General Conditions

In accordance with these General Terms & Conditions of Travel, the person, or the firm (hereafter called the client) entrusts Terra Nova Scandinavia AS (hereafter called Terra Nova) to consult, organize and arrange a group tour for participants named by the client. By submitting a booking order to Terra Nova, you agree to the following General Terms & Conditions of Travel – unless stated otherwise in your correspondence regarding the tour.

1. Booking

1.1 To ensure a good co-operation, early bookings are recommended (if possible, not less than two months before the start of the tour).

1.2 All reservations must be sent in writing to Terra Nova and are subject to availability. Reservations will be confirmed in writing by Terra Nova.

1.3 To guarantee the requested room/ accommodation, Terra Nova requires a booking status regularly or at the latest 12 weeks and a rooming list 40 days prior to departure.

1.4 Any specific requests, such as special meals, allergy and disabilities should be sent to Terra Nova in writing.

1.5 If the supplier requires a deposit, Terra Nova reserves the right to request the same amount from the client in order to ensure the services of the supplier.

1.6 For offers which require extensive research, Terra Nova reserves the right to charge a quotation service fee. This will be refunded upon booking to the invoice amount.

1.7 For bookings including “technical visits/study visits” a fee per visit will be charged.

2. Prices and payment

2.1 Prices and currency are stated in the offer. If the group consists of less persons than stated in the offer, Terra Nova reserves the right to charge for additional costs.

2.2 Terra Nova reserves the right to adjust the prices for reasons that Terra Nova cannot be held responsible for, such as new or increased charges or taxes, general price alterations, fuel increases, and increases arising from currency/exchange rate fluctuations. The tour prices will be adjusted if the exchange rate increases with more than 5% during the period between the initial booking and the tour departure.

2.3 Children up to and including 11 years of age are accommodated in an extra bed (in a room sharing with 2 adults) and given a discount of 30% on the basic package price (maximum 2, given premises can accommodate). Children cannot be included in the tiered rates (the valid rate is based on adults only) and the child discount cannot be combined with other discounts. All supplements, however, will be charged to the full amount.

2.4 Invoice payment is due 45 days prior to the group’s arrival date unless otherwise specified. An invoice with the total amount will be raised according to the rooming list received. Should payment not be received as stated above, Terra Nova reserves the right to cancel the travel arrangements. The prices quoted are subject to change should local taxes increase. Vouchers will be released only upon receipt of full payment for the tour.

3. Insurance

3.1 Travel and cancellation insurance are highly recommended. The client is responsible for informing travelers of the importance of adequate travel insurances.

4. Free of charge (FOC)

4.1 Free of charge will be stated on the offer. For groups with a local driver and a local tour guide booked through Terra Nova, the first and the second FOC places will be given to the driver and the tour guide.

5. Cancellation of ground services by the client and adjusted booking

5.1 The following cancellation conditions are only valid for ground services. For services including flights and/or cruises, different cancellation rules may apply which will be notified to the client by Terra Nova upon confirmation of mentioned services.

5.2 The client may cancel a tour for a whole group on the following conditions if not stated otherwise in the confirmation:

Until 50 days prior to the start of the tour: no charges
49-35 days prior to the start of the tour: 50% of the total price of the requested tour will be charged
34-15 days prior to the start of the tour: 75% of the total price of the requested tour will be charged
14 days or less before the start of the tour: 100% of the total price of the requested tour will be charged, meaning no refund

All cancellations must be communicated in writing and sent during office hours (Mondays to Fridays 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. CET) to Terra Nova by email. Cancellations being made outside office hours, during weekends and bank holidays will be considered to be received the next working day.

