The following Booking Terms and Conditions must be reviewed carefully as they constitute a binding agreement between the customer and 56th Parallel. There is no verbal or written representation of the terms and conditions other than what is expressed here. Booking a tour with 56th Parallel indicates acceptance of these Booking Terms and Conditions as outlined.
56th Parallel Pty Ltd, trading As 56th Parallel, hereinafter in some places called ‘The Company’ is a full member of ATAS (the AFTA Travel Accreditation Scheme) and CATO (Council of Australian Tour Operators).
’56th Parallel’ means 56th Parallel Pty Ltd (ACN 155 256 563).
‘Conditions’ means these Terms and Conditions.
‘Customer’ means a person, firm or corporation seeking to acquire Services from 56th Parallel’ and if there is more than one of these, these Conditions bind them jointly and each of them separately.
‘Departure Date’ means the start date scheduled for the Customer to depart at the starting destination point of the Travel Arrangements.
‘Travel Arrangements’ means the travel arrangements made by 56th Parallel including all products and services.
‘Custom itinerary’ or ‘Custom travel arrangements’ means creating a personalised travel itinerary using Company destination expertise, either based on amending an existing 56th parallel travel product/s or creating travel itineraries from scratch.
‘Material Alteration’ means a material change to the Travel Arrangements as determined at the sole discretion of 56th Parallel.
‘Products’ means individual components of travel Arrangements, such as Itinerary, Tours and Programs.
‘Services’ means the booking and payment services provided by 56th Parallel in relation to Program and Itinerary arrangements.
‘Suppliers’ means the party that is responsible for providing the individual Products or Services.
‘Tax Invoice’ means a tax invoice which complies with the definition contained in section 29-70 of the Act or any amending legislation.
2.1 The Conditions apply exclusively to every contract for Services by the Company to the Customer and cannot be varied or supplanted by any other condition unless expressly accepted in writing by 56th Parallel.
2.2 Acceptance – Full Payment or a payment of a Deposit indicates the Customer’s acceptance of the Conditions outlined here.
2.3 A contract with the Company is in effect from the date the Company receives Customer booking form and/or a deposit payment, all Conditions apply.
3.1 Quotes – will be provided in relation to a price for the Travel Arrangements. The quote is valid for a period of 7 days.
3.2 Deposit – a deposit of 25% (or another amount as advised) is required to secure a booking.
3.3 Confirmation – a Confirmation document will be issued with the details of final payments and Itinerary.
3.4 Late Bookings – Bookings made within 59 days or less (if not advised otherwise) of a Departure Date are subject to a late booking fee of $100 per booking.
3.5 Final Payment – Must be received by 56th Parallel (Bank account) no later than 60 days prior to the Tour Departure Date.
4.1 All prices are per person in US Dollars unless otherwise specified or arranged with 56th parallel. Prices are subject to the quote provided or as specified on the website.
4.2 Travel Arrangement prices are quoted for the entire package and itemised component costs will not be provided.
4.3 Travel Arrangements – the price may be based on travel products being booked in groups, and accordingly, Customers must travel together throughout the Travel Arrangements.
4.4 Custom Travel Arrangements – travel arrangements which require building a custom/tailor made itinerary will attract a service fee of $250.
4.5 Surcharges – the price of the Travel Arrangements is subject to the possibility of surcharges. Surcharges may be incurred (without limitation) in connection with: currency exchange rate fluctuations, increases in Product prices, fuel levies, scheduled airfares, hotel and ground transportation charges, parks entrance fees and any other increases in connection with the Travel Arrangement.
4.6 Where there is any change in the costs incurred by 56th Parallel in providing the Services, 56th Parallel may vary its price to account for such change by notifying the Customer, whether or not the Customer has made full payment.
4.7 Changes in the US Dollar – the financial commitments 56th Parallel undertakes in order to offer the Price Increase Guarantee mean that reductions in prices cannot be made if the US dollar strengthens.
4.8 Products not utilised – no refunds are made in respect of Products not utilised, for example, meals and sightseeing excursions.
4.9 Goods & Services not Included – the following are excluded from the Travel Arrangements price: International Airfares, arrival and/or departure taxes, fuel levies and surcharges, passport and visa costs, travel insurance, personal expenditure including drinks, laundry, room services, meals and gratuities, unless expressly included.
*It is a condition of booking that you accept the above arrangements concerning possible price fluctuations.
*Prices are based on twin share accommodation unless otherwise specified.
5.1 Full and Final Payment – must be received by 56th Parallel no later than 60 days prior to the Tour Departure Date.
5.2 Where bookings are made less than 60 days before the Departure Date, full payment must be made at the time of booking.
