Terms and conditions
These Terms and Conditions are applicable to all offers, agreements and other legal relations between you and us. By using our Website and/or concluding a reservation, you accept that these Terms and Conditions apply.
Some definitions of the words we use:
“You”: The person named on the reservation
“Us”: Vet SeaPD
“Guests”: The people going on the SeaPD trip described in the reservation that you have made.
“Dive operator”: The party that runs any dive resort or Liveaboard Vessel which is used for a SeaPD trip.
Liveaboard Trip: A liveaboard cruise, including all arrangements that are stated as included by the operator.
Reservation: Agreements between you and Vet SeaPD with respect to a SeaPD Trip.
Website: our website - www.vetseapd.co.uk - including all pages.
1. About Us
1.1. Vet SeaPD provides veterinary CPD courses combined with scuba diving experiences. This is done in conjunction with reputable, PADI approved dive operators.
2. Eligibility
2.1. Courses are open to qualified veterinary surgeons, veterinary nurses and veterinary students.
2.2. Participants must be over 18 years of age.
2.3. Diving may require medical clearance. This will vary slightly depending on the dive operator but specifics will be provided when enquiring for a booking.
3. Enquiries and Bookings
3.1. Bookings are confirmed once Vet SeaPD sends written confirmation and, where required, deposit is paid.
3.2. In some cases, additional information may be required (passport copies, medical certificates, evidence of insurance) prior to confirming a booking. This will depend on the dive operator.
3.3. Full payment terms and inclusions/exclusions will be provided before booking.
3.4. If you have any special requests for your reservation (for example dietary requests, rental gear, cabin facilities or activities), please let us know as part of the reservation process or immediately thereafter. As we work separately from our dive operators, we will discuss with them whether these requests can be met. Keep in mind that additional services may result in additional costs. If agreed upon, these requests become part of the agreement between you and the dive operator, and we are not responsible for whether these requests are met.
3.5. Trips are only able to go ahead with a minimum number of reservations. In the case of booking with an early bird discount, final trip confirmation will be issued 6 months prior to departure. Make sure to await this confirmation before you make any connected travel arrangements (e.g. booking flights, accommodations or transfers). In the case of a trip not going ahead a full refund will be provided.
3.6. Vet SeaPD acts as an authorised reseller for several dive operators. The booking for the trip, once finalised, is with the dive operator and not with Vet SeaPD. While we are happy to act as an intermediary, all bookings are ultimately subject to the terms and conditions of the dive operator.
3.7. We are able to assist with the selection of flights/transfers and other travel arrangements but any bookings will need to be made directly with the providers of those services or our partner travel agent. We accept no liability arising from any problems with these external bookings.
4. Course Content
4.1. Delivered by qualified professionals. All will be RCVS registered specialists or advanced practitioners unless otherwise specified.
4.2. Full details provided for each course prior to booking.
4.3. Content and speakers may be adjusted if necessary.
5. Your responsibilities
5.1. By making a reservation, you agree to be responsible for reviewing the standards and requirements of the dive operator (provided at the time of booking), and ensuring that you adhere to these requirements. The requirements differ per dive operator and per Liveaboard Trip, but may include minimum diving experience and certification requirements, health and disability requirements, insurance requirements, personal information to be provided to the dive operator, and forms that Guests may be required to sign, such as medical statements, liability releases and/or assumption of risk agreement forms. If Guests have any physical or mental illness, disability or other conditions for which special arrangements are necessary or contemplated, you have to let us know as soon as possible after concluding the reservation, so we can discuss with the operator if and how they can accommodate this.
5.2. You are responsible for arriving at the port or mooring location of the liveaboard or cruise boat at the date and time agreed in the reservation. If any Guest fails to reach a liveaboard or cruise boat by the scheduled time of departure, you will be responsible for all costs involved, including but not limited to catching up with the boat (if it is possible to arrange this locally), staying at onshore accommodations and alternative diving arrangements. At your request, we can offer suggestions for airlines, hotels and transfer options, but we hold no affiliation with these companies and thus cannot be held accountable for their services. We cannot assist with any passport, visa or health requirements set by any country or dive operator.
5.3. You are responsible for adhering to the rules and requirements imposed by the dive operator, including any rules that apply to and on the boat. If any of the Guests do not comply with any of these rules or requirements, the operator (or captain of the liveaboard) has the right to deny entry on board, deny diving activities or any of the other activities offered by the operator as part of the reservation.
