Terms and Conditions

Standard Booking Terms & Conditions

1. Pricing

Scheduled departures on Port Davey & East Coast expedition cruises

The prices quoted on our website are the most current prices and are subject to minimum numbers.

Our accommodation is twin share and all our expedition cruises prices per person are based on twin share (two people sharing one cabin). 

All prices are in AUD and inclusive of GST.

The prices quoted cover (and only cover) the following:

  1. Pick up from and return to the departure point designated by On Board;
  2. Twin-share accommodation aboard Odalisque during the experience;
  3. All meals during the experience;
  4. A selection of wine, beers, spirits and non-alcoholic beverages;
  5. All national park entry fees;
  6. Qualified staff for the duration of the experience; and
  7. Use of life jacket and weatherproof rain poncho.

Any other cost is to be borne by you.

A curated range of wine, beers and spirits is included in the price of this experience. Additional alcoholic beverages, from a top-shelf list, may be purchased at an additional cost.

No price reduction is available for guests who choose not to avail themselves of the food or drink provided.

For solo travellers, On Board provides the following three options.

Single occupancy fares are available for a private cabin and guaranteed departure on a particular expedition. Single occupancy fares are available less 25% of the twin-share rate.

Standby Singles option is available to guests who are flexible with their travel times. Guests are placed on a standby list for their desired expedition and will be contacted 30 days prior to departure should there be availability. Alternatively, you can view expeditions departing in the next 30 days here and contact us to book if you see availability. Standby Singles will only be charged at the per person rate (no single supplement).

Single Guest Match is suitable for guests flexible in their departure date and happy to share a cabin with another guest of the same gender. Like the Standby Singles, they will be placed on a standby list and will be notified as soon as a match becomes available. Once confirmed, they will only be charged at the per person rate (no supplement charged). Unlike Standby Singles, it is possible to obtain confirmation well ahead of departure if we can match you with another solo traveller of the same gender happy to share a cabin.

Charters

The prices for exclusive charters and floating functions and events are as quoted on our website or upon enquiry. Unless otherwise stipulated, the price includes: 

  1. Private hire of the vessel;
  2. Qualified staff for the duration of the charter;
  3. Fuel;
  4. All national park entry fees (if required); and
  5. Use of life jacket and weatherproof rain poncho (if required).

The inclusion of food and beverages will be specified at the time of quoting.

Any other cost is to be borne by you.

All experiences

On Board abides by responsible service of alcohol principles as it promotes a safe and enjoyable environment for all guests and staff, and reduces the risk of alcohol-related injury. Staff have absolute discretion around the provision of alcohol and will stop serving and/or prohibit continued consumption of alcohol if guest(s) appear (in the opinion of the staff) drunk or become violent, quarrelsome, disorderly or behave indecently.

Without limitation, the following items are excluded from the pricing:

  1. Travel insurance;
  2. Pre- and post-departure travel arrangements, including accommodation and transport to the collection point and from the return point designated by On Board; and
  3. Any expenses not defined as an inclusion in the pricing including tips, personal clothing, medical expenses, items of a personal nature and emergency evacuations (air or sea, including emergency evacuation aboard the vessel Odalisque)

2. Payment

A 20% non-refundable deposit is required to confirm your booking. No bookings will be guaranteed until a deposit has been received and availability on dates requested has been confirmed by us.

Once you have paid the required deposit for your booking, any subsequent discounts or price reductions that are advertised by On Board or any third party will not be applied retrospectively.

For all experiences, final balance of payment is due 90 days prior to departure. If a booking is made 90 days or less from the date of charter, full payment is due at the time of the booking. 

Payment is available by bank transfer, debit card or credit card. We accept Visa, Mastercard & Amex. There is a payment fee of 1.75% for all credit card payments. We do not charge a fee for payments made via direct deposit.

All payment fees are subject to change. The payment fees specified on our website are the most current.

3. Cancellation by guest

If you wish to cancel your booking, you must notify the On Board in writing as soon as possible. Once On Board receives your notice, cancellation will take effect subject to the following:

  1. The date of cancellation is the date On Board receives written notice of cancellation.
  2. If the date of cancellation is 
    1. More than 90 days prior to departure, the deposit paid is non-refundable but is transferable to another departure within 18 months of original departure dates.
    2. Between 60-90 days prior to departure, you will be charged 50% of the full trip cost with the balance refunded to you.
    3. Less than 60 days prior to departure, no refund is available.