5.3 Online Payment Security Policy – When purchasing from the Company online, your financial details are passed through a secure server using the latest 256-bit SSL (secure socket layer) encryption technology. 256-bit SSL encryption is approximated to take at least one trillion years to break and is the industry standard. If you have any questions regarding our privacy policy, please contact customer support [email protected].
6.1 The Company will endeavor to assist if the Customer requests an amendment to the Travel Arrangement booking up to 60 days prior to the Departure Date subject to the following:
Amendment Charge – Fees of $75 per change will apply to any customer requesting a change to a confirmed booking.
Additional Charges – all other expenses incurred by 56th Parallel may also be payable by the Customer at 56th Parallel discretion.
Any charges arising from a request for amendments are payable by the Customer whether or not 56th Parallel is successful in confirming the requested amendment.
7.1 Any cancellation by a Client must be made in writing and be acknowledged by the Company in writing. The date on which the request to cancel is received by the Company or its Agents will determine the cancellation fees applicable.
7.2 Charges – the following charges in the table below are payable by the Customer in accordance with the number of days prior to the Departure Date following notice being received by the Company:
General tours:
| Days prior to Departure Date | Non-refundable of the total cost |
| 61 days or more prior to departure | 25% |
| 60-31 days prior to departure | 50% |
| 30 days or less prior to departure | 100% |
Expeditions and voyages:
| Days prior to Departure Date | Non-refundable of the total cost |
| 180 days prior or more to the departure | 5% or $750 whichever is greater |
| 179 – 91 days or more prior to departure | 25% |
| 90 days or less prior to departure | 100% |
Trans-Siberian and rail journeys:
| Days prior to Departure Date | Non-refundable of the total cost |
| 120 days prior or more to the departure | 25% |
| 119 – 61 days or more prior to departure | 50% |
| 60 days or less prior to departure | 100% |
7.3 The Company takes no responsibility for any cancellation of services the Customer makes directly with hotels, airlines, local tour leaders or representatives, or other local suppliers regardless of whether the written proof is received by the Company.
7.4 Any partial cancellation of individual services that form part of the complete booking will at the discretion of the Company be subject to cancellation charges as above.
7.5 In some cases, services may require full payment prior to any reservations being made, and may thereafter be non-refundable. In any such case, the Company will notify the Customer of these conditions in Company quotes and documentation. Any amendment request for non-refundable services will be treated as a cancellation. No refunds will be made if the Customer fails to show up for the service as confirmed.
8.1 The Company may treat a booking as canceled and levy cancellation charges if the Customer does not pay the balance of the Travel Arrangements price at least 30 days prior to the Departure Date.
8.2 The Company has the right in the case of force majeure (e.g. war, uprising, natural disasters, abnormal/exceptional weather and ice conditions, legal stipulations of the local/regional authorities, and other “acts of God”) to cancel the trip. The Company may not be held liable for any claims made due to force majeure. If a trip is canceled due to a force majeure event then the Company may:
(a) offer the Customer alternative Travel Arrangements or Products of comparable standard as may be appropriate in the circumstances; or
(b) if alternative Travel Arrangements or Products are not offered by 56th Parallel, 56th Parallel will refund monies paid by the Customer, minus any unrecoverable costs.
8.3 The Company may charge a reasonable fee to cover the administration costs associated with providing alternative Travel Arrangements or Products.
8.4 Material Alteration – if a Material Alteration becomes necessary within 60 days of the Departure Date for any reason other than the circumstances described in clause 8.2, the Company will endeavor to offer comparable products or a full refund of all monies paid by the Customer.
8.5 The Company reserves the right to cancel the planned trip up to 30 days before the Departure Date if the minimum number of participants has not been achieved.
9.1 Booking Agent – the Company acts as a booking agent for the Suppliers of Products and Services. The Company accepts no liability for any injury, loss, damage, accident, delay or irregularity that may arise to any Customer or third party resulting from the Customer’s or third party’s use of the Products. The Company makes reasonable enquiries to determine that Suppliers provide appropriate Products, but the Company is not responsible for the Products or their standards.
9.2 Except as specifically set out herein, any term, condition or warranty in respect of the quality, merchantability, fitness for purpose, condition, description, specification or performance of the Products or Services, whether implied by statute, common law, trade usage, custom or otherwise, is hereby expressly excluded.
9.3 Circumstances Beyond the Control – if the Company is unable to provide the Travel Arrangements as illustrated, or any Product agreed to be provided, it is not liable for any injury, loss, damage, accident, delay or irregularity arising to the Customer or any third party.
