Booking & Cancellation Policies
FITs, Groups and Full-Vessel Charters
BOOKING CATEGORIES
FITs: Reservations of one (1) to four (4) suites on the same HERMES departure.
Groups: Reservations of five (5) or more suites on the same HERMES departure that do not include exclusive use of the vessel.
Full-Vessel Charters: Reservations granting the charterer exclusive use of HERMES for the confirmed departure.
CONFIRMATION & PAYMENT POLICIES
FITs
A non-refundable deposit equal to 20% of the invoice total is required within eight (8) business days from the booking date. The reservation is considered confirmed only when this deposit is received.
The remaining 80% balance must be paid at least 60 days prior to the cruise departure date. For reservations confirmed within 60 days of departure, full payment is required at the time of confirmation.
Groups – Five (5) or More Suites
A non-refundable deposit equal to 20% of the invoice total is required within eight (8) business days from the booking date.
An additional payment equal to 30% of the total booking value is required 150 days prior to departure, bringing cumulative payment to 50%.
The remaining 50% balance is required 90 days prior to departure. For groups confirmed after a payment deadline has passed, all amounts then due must be paid at confirmation.
Full-Vessel Charters
A non-refundable deposit equal to 20% of the total charter value is required within eight (8) business days from the booking date.
An additional payment equal to 30% of the total charter value is required 180 days prior to departure, bringing cumulative payment to 50%.
The remaining 50% balance is required 120 days prior to departure. For charters confirmed after a payment deadline has passed, all amounts then due must be paid at confirmation.
Payment default. If any scheduled payment is not received by its due date, Via Natura may release the applicable inventory and treat the reservation as cancelled. The cancellation penalty applicable on that date will apply.
Cancellation Policies
FITs
Cancellation received: 60 or more days prior to departure | Penalty: 20%
Cancellation received: 59-0 days prior to departure | Penalty: 100%
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Groups – Five (5) or More Suites
Cancellation received: 151 or more days prior to departure | Penalty: 20%
Cancellation received: 150-91 days prior to departure | Penalty: 50%
Cancellation received: 90-0 days prior to departure | Penalty: 100%
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Full-Vessel Charters
Cancellation received: 181 or more days prior to departure | Penalty: 20%
Cancellation received: 180-121 days prior to departure | Penalty: 50%
Cancellation received: 120-0 days prior to departure | Penalty: 100%
All cancellations must be submitted to the applicable Via Natura sales representative by email. Cancellation penalties are calculated on the total confirmed booking or charter value, irrespective of the amount actually paid when cancellation is received. Any amount paid in excess of the applicable cancellation penalty will be refunded.
GROUP INVENTORY REDUCTIONS
For a confirmed Group reservation, any reduction in the number of suites will be treated as a cancellation of the released suite inventory. The applicable cancellation penalty will be calculated on the value of the suites released, based on the date Via Natura receives the written reduction request. If the reservation is reduced below five (5) suites, the remaining reservation will thereafter be treated as an FIT booking; however, penalties already incurred on released suites will remain applicable.
FULL-VESSEL CHARTER RELEASES & REDUCTIONS
A full-vessel charter removes the entire vessel from sale. Any request to release the charter, reduce it to a Group or FIT reservation, or otherwise relinquish exclusive use of HERMES will be treated as cancellation of the full-vessel charter and will be subject to the applicable charter cancellation penalty. Any subsequent Group or FIT reservation will be considered a new booking, subject to availability, prevailing rates and Via Natura policies, unless Via Natura expressly agrees otherwise in writing.
NAME CHANGES AND GUEST SUBSTITUTIONS
For purposes of these policies, a name correction refers only to a minor correction to the name of the same traveler, such as a spelling correction or an adjustment required to match the traveler’s passport or official identification.
A guest substitution occurs when one confirmed traveler is replaced by a different individual. Guest substitutions are not considered simple name corrections and are subject to the conditions below.
1. FIT Reservations
Minor name corrections for the same traveler are permitted, subject to any costs or restrictions imposed by airlines, hotels, authorities, transfer providers, or other third-party suppliers.