Cancellation by guest will also take effect if:

  1. You fail to show at the arranged meeting point for departure at the time stipulated by On Board
  2. your payment of the balance of the booking is not received by On Board by the required time as stipulated in condition 2.

No refund will be paid if you:

  1. Voluntarily choose, for whatever reason, to leave the charter after it has commenced, including (without limitation) for reasons of bereavement, injury or illness.
  2. Are directed by On Board to leave or not commence your experience in accordance with these terms and conditions.

4. Booking amendment by guest

If you wish to change your booking, you must notify On Board in writing as soon as possible. Once On Board receives your notice, the change will take effect subject to the following:

  1. One amendment can be made to your original booking, up to 90 days prior to the date of departure, at no cost. Any subsequent change up to 90 days prior to the date of departure will incur a non-refundable fee of $200 per person;
  2. We do not accept changes to bookings within 90 days of departure.

Changes to your experience departure date or transfer of booking to a different experience may incur additional costs payable by you for any difference in pricing. We will do our best to change your booking to your preferred date, but it may not always be possible.

5. Cancellation by On Board

Our experiences take place in wild and remote wilderness settings.  We are at the mercy of nature in all her beauty and all her fury. We will under no circumstance knowingly place at risk the health and wellbeing of our guests and guides.  In the case of a Force Majeure Event (as defined below), we may need to cancel a departure with very little notice.  In some cases, this can occur after the experience has commenced.

If a cruise does not meet minimum numbers, On Board reserves the right to cancel the departure; however, every effort will be made to consolidate numbers so that the booked experience will successfully depart.  Your flexibility in this regard would be appreciated.

If we need to cancel a departure for any reason, we will provide you with the following options:

  1. Hold a credit towards an alternative booking departure date to be used within 24 months, including a guarantee that there will be no additional charges for the future experience;
  2. Provide a replacement experience at a later date convenient to both parties; or
  3. With the exception of cancellations associated with a Force Majeure Event, we will refund your booking payment for the cancelled experience.

6. Flight transfer

Some experiences include a transfer to and/or from the vessel by light aircraft. Flights are subject to changeable weather conditions en route, including tidal, sea state, prevailing winds, air traffic control, unscheduled maintenance, or closure of infrastructure by private or government parties and/or other influences outside of our control. 

Flights will not depart in extremes of weather and poor visibility. As such, changes to scheduled flight departure times can and do occur, with delays of several hours not unexpected. Flight times may also be brought forward to account for expected inclement weather at the scheduled flight time. This is the nature of travelling to such a remote area. 

In the event of inclement weather or if the flight provider is unable to operate the flight for any reason, On Board will work with the flight provider to ensure that guests are transferred on the next available day/time window in which the transfer can proceed safely. 

In relation to flight changes of 12 hours or more, the following policy applies: 

  1. Where there is a delay to the scheduled start date by 12 hours or more, guests will be provided with one of the following options:
    1. Where circumstances allow, On Board will endeavour to extend the experiences’ scheduled end date (eg. by an additional day) to match the scheduled duration. This requires guests to have flexibility in their itinerary to allow for such an extension. On Board strongly recommends that guests do not arrange onward travel for at least 24 hours after the scheduled end date and time.
    2. On Board will provide an experience of a shortened duration within the scheduled dates. In most cases, this will be an experience no more than one night shorter than the scheduled duration. In this case, guests will be compensated for the shortened duration. A refund will be calculated based on a per night rate less 25%, and offered for each night the booked duration has been shortened. The per night rate is calculated by dividing the expeditions’ total cost by the total scheduled duration in nights.
    3. Transferring payments to another available departure date
  2. Where there is a delay to the scheduled end time by 12 hours or more, guests will stay an extra night(s) aboard Odalisque and will be charged a per night rate at a 25% discount. The night rate is calculated by dividing the expedition’s total cost by the total scheduled duration in nights.
  3. Where the scheduled end time is brought forward by 12 hours or more, guests will receive a refund calculated on a per night rate less 25%, and offered for each night the booked duration has been shortened. The per night rate is calculated by dividing the expeditions’ total cost by the total scheduled duration in nights.

