BOOKING CONDITIONS
GENERAL
CONDITIONS OF CARRIAGE
MARINE MAMMAL INTERACTIONS
By booking with Carino Wildlife Cruises, you have agreed to the terms and conditions outlined here. If you have booked for a group, it is your responsibility to ensure that other people in the group are aware of the terms and conditions before they board.
GENERAL
- All bookings not made locally should be reconfirmed either the day before departure or 24 hours prior to departure.
- Carino Wildlife Cruises reserve the right to alter prices, cancel any departures and vary itineraries in the interest of passenger safety and comfort.
- All departures are subject to demand, sea and weather conditions
- There is no guarantee of dolphins. Carino operates with a Department of Conservation permit however for the protection of Dolphins and other marine mammals; all interaction with them is governed by the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
- No Smoking: smoking is not permitted on any cruises, including e-cigarettes.
- To the extent permitted by law, all our liability for damages to your property, disruptions to travel plans or mental injury is excluded. This exclusion is subject to rights or remedies you have under the Consumer Guarantees Act 1993.
- All prices are in New Zealand dollars and include GST. Prices are subject to change without notice.
- Children’s fare 4-14yrs old. All children must be accompanied by a paying adult tour. This tour is not suitable for children under 4.
CONDITIONS OF CARRIAGE
DEPARTURE
- We do not guarantee that your tour will take place at the scheduled time. Schedules may change without notice for a variety of reasons including, but not limited to, bad weather and technical disruptions. Scheduled times do not form part of your contract with us.
- All departures are subject to demand, sea and weather conditions. The weather is a big factor and we will not depart if there is a gale or severe wind warning in force, for the safety of all passengers
- Passengers must be present at the Paihia wharf 15 minutes prior to scheduled departure. There is no refund available for those passengers who arrive late. The boat will not be held for you if you arrive late at the departure point.
- Dress for the conditions: Layered clothing works best. Bring a warm jacket, hat and sunglasses, swim wear and sunblock recommended
CANCELLATION POLICY
- Cancellations must be received by us 24hrs before day of departure, for 100% refund. Passenger who have not cancelled before this are considered “no shows” and no refunds are available
MINIMUM NUMBERS
- All trips require a minimum number to depart. In the event that adequate numbers cannot be achieved, it may be necessary to cancel a scheduled departure and to offer the nearest possible alternative date (or a full refund of monies paid).
WEATHER/CANCELLATION
- We reserve the right to cancel or change a tour at any time in the interests of passenger safety. Weather and sea conditions can change quickly, and this may alter the status of your tour at any time.
- In the event of such a cancellation, we will refund passengers if they are unable to come on another day. Those passengers who have booked online or through third-party booking agents please refer to the booking confirmation documents they have provided for details on how to claim your refund.
- It is the responsibility of the customer to check that their tour is running and Carino Wildlife Cruises will not be held liable for any costs incurred because of the customer not being aware of a cancelled tour.
- Sailing can be adventurous when the wind is up. If asked to do something, please do as requested. At any time if you are not comfortable or feel unsafe please advise your crew. The cruise can be adjusted so that all passengers have a good time.
CHILDREN
- Children are the Parent/Guardian’s responsibility: Children must be under continuous adult supervision for the duration of the charter, and all activities
HEALTH AND SAFETY / MEDICAL CONDITIONS
- We may refuse to carry you if we, are not completely satisfied that it is practicable and safe for you to participate in the tour. Before you make any booking, you must tell us if you (including all participants in your booking) suffer from any illness, disease or other mobility or medical condition which may make it impracticable or unsafe for you or other passengers to participate in the tour, or if you think you could be affected by adverse sea and weather conditions.
- We reserve the right to withdraw any person who in our opinion is likely to endanger themselves or others. We also reserve the right to cancel the cruise if we become concerned for any reason for your safety or that of any other person
- You are obligated to notify us then of any medical condition affecting your general health or mental ability before the activity. Those considered not medically able to be safely involved in a strenuous activity will be deemed ineligible for this activity. This is a legal requirement under New Zealand Maritime law.
