Terms and Conditions

Article 1 - Participants in the stay and/or cruise

The following articles will come into force as soon as they concern the two following parties:

• Galapeos (legally registered as Galapeos LLC and located at 1549 NE 123RD ST, North Miami, Florida, USA) offers all-inclusive packages to Ecuador and cruises to the Galapagos Islands.
• The customer (referred to as the traveler) who wishes to purchase an all-inclusive package to Ecuador or a cruise to the Galapagos Islands from Galapeos LLC.

Article 2 - Purpose of the holiday and/or cruise contract

• The traveler enters into an agreement with Galapeos LLC for the purchase of tourist services in Ecuador (Amazonia, Andes, Pacific coast and Galapagos archipelago) for the organization of an all-inclusive stay or a cruise. As these services are offered on Ecuadorian territory, they comply with the safety and quality standards imposed by Ecuadorian legislation.
• The program provided by Galapeos LLC at the time of confirmation constitutes a contract.

Article 3 - Duration of the stay and/or cruise contract

The contract between Galapeos LLC and the traveler comes into force at the time of acceptance of the offer by the traveler and remains in force until the last day of the tour organized according to the program or the cruise.

Article 4 - Obligations of the parties

Galapeos LLC

• Galapeos LLC must be duly registered with the North American authorities, namely the IRS (Internal Revenue Service of the Department of the Treasury) and also with the State of Florida (Florida Department of State). Consequently, Galapeos LLC must be authorized to legally carry out its activities of reselling cruises or all-inclusive packages from the United States.
• Galapeos LLC is required to provide the customer with all the information necessary to ensure the smooth running of the stay and/or cruise contracted in Ecuador and/or the Galapagos Islands. The program sent by Galapeos LLC at the time of confirmation and validated by the traveler constitutes a binding agreement.
• Galapeos LLC has the responsibility and obligation to inform the traveler's family, insurance company and embassy in the event of an accident. However, Galapeos LLC assumes no responsibility for injury or death resulting from unforeseeable natural events or inappropriate behavior by the customer for example under the influence of alcohol, in conflict situations or in other circumstances due to the customer's fault.

The traveler

• The traveler acknowledges and legally accepts the risks inherent in the practice of nature sports, such as climbing, trekking, rafting, canyoning, mountain biking, horseback riding, snorkeling and scuba diving, as well as any other activity in direct contact with nature in Ecuador.
• Travelers must be in possession of valid travel insurance covering the entire duration of their stay in Ecuador. In the absence of this document, the traveler must inform Galapeos LLC and thereby release Galapeos LLC from all liability in the event of accidents, injuries, death or physical problems occurring during the stay in Ecuador or the cruise in Ecuador.
• The traveler must be in good standing with the necessary travel authorization documents to stay in Ecuador and Galapagos, such as passport, visa, or others. Entry requirements into Ecuador and the Galapagos National Park may vary depending on the traveler's country of origin.

Article 5 - Deposit and confirmation of stay and/or cruise

• The booking of a stay and/or a cruise in Ecuador and/or the Galapagos Islands will be made by Galapeos LLC only upon receipt of a deposit of 30% of the total cost of the contracted service, which must be paid to Galapeos LLC upon written confirmation from the traveler.
• If confirmation of purchase of the stay and/or cruise in Ecuador and/or the Galapagos Islands is received less than 60 days before the scheduled departure date in Ecuador, full payment for the services must be made to Galapeos LLC at the time of booking.

Article 6 - Payment of stay and/or cruise

Full payment of the price of the stay and/or cruise in Ecuador and/or the Galapagos Islands must be made in the currency specified by Galapeos LLC no later than 60 days before the start of the stay and/or cruise in Ecuador and/or the Galapagos Islands. In the event of non-payment within this period, Galapeos LLC will consider the stay and/or cruise in Ecuador and/or the Galapagos Islands as cancelled, and consequently, the cancellation penalties stipulated in article 7 will be applied.

Article 7 - Cancellation of stay and/or cruise by the customer

• First and foremost, we recommend that all travellers take out travel cancellation insurance to cover any cancellations that may hinder the smooth running of the trip, whether due to force majeure, health problems of the traveller or other obligations preventing the traveller from taking part in the service booked.
• Cancellation of the stay and/or cruise in Ecuador and/or the Galapagos Islands must be made in writing and will take effect upon receipt of notification by Galapeos LLC.
• If Galapeos LLC receives confirmation of cancellation of the stay and/or cruise in Ecuador and/or the Galapagos Islands from the customer more than 60 days before the scheduled date of the stay and/or cruise, the 30% deposit will be retained by Galapeos LLC.
• If Galapeos LLC receives confirmation of cancellation of the stay and/or cruise in Ecuador and/or the Galapagos Islands less than 60 days before the scheduled start of the stay and/or cruise, the full cost of the stay will be required and retained by Galapeos LLC.
• In case of modification of the itinerary of the stay and/or cruise in Ecuador and/or the Galapagos Islands due to a case of Force Majeure such as war, strike, demonstration, terrorist act, fire or natural disaster, Galapeos LLC will not be obliged to pay any compensation to the traveler.
• If Galapeos LLC has to modify the itinerary of the stay and/or cruise in Ecuador and/or the Galapagos Islands for operational reasons, such as vehicle problems, mechanical breakdowns or other problems related to the organization of Galapeos LLC, the responsibility lies with the tour operator, i.e. the company directly in charge of the service (the Galapagos cruise operator, the transportation company, the mountain guide, the accommodation provider or the airline). In this case, the company must propose an alternative solution and/or reimburse the traveler according to the damage suffered.

Article 8 - Transferability of reservation

The traveler may transfer his/her stay and/or cruise in Ecuador and/or the Galapagos Islands to a third party, provided that Galapeos is informed at least 3 months prior to the start date of the first service booked, taking into account that domestic flight change fees may be charged. The new traveler will then jointly assume the obligations stipulated in this contract.

Article 9 - Transport to the meeting point of the stay and/or cruise

The traveler is responsible for organizing his/her trip and/or cruise in Ecuador and/or the Galapagos Islands up to the assembly point indicating the start of the service provided by Galapeos LLC. In general, services begin at the airports of Quito, Guayaquil, Baltra or San Cristóbal.

Article 10 - Luggage

• During air transfers, the passenger's luggage is the sole responsibility of the operating airline. Consequently, in the event of loss, damage or theft of baggage, the traveller must deal directly with the airline.
• During the stay and/or cruise in Ecuador and/or the Galapagos Islands, the traveler is responsible for managing his/her own luggage.

Article 11 - Jurisdiction and litigation

In the event of a dispute, the parties shall follow the procedure laid down in the Ecuadorian Civil Code and/or, where applicable, the legal authorities of the United States, in the State of Florida, where the company Galapeos LLC is legally registered.