PASSPORTS AND VISAS

All British citizens require a full 10-year passport valid for at least six months after the date of travel for all countries to be visited and with spare pages. It is the responsibility of each passenger to check with the various embassies or consulates involved in their particular river cruise to ensure that they have the necessary documentation to enter all countries visited. Any passengers arriving at the departure port/airport/train terminal without a passport or correct documentation will be refused permission to board the boat/aircraft/train. Failure in this respect is not covered by insurance and no refund can be made. The purser on board deals with all immigration formalities.

HEALTH, VACCINATIONS AND MEDICAL INFORMATIONPORTS AND VISAS

As health regulations are ever changing, we recommend you consult your G.P., or contact MASTA (Medical Advisory Service for Travellers Abroad) http://www.masta-travel-health.com/ at least 12 weeks before your intended departure to check the latest requirements of the countries you will be visiting. In addition, an information leaflet is published by the Department of Health and can be obtained by calling 0300 123 1002. At time of going to press, August 2010, there are no mandatory vaccination requirements for destinations featured in this brochure. If you do not normally enjoy good health, you should consult your doctor regarding the advisability of taking a cruise and being away from the usual medical and hospital facilities. Your insurance company must be advised of any pre-existing condition at the time of booking and of any condition arising subsequently prior to departure, otherwise your insurance may be invalid. We ask you to advise us on the Booking Form of any disability or illness so that we can advise our on-board team.

children

There are no recreational facilities for children aboard our river cruisers and reservations for those under the age of eleven are not advised.

PASSENGERS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

Swan Hellenic will always try to accommodate passengers with special needs. However, the following conditions apply:
Medical Situations: any physical disability or medical condition that requires special treatment or medical apparatus must be reported to the company’s Passenger Services Department in writing along with the first deposit, which is due at time of booking. These include but are not limited to wheelchairs, oxygen therapy, dialysis, etc. Failure to disclose a medical situation at time of booking may result in you being denied boarding at port of embarkation.

Health Care Companions: all passengers with special needs must be self-sufficient and must be accompanied by a passenger who will take full responsibility for any assistance needed during the cruise and in the event of an emergency.
Pregnancy: regulations vary from airline to airline, but some will refuse to carry women who will be 28 weeks pregnant on the date of return travel. If you are in any doubt, please check with the airline concerned and we would recommend that you also consult your doctor prior to travel.

Disabled Passengers: we feel we should point out that we are not specialists in catering for the disabled. If you or any person travelling with you suffers from a disability, you must contact our office for advice before you make your booking.
At all ports of call featured in this cruise programme, passengers are required to walk up or down the gangway when embarking or disembarking the vessel. There are times when river cruisers are rafted up alongside each other; this might mean walking through one or more river cruisers to access your vessel.

Please note: There is no lift on board any of A-ROSA’s river vessels; there are stairs (spiral staircases on Donna & Aqua) between decks and steps up to the Sun Deck.

Special Diets: we can usually make provisions for special diets provided that sufficient notice is given. A vegetarian choice is available on board and vegetarian meals are also available on flights. Please indicate any requests at time of booking.We will make every effort to satisfy your request, although this cannot be guaranteed.
Note: the company has the right to refuse or revoke passage to anyone who, in its judgement, is in a physical or mental condition unfit for travel, or who may require care beyond that which the vessel can provide.

SHORE EXCURSIONS

Shore excursions are included in your cruise fare in every port of call, where available. Please note that the company reserves the right to amend, cancel or

substitute an included shore excursion and in these circumstances is under no obligation to make a refund.
Additional excursions, including some as mentioned in the brochure, may be available at supplementary cost. At the time of going to press, August 2010, the exact content of the supplementary shore excursion programme has not been finalised.
All excursions can be pre-booked although it is also possible (subject to space) to book your tours on board. Shore excursion details will be sent to you approximately 8 weeks before departure. Please note that it is not possible to credit the non-use of an included shore excursion against the cost of a supplementary shore excursion.

TRANSPORT

TrainsCheck in at stations will generally begin about 1 hour before the train departs. Timetables are not confirmed by the rail companies until approx 10 weeks before travel date.
It is expected that group travel arrangements will depart London St Pancras in the early morning and arrive in the late afternoon on your return. You can expect to change trains at either Paris, Lille or Brussels. Where possible, Swan Hellenic will arrange a baggage handling service but this is not guaranteed.

There is considerable walking at the stations. This option is not recommended for passengers with reduced mobility. Assistance cannot be guaranteed at overseas stations. Transfers from overseas stations to/from your river cruiser are included.
Parking/AccommodationApproximately 8 weeks before departure we will send you details of long-term parking
and accommodation at your departure airport should this be required.
FlightsWe use a mix of scheduled and charter flights, however, we are not always in a position to confirm full flight details at time of booking and any information that may be provided at that time is subject to change. Return transfers and baggage handling between the airport and the vessel are included.

Baggage allowance is 20kg on charter flights and most scheduled flights, although it may vary slightly according to the carrier. All flights are non-smoking.

Swan Hellenic’s recommended travel insurance includes cover for travel delays. In some countries, local airport departure taxes cannot be included as part of your air ticket and must be paid locally by the passenger on departure. To avoid queues at the airport, if our local agents are able to obtain these on your behalf in advance, they will do so and the cost will be added to your final invoice or on-board account. You must check in at airports at least 2½ hours before your flight is due to take off. If you do not check in on time, the airline may not allow you to board the flight. We cannot accept responsibility if such situations arise and, whilst we will do our best to arrange alternative transport, any resulting costs will be your responsibility.

FLIGHT DELAYS

Unfortunately, it is impossible to guarantee that all flights will take off exactly on time, as travel delays can occur for any number of reasons. In the event of a delay in departure from an airport, for reasons other than those which are the responsibility of the airline, the company policy is to arrange for our passengers to be provided, whenever practical, with the following welfare arrangements: 3-5 hours delay – light refreshments; over 5 hours delay – a main meal.

INDEPENDENT TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS

Swan Hellenic will have no responsibility, financial or otherwise, in regard to air or rail travel arrangements made by others, including those related to the use of frequent flyer, non-refundable and other restricted travel tickets. This exclusion of liability by the company includes the consequences to independently arranged air or rail travel that may result from last-minute changes in the embarkation and disembarkation ports, cancellation of tours and delays in arrival at the departure airport (see the contract of carriage for more details of these exclusions from liability). No airport transfers can be provided for passengers using independently arranged air or rail travel. The travel insurance policy should be checked in regard to its coverage of such independent air arrangements.