Terms and Conditions

Additional cancellation penalties for special programs may be assessed in addition to the above; please see “Deposit and Final Payment” for more information. Please note the above penalties are provided on a per person basis. *Airline cancellation charges imposed upon receipt of full payment of either airfare and/or river cruise relating to AmaWaterways air promotions, and if airline tickets have been issued. Certain international airline tickets, including published air tickets, may be 100% non-refundable and details will be advised at the time of booking. All intra-Europe, intra-Colombia, intra-Asia, intra-Africa and intra-Egypt flights, as well as Amman-Cairo and Cairo-Tel Aviv flights are non-refundable at the time of purchase. Except as otherwise provided in your Passenger Ticket Contract, after travel begins, there is no refund for unused services, or unused portions of cruise, land packages or airfare.

Cancellation by AMA or withdrawal of sponsorship by Smithsonian Journeys. AMA reserves the right to cancel any cruise and/or Smithsonian reserves the right to withdraw its sponsorship from the cruise due to inability to operate the cruise, due to concerns about the comfort, safety, health or welfare of participants.

If a cruise is cancelled by AMA prior to departure, participants will receive a full refund of monies paid. If Smithsonian’s sponsorship is withdrawn from the cruise prior to departure, participant will have the option to continue with the cruise or receive a full refund of monies paid.

Cancellation by AMA while cruise is in progress: AMA Waterways will provide participants a pro-rated travel credit based on the number of days not completed on the cruise. If a Participant elects to leave a cruise in progress on their own volition, the participant will not receive any refund.

Changes to Your Reservation

Changes are subject to availability and cannot be guaranteed. If your reservation changes from double occupancy to single occupancy for any reason or at any time, you will be charged the single supplement.

Pricing: All prices are in US dollars. In the event that a cruise fare listed, quoted or advertised through any website, printed collateral, reservations person, travel advisor or any other source is booked, but is incorrect due to an electronic error, typographical error, human error or any other error causing the fare to be listed, quoted or advertised for an amount not intended by Smithsonian or AmaWaterways, we reserve the right to correct the erroneous fare by requesting the passenger pay the correct fare intended, or by canceling the cruise. Airfares, air taxes and air surcharges quoted on your invoice or by a reservation agent are only guaranteed once airfare deposit or full payment is received by AmaWaterways. We reserve the right to increase prices without notice.

What Is Included in the Cruise Price

Services of an experienced ship staff and crew, Smithsonian Journeys Expert(s) and local guides throughout the program.

Accommodations and meals as noted in itinerary (B-breakfast; L-lunch; R-reception; D-dinner).

Complimentary beverages as offered onboard include wine, beer, spirits, specialty coffee, tea, soft drinks, and mineral water.

Experiences on shore, activities, sightseeing, and visits led by local specialists and/or highly qualified guides as noted in the itinerary.

Internal airfare, if noted in the itinerary.

Pre-tour educational information, including a reading list.

All on-tour transportation, unless otherwise noted.

Group airport transfers at starting and ending points on international cruise in cities or places as offered by AmaWaterways

Personal listening devices and Wi-Fi on many tours

Prices Do Not Include: Published prices do not include airfare, transfers to and from your destination except as specified above, vessel fuel surcharges if levied, passport and visa fees, baggage fees, travel protection, vaccinations, laundry, meals not included in the itinerary, premium alcohol, optional experiences on shore, gratuities for onboard personnel (ship staff, crew, Cruise/Tour Manager) or other items or services of a personal nature.

Non-US citizens must consult the appropriate consulates regarding visa and other document requirements. Obtaining required visas and any other required travel documentation and assuring these are complete and correct in all ways, is the sole responsibility of each participant. We are not in a position to obtain or verify the accuracy or completeness of any participant’s visa or other required documentation and shall not be responsible or liable for delay or missed portion of any part of the itinerary or other problems resulting from the participant lacking the appropriate travel documentation.

Travel Documents: Only after receipt of full payment, final Digital Travel Documents (including airline confirmation information, if applicable) will be sent via email, approximately 3-4 weeks prior to departure. (Delay in final payment will delay delivery of Digital Travel Documents.) Requests for expedited Digital Travel Documents may be possible for an additional charge.

Single/Shared Accommodations

A limited number of single rooms/cabins are available at an extra cost (a single supplement) on a first-come, first-served basis.