On Board will not be held liable for any costs of guests associated with their travel, accommodation or any other matter due to any flight on any aircraft which does not proceed as scheduled. 

We highly recommend that guests do not arrange onward travel for at least 24 hours after the experience’s scheduled end time.

7. Travel Insurance

We strongly recommend that guests obtain comprehensive travel insurance at the time of the initial booking. When selecting a Travel Insurance product, we recommend that it provides cover against personal accidents or injury, medical expenses, emergency repatriation and personal liability, changes to domestic connecting flights, cancellation for any reason including bereavement, delayed flights, lost luggage and personal effects.

8. Evacuations

In rare circumstances, due to injury or unforeseen illness, we may need to evacuate you from a remote part of the experience. Where an evacuation is deemed necessary by On Board, the full cost of evacuation will be borne by the guest, including but not limited to helicopter costs, return of the vessel Odalisque to Hobart, any associated staff wages and ground transportation costs.

We strongly recommend guests:

  1. Take out specific ambulance cover through their health insurance provider; and
  2. Take out travel insurance to cover (amongst other things) the costs associated with evacuation.

9. Guest and Crew Responsibilities

The trip leader includes both the nominated crew member and any other person nominated by or on behalf of On Board to lead or supervise any aspect of the trip.

On Board’s crew and support staff take their roles and responsibilities seriously and if for any reason the trip leader believes, in their absolute discretion, that you should not participate in the trip, they may exclude you from the trip. In this event, without prejudice to any other condition in these terms and conditions, you will be offered the option of taking another experience considered suitable for you or a full refund.

All our experiences are group trips and guests need to be conscious of how their actions may impact others. The trip leader is in charge to ensure not only your safety, but the comfort, safety and enjoyment of the entire group. If for any reason during a trip the nominated trip leader considers you should not participate further due to you committing an illegal act, or in the opinion of the nominated tour leader, your behaviour is causing or may cause danger, distress or annoyance to others, the nominated leader may direct you not to continue and you must follow their instructions. In this case, you will not be entitled to any refund. Travel insurance may compensate you depending on the circumstances (and the terms and conditions of the relevant policy).

10. Risk Warning & Waiver

Your participation in the recreational activities supplied by the On Board is inherently dangerous and may involve risk. There are risks specifically associated with participation in the recreational activities and accidents can and often do happen which may result in personal injury, death, or property damage. Prior to undertaking any such recreational activity, you should ensure you are aware of all of the risks involved, including those risks associated with any health condition you may have. By accepting these Terms and Conditions, you acknowledge, agree, and understand that participation in the recreational services provided by On Board may involve risk.

  1. You agree and undertake any such risk voluntarily and at you own risk, and you acknowledge and accept that the assumption of risk and warning above constitutes a ‘risk warning’.
  2. You hereby to the full extent permitted by law waive all of your legal rights of action against and fully release On Board (and any of its partners, officers, employees, agents, or consultants) from liability (including all claims, costs and demands) connected with your death or personal injury or loss or damage to any property howsoever arising out of or in relation to the participation by you in the Experience including without limitation, any such liability for a negligent or tortious act or omission, breach of duty, breach of contract, or breach of statutory duty on the part of On Board, its partners, officers, employees, agents or consultants.
  3. You agree that this waiver shall bind yourself and your legal personal representatives.

11. Indemnity Form

You agree, to the full extent permitted by law, to:

  1. Release and forever discharge On Board and any of its partners, officers, employees, agents, or consultants from all Claims that you may have or may have had but for this release arising from or in connection with the recreational services provided by On Board; and
  2. Release and indemnify On Board against any Claim which may be made by you or on your behalf for or in respect of or arising out of your death whether caused by the negligence or breach of contract On Board or in any other manner whatsoever; and
  3. Indemnify and will keep indemnified and hold harmless On Board to the extent permitted by law in respect of any Claim by any person:
    1. Arising as a result of or in connection with the recreational service provided by On Board; and
    2. Against On Board in respect of any injury, loss or damage arising out of or in connection with your failure to comply with On Board's rules and/or directions

Save that the above releases and indemnities shall exclude any liability in respect of which the Motor Accidents Insurance Board is bound to indemnify On Board, its partners, officers, employees, agents, or contractors, pursuant to the Motor Accidents (Liabilities and Compensation) Act 1973 (Tas).