- Listen carefully to all safety briefing: Your Captain and crew will give you safety briefings on board Carino NZ. Pay close attention. These rules are in place for your comfort and ultimate safety, so please abide by them.
- Carino Wildlife Cruises will not be held liable for any personal injuries, equipment loss or damage sustained while traveling on any of our cruises. Nor liable for any costs incurred as a result of disruption to travel plans which may occur.
- To ensure maximum safety and enjoyment of the tour by yourself and other passengers you must follow all reasonable instructions given by our staff before, during and after the tour and you agree that you will ensure that any children in your care do the same. You are responsible for the safety and protection of your own personal possessions at all times.
- To participate in swimming you must be able to swim competently in open water: Keep in mind that swimming activities are not supervised or guided by Captain/crew therefore it is your own responsibility to ensure personal safety. Children under the age of 16 must be supervised by a parent or guardian at all times.
- Please stick to the island tracks outlined in the island brief, do not deviate from the Captain’s instruction, and be sure to keep an eye on the time. Your Skipper will advise you of time to return, do not be late back. This is not a guided activity; it is your own responsibility to ensure personal safety.
- Passenger safety information- Snorkelling can be a strenuous physical activity which may increase health and safety risk for persons suffering from medical conditions – stress from sudden exposure to cold water, panic or strenuous activity can aggravate some medical conditions, and certain medical condition such as heart disease may result in cardiac arrest and death.
- Vegetarian option must be chosen when making the booking. ANY SERIOUS FOOD ALLERGIES, VEGAN OR SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS will need to be catered for yourself to ensure your personal safety.
FILM, PHOTOGRAPHY, VIDEO USE
- Due to the nature of this tour, there will be a lot of photography and video being taken. By travelling on this tour, you have accepted that images all passengers will be taken and will potentially be used on social media platforms. If you have young children or have specific concerns, you must raise these with the Captain and Crew BEFORE departure.
- We often take photographs and videos for use in Social Media and Advertising. Acceptance of these terms and conditions means you agree to the use of those images of yourself being used by Carino Wildlife Cruises for the above purposes. Should you not wish to be included please feel free to let us know on board
MARINE MAMMAL INTERACTIONS
We are proud to be a tourism operator in the Bay of Islands who is licenced by the Department of Conservation to interact with marine mammals.
Interaction is strictly limited by the rules of the licence and we take this responsibility very seriously.
There is no guarantee of dolphins. Carino operates with a Department of Conservation permit however for the protection of Dolphins and other marine mammals; all interaction with them is governed by the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
Here are the basic details of our marine mammal licence so you can understand why we do what we do during your cruise.
Our crew are thoroughly trained on all aspects of interacting with dolphins and whales. Please listen carefully to all explanations and instructions they give you.
APPROACHING MARINE MAMMALS
- if there are already three or more vessels near a pod of dolphins or whales, we need to stay at least 300 metres away
- once we get within 300 metres from marine mammals, we slow right down
- we don’t go within 50 metres of whales, and if they approach us we will aim to stay out of their path
- we don’t go within 200 metres of female baleen or sperm whales with calves
- we will approach them slowly from a parallel direction, slightly from behind
- once we stop to view them, we put the boat’s engine into neutral or switch it off
INTERACTING WITH MARINE MAMMALS
- we don’t interact with bottlenose dolphins at all before 12pm daily
- There are certain areas in the Bay of Islands that are marine mammal sanctuary zones, which we do not travel in – if the marine mammals are in these areas, we cannot view them.
- the time we spend with a pod is limited to 50 minutes per trip, or 20 minutes if the species is Bottlenose dolphins
- we don’t disrupt their normal movement or behaviour
- we don’t separate marine mammals from their pods, travel right through a pod or cause them to scatter
- we don’t make sudden changes in speed or direction
- if they show any sign of being disturbed or distressed, we immediately leave them alone
- no throwing food or rubbish near them
- no making loud or sudden noises