FLIGHTS & AIRPORT TRANSFERS

Flight Schedules & Airfares: AmaWaterways offers special airfares based on the flight and seat availability of contracted carriers. AmaWaterways are able to accept a traveler’s choice of preferred air carrier, flight schedule, and some deviations so long as the requests are made at the time of booking the airline reservation. To hold/confirm an airline reservation, the airlines require your full legal name as it appears on your passport. For contract airline fares, a non-refundable deposit of $350 per person for Economy and Premium Economy class or $600 per person for Business and First-class tickets is required to issue ticket(s) within 24 hours after reservation is made. Any quoted price is not guaranteed until airline is ticketed. (When changes are requested by the guest, such as name or date changes, or if an airline-imposed schedule change is not accepted prior to ticketing, quoted price is not guaranteed. Once your airline tickets have been issued, any changes will be subject to penalty, and any applicable fare differential, if not cancelled within 24 hours of ticketing. Any itineraries that include intra-air flights require a non-refundable deposit (also applies to combination cruises). Should the name on your airline reservation not match your passport exactly, your airline reservation will have to be cancelled, full penalties will be assessed, and your reservation will have to be recreated subject to market pricing at the time of the new reservation. Any air schedules provided by AmaWaterways are subject to change without notice as imposed by the Carrier due to reasons beyond our control. Airfares in conjunction with promotional offers are subject to specific terms as outlined with offer details.

Air tickets are Economy class. Upgrading to Premium Economy, Business or First class is possible for an additional charge pursuant to the terms and conditions of the relevant airline(s). AmaWaterways guarantees upgrades for long-haul flights, but not U.S. domestic flights, intra-Europe, intra-Colombia, intra-Asia, flights. Upgrades may not be possible when an air carrier changes the schedule, aircraft type, experiences a strike, overbooking or flight interruption of any kind. Air carriers reserve the right to do all the above. In such cases, all claims for airfare adjustment must be requested directly to the air carrier.

Air carriers require the passenger name to appear on the airline ticket exactly it appears on the passport. If it does not match exactly, we shall not be responsible or liable for the consequences which could include re-issue fees or denial of boarding. We shall not be responsible or liable for costs resulting from airline schedule changes, lost air ticket, delay, disruption or cancelled flight, lost or damaged baggage, missed connections, downgrades, denied boarding or voluntarily buying replacement tickets. Should a replacement ticket be purchased without collaboration or approval with an AmaWaterways representative, this cost will be incurred to the guest alone and we will have no obligation to refund the cost of any new ticket purchased. In any of these instances, claim must be made directly with the air carrier (and air carrier alone) for any requested reimbursement. In the event any situations as noted occur whilst traveling, AmaWaterways Emergency team will attempt to accommodate and book an alternative, however this cannot be guaranteed and the final accommodation provided will be at the sole discretion of the airline carrier. Once airline check in is completed and/or tickets have been reissued by the airline (at any time during the booking process), AmaWaterways will be limited to making further changes on a guest’s air tickets as the airline will have sole control of the guest’s PNR and/or ticket after this time and all changes must be handled directly with the airline by the guest. This is also the case for any post travel resolution or reimbursement requests for air – these must be directed to the air carrier by the guest and AmaWaterways is not able to assist as traveler must initiate all claims directly. Airline responses and subsequent resolutions may take up to 9 months or more if the airline is willing to consider the request. We recommend that in all situations as listed above, all receipts are retained for costs for submission of claims to the guest’s insurance company, should these situations be deemed a coverable reason under their insurance policy.

AmaWaterways will endeavor to book guests traveling together on conjunction bookings on the same air schedule where possible if the requests are made at the time of booking the airline reservation. All requests are subject to availability, at time of booking, and with the full knowledge by AmaWaterways that guests are requesting to be booked on the same schedule. As airline-imposed schedule changes are beyond our control, we cannot guarantee airline protection will be the same for all guests traveling together and as such, in the event of a schedule change, guests on conjunction bookings, may be protected on different flights accordingly.

Changes: Airline tickets issued by AmaWaterways have restrictions and cannot be reissued, transferred, or exchanged. Any changes whatsoever made to an airline ticket will incur a minimum $350 per ticket change fee for Economy and Premium Economy class ($600 for Business and First class), plus any additional increase in the cost of the airfare. A change or refund request for tickets purchased through AmaWaterways must be made through AmaWaterways but may not be possible. Once a trip commences, only the date of the return flight ticket can be modified for $350 per ticket change fee for Economy and Premium Economy class ($600 per ticket for Business and First class). Other changes may require purchase of a new ticket. The original return air ticket has no residual value.