9.4 Loss – the Company is not liable for and accepts no responsibility for any direct or indirect loss, financial loss, consequential loss, loss of enjoyment, pain and suffering, damage, injury, accident delay or irregularity occasioned to the Customer, whether caused by act, omission, negligence or otherwise, while undertaking a Travel Arrangement, using the Services or arising from any booking.
9.5 The Customer acknowledges and accepts that different places, countries, facilities and tour operators may have lower standards of safety, labelling, warnings and precautions. The Customer is responsible for maintaining personal diligence and safety notwithstanding the level of standards. The Company is not liable for any loss, damage, injury or death that could be avoided if the Australian standards were to apply.
9.6 Nothing in the Conditions is to be interpreted as excluding, restricting or modifying the application of any relevant State or Federal legislation which cannot be excluded, restricted or modified.
By booking with The Company you acknowledge that participation in any tour or expedition involves risks above and beyond those encountered on a more conventional or less demanding holiday. Such risks include, but are not limited to, the possibility of injury or death, psychological trauma, disease, loss or damage to property, inconvenience and discomfort.
The Company uses information from its third party suppliers and representatives, as well as advice from the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade, and Government Travel Advisories of the destination countries when assessing whether or not tours or expeditions will operate. Before commencing your tour or expedition, it is your responsibilities to familiarise yourself with these travel advisories, as well as that of your country of residence. You fully accept and assume these potentially elevated risks of travel, as well as your obligations under this clause, and you release The Company from any liabilities connected to these risks to the maximum extent permitted by law.
The Customer understands that The Company contracts with a number of third-party suppliers and individuals who assist with the running of or fully operate tours and expeditions and that The Company does not operate in their own name, but acts as an agent for these third parties. The Company is not responsible for the acts and omissions of these third parties. Further, the Company is not responsible for any damages, injuries, incident or financial losses caused by a third party either it is in person or goods. Any such claim needs to be raised directly with the relevant third party.
While 56th Parallel cannot force the clients to purchase travel insurance, the Company reserve the right to only provide services to the clients who have adequate travel insurance coverage. 56th Parallel strongly recommends that the customer insure themselves against loss of deposit, trip cancellation charges, medical expenses and loss of personal possessions or any other foreseeable loss or expense.
Visa Requirements – It is the Customer’s responsibility to ensure that they hold valid passports, visa and permits that meet the immigration and governmental requirements for the Russian Federation.
14.1 Medical Conditions – The Customer must advise 56th Parallel In writing by filling the booking form of any pre-existing medical conditions that might reasonably be expected to affect the Travel Arrangements.
14.2 Health Issues – It is the Customer’s responsibility to obtain any vaccinations or health precautions applicable to the Russian Federation.
56th Parallel Tour Guides act as Company representatives who have the authority to make decisions in order to ensure that all trips and tours are successful. Tour Guides reserve the right to terminate this contract or cancel a Customer’s participation in a trip if a Customer does not comply with provided guidelines, compromises the trip or endangers the safety of others.
16.1 A notice by the Customer must be in writing and may be delivered by hand, sent by prepaid mail or by electronic means such as e-mail to the address or number specified.
16.2 A notice is treated as given to 56th Parallel, when:
if hand delivered, when delivered;
if sent by prepaid mail, when received;
if by e-mail, when the e-mail is sent.
17.1 If you have any complaint about your trip, you must make it known at the earliest opportunity to the Tour Guide, who will normally be able to take appropriate action.
17.2 If at the end of the trip you feel your complaint has not been properly dealt with you must notify 56th Parallel in writing within 14 days of the end of your trip.
18.1 These Conditions are governed by and are to be construed in accordance with the laws of the State of NSW and Australia.
18.2 Each party irrevocably and unconditionally submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Courts and Tribunal of NSW and Courts entitled to hear appeals from those Courts and Tribunals.
19.1 Any information the Company obtains from the Customer or its representative is necessary for Company business purposes or providing the Customer with Company goods and services, and may be used in answering any queries the Customer may have; considering the Customer’s application for credit or to become a Customer; performing internal administration and operations; developing, improving and marketing the Company products and services; and any directly related purposes.
19.2 56th Parallel will not disclose any personal information to any other party without the consent of the Customer except to the Suppliers, a related entity or adviser of 56th Parallel or where 56th Parallel is otherwise required by law to do so. The Customer may access the personal information on written request to 56th Parallel.
20.1 The Company failure to enforce any of these Conditions shall not be construed as a waiver of any of the Company rights.
20.2 If any Condition is unenforceable it shall be read down to be enforceable or, if it cannot be read down, the condition shall be severed from the Conditions without affecting the enforceability of the remaining conditions.
Note: Specific programs may have different Terms & Conditions, which will be advised at the time of booking.
If you have any urgent questions or enquiries, please give us a call +61 412 587 785