You agree that On Board may plead this agreement as a bar to proceedings now or in the future commenced by you or on your behalf.

12. Acknowledgement

By placing a booking, guests acknowledge and agree to these Terms and Conditions, and acknowledge that On Board has relied on the representations made by you, including in respect of your circumstances, travel insurance availability, age and medical condition which representations you hereby confirm and warrant are true, correct and complete in every respect.

If you are booking on behalf of another person On Board rely on the authority of the person making the booking to act on behalf of any other traveller on the booking and that person will bind all such travellers to these Terms and Conditions.

13. Limitation of liability

On Board does not exclude or limit the application of any provision of any statute (including the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth)) where to do so would:

  1. Contravene that statute; or
  2. Cause any part of these terms and conditions to be void.

Except to the extent the Indemnity Form applies, and to the extent permitted by law, On Board excludes all:

  1. Statutory liability;
  2. Tortious liability (including negligence);
  3. Conditions and warranties implied by custom, the general law or statute; and
  4. Liability for all special, indirect, incidental, consequential or punitive damage and economic loss, loss of profits, loss of revenue, loss of bargain, loss of goodwill, loss of anticipated savings, or loss of use of products or equipment, arising out of or relating to these terms and conditions, the experience, or any failure to supply or delay in supplying the experience, whether or not On Board was aware or should have been aware of the possibility of such loss or damage.

On Board’s liability to guests for any breach of any express or implied provision of these terms and conditions is limited, at On Board’s option, to:

  1. Refunding the price of the goods or services in respect of which the breach occurred; or
  2. Providing, replacing or repairing those goods or providing those services again.

Guests agree to indemnify and hold harmless On Board and each of its officers, directors, employees, servants, agents or consultants against any losses, costs, claims, damages, expenses, liabilities, proceedings or demands which any of them may directly or indirectly incur or suffer as a consequence of any breach by them of their obligations under these terms and conditions.

14. Jurisdiction

The laws of Tasmania shall apply to these terms and conditions.

15. Photographic Release

On Board reserve the right to take photographic or film records of any of its experiences. Guests should be aware that On Board may use any such photographic or film records for promotional and/or commercial purposes, or joint marketing efforts with third parties, without remuneration to guests. Guests should advise On Board prior to departure if they would prefer otherwise.

16. Definitions

“On Board” means On Board | Tasmanian Expedition Cruises ABN 79 009 550 814.

“Contract” refers to the agreement between us and you comprised in the booking including these terms and conditions.

“Force Majeure Event” refers to an event(s) or circumstance(s) which includes, but is not limited to, acts of God, natural threats (such as bush fires, impassable snow and unsafe sea conditions), fire, earthquake, flood, windstorm or other extreme weather events civil commotion, riot, blockade or embargo, breakdown, union dispute, epidemic, pandemic, lack or failure of courses of supply, passage of any law, order, regulation, ordinance, proclamation, demand, requisition or requirement or any other act of any government authority, outside of the reasonable control of either parties whether or not foreseeable, which renders performance impossible

“Guest” means the person(s) so described in the booking.

“Indemnity” means the form of indemnity attached to these terms and conditions and marked “Indemnity”.

“Recreational Services” means services that consist of participation in:

  1. a sporting activity or a similar leisure-time pursuit; or
  2. any other activity that:
    1. involves a significant degree of physical exertion or physical risk; and
    2. is undertaken for the purposes of recreation, enjoyment or leisure.

“Terms and Conditions” means the terms and conditions hereof which form part of the Contract.

“TPA” means Trade Practices Act 1974 (Cth).

“Experience” means any guided recreational services/charter/cruise/tour operated by On Board.

“We/us” is, where the context permits, a reference to On Board.

“You/your” is, where the context permits, a reference to the guest.