Limitation on Special Requests & Frequent Flyer Numbers: AmaWaterways will try to relay requests for special meals, adding frequent flyer numbers or for seat assignments, etc. However, confirmation of any request rests solely with the airline and the passenger or travel advisor must always confirm directly with the airline. It is recommended that each passenger provide their frequent flyer number to the airline at the time of check-in. Please note that, in some cases, airline tickets issued by AmaWaterways have restrictions that may not allow credit in part or whole for frequent flyer miles, in which case AmaWaterways will notify you at the time of your reservation. Participants are encouraged to also check with the air carrier directly.

Baggage: Checked and carry-on baggage are subject to restrictions that usually involve weight, size and/or number of pieces. Please check with the respective airline regarding baggage policies. We shall not be responsible or liable for costs or consequences for exceeding the airline’s baggage restrictions, or for loss, theft, damage or delay to passenger’s baggage.

*Airport Transfers: Airport transfers will be provided at specific times on the scheduled arrival date between the airport and the ship or hotel, and on the scheduled departure date between the hotel or ship and the airport as offered by AmaWaterways. Please note: our group airport transfer service may involve some waiting time. Individual airport transfers can be purchased for those guests who are scheduled to arrive/depart at different times than the scheduled airport transfers; please ask for details.

* Complimentary airport transfers are available for guests arriving on the set arrival dates or departing on the set departure dates, of the AmaWaterways cruise only itinerary. This inclusion is only applicable to those guests who are able to meet at scheduled group departure times to join the transfer and as long as flight details are provided no later than 30 days prior to departure. To provide your flight details, please call AmaWaterways on +1 (888) 928-0216 to arrange.

Changes in Cruise and Cruise & Land Itineraries: Carrier seeks to provide services as published or stated in the Digital Travel Documents. But deviations to planned cruise, cruise & land itinerary or any other aspects of the travel may occur. If conditions make cruise routes unsafe for navigation or in other respects, or raise sufficient doubt about safety, Carrier reserves the right to modify or provide alternate services. These may include, but are not limited to, providing accommodation on the docked ship and/or substituting ground arrangements. An effort will be made to try to arrange elements of the cruise and cruise & land itineraries similar to those originally planned, but the level of similarity may vary. Except as otherwise provided in your Passenger Ticket Contract, such changes will not entitle you to any credit or a refund. Cruise, cruise & land itineraries, and all other aspects of the cruise and travel are subject to change with or without notice.

Hotel Accommodations: We will seek to use hotels listed (if any) on your confirmation. Changes may be necessary; therefore, use of such hotels is not assured. An effort will be made to substitute similar hotels, but the level of similarity may vary. Standard policy for hotels is to have rooms available for check-in no earlier than 3:00 p.m. Subject to the discretion of the hotel, triple-occupancy hotel accommodations may involve the use of hotel rooms with just two beds. Only those guests who have elected to take our Cruise & Land program on the brochure itinerary dates will receive transfers between the hotel(s) and the ship.

Cancellation by Carrier: Carrier reserves the right to cancel, change or postpone any cruise departure date and itinerary. In the event of a complete cancellation of a departure by Carrier, we will refund monies paid for the cruise or cruise & land package to those participants who have not previously cancelled. See Passenger Ticket Contract for further details.

Personal Changes: Except as otherwise provided in the Passenger Ticket Contract, participant’s deviation from the published itinerary for any reason will not entitle participant to any reduction in charge. Participant will bear a full charge for any unused services.

Youth & Minor Guest Policy: All guests under the age of 18 are to be in a stateroom with an adult and must remain supervised at all times; their safety is the responsibility of the accompanying adult(s). In the case where a triple or quad occupancy stateroom is not available or not selected, children under the age of 10 at the time of embarkation may share a stateroom with two adults only in circumstances where the child is able to share the bed with the adults – no additional bed will be provided. Please be aware that balcony staterooms of any kind may be unsafe for minors if left unsupervised. There is a minimum age limit of 4 years old, unless otherwise agreed upon by AmaWaterways. Children under the age of 5 are not recommended on any program. On our African and Southeast Asian Cruise programs, due to safety precautions, there is a minimum age limit of 12 years old, unless otherwise agreed upon by AmaWaterways. AmaWaterways does not provide child-specific programs or child-minding facilities.

