwise at check in, hotels assume that all guests will be happy with the resort fees and will automatically add it to your reservation. Please discuss this with hotel staff at check-in to ensure that there are no unwanted additional charges on your bill when checking-out. Your hotel is also likely to make a daily charge for both valet and self parking and this will be payable locally.
Duplicate Airline Bookings
Before confirming your booking with Orlando Villa Holidays some customers may have made an earlier reservation with the same airline on the same flight with another company. Should that occur we will not be aware of the earlier reservation and the airline reserves to right to automatically cancel any duplicate reservation including confirmed bookings with Orlando Villa Holidays. If for any reason we were unable to re-book your reservation in these circumstances, we will refund any payment received for the flight portion before ticket issue, but the balance for any non flight elements would be non-refundable and we would not be liable for any additional costs.
Credit Card Deposits
Accommodation, car rental companies, cruise lines and other suppliers will normally require you to provide them with a credit or debit card when you check in. This enables you to charge items such as rooms service, phone calls, restaurant meals etc to your bill when you check out. It is also standard procedure for those travel suppliers to obtain a pre-approved credit limit authority for a reasonable amount depending on your length of stay and standard of hotel. This pre-authorisation will debit the card provided, but may reduce the available spending limit on your card. Consequently we suggest that you may wish to consider contacting your card provider to arrange a temporary credit increase before leaving the UK.
Website Accuracy and Accommodation Reviews
Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of description, information and prices. However it is possible that an advertised facility may be withdrawn or changed: whenever practical, we will advise of such changes. Your reservation will always be subject to the terms stated on our printed confirmation and should this conflict with any verbal information received, the printed confirmation takes precedent. All pictures shown represent the standard of travel products provided, but we reserve the right to provide similar products to the same or better standard depending on availability. The accommodation reviews in this website are subjective and all reasonable effort has been made whilst preparing material, however no warranty is given that the information displayed is complete or accurate. Orlando Villa Hoildays does not assume and hereby disclaim all liability to any person for any loss or damage caused by errors or omissions in the information displayed, whether they result from negligence, accident or any other cause.
Car Rental
Driving in America is both easy and convenient, however it is vital that you, your passengers and vehicle are adequately insured. You will need a full national driver’s license photo I.D and be a minimum of 21 years of age before being allowed to rent a car and a surcharge for drivers under the age of 25 will need to be paid payable locally. The main driver will be required to show a credit card (not a bank debit card) that matches the drivers name before the car can be rented. Any proposed additional drivers also need to be declared before the car rental collection and their driving licences will also need to be shown.
We strongly recommend that you visit https://www.gov.uk/view-driving-licence to obtain a code so that Rental companies can access your licence. To access this code you will need to provide your driving licence number, your national insurance number and the postcode on your driving licence. As this code is only valid for 72 hours, we recommend that you take the details required for this code, and obtain the code prior to your car hire within 3 days prior to collection. For more information, please contact us on 0844 576 6199.
You should also be aware that there are likely to be local taxes to pay in addition to any pre-payment made in the UK. However it is now possible to save money by pre-paying almost everything when you book with us and we strongly recommend you purchase at the all inclusive rate before you go. Full terms and conditions of rental are available on your car rental’s website and please check your rental agreement carefully and ensure that you query anything you are not sure about with the rental agent before signing the agreement. To avoid any additional rental charges please return the car by the specified time and date, allowing plenty of time to get to your flight check in desk at least two hours before departure.
Villa, Home and Apartment Rental
An increasing number of customers are bookings villas and apartments instead of hotels. These properties are privately owned and are pre-inspected to ensure they meet our required standards. They are all furnished and tastefully decorated to the owners’ tastes and range in quality and appearance from the value-for-money older more lived-in homes up through to the highest grade luxury properties.
A number of homes and villas have their own private pool and for those customers that would like it heated prior to arrival, it should be requested at the time of booking as it would usually take a minimum of 24 hours to warm up.
The pool heater is designed to raise the water temperature to approximately 10 degrees fahrenheit above the external air temperature so at cooler times of year, the pool will heat to will feel more luke warm than hot. When the outside temperature falls below 60F the pool heaters automatically switch off and in such circumstances we are not able to arrange for pool heat refunds.
Should the pool heater require any maintenance during your stay please contact us and we will arrange for an engineer to visit but depending on demand this could take up to 24 hours. To maintain quality an inventory is taken and the property is cleaned after each guest has checked out. We want to ensure you have an enjoyable stay and if you have any concerns with the property during your holiday please contact us immediately on the Freephone number provided so we can address any issues.
Please note that it is standard practice that when you complete you online Villa registration, we will ask for a credit card and take a non-refundable property protection insurance of £50 to cover possible breakage or damage during your stay. Please check with your sales advisor if you have any queries regarding this.
