Be sure to read our terms and conditions!
Be sure to read our terms and conditions!
The contractual relationship between Celis-T'Seyen BV (hereinafter referred to as "Arruno Exploration"), with registered office at Stationlei 10, 2288 Bouwel, Belgium, company number BE0478.824.662, and the consumer (hereinafter referred to as the "Booker") is governed exclusively by these general terms and conditions, supplemented by the specific terms and conditions of the booked trip, the confirmation documents and any written agreements.
In case of contradiction between documents, the specific written agreement prevails over these general terms and conditions. Any terms and conditions of the Participant’s or Booker's own are expressly excluded, subject to express and written acceptance by Arruno Exploration. This is regardless of the Booker acting as a consumer (B2C) or as a professional party or organisation (B2B). Arruno Exploration reserves the right to amend these terms and conditions for future agreements, without affecting current contracts.
If the person booking or paying for the trip (the "Booker") is not the same as the Participant (hereinafter the "Participant"), it is assumed that the Booker is acting in the name and on behalf of the Participant. In this case, both Booker and Participant are jointly and severally liable for the obligations under this agreement. The Booker undertakes, if the Participant is another person, to ensure that the Participant complies with all obligations under this Agreement and that all information regarding the sailing trip (hereinafter the "Trip") flows through to the Participant(s) in a timely manner. In this case, the Booker also transfers all data of the Participant(s) to Arruno Exploration at least 14 days before departure. These details mean the items listed in "Article 11 - Obligations of the Participant" in this Agreement.
Participation is strictly personal. Replacement of a Participant is only possible with the express written consent of Arruno Exploration prior to the departure date.
Arruno Exploration organises adventurous sailing trips under the designations "Inspire" and "Sailtraining" for the B2C section and Exclusive Adventure for the B2B section, as described on the website www.arruno-exploration.be. These trips take place on board a private or chartered sailing yacht (hereinafter the "Ship").
If the Trip includes a training component, this is only part of the offer if expressly agreed and confirmed. Additional terms and conditions may apply to such training elements.
When purchasing products or services remotely, you as the booker normally have a 14-day reflection period to revoke the purchase. However, for trips and leisure activities that must take place on a specific date or in a specific period, the law makes an exception. This means that you do not have a legal right of withdrawal for booking an Inspire, Sailtraining or Exclusive Adventure trip on a fixed departure date. Once your trip has been confirmed by Arruno Exploration, the Agreement is binding on all parties. You can still cancel the trip thereafter according to the cancellation conditions in Article 6, but not free of charge based on the right of withdrawal.
Arruno Exploration may cancel the Trip before the departure date in exceptional cases. This will only happen if circumstances arise that make the execution of the Trip severely difficult or unsafe. Examples of such circumstances include:
In case of cancellation by Arruno Exploration due to any of the above reasons or a similar force majeure situation, we will notify you without delay. Arruno Exploration will - if possible - propose an alternative, e.g. the same trip on another date. If you do not want this alternative or no suitable alternative is available, you will be refunded the full amount paid by you for the trip. Further liability for any costs or damages resulting from the cancellation is excluded to the extent permitted by law. You are therefore not entitled to additional compensation in such cases. Naturally, we try to keep such cancellations to a minimum and will always seek a suitable solution in consultation with you.
Cancelling your booking: You may cancel your participation in or booking of the trip at any time by giving written notice (preferably by e-mail) to Arruno Exploration, info@arruno-exploration.be. This may however incur a cancellation fee as per the schedule below. The date of receipt of your cancellation by Arruno Exploration counts as the cancellation date.
24-hour reflection period: Immediately after booking, we offer you a short reflection period. Within 24 hours of your booking (or upon receipt of the booking
confirmation/invoice), you may cancel your trip free of charge. You will then receive a full refund of any amount already paid. This is an extra service from Arruno Exploration, separate from the legal right of cancellation (which does not apply to this Trip, see Article 4).