Participants with Disabilities: Because the tours offered occur in various countries, accessible facilities may not be available on board or in many places visited on the cruises and cruise tours we offer. If you (participant) have a disability and reasonable accommodation may enable you to use the services, please let us know how you believe we can help. Participant are requested to inform us in writing, at or immediately after making the reservation, but in any event as early as possible, of any mobility impairment or other condition, whether physical, emotional or mental, which may require accommodation or use of an assistive device during the travel. A reasonable effort will be made to accommodate special needs, but we are not responsible for denial of service by Carriers, hotels, or other independent Suppliers. Depending on the applicable law, a participant, who, due to impairment, is not self-sufficient, may need to travel with a companion who shall take responsibility for assistance needed during travel and in case of emergency. An individual with a disability that would result in a direct threat to the health and safety of others or to that individual may be excluded, if it is determined there is a significant risk that cannot be eliminated or reduced to an acceptable level by reasonable accommodations, policies, practices, procedures assistive devices or services. If participant fails to timely inform us of any impairment or condition and/or their participation poses a safety risk to participant or direct health or safety threat to others, participant may be excluded from parts or all of the travel. We will make reasonable efforts to accommodate disabilities but shall have no liability to participant relating to any condition, treatment, or failure to inform us of an impairment, or resulting exclusion.

Due to medical safety guidelines, we are unable to accommodate passengers who will enter their 24th week of pregnancy by the time of the cruise.

Medical: Medical doctors are not available on any vessel. If medical services are required, efforts to contact local medical providers will be made. A participant requiring such assistance is solely responsible for all related charges. We will not be responsible or liable for sufficiency of our efforts to reach medical providers, unavailability, delay, quality or other aspect of any such services. Participant is encouraged at time of booking and well before departure, to review participant’s health and medical conditions and insurance and consult participant’s health care and insurance providers regarding needs and scope of coverage for any incident or need that may occur during travel, and to obtain supplemental health and medical insurance for the travel, as needed. In the event the participant becomes sufficiently incapacitated as to be unable to direct his or her own care, there is no one on the tour who can direct participant’s care, and we are unable to contact participant’s emergency contact, the participant, by registering and paying a deposit for this cruise, authorizes the provision of emergency medical treatment in the event of any injury or illness while participating in the tour including, but not limited to, X-ray, examination, anesthetic, medical or surgical diagnosis, or treatment and hospital care. In addition, the participant certifies that they have medical insurance which will cover personal accidents, medical expenses, loss of effects, and all other expenses which might arise as a result of loss, damage, injury, delay or inconvenience occurring to the participant, and that in the absence of this medical insurance coverage, or for costs not covered by this medical insurance coverage, the participant agrees to pay all costs of rescue and/or medical services as may be incurred on the participant’s behalf.

Inoculations and Medical Preparation: Please contact your personal physician or local health department prior to travel for further detailed information and recommended precautionary measures.

Smoking: Smoking is only permitted on the ship’s Sun Deck in the designated smoking area.

Diet: Special dietary requests must be provided to us in the pre-trip documents you will be asked to complete in advance of your departure. We are able to accommodate most requests (e.g., Gluten free, vegetarian, allergies, etc.), and will do our best to meet your request.

Photography and Video

We reserve the right to take photographs or videos (or audio) during the cruise for the educational and promotional purposes of the Smithsonian or AMA. This content may be used for promotional or commercial use. By making a reservation on a cruise, the guest agrees to allow his/her likeness to be used by Smithsonian or AMA without compensation to the guest. Participants who prefer that their voice and/or image not be used must notify us in writing prior to the beginning of the cruise.

Copyright in all photographs, video, and related materials created by a participant (“Participant Content”) belongs to the participant upon creation. The participant grants to Smithsonian and AMA a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable license to use any Participant Content provided to Smithsonian and/or AMA in any media for editorial, educational and/or promotional use.

California Seller of Travel Law: AMA is registered with the California Attorney General, California Seller of Travel Program as AmaWaterways LLC, registration number CST 2065452-20. Registration as a seller of travel does not constitute approval by the State of California. This transaction is covered by the California Travel Consumer Restitution Fund (TCRF) if we were registered and participating in TCRF at the time of sale and you are located in California at the time of payment.

Privacy Policy

Smithsonian Journeys privacy policy can be found at www.smithsonianjourneys.org/privacy.

The AmaWaterways privacy policy can be found at Privacy Policy - AmaWaterways.

Dispute Resolution

Smithsonian Journeys and AmaWaterways promote an environment that values inclusivity, respect, and integrity. By participating in this tour, you agree to act in accordance with these values in your interactions with fellow travelers, tour staff and other service staff, and the public.

By confirming the reservation with payment, the guest/ travel advisor acknowledges that they are aware of and will comply with these Terms and Conditions.