Blacksea-crimea.com Ltd

BOOKING TERMS AND CONDITIONS

1. Booking procedure

We accept bookings via the internet, through our website www.blacksea-crimea.com, by e-mail, fax, or post. If you have questions you would like answered before making a booking, eg about the availability of an apartment between particular dates, you can e-mail us using the link on the website, or telephone us at the number given.

You may, if you wish, make your booking provisonal, subject to your being able to purchase airline tickets and/or obtain a visa if you need one. In this case, (and if the apartment you have requested is available for the dates you wish to book), the booking will be held for 21 days from the date on which you placed the booking or until an earlier date, in the case of bookings with a short lead-time. Blacksea-crimea.com reserves the right to accept only a definite booking in the case of bookings made 14 days or less before your planned arrival date. We will send you a provisional confirmation invoice to confirm the details of your provisional booking.

You must advise us no later than 21 days from the date on which you made the provisional booking ( or by an earlier date specified by us) if you wish to make the provisional booking a definite booking. If you do, we will email you a final confirmation invoice on behalf of the 0wner (see below).  If we do not hear from you within the 21 days (or shorter period specified by us), we are entitled to assume that you wish to cancel the provisional booking.   Your booking will be treated as cancelled by you and your deposit will be refunded.

2. Payment

A deposit is required when a provisional booking is made.  Should the dates or type of apartment you have asked for not be available the deposit will be refunded.

UK customers pay the balance of the final confirmation invoice (given in Euros) to the owner of the apartment on arrival. Customers not resident in UK pay half the balance outstanding to Blacksea-crimea.com when they confirm the booking as defnite, and the remainder to the owner of the apartment on arrival.

Once we have received your booking and your deposit, we will, subject to availability, (and unless you have told us you wish to make a provisional booking – see above) confirm your definite booking on behalf of the Owner by emailing to you a final confirmation invoice.

For all bookings, once you have received your confirmation invoice, please check this invoice carefully as soon as you receive it.  Contact us immediately if any information which appears on the confirmation or any other document appears to be incorrect or incomplete as it may not be possible to make changes later.  We regret neither we nor the Owner can accept any liability if we are not notified of any inaccuracy in any document within 14 days of our sending it out. We/the Owner will do our best to rectify any mistake notified to us outside these time limits but you must meet any costs involved in doing so. 

A binding contract comes into existence between you and the Owner once we receive the confirmation of the booking from the Owner and have emailed the final confirmation invoice to you.

3. Visas

Please note that nationals of all EU countries, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Andorra, the Vatican, Monaco, San Marino, Iceland, Norway, USA, Canada and Japan do not need a visa to visit Crimea (for trips lasting less than 90 days). If you are not a national of these countries, you will still need to apply for a visa - for further details please see www.blacksea-crimea.com/gettingthere.html#anchorvisa  on our website. In this case you will need to have made a booking with us before you apply for a visa, so that you can give an address in Crimea on your application form. The provisional confirmation invoice we send to you after you have made a provisional booking (see above) will include the address of the apartment you have booked. You will need to include this on your visa application form.

Visas are issued by the Ukrainian consulate. The processing time for visas is generally between 3 days and two weeks, depending on your nationality , whether you apply in person or by post, and the time of year. Visa processing times lengthen at times of heavy demand.

We provide general information about visa requirements on our website but it is your responsibility to obtain a visa in time for your trip and your prime source of information should be the Ukrainian consulate in your home country. You can find the website of the Ukrainian consulate in the United Kingdom at www.ukrainianembassy.org.uk . Please also see clause 13 below.

4. Acceptance

The final decision to accept or refuse any booking from prospective customers rests with the Owner.

Disabled customers with mobility needs are asked to note that Crimea does not have the same legal requirements for access as western Europe, and many buildings lack even the simplest facilities such as ramps for wheelchairs, lifts etc. We provide basic information on the facilities of each apartment featured on our website but we strongly advise you to e-mail us with your access requirements so that we can provide more specific information about the accommodation. If the Owner reasonably feels unable to properly accommodate the particular needs of the person concerned, the Owner, or we, on the Owner’s behalf must reserve the right to decline their reservation or, if full details are not given at the time of booking, cancel when we become aware of these details.

5. Alterations by you before departure

We will try to assist if you decide to change a confirmed booking up to 38 days before the booked arrival date, but we reserve the right to make an administration charge of £40 per change to the original booking.

Alterations within 38 days of the booked arrival date will be treated as a cancellation (see below).

6. Cancellation by you

A customer who wishes to cancel must do so in writing, either by e-mail, fax or post, to the address at the end of this document. The following fees or percentages will be payable by the Customer(s) cancelling based on the date on which the notice of cancellation is received by us.

All cancellation charges are payable within 14 days of the date on which cancellation was notified to Blacksea-crimea.com Ltd.

Please note that if you decide to curtail your holiday after arrival and leave your apartment before the end of the booked period, the total amount due up to the end of the booked period (as stated on your invoice) must still be paid to the owner.

