Terms & Conditions
Products and services are sold by Sojuma as an agent for airline and wholesale companies and other suppliers providing services, including accommodation and transportation services. Sojuma is not a provider of services and has no responsibility for services provided or not provided by any party. We give and make no warranty or representation regarding the standard of any service or product to be supplied and no person has authority to make any such representation or warranty on behalf of Sojuma. All tickets, coupons, exchange orders, vouchers and receipts are issued subject to the appropriate tariffs and terms and conditions of sale of suppliers and these terms. They are issued by us as agent only. We have no responsibility, and extend no guarantees for discontinued promotions, airfares or specific holiday products.
Prices/Quotations: Our quotes will be submitted in writing, on a net basis, and will be priced in dollars using the current currency exchange rates where applicable. Prices are not guaranteed and will be subject to change upon final payment, according to that day's rate of exchange. Prices are also subject to be modified due to any change in cost, such as, but not limited to: increases in land, air, and/or fuel costs, price rises made by wholesalers or other suppliers, or other services. Each person is personally responsible for any hotel expenses, theater tickets, souvenirs, gifts, clothing or any and all other items of personal property or services purchased by such person.
Payments: Sojuma accepts payments by either check or credit card. Credit card payments are made through PayPal's secure server and are subject to a 3% transaction fee. There is no need to sign up for a PayPal account to utilize this service.
Reservations: A written acceptance is required in order to place a program into operation. Hotels and services will be reserved and confirmed only upon receipt of deposit.
Deposits: In order to retain services, deposits are required for all packages, no exceptions. Unless otherwised mentioned, the schedule of deposit amounts is as follows:
Individuals:
$200 per person at time of booking
Final payment 45 days prior to departure
Groups:
At time of booking $500 for entire group
90 days prior to departure $250 per person
60 days prior, preliminary rooming list $350 per additional person
45 days prior, all names per passport Final payment with certified check
Changes After Deposit: $50 per revision per booking, plus any expenses imposed by suppliers. Amending the date of travel constitutes a cancellation and rebooking and will be subject to cancellation fees.
Bookings received 21 days or less prior to departure will include a $50 last-minute booking fee. If requested services cannot be confirmed, deposit and booking fee will be refunded.
Cancellation Charges:
From time of booking to 60 days prior to departure $200
59-45 days prior to departure 30%
44-31 days prior to departure 40%
30-15 days prior to departure 60%
14 days or less prior to date of departure 100%
There will be no refund for any unused portion of the trip.
Documents: Will be mailed for delivery approximately 14 days prior to departure provided that full payment (cleared check or approved credit card) is received at least 45 days prior. For expedited shipping by 2nd Day Air, or Next Day Air, a small fee will apply. Should final payment be received fewer than 45 days prior, an additional fee for 2nd Day Air must be added to your final payment. This fee will be disclosed to you upon booking and must be paid in full before documents can be released.
Group size: In the event that a reduction in the number of passengers occurs due to any cancellation, group quotes will be revised accordingly. The group must travel together, with the same arrival and departure date and time. No exceptions.
Passports and Visas: Passengers are responsible for ensuring that they have the proper travel documents and MUST CHECK with the respective consulate(s) or visa agency to determine whether any visas or passports are required.
Air Transportation: Our offers can be purchased as land only packages, or as inclusive of airfare. The lowest applicable airfare will be quoted at the time of booking. Our fares are based on bulk and published rates once tickets have been written. They are non-refundable and non-changeable.
Rail Transportation: Rail tickets are valid for the dates and times specified and once issued are non-refundable. The possibility of date and/or time changes once issued is strictly subject to availability and may by accompanied by rate increases.
Hotel Accommodations: Will be provided in accordance with the itinerary or similar. We reserve the right to make substitutions with hotels of equal standard when necessary. Special requests such as bed types, smoking preference and connecting rooms are subject to availability. Room selection in all cases, unless otherwise reserved, is strictly at the discretion of the hotel's management on a run-of-house basis. The number of persons accommodated does not dictate the room size. All hotel rates are based on Sojuma Travel agreements with its suppliers and are not negotiable. Hotel check-in time is generally not before 3:00 p.m. and check-out time is usually prior to 11:00 am. Please be sure that adequate arrangements for accommodations have been taken into consideration when a late night flight is being used.