Cancellation fee: If you cancel later than 24 hours after booking, we will charge a cancellation fee. These charges depend on the time of cancellation in relation to the departure date of the Trip:
Clarification: If the Participant does not show up on the departure day without cancellation ("no show"), this is treated as a cancellation within 30 days before departure, for which a 100% cancellation fee will be applied.
Arruno Exploration has the right to offset the above cancellation charges against amounts already paid by you. What does this mean concretely? If you have already paid more than the cancellation fee due, we will refund the difference to your account within 14 days of your cancellation. If you have not yet paid the full trip price at the time of cancellation, you must pay the outstanding amount (the remainder of the cancellation fee) to Arruno Exploration within 14 days of the cancellation date.
Exceptions without cancellation fee: In certain special situations, you have the right to cancel your trip free of charge regardless of the above deadlines:
Exploration should increase the price of the Trip by more than 8% of the original trip price due to unforeseen cost increases, you may also cancel the Agreement without charge. In this case, you must indicate your wish to cancel within 14 days of our notification of the price increase. You will then receive a full refund of all amounts paid by you (see also Article 7 for more information on price changes).
Finally, we recommend that you consider appropriate cancellation insurance when booking for circumstances not covered by the above free cancellations, such as personal unforeseen events (illness, private circumstances, etc.). Such insurance can cover you for (part of) the cancellation costs if you are forced to cancel the trip yourself.
Transparency of the trip price: The price of your Inspire or Sailtraining trip is clearly communicated in advance, for example on our website, brochure and/or in an offer or confirmation e-mail. All rates quoted are inclusive of VAT and all compulsory taxes or charges, unless expressly stated otherwise. In the Trip description, we also indicate which items are included in the price (e.g. accommodation on board, crew guidance, basic meals if applicable) and which are not included. Examples of non-included costs may include transport to the embarkation location, travel and cancellation insurance, personal expenses, and any board cash for common boarding costs if applicable (such as meals on board, diesel, harbour fees). This way, you know in advance exactly what you are paying for and there will be no surprises.
The price for participation in an Exclusive Adventure trip is determined in an individual offer or via an explicit price agreement between the booker and Arruno Exploration. This price is binding and is considered agreed once the booking is confirmed by Arruno Exploration. All prices are exclusive of VAT, unless explicitly stated otherwise in the offer.
Any general price changes or adjustments communicated via the website or other channels after booking do not apply to any offers or agreements already made with the booker. Only the conditions and price as included in the individual offer or agreement between the parties apply to the relevant Exclusive Adventure trip.
Determination of prices: Once Arruno Exploration has confirmed your booking, the trip price for your booked trip is fixed and you will receive an invoice. We will not unilaterally increase the agreed price after the booking is final, except in the exceptional case of unforeseen external factors involving significant additional costs. Only in the event of such unforeseen cost increases - for example a sharp increase in fuel prices, new or increased government levies (such as port charges, VAT or tourist tax) or unfavourable exchange rate fluctuations that substantially increase the operational costs of the Trip - do we reserve the right to adjust the price accordingly. Any such price change will always be communicated to you in writing explaining the reason.
Limitation and conditions in case of price change: If we are forced to increase the price due to the aforementioned circumstances, the following conditions will apply to protect the customer: (1) Limits: a price increase can never exceed the actual additional costs and, in any case, not exceed 8% of the original travel price without your consent. (2) Deadline: any price increase will be implemented no later than 20 days before the departure date of the Trip. No price increase will be allowed within the last 20 days before departure. (3) Right to cancel: if the proposed price increase exceeds 8% of the trip price, you have the right to cancel free of charge, as described in Article 6, in which case you must let us know within 14 days after notification that you do not agree with the higher price and wish to cancel. You will then receive a full refund of what you have already paid. If you agree to the higher price (or do not respond within the specified period), the Agreement will remain in force at the adjusted price. In case of a limited price increase of 8% or less, free cancellation does not apply and the Trip will be executed at the new (slightly increased) price.