5.3 Bookings with a changed travel date made by the client are considered as withdrawals with a following new booking.

5.4 Provided that the tour remains booked, the client may cancel single places on the following conditions if not stated otherwise in the confirmation:

Cancellations of single places up to 20% of the booked services are accepted without any charge up to 40 days before the start of the tour. If more than 20% is cancelled, the same fee applies as for cancellations of whole groups.
39-15 days before the start of the tour: 50% of the price will be charged
14 days or less prior to the start of the tour: 100% of the price will be charged, meaning no refund

All cancellations/reductions must be communicated in writing and sent during office hours (Mondays to Fridays 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. CET) to Terra Nova by email. Cancellations/reductions being made outside office hours, during weekends and bank holidays will be considered to be received the next working day.

5.5 If individual participants end the tour before the tour has ended or been finalized, the client cannot claim any refunds from Terra Nova.

5.6 Cancellations or modifications made directly with the suppliers are not accepted.

6. Unused services

6.1 If the client does not use all or part of the services to their full extent as arranged, no refund will be granted by Terra Nova.

7. Withdrawal from contract by Terra Nova

7.1 If the client has not delivered a name list 40 days prior to departure, Terra Nova reserves the right to cancel the whole group to avoid cancellation fees from the suppliers.

7.2 For reasons of higher power, Force Majeure, strikes, epidemics, disasters etc. Terra Nova reserves the right to cancel the booked tour. Normal cancellation terms will apply for services that cannot be consumed due to this kind of cancellation and no further claims will be accepted.

7.3 If Terra Nova must cancel a group tour arrangement, Terra Nova will – if possible – offer a similar tour and within the given time. The client is not obliged though, to accept the new offer.

8. Changes of programme

8.1 In the interest of the client, Terra Nova reserves the right to change certain travel services already agreed upon, such as accommodation, transport, excursions etc. to a higher standard before the start of the group tour.

8.2 Changes made by the client with less than 15 days prior to departure will be charged EUR 20 (or equivalent in the currency of the booking) per change.

8.3 Changes made by the client within 3 days prior to departure or after the tour has started are possible. However, in these cases a fee will apply to amendments made.

8.4 Dietary restrictions and allergies must be communicated to Terra Nova at least 15 days before departure.

9. Terra Nova’s liability

9.1 As a mediator, Terra Nova has the obligation to choose all services carefully and to prepare the tour in the best way possible.

9.2 In case services are not fully carried out because of Terra Nova fault, Terra Nova reserves the right to provide equivalent services in compensation. In this case, further damage claims are not accepted.

9.3 Subject to this settlement (9.2), in case a breach of contract is committed the direct liability of Terra Nova for immediate loss or injury to the client subsists, provided that the breach was not caused by Force Majeure or the behaviour of the client or a tour participant, and that it is a question of the non-performance of a promised service or an alteration of services which has less value than the service agreed upon in the original agreement. The amount of this liability is restricted by the sum of the agreed cost of the tour.

9.4 Furthermore, the providers of the various services are basically personally liable to the client in case the services are not being carried out in a satisfying way or to their full extent, contrary to the expectations.

9.5 The liability of the individual coach, taxi, shipping and other transport companies contracted by Terra Nova for the purpose of organizing a tour, depends on the appropriate laws of the general conditions of business, on the contract’s obligations and on common usage.

9.6 Any arising complaints must be directed to Terra Nova immediately and confirmed in writing. In case complaints cannot be solved on the spot, they must be directed to Terra Nova in writing and within 15 days after the termination of the tour. Later claims cannot be taken into consideration.

10. Various conditions

10.1 Terra Nova is under no circumstances responsible for lost and/or forgotten items. Terra Nova will not be held liable for retrieving any lost and/or forgotten items.

10.2 Every participant is responsible for providing own personal travel documents such as a passport, visa and vaccination certificates. The visa costs are not included in the tour price.

10.3 Road fees are not included in the tour price unless otherwise stated.

10.4 By air transportation, the client is responsible for that tour participants follow the luggage regulations of the airline. Airline taxes are generally not included in the flight or tour price unless stated otherwise.

10.5 Court of arbitration: Court of Oslo.

Updated August 2024