6. Payments
6.1. A deposit payment is due on the date of confirmation of the reservation. The full amount will be due 90 days prior to departure or in case of a last-minute reservation. For further details on cancellation and amendments, please see clause 7.
6.2. We offer various payment methods, including credit card (all major credit cards) and PayPal or manually with a bank transfer after your reservation request. We reserve the right to charge the costs incurred for payments that are not performed correctly. We rely on our partners, such as banks and other payment service providers for payment and transactional services, and we cannot be held responsible for their services.
6.3. After payment has been received, we will send a reservation voucher to the email address you provided. This voucher serves both as proof of your reservation and as an invoice for your administration. Please bring a copy (digital or physical) with you when boarding the cruise and also keep a copy for future reference.
6.4. All our rates are displayed and charged in GBP. We cannot be held responsible for any additional fee your bank or credit card provider might charge you for this transaction. Any refund we make to you will always be made in the same currency as the original payment you made.
7. Diving and Safety
7.1. We use carefully selected dive resorts and liveaboards run by licensed dive operators to host our events.
7.2. Participants must follow all safety rules and guidance provided by the dive operator.
7.3. Vet SeaPD accepts no liability for incidents where instructions are not followed.
8. Cancellation & Refund policy
8.1. Participant cancellations
8.1.1. Cancellations more than 90 days prior to departure are eligible for a refund minus 20% of the net rate.
8.1.3. Cancellations less than 90 days prior to departure are not eligible for a refund.
8.2. Cancellations by Vet SeaPD
8.2.1. You will receive a full refund or the option to transfer to a subsequent course.
8.2.2. We are not liable for additional costs such as flights or insurance.
8.3. Diving activities
8.3.1. If cancelled for safety reasons we will attempt to find local alternative entertainment but no costs can be refunded.
8.3.2. If cancelled due to participant ineligibility, no refund will be given.
8.4. Force Majeure
8.4.1. We are not liable for cancellations caused by events outside our control.
9. Liability
9.1. All information regarding dive operators is provided in good faith and is believed by us to be accurate, but we cannot be held liable for any inaccuracies due to information provided to us by the operator. In any event, we are not responsible and cannot be held liable for wrong information provided by other parties.
9.2. Vet SeaPD does not accept any liability for problems with any aspect of the trip related to services provided by the dive operator who will ultimately hold your booking.
9.3. We are not responsible or liable for any losses you suffer (including for example any missed flights) due to delays of flights or transfers, nor for any personal injuries, property damage, or wrongful death that may occur during the trip, nor for acts or omissions of the dive operator or other third parties.
9.4. If, regardless of what is stipulated in this clause 9, Vet SeaPD is held responsible and/or liable for any costs incurred by you, our liability is limited to the amount paid out in respect thereof under our insurance. If the damages are not covered by our insurance, our liability is limited to the total course fee paid.
9.5. We are not responsible for injury, illness, or loss except where required by law.
10. Complaints and disputes
10.1. If you or any guest have any questions or complaints regarding any aspect of the trip, please let us or the operator know as soon as possible. The longer you wait with filing any complaints, the more difficult it will be for us to resolve the issue. As mentioned in these terms and conditions, the operator, and not Vet SeaPD, is responsible for carrying out the Liveaboard Trip correctly, but if you cannot resolve the matter with the operator, let us know and we will review how we can assist.
10.2. If you file your complaint of the services provided by the dive operator directly to us, we will forward your complaint to the operator without undue delay. The same applies to any other messages that should ultimately reach the operator.
10.3. If the complaint is about the services provided by us, please submit your complaints through our contact form or by e-mail.
11. Miscellaneous
11.1. We may amend these terms and conditions without your prior consent. The most recent version of these terms and conditions will always apply.
11.2. If any provision of these terms and conditions is held to be unlawful, void, voidable or otherwise unenforceable, this shall not alter the validity and enforceability of the remaining provisions of these terms and conditions. The unlawful, void, voidable or otherwise unenforceable part shall be (deemed to be) replaced by a valid and enforceable provision that comes as close as possible to the purpose and scope of the replaced provision.
11.3. By submitting a review, you grant us the full, transferable and irrevocable rights to it, including the use of your name for publication. We may use, translate, reproduce, refuse or remove reviews at our sole discretion.
All of the information on our Website is protected by copyright and cannot be duplicated, copied or used for any commercial purpose without our explicit and written consent.