Price reductions: On the other hand, certain costs may decrease after confirmation (e.g. a reduction in taxes or fuel prices). In such a case, you are entitled to a proportionate price reduction. Arruno Exploration will reduce the trip price and refund any excess amount paid to you, after we have deducted reasonable administration costs (if any) for processing the refund. You will be informed should this occur.
Communication of rate changes: Any general price changes or promotional rates we may implement after your booking (for example, a subsequent discount promotion on our website for last-minute bookings) will not affect the price of your already booked Trip. You pay the price as confirmed at the time of your booking. You will therefore not have to pay an additional charge if the price subsequently increases, and conversely, a subsequent price reduction or promotion will not, with the exception of the cost reduction mentioned above, automatically entitle you to a refund of the difference for your already confirmed booking. In short, the agreed price on your confirmation invoice is final, subject to the exceptional adjustments mentioned above in accordance with this article.
The booker will receive an invoice upon confirmation of the booking. Payment of the trip price is made through Arruno Exploration's online booking system, which uses secure payment partners such as Trekksoft and Payyo. A deposit is required upon reservation. This deposit must be paid within three (3) weeks after confirmation of the reservation, after which the remaining amount must be paid no later than 60 days before the departure date.
If you do not pay on time, you will receive a reminder. If the payment is then not made in a timely fashion, we will consider this a cancellation by the Participant (see Article 6) and cancellation fees may be charged.
Late payment will automatically incur interest on arrears of 1% per month (each month started counting as full), as well as fixed damages of 15% of the outstanding amount, with a minimum of € 25. All collection costs shall be borne by the Participant.
If the trip price does not include a board cash, it must be paid on board in cash to the captain. The captain and crew are exempt from contributions to the board cash.
Arruno Exploration reserves the right to modify the trip if circumstances require it. Such causes may include, but are not limited to: bad weather, government instructions, medical emergencies, technical problems or safety risks. Such changes may include:
Arruno Exploration will not be liable for any additional costs or damages due to these changes, unless otherwise provided by law. If the trip is shortened by more than 3 days, you will receive compensation of €100 per day missed, up to a maximum of the original trip price.
Participation in the trip is entirely at your own risk. The Participant confirms that he/she is sufficiently informed about the risks associated with a trip (such as seasickness, injury, hypothermia, damage or loss of personal belongings).
Arruno Exploration is only liable in cases of serious fault or intent, and limits its liability in accordance with Belgian law. The maximum compensation is never higher than the trip sum paid, unless the law imperatively provides otherwise.
Arruno Exploration is not liable for:
If the Booker is not itself a Participant, the Booker expressly warrants that each Participant submits a signed waiver to Arruno Exploration, or an equivalent document of their own, no later than fourteen (14) days prior to departure. In it, the Participant confirms to have taken note of the General Terms and Conditions and to undertake to comply with them. Arruno Exploration provides an example waiver to the Booker.
Whatever the liability, only Arruno Exploration can be held liable, to the exclusion of any claims against directors or appointees, volunteers, other crew members, etc. of Arruno Exploration.
If the Booker is another person or organisation than the Participant, it is the responsibility of the Booker that all the information of Article 11 - Obligations of the Participant flows through to the Participant(s).
The Participant is obliged to be in possession of a valid identity document (passport or electronic identity card), and - if required - a visa, ETA (electronic travel authorisation) or other entry documents for the entire duration of the trip.
All documents must be valid for at least six months after the return date.
For travel outside the European Union or to the United Kingdom, an international passport is required, supplemented by a valid ETA if required. If the itinerary mentions a destination subject to specific administrative or immigration formalities (such as the United Kingdom or another country), it is the Participant's responsibility to comply with these in a timely and complete manner.
All costs for obtaining the required documents (passport, visa, ETA, etc.), as well as any costs or penalties resulting from the Participant's non-compliance with customs and immigration regulations, shall be borne by the Participant.
