Booking Terms and Conditions

Castles of the World, Inc. DBA AffordableTours.com is an independent company ('the Company') in the business of marketing and selling travel products under the AffordableTours.com brand name, and arranges for the vacation services offered on the AffordableTours.com website through independent tour operators and cruise operators.

The Company reserves the right to accept or reject any person as a vacation participant, and the vacation participant agrees to be subject to the terms and conditions set forth by the third-party vacation operators, tour operators and cruise lines that are to provide the travel services.

Obtaining travel visas and passports is the sole responsibility of the vacation participant.

Any vacation traveler with physical disabilities is required to notify the Company before any booking is completed and must be done in writing. Any such person is required to be accompanied by an individual who is responsible for providing any necessary special services. Tour managers, cruise managers, bus drivers and other travel company personnel are not able to provide any such necessary assistance.

Any name change to airline tickets including minor spelling corrections may require airline reservations to be cancelled and re-booked. Vacation participant agrees that the names on the Booking Authorization as given to the Company are spelled correctly per the passenger's passports. In the event that names as listed on the Booking Authorization are incorrect then the vacation participant agrees to any expenses resulting out of the cancellation and re-booking of such airline tickets.

The vacation participant agrees that neither the Company nor its affiliates shall be liable for any damage, loss (including personal injury, death, and property loss) or expense occasioned by any act or omission of any supplier providing services, or any insurer or insurance administrator under the Travel Protection Plan (travel insurance), or of any other person.

The tour operators, cruise lines, carriers, accommodations, and other suppliers providing services are independent entities and are not agents, employees, or servants of, or joint ventures with, the Company or its affiliates. All travel documents and travel arrangements issued by the Company are subject to the terms and conditions specified by the end supplier, and to the laws of the countries in which the services are supplied. The Company makes efforts to include the most up to date terms and conditions of the suppliers for the benefit of the vacation participant. However, in the event that the terms and conditions of a particular travel supplier, tour operator or cruise line are modified without the express knowledge of the Company, then the vacation participant agrees to be subject and bound to the modified terms and conditions of the travel supplier.

A payment is not deemed made until it is received by the Company. In the event that an error or omission committed by the Company or its employees results in the paid booking of the vacation participant on a incorrect vacation package, price, date, or other similar error, the Company reserves the right, when practicable, to re-invoice with correct pricing and the vacation participant agrees to be subject and bound to the subsequent price, or the vacation participant may also elect to receive a full refund for all monies that have been paid to the Company in such an event. The vacation participant further agrees that the Company shall not be responsible or held liable to secure the originally intended vacation package, which in many cases may not be available or its procurement may not be practicable due to forces of nature, market factors, or other related reasons. In any event, the company reserves the right to cancel any paid booking for any reason it deems necessary and the vacation participant understands and agrees that the Company's sole responsibility and liability to the vacation participant in such an event will be a full refund all of the monies paid by the vacation participant in the purchase of the vacation through the Company. The vacation participant further agrees that the Company shall not be liable or responsible for other consequential losses or other damages or expenses that the vacation participant has incurred in anticipation of or in connection with the vacation.

Any dispute between the vacation participant and the Company directly or indirectly relating to the Terms and Conditions shall be first submitted to mediation at Houston, Texas before a mediator mutually agreed to by the parties. If mediation is not successful, you agree that any action at law or in equity arising out of or relating directly or indirectly to the terms and conditions shall be filed only in the state or federal courts located in Harris County, Texas and you hereby consent and submit to the personal jurisdiction of such courts for the purposes of litigating any such action.

Mediation against the Company must be commenced within one year following the date of tour completion. Neither the Company nor any affiliates shall in any case be liable for other than compensatory damages, and you hereby waive any right to punitive damages.

No person, other than an authorized representative of the Company, by a document in writing, is authorized to vary, add, or waive any term or condition, including any term or condition set forth in the preceding provisions.

The vacation participant understands and agrees that information, prices and itineraries listed in the Company’s website have been secured from a variety of travel companies and other sources. The Company can not independently call or verify the accuracy of our travel supplier’s information and the Company can not warrant its accuracy or completeness. All information, prices and availability listed in the Company's website is subject to change without notice. For purposes of planning your vacation, we recommend you utilize the Company's Web Site as a starting point for your travel planning and that all material facts published be confirmed with a travel consultant or directly with the travel supplier prior to making any definite travel plans or placing a deposit which may be non-refundable in some cases. Many travel suppliers also enact a monetary penalty for canceling or changing certain reservations. The vacation participant agrees that the Company is not responsible for any typographical errors, itinerary errors or changes, incorrect prices or price changes or offer withdrawals without notice listed on this website or any content of a travel reservation.