7. Cancellation by the Owner

In the unlikely event that the owner of an apartment has to cancel a confirmed booking, we at Blacksea-crimea.com Ltd will make every effort to find you alternative accommodation of the same standard, in Crimea, within the dates you have chosen. Should this not be possible or not acceptable to you, we will refund all moneys paid within 7 days of the date on which we notify you of the cancellation. In addition, if cancellation occurs within 60 days of the booked arrival date, we, on the Owner’s behalf will pay compensation as follows:

Each amount is for each adult included in the booking.

Blacksea-crimea.com Ltd accepts no liability for compensation beyond the above figures.

Payment of compensation as shown above will not be made for any cancellation caused by war or threat of war, insurrection, terrorism, riots, strikes or industrial disputes, civil disturbances, decisions by governments or governing authority, fire, flood or natural disaster, epidemics, health risks, bad weather conditions, computer crashes or similar circumstances beyond our control. For the purposes of this contract we define the above as force majeure.

8. Arrival and departure

The apartment(s) will be available for the customer from 11 am on the booked day of arrival.

The price of the apartment(s) is per night, and customers will vacate the apartment(s) by 10 am on the day of departure. If the customer wishes to leave after 10 am on the day of departure, an extra sum equal to half of one night’s fee must be paid by the customer to the owner on the day before departure. Departure later than 10 am is entirely at the owner’s discretion, and the owner reserves the right not to agree to this.

Should you arrive on a date later than the booked arrival date for whatever reason, you will nevertheless have to pay the full amount of the rent for the booked period to the owner on arrival.

The owner will provide all customers with a clean set of sheets, blankets or duvets and pillowcases on their arrival at the apartment(s) and (for stays of 7 days or more) on every 7th day thereafter for the duration of the Customer’s(s) stay. Please note that the owner will not provide towels or soap.

The owner will ensure that the apartment is cleaned before you arrive. It is your responsibility to keep it clean during your stay and to leave it as you found it when you leave.

There is no telephone in the apartment. Please see the guidebook for details of where and how you can telephone.

9. Prices

Prices for the accommodation are given in Euros, since the local currency (Hryvnia or UAH) is subject to more fluctuation than the Euro. Customers should note that any equivalents in other currencies given in quotations are for illustrative purposes only, because exchange rates are subject to continual variation. The fixed price is the Euro price.                    

Please note that the all prices quoted are for the apartment and will not vary according to the numbers staying in it during the booked period (unless otherwise stated on the price list). The maximum numbers permitted to stay in the apartment overnight at any one time are given with the apartment details shown on our website. Should your party exceed the maximum number of people staying in the apartment and you have not gained the express permission of the Owner to this, the Owner, or we on the Owner’s behalf will be entitled to ask you to leave the apartment concerned. We and the Owner will have no further responsibility toward such person(s) including any return travel arrangements. No refunds will be made and we will not pay any expenses or costs incurred as a result of the termination.

10. Guidebook to Crimea

All customers who make a definite booking for an apartment will be sent a copy of the `Guide to Yalta and the Surrounding Area’ by email once they have received the e-mail confirming the booking.

The information contained in the guidebook is correct to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication, however local circumstances may change from one day to the next for reasons outside our control and we cannot be held responsible for any discrepancies between the information contained in the guide and the situation “on the ground” in Crimea. The guidebook may refer to activities which are available in the area you are visiting. We have no involvement in any such activities which are neither run, supervised nor controlled in any way by us. They are provided by local suppliers who are entirely independent of us. Accordingly, we cannot accept any liability in relation to such activities.

11. Interpreter / guide

A local guide who speaks excellent English will normally meet you at the apartment on arrival, or as soon as possible after arrival, to act as interpreter between you and the owner of your booked apartment if necessary and to ensure that you are happily settled in and that any matters requiring clarification with the owner are dealt with. Should he be unable to be there when you arrive you will be able to contact him by telephone. His number will be sent to you with your confirmation details.

He will also book your taxi for return to the airport at the end of your holiday, if you ask him to do this and provide him with all the necessary information. There is no charge for these services. We accept responsibility for the aforementioned services provided by the guide (but not those set out in the rest of this clause 11) as Principal.

If you wish to use his services as a guide and / or interpreter during your stay, you should arrange this direct with him. He will be happy to supply you with further information. Your contract for these services will be with the guide direct. Please see the clause entitled “General” below.

12. Travel to and from Simferopol airport

We are able to book a taxi to take customers from the airport in Simferopol to their apartment and vice versa. This service is optional and provided at the customer’s request. Please note that the taxi firm is a separate company and our role is limited to requesting pickup at a specified time at a specified price on your behalf. Customers should pay the taxi-driver direct. Blacksea-crimea.com Ltd does not accept any liability in connection with or arising out of that contract, for example with any delay or road accident which may occur while customers are being transported. Please also see “General” below.