Without the required documents, the Participant may be refused entry to the ship without any right to a refund of the trip price.
Arruno Exploration is not liable for any costs or damages if the Participant is not allowed to start or continue the trip due to incomplete or incorrect travel documents.
Before participating in the trip, the Participant must declare that they are physically and mentally fit to take part in a sailing trip at sea, which includes exercise, limited facilities and changing weather conditions.
A fully and truthfully completed declaration of health is mandatory and must be delivered to Arruno Exploration no later than 14 days before departure. If the Participant fails to deliver this declaration on time or is incomplete, embarkation may be refused without entitlement to a refund of the trip price. The Booker guarantees that the Participant will communicate any physical or mental conditions or limitations known to him/her to Arruno Exploration prior to the commencement of the Trip and will also share this information himself/herself with the Captain on board, via the delivery of the mandatory declaration of health as described in this Agreement. If the Booker is an organisation that has its own declaration of health, this can be used, in consultation with Arruno Exploration. Arruno Exploration's health declaration can be found here.
If health problems occur before or during the Trip, the Participant must inform Arruno Exploration and/or the captain immediately. The captain is entitled to refuse or discontinue participation based on medical reasons and/or safety risks, also without the right to a refund.
In addition, the Participant must inform Arruno Exploration at least 7 days before departure if he/she follows a specific diet (e.g. vegetarian, lactose-free, allergies, etc.). Arruno Exploration will take dietary requirements into account to the best of its ability, but cannot offer any guarantees due to the limited storage and cooking facilities on board.
Need for specific medication must be reported in advance. The Participant provides his own personal medication of any kind. In emergency situations, the captain may call for help, at the Participant's risk and expense.
The Participant respects the authority of the captain and strictly observes the safety rules and instructions on board. Inappropriate behaviour, alcohol abuse, drug use or misconduct may result in exclusion from participation. The Booker will also forward these guidelines to the Participant(s)
The use of hard suitcases or boxes is prohibited and will be refused on board. Participants are requested to limit their luggage in function of comfort and safety and use suitcases that are easy to store.
The Participant is obliged to have a valid travel assistance insurance and/or cancellation insurance before the start of the trip that expressly covers:
The Participant must take out this insurance himself and can present proof of coverage to Arruno Exploration upon request. If the Participant has not taken out this insurance or covers what is required, participation is at his/her own risk.
Arruno Exploration has its own insurance for the risks associated with activities on board the ship. Among other things, this covers the nautical transport and the stay on board, within the limits of the applicable Belgian regulations and Arruno Exploration's insurance policy.
Arruno Exploration is not liable for any accidents, damages or costs arising from shore activities, medical incidents, cancellations or evacuations outside the coverage of its own insurance. The Participant indemnifies Arruno Exploration and its employees for any damages or claims beyond Arruno Exploration's own liability.
If the Participant voluntarily wishes to leave the trip early (e.g. for medical or personal reasons), this must be reported to the captain. Any additional costs (additional port charges, transport, fuel) shall be borne by the Participant. In this case, the Participant has no right to a refund of (part of) the trip price.
Arruno Exploration reserves the right to exclude a Participant or disembark early if:
In this case, no refund will be provided. Only in the event of unjustified exclusion, determined by a competent court, proportional compensation may be considered.
This agreement is exclusively governed by Belgian law. Disputes shall be settled by the competent court of the judicial district where Arruno Exploration is located.
Personal data are processed in accordance with Belgian and European privacy legislation (GDPR). For more info, please refer to our privacy policy at www.arruno-exploration.be.
Visual material (photos, video) taken during the trip may be used by Arruno Exploration for communication purposes, unless you object in writing in advance.
All notifications and communications under this agreement must be made by e-mail. If no confirmation is received within 24 hours, repeat by registered mail.
Join Arruno Exploration and stay informed!