The substitution of one confirmed guest for another is not permitted as a general rule.
Any exceptional request for a guest substitution must be submitted in writing and is subject to Via Natura’s prior written approval. Approval is not guaranteed and may be declined at Via Natura’s discretion.
If a substitution is exceptionally approved, the new traveler must meet all applicable travel, documentation, health, immigration, and operational requirements. The reservation may also be subject to:
• Any applicable administrative fee;
• Any difference between the original rate and the prevailing rate at the time of the substitution;
• Any costs or penalties imposed by third-party suppliers; and
• Any additional operational or documentation costs resulting from the change.
Once the reservation has entered the period in which a 100% cancellation penalty applies, the replacement of a confirmed guest will be treated as the cancellation of the original traveler and a new booking for the replacement traveler, subject to availability and the prevailing rate.
The original guest’s cancellation penalties will continue to apply.
2. Group Reservations
Minor name corrections for the same traveler are permitted, subject to any third-party costs or restrictions.
Because group reservations involve inventory that has been specifically held for the group, guest substitutions are not automatically permitted.
Prior to the final passenger-list deadline established by Via Natura, the group organizer may request individual guest substitutions. All such substitutions require Via Natura’s prior written approval and may be subject to administrative fees, third-party costs, documentation requirements, and any applicable fare adjustments.
Via Natura reserves the right to limit the number of guest substitutions permitted within a group.
Once the group reservation has entered the period in which a 100% cancellation penalty applies, any replacement of a confirmed guest will be considered the cancellation of the original traveler. The original cancellation penalty will remain applicable.
Any replacement traveler will be considered a new booking and will be accepted only:
• Subject to available capacity within the contracted group allocation;
• At Via Natura’s written approval;
• Subject to all applicable documentation and operational requirements; and
• At the applicable rate determined by Via Natura.
• Unused or cancelled group spaces may not be transferred, resold, reassigned, or otherwise allocated to third parties without Via Natura’s prior written authorization.
3. Full-Vessel Charters
For confirmed full-vessel charters, the chartering party may modify individual passenger names within the vessel’s contracted capacity, provided that such changes are communicated within the passenger-manifest deadlines established by Via Natura (60 days before the charter departure).
Passenger changes for a full-vessel charter do not reduce or modify the charterer’s financial obligations under the charter agreement.
The charterer remains responsible for the full contracted charter value regardless of changes to individual passengers.
All passenger changes remain subject to:
• Galápagos National Park and Ecuadorian regulatory requirements;
• Passenger-manifest and documentation deadlines;
• Immigration and identification requirements;
• Airline, hotel, transfer, and other third-party supplier conditions; and
• Any costs arising from late or operationally complex changes.
While individual passengers may be substituted, the charter agreement itself may not be transferred, assigned, resold, or transferred to another company, organization, travel agency, tour operator, or contracting party without Via Natura’s prior written approval.
Any proposed change to the contracting entity will be considered a request for assignment of the charter agreement and may be declined by Via Natura.
If Via Natura approves such an assignment, it may require a new agreement, revised commercial terms, updated payment guarantees, additional documentation, and/or other conditions before the transfer becomes effective.
The original contracting party will remain fully responsible for all contractual and financial obligations until Via Natura confirms the assignment in writing.
NO-SHOWS & UNUSED SERVICES
No refunds, credits or compensation will be provided for no-shows, late arrivals, early departures, unused accommodations, unused services or any portion of the cruise voluntarily not used by the traveler, group or charterer.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION & TRAVEL INSURANCE
All reservations, modifications and cancellations must be sent to the applicable Via Natura sales representative by email. Verbal confirmations, modifications or cancellations will not be accepted.
Via Natura strongly recommends that all travelers purchase comprehensive travel insurance appropriate to the value and conditions of their booking, including cancellation and interruption coverage.
Important: Force majeure, cancellation or material itinerary changes initiated by Via Natura, and other circumstances beyond the traveler’s control should be governed by separate terms and conditions and are not defined by this cancellation schedule.