There are occasions when certain properties at a particular address or location cannot be provided after confirmation for unavoidable operational reasons. These could include a serious maintenance issue or the removal of property form the rental programme for quality reasons or by the owner. In those unusual circumstances it may be necessary to substitute a similar or superior property at short notice. Should this occur we will always look to provide an alternative that is located as close to the original property booked whenever possible, depending on availability and season.
Building Work, as with any residential community, renovations and refurbishments may occur from time to time, especially in communities which are expanding.
Consequently, it may be possible that you experience building works taking place which regretfully we have no control over. Please be assured that builders are only permitted to work during daytime hours.
Local Charges and Taxes
Any fees and charges quoted as payable locally while overseas are exclusive of the applicable local city and state taxes (which are subject to change without notice) and must be paid in addition to the charges that we quote.
24 Hour Customer Care Line
+44208 418 8202
Should you have any problems whilst you are away, your first action should be to take up the matter with the onsite manager representing our Company. However if the problem is not solved promptly to your satisfaction you should contact us immediately (and no other agent or representative) on our Freephone number shown on our documentation to give us the opportunity to resolve the problem quickly. Outside UK office hours, calls are answered by our Duty Office 24 hours a day who will either provide further information required or escalate the matter to our Duty Manager who will take the appropriate action.
Hazardous Sports
If you are going to take part in potentially hazardous activities such as skiing, canoeing and diving (sky or sea), follow all the relevant safety guidance and check that your medical insurance covers you fully in the event of an accident.
Care in the Water
Do not swim when warning flags show, take care at all times and never dive into water without checking that it’s deep enough. An adult who can swim well should always supervise children. Young children should never be left unattended near any stretch of water – not even a paddling pool.
Bugs and Insects
Cleanliness and health is generally of a high standard throughout the USA and Canada, however at certain times of the year, particularly in humid climates it is likely that you will see certain harmless insects inside your living accommodation. In these circumstances we recommend that you keep door and windows closed, but if you feel further action is required please contact us immediately on our 24 hour Customer Care line and we will arrange for our onsite representative to resolve the matter.
Travel Delays and Emergencies
It is possible that your travel plans could get affected before departure or interrupted while overseas for a variety of reasons including adverse weather conditions, airport closures or flight cancellations. In circumstances where you are unable to travel and have booked a package holiday with us, we act as the Tour Operator and as part of our responsibilities under the Package Travel Regulations we will assist you by re-booking flights, local accommodation and other travel products whenever you request us to do so. We provide you with a telephone number to contact our Duty Office directly and this is manned 24 hours day.
To enable us to contact you by text or phone call and advise of any itinerary changes, it is essential that you provide us with your mobile phone number at the time of booking.
In the event of a flight cancellation your airline will automatically re-book you on their next available flight at no extra cost. Any reasonable costs caused by the delay including additional local hotel accommodation and meals for all members of travelling party can be reclaimed directly from your airline as part of their responsibilities under the European Directive 261/2004.
As this Directive only applies to airlines with headquarters based within the European Union we strongly advise that you take out travel insurance with sufficient cover to reimburse you for additional costs caused by travel delay.
Should you have to make a claim to your airline on your return, please keep all relevant receipts and information relating on how to claim can be found on our website.
Zika Virus
The Zika virus has been in existence for many years around the world and it can only be caught from those specific mosquitos that carry the virus or through unprotected sex with an individual that has caught it already.
Only around 1 in 5 people infected develop any symptoms at all and the virus is not considered as a serious risk to either adults or children in good health.
There is a small health risk to unborn babies and so pregnant mothers with plans to travel to identified cities where the Zika virus is present, have been advised by the Government’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office to postpone non-essential travel to the affected area. While Zika is present throughout the Caribbean and Mexico, the only area currently designated as having the Zika virus within the USA is specifically Miami/Dade county. The risk in the rest of Florida (including Orlando) is considered as just moderate and pregnant women should only consider postponing non-essential travel until after the pregnancy.
As the Tour Operator, we are responsible for providing your holiday under our own standard terms and conditions and these may differ from the terms of an airline or any product that we supply as part of your holiday. While we will not be offering refunds to pregnant customers, we will be assisting them to postpone their trip in conjunction with government advice. Where possible, we will also arrange to transfer the booking to an alternative destination or arrange for a ‘name-change’ to enable another traveller to replace a pregnant customer not wishing to travel. Should customers wish to cancel, our normal booking conditions do still apply but they can make a claim for any losses directly to their travel insurer. Pregnant customers that would like us to assist amend their travel itinerary should send us a copy of their MAT B1 form signed by their doctor or midwife to the email address shown below.
For health related information regarding the Zika virus we recommend that you follow ABTA’s guidance by visiting their web page: health & medical information
If you have any specific questions relating to a particular booking, please add your details to our contact us form and we will respond as quickly as possible.