Our Policies
Physical Ability
Atlas trips are designed for adults, and no one under the age of 18 will be permitted to accompany the group without making very special arrangements. You will need to be physically capable of walking for distances of a mile or possibly a bit more (especially in some of the larger markets). You should be able to easily get into and out of a bus, and occasionally a boat. In the tropics the heat and humidity can be a health issue for some, so you should take that into consideration. You should have as few dietary restrictions as possible….food allergies and vegetarianism will be difficult if not impossible to accommodate, as many of our meals will be served communally.
If you have any health concerns at all, feel free to consult with us beforehand to get our honest assessment of how well you could cope at any given Atlas destination. You know your own physical limitations best, and ultimately the decision of your capability will rest on your own shoulders.
Free Time
Blocks of free time are programmed into the itinerary periodically to give you a breather. These can be utilized for individual rest, sloth by the pool, personal exploration, shopping, dining, or whatever you desire. You can also occasionally take a break from the group and planned events and dine on your own, but you will be missing out on tried and true culinary delights, depriving the group of your company, and losing the monetary benefit of a portion of your paid fees.
Bottom line, if you feel like you need to explore on your own, need to rest, or just need some down-time feel free to do so and we will all understand, but please make sure that the tour guides know what your intentions are, and where you might be found upon our return. Anytime you are away from the group on free time you are responsible for knowing when the deadline is for the next departure, and are responsible for making that deadline. You will be left behind if you are absent by the deadline, and getting to the next rendezvous point will be your responsibility.
Pricing
When planning and booking trips well in advance, keep in mind that we can not be held responsible for interim increases in room rates, transportation expenses, changes in monetary exchange rates, etc. We will, however, notify you immediately upon reservation if there have been any increases, and will do our best to keep our published web prices up to the minute…you can always email us or call if there are any questions.
The term “single supplement” is an upgrade allowing a solo client to occupy a private hotel room. The prices quoted for a trip are based on double occupancy in twin beds. If you are a single guest going on a trip, and there is another single guest going along, you can be matched with as compatible a partner as possible if you both so desire, but keep in mind that many of the clients on a trip will be couples, or groups of friends. We cannot always guarantee that there will be another single guest on a trip to share a room with you…in those cases you will be required to pay the single supplement price and you will be notified as soon as possible if another single client that might be considered a roommate is added to the group.
We will have all Atlas participants complete a basic background form prior to the departure of our trips. It is simply to give us some idea of your culinary background (if any) and traveling history, and to provide us a fundamental pre-trip idea of who you are, what you do, and what your interests might be.
Group Dynamics
Group dynamics can be tricky (especially in a foreign country) when you take an assemblage of people that don’t know each other, and place them together for a period of time. Try to remember that we are all here for the same reason: a sense of adventure and camaraderie, exploring the amazing cuisine of a different country, region, or city from source to the table, experiencing the incredible cultural treasures, and having a fantastic time that you will remember forever. Try to be tolerant of any eccentricities your fellow clients might have, and try to suppress any habits you might have as an individual which others have possibly found offensive in the past. You are encouraged to go out of your way to contribute to the tranquility of the group as a whole. Timing on guided tours can often be critical so you are also expected to be on time for any pending event, and not force the group to wait for you, even if you are habitually late in your day-to-day life at home. We ask that if you are a smoker, you will be urged to partake away from the immediate area of the group and to respect the rules of the destination.
There are certainly much more subtle ways to say this, but, if in the past, you have been accused of being an insensitive, antisocial jerk that can’t get along with other people and make new friends then you more than likely have no business going on a guided trip with Atlas Culinary Adventures. Our primary goal as a group is to have a harmonious trip that is fun for everyone involved. If someone in the group turns out to be a real dud, we, as tour guides, will not be able to devote a lot of our rather limited time towards placating their special interests, or spend much time counseling them to try to change their outlook on life. If a personality situation gets to the point that a person’s mere presence begins to sap the energy of the group as a whole and becomes disruptive, that person might be asked to leave the tour as a last resort. The process, should it utilized (and we certainly hope that it won’t) will be as democratic as is possible, and no refund will be provided.
There will be a questionnaire filled out by any solo clients as part of the registration process that will aide us in trying to pair like-minded solo guests together for double occupancy hotel rooms. We will put you in contact with any other solo guests to see if you might want to share a room to defer the single supplement add-on and reduce costs. Every effort will be made to place married or co-habitating couples in a single queen or king bed, rather than in two separate beds (assuming that’s their desire).
Availability
If you are interested in checking availability of space on any planned Atlas tour with a web-posted itinerary, or want to express interest in one of the future tours, email us here at this link:
info@atlasculinaryadventures.com
The Fine Print and Legal Policies: straight from our weasels
Travel Insurance Protection: Travel insurance is available from several insurance carriers to provide protection for a wide assortment of unforeseen problems that could result in financial loss. You are strongly encouraged to get travel insurance for any trip, especially one you take to a foreign destination. See the portion of our website dealing specifically with travel insurance for more information: Insurance.