13. Passports, Visas and Health Requirements.

You are responsible for ensuring that your passport is valid and in force, and that you are in possession of all documentation necessary for travel. We can provide general information about visa requirements but it is your responsibility to obtain a visa in time for your trip if you need one and your prime source of information should be the Ukrainian consulate in your home country. The website of the Ukrainian consulate in the United Kingdom is at www.ukrainianembassy.org.uk. Information on health is available from the Department of Health website - www.doh.gov.uk/traveladvice/index.htm and is contained in the Department of Health leaflet T6 (Health Advice for Travellers) available from your local Department of Health office and most Post Offices.

Requirements may change and you are therefore strongly recommended to check the up to date position with the Passport Office, appropriate embassy or consulate or your doctor as applicable in good time before departure. We regret we cannot accept any liability if you or any member of your party are refused entry onto any transport or into Ukraine due to failure on your part to carry correct documentation.

14. Staying in Crimea

Part of the attraction of visiting Crimea is that it is not like Western Europe. Its people have reached where they are now by a very different historical route, and the economy, culture and way of life will not necessarily be what you take for granted in the west.

You should be aware that habits of insurance are not as highly developed as in Western Europe.

You are strongly recommended to take out personal travel insurance for all members of your party. It is your responsibility to ensure that the insurance you purchase is adequate and appropriate for your particular needs. Please read your policy details on receipt and take them with you on holiday.

Attitudes to safety may also be rather different to those taken for granted in Western Europe. For example, although seatbelts are fitted to most cars many people do not use them, and there is virtually no enforcement. Customers travelling in Crimea do so entirely at their own risk, acknowledging that safety practices may differ from what they are used to at home.

For up to the minute government advice on staying in Crimea please visit the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website at www.fco.gov.uk . Click on travel, then on country advice and then select Ukraine. Crimea is an autonomous republic within the country of Ukraine, and the advice on Ukraine also applies to Crimea.

15. Complaints

At Blacksea-crimea.com Ltd we make every effort to ensure that the apartment we book for you will be clean and comfortable. However, our role is limited to that of booking agent, and the final responsibility for the condition of the apartment during your stay rests with the owner. You should raise any problems with him or her at the time any problem arises. You will have contact details for an interpreter who will be glad to interpret between you and the owner if necessary. Interpreting will be done in person if possible, otherwise indirectly by telephone. There is no charge for the interpreter’s services in matters relating to payment for or condition of the apartment.

If you have any complaints concerning any services we provide, you must inform us straight away in writing to the address below and in any event within 28 days of the end of any arrangements booked through us. We regret we cannot accept any liability if we are not so notified. Our maximum liability to you if we are found to have been at fault in relation to any service we provide (as opposed to any service provided by any third party such as an accommodation owner for whom we are not responsible) is limited to the cost of your booking with us. We do not exclude or limit any liability for death or personal injury which arises as a result of our negligence or that of our employees whilst acting in the course of their employment.

16. Prices and Website Accuracy

Please note, the information and prices shown on our website or sent to you by post or e-mail may have changed by the time you come to book your holiday. Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the website and prices at the time of printing, regrettably errors do occasionally occur. You must therefore ensure you check all details of your chosen holiday (including the price) with us at the time of booking.

17. Behaviour.

When you book through us, you accept responsibility for any damage or loss caused by you or any member of your party. Full payment for any such damage or loss must be paid direct at the time to the accommodation owner or manager. If you fail to do so, you will be responsible for meeting any claims subsequently made against us (together with our own and the other party’s full legal costs) as a result of your actions.

We expect all clients to have consideration for other people. If in the reasonable opinion of the Owner or any other person in authority, you or any member of your party behaves in such a way as to cause or be likely to cause danger, upset or distress to any third party or damage to property, the Owner is entitled, without prior notice, to terminate the holiday of the person(s) concerned. In this situation, the person(s) concerned will be required to leave the accommodation or other service. Neither we nor the Owner will have any further responsibility toward such person(s) including any return travel arrangements. No refunds will be made and neither we nor the Owner will pay any expenses or costs incurred as a result of the termination.

18. Governing Law and Jurisdiction

Your agreement with us in relation to your booking and all matters arising out of it (as opposed to your contract with the owner of the apartment(s) advertised on our website or any supplier of any other service – see “General” below) are governed by English law. We both agree that any dispute, claim or other matter which arises out of or in connection with this contract be dealt with the Courts of England and Wales only.

19. General

Except where otherwise specified, Blacksea-crimea.com Ltd, 45, Cranfield Road, London SE4 1TN (“we” and/or “us”) act only as an agent in respect of all bookings we take and/or make on your behalf. We accept no liability in relation to any contract you enter into or for any services or arrangements you purchase (“arrangements”) or for the acts or omissions of any supplier(s) or Owner or other person(s) or party(ies) connected with any arrangements. For all arrangements, your contract will be with the supplier of the arrangements.

The terms and conditions (if any) of the supplier(s) of your confirmed arrangements will apply to your booking. These terms and conditions may limit and/or exclude the supplier's liability to you.