Air-Conditioning: Although available at most 4 and 5 star hotels, conditions and use of air-conditioning abroad differs greatly from the United States. Many European hotels were built before central air-conditioning was introduced. Air-conditioning is often shut down at night.
Cruises: In general, passengers may board ships not earlier than three hours and not later than one hour prior to departure. It is the passenger's responsibility to ensure a timely arrival at the port. Cabins are assigned within a general cabin category on run-of-ship basis. Sojuma cannot guarantee a specific assignment. Cabin assignments will be made available within 30 days of departure. Requests for dining room seating will be accepted by the maître d'hotel on sailing day. Sojuma will accept requests for dining time preference, but cannot guarantee confirmation prior to embarking. European river cruises (except in Russia) are single seating. Shore excursions may only be purchased aboard ship. Cruise itineraries and ships are subject to change without notice. Furthermore, cruise ships may be chartered and/or departure dates cancelled after the publication of this website, in which case all monies will be refunded. Sojuma takes no responsibility for ship substitutions or itinerary changes imposed by a cruise line.
Children: Please enquire about the Minimum Age Requirement for children on escorted or guided coach tours. There is no minimum age on independent packages. Discounts for children sharing a room as third apply to children under 12 unless otherwise specified.
Public Holidays: On dates including, but not limited to religious holidays and national celebrations, some monuments and sites may be closed. On these occasions, touring itineraries may be amended to reflect these closures.
Luggage: Most tour packages allow one piece of luggage per person and one carry-on bag. Excess luggage will be subject to charge of up to $100 per piece. The Travel Agent and/or Tour Operator, STI Travel, shall not be held responsible for any damage to or loss of luggage/personal items. All damage/loss must be reported at time of incident and documented in writing by local authorities for submission to the insurance company.
Responsibility: The responsibility of Sojuma and/or its agents is limited. Sojuma acts only as agents for the passengers in regard to travel on airline, motorcoach, vessel or other means of transportation, guide services, lodging, and restaurants, all of whom are independent contractors. We have no liability for any loss or damage occasioned by the negligence, act or omission of any supplier or other third party who are independent and do not act for or on behalf of Sojuma and with whom Sojuma has no relationship as joint venture or otherwise. Each passenger waives any claim against Sojuma for any delay, inconvenience or damage, loss of property or baggage or injury to or deaths of persons due to the acts or omissions of said third parties. Sojuma is not responsible or liable for any injury, damage, loss, accidents, delay, or indiscretion caused by acts of God, act of government or war, strikes, or other authorities de jure. In circumstances where liability of Sojuma cannot be excluded, such liability is limited to the value of the purchased travel arrangements. Sojuma reserves the right to decline any booking for any individual on any tour or other service and reserve the right to cancel or modify any part of the itinerary, or the carrier, or the aircraft utilized, or the hotel accommodations utilized, or boat charter, or any other at any given time.
Insurance Policy: Sojuma provides NO insurance for its clients due to loss. Insurance may be purchased through a third-party and is recommended. Clients are advised to obtain their own insurance for health while traveling and / or baggage loss. Insurance is also recommended to provide coverage to clients if refunds pursuant to the final payment and cancellation clause are unavailable due to the terms of that clause.
Use of Web Site: Agreement between Customer and Sojuma (www.sojuma.com) is offered to you, the customer, conditioned on your acceptance without modification of the terms, conditions, and notices contained herein. Your use of www.sojuma.com constitutes your agreement to all such terms, conditions, and notices. The information, products, and services published on this web site may include inaccuracies or typographical errors. Changes are periodically made to the information which appears here. The content of this site is not guaranteed to be complete, accurate, or available and may be changed at any time without notice. Sojuma may make improvements or changes on this web site at any time. In no event shall Sojuma be liable for any direct, indirect, punitive, incidental, special, or consequential damages arising our of, or in any way connected with, the use of this web site, or for any information, products, and services obtained through this web site, or otherwise arising out of the use of this web site.
Links to Other Web Sites: www.sojuma.com may contain hyperlinks to web sites operated by parties other than Sojuma. Such hyperlinks are provided for your reference only. Sojuma does not control such Web sites and is not responsible for their contents.