Travel Documents/Health Requirements:
Travel: Atlas Culinary Adventures, Inc. (operator of this trip) and its representatives, any travel agents, trip escorts and translators, trip organizers, sponsors and assistants act only as agents for the passengers in regard to travel, whether by railroad, bus, motorcars, boats, airplanes, or animal rides and assume no liability for any injury, damage, loss, accident, delay or irregularity which may occur either by reason of defect in any vehicle or through acts of default of any company or persons engaged in conveying the passengers or in carrying out the arrangements of the trip.
AIRLINES: The airlines concerned are not to be held responsible for any act or omission or event during the time the passengers are not on board their plane or conveyance. The ticket in use by airlines concerned, when issued, shall constitute the sole contract between airlines and passengers.
RESPONSIBILITY: Atlas Culinary Adventures, Inc. and its representatives act only in the capacity of an agent of all air/land transportation, sightseeing, translators, tour operators, and hotels which provide services included in the specified tour. The individual tour participant agrees that Atlas Culinary Adventures, Inc. and its representatives shall not be liable for any injury, damage, loss, accident, delay, or irregularity, liability or expense to person or property due to any act of default of hotel, air/land transportation carrier, restaurant supplier, or any other contractor rendering or providing services. Atlas Culinary Adventures, Inc. and its representatives shall not be responsible for any expense or liability resulting from labor disputes, war, acts of terrorism, government restraints, weather conditions, sickness, pilferage or any other cause beyond their control. Atlas Culinary Adventures, Inc. and its representatives reserve the right to accept, or to retain or refuse any person as a participant of any tour or to cancel any program of a tour if circumstances so demand. Atlas Culinary Adventures, Inc. and its representatives reserve the right to cancel any tour prior to departure for any reason (including insufficient number of participants) or to change itineraries and/or substitute services or hotels of equal quality without prior notification. All baggage is at owner's risk. In any event where clients will be participating in a cooking class, Atlas Culinary Adventures, Inc. or its hired instructors can not be held accountable for any accidental injuries suffered during a cooking class, including burns, cuts, falls, or any other type of accident.
DOCUMENTS: The trip organizer accepts no responsibility for securing, handling, or possession of passports or travel documents; nor for the accuracy of information given regarding such documents. It is the responsibility of the participants to make sure that they are in possession of the required valid travel documents and are in compliance with the current carrier and government regulations.
CANCELLATION/CHANGES: Right is reserved at the sole discretion of Atlas Culinary Adventures Inc. to withdraw any trip, and to make any changes in the itinerary we deem necessary or desirable, and to retain the right to remove without refund any person as a member of the trip at any time should such person's health, mental condition, physical infirmity, or general manner impede the operation of the trip or the rights, welfare or enjoyment of other trip members. Cancellations due to medical reasons or family death can be covered by the client’s travel insurance, but will not be the responsibility of Atlas Culinary Adventures, Inc..
TRIP INFORMATION DETAILS: Further detailed information, including deadlines, travel arrangements, inoculations, document requirements, clothing suggestions, trip itinerary, and other items of interest to tour clients will be provided upon receipt of application and deposit.
TOUR PRICES: All prices quoted are per person, based on double occupancy. Single and triple reservations might be available with a price adjustment, assuming there are adequate accommodations available. Price is subject to change as a result of any adverse economic changes or currency fluctuations that may affect air/land transportation, hotels, food or beverage costs, or other related service providers.
DEPOSIT & PAYMENT: All funds are payable in U.S. dollars. A deposit of $500.00, payable by credit card or certified personal check, is required to secure a booking. Reservations will be confirmed in a timely manner via email, or via U.S. Postal Service if so desired. Clients must sign an acknowledgement that they have read and fully understand all of the terms and conditions pertaining to any trip. Once acknowledgement is received and processed and funds confirmed a written receipt of that confirmation will be mailed to the client. For bookings less than 30 days prior to departure, there will be a late booking fee assessed of $100.00 per booking (this late fee can be waived by Atlas Culinary Adventures, Inc. under special circumstances). Any “early bird” discounts, should they be promoted, apply only to payments made in full.
REFUNDS/CANCELLATIONS/CREDITS: A refund (minus a $300 handling charge per person) will be provided if a written request is received at least 90 days before departure. If the trip is canceled by Atlas Culinary Adventures, Inc. tour participants will be promptly refunded in full. During the trip, should a trip member decide to leave the tour at any time, a refund will not be provided for any unused portions of the tour package. No refund will be provided for deposit or final payment for a tour that commences as scheduled. However Atlas Culinary Adventures, Inc. will allow non-transferable credit for payments (less handling charge) for future Atlas Culinary tours using the following conditions (assuming there is space available on the tour in question):
FINAL PAYMENT: Final payment is due 60 days prior to the first day of travel. If payment is not received by the due date, reservation will be subject to cancellation and forfeiture of deposit.
IMPORTANT: Print out this entire section (linked here as a PDF file) and return signed, by each participant, acknowledging that you have read and fully understand all of the information contained herein with regard to the policies and conditions of Atlas Culinary Adventures, Inc.
Mail signed form to:
Mick Vann
Atlas Culinary Adventures
802 Rolling
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I / we, the undersigned, fully understand the policies of, and the terms and conditions for participating in, a culinary tour with Atlas Culinary Adventures, Inc.
Name (Print Legibly): ________________________________
Signed:____________________________ Date: __________
Name (Print Legibly): ________________________________
Signed:____________________________ Date: __________