How to Cancel
Please send any cancellation to us in writing, by email to info@egyptdiscovery.co.uk, quoting your booking reference and the lead traveller's name. It takes effect once we've acknowledged it in writing, not when you send it, so do make sure you've had our acknowledgement and keep it as confirmation that the cancellation is being dealt with.
If a request goes astray on our side, that's for us to put right, not you. As long as you can show when you first wrote, we'll treat the cancellation as effective from that date. Just tell us what's happened and we'll sort it quickly; this is exactly when we'd rather help than hide behind the small print.
Cancellation Schedule
What you receive back depends on how much notice you give us before you arrive in Egypt. These are our standard terms, and they're also our standard terms for Nile cruises:
| Notice before you arrive in Egypt | Refund | Or credit towards a future holiday |
|---|---|---|
| More than 30 days | 75% | 100% |
| 15 to 30 days | 50% | 75% |
| 7 to 14 days | 25% | 50% |
| 2 to 6 days | No refund | 25% |
| Under 48 hours, or if you don't turn up | No refund | No credit |
It's your choice: a refund, or credit towards a future holiday. Credit is always worth more. It's valid for 12 months from your original travel date, can be put towards any of our holidays, and can be passed on to family or friends if you ask us. If your new holiday costs more, you simply pay the difference. Credit that isn't used can't be paid out as cash.
Your Deposit
Your deposit is normally 25% of the total holiday cost. It's 50% over Christmas, New Year, Easter and certain other peak periods, and also whenever internal flights or trains are part of your holiday. Your confirmation email will tell you which applies to your booking, so you'll always know where you stand.
One Set of Terms for Your Whole Holiday
The schedule above covers your whole holiday: the touring and transfers we run ourselves, and the Nile cruise cabin, dahabiya berth or hotel room we book for you. You choose a refund or credit at the step that applies, whichever part of the holiday it is.
If you need to cancel, email us and we'll confirm it in writing the same working day. We can also give you a written note of the cancellation and any charges, which is normally what your insurer will want to see when you claim.
Day Tours, Excursions, Transfers and Entry Tickets
| When you let us know | Credit towards a future holiday | Or a refund |
|---|---|---|
| More than 72 hours before your tour or transfer | 100% of what you paid | 100%, less bank charges |
| Between 72 and 24 hours before | 100% of what you paid | 50%, less bank charges |
| Less than 24 hours before, or if you don't turn up | No credit | No refund |
Credit towards a future holiday can be used on any Egypt Discovery tour, excursion, cruise or stay. It stays valid for 12 months from your original travel date, is kept in your name, and can't later be exchanged for cash.
How refunds are paid. Due to local banking regulations, refunds are made by international bank transfer: in Egypt, international card payments can't be reversed. We'll send you a short form for your bank details, and your refund will be sent within 10 working days of our receiving it. International transfers carry bank charges, which come out of the refund. On smaller sums they can take a sizeable share, so we'll always let you know what to expect before you decide.
The same terms apply to airport and city transfers, and to entry tickets bought on their own.
If we cancel, because of the weather, a closure or a problem with one of our suppliers, choose another date, full credit or a full refund, and we'll cover the bank charges.
Costs already paid on your behalf that can't be recovered, such as a pre-booked ticket or a balloon flight, can't be refunded. We'll always tell you when you book if this applies.
Changes to a Confirmed Booking
Once your booking is confirmed, it's final. If you'd like to change something, simply let us know: we'll contact the hotels, vessels and other suppliers concerned and tell you what's possible. Extra fees may apply, and we can't know what they'll be until we've asked, so we'll always tell you before anything is changed.
If flight or train tickets have already been issued, we'll check whether the dates can be changed and what that would cost. Sometimes new tickets have to be issued instead, and these are charged accordingly.
Changes to Your Nile Cruise
Very occasionally a vessel is replaced by another of the same standard, for instance when it's taken out for maintenance. Busy stretches of river, the water level and the locks may also alter the order and timing of your visits. Whatever happens, everything included in your cruise remains included.
If We Cancel
We'd only ever cancel a confirmed booking for one of three reasons: non-payment, force majeure, or minimum numbers. A private holiday, which is most of what we arrange, runs whether there are two of you or twelve, and we'll never cancel one for lack of numbers. Shared day tours, scheduled group departures and some seat-in-coach transfers do need a minimum, and if one applies to your booking it's stated on your quotation and your confirmation, so it won't come as a surprise.
If we ever have to cancel for that reason, we'll tell you as soon as we possibly can, and no later than 20 days before arrival for a holiday of more than six days, 7 days for one of two to six days, or 48 hours for anything shorter. You can then choose an alternative we suggest (at the same price if it's of a similar standard, or with the difference refunded if not) or have every penny you've paid returned. In reality we'd much sooner find you another way to travel than send your money back, and we generally can.
If a Supplier Cancels
Sometimes the cancellation comes from neither you nor us but from a supplier: a vessel goes in for repairs, a sailing is withdrawn, a hotel overbooks. It's unusual, and it's our job to sort out, not yours.
If the supplier offers a replacement, we'll only accept it if it's the same category or better. If they can't offer anything suitable, we'll find the alternative ourselves from suppliers we already work with. An equivalent replacement will never cost you more; if the only comparable option is of a higher standard, we cover the difference; if it's genuinely lower, we'll tell you honestly and refund the difference. And if there's nothing comparable at all, you can choose between an alternative we suggest and a full refund of that part of your holiday.
How Refunds Are Paid
Owing to local regulations, refunds can only be made by international bank transfer, and every refund is sent within 10 working days.
Refunds go by bank transfer, so we'll need your bank details to send one, even if you paid by card. That's not our choice: Egyptian rules require refunds to be handled in person at the bank with supporting documents, so we can't simply reverse a card payment from here.
Your part is quick. We'll send you a form to fill in; once completed, it becomes the official payment instruction we take to the bank, and the money is then sent by SWIFT to the account you've given us. It's the only legal route open to us, and we'd rather explain that now than leave you wondering why we need bank details after you paid by card.
We get started as soon as your cancellation is confirmed, and aim to send the transfer within 10 working days of getting your completed form back. The paperwork sets the pace, so sending it back promptly is the best way to speed things up.
No-Show
If you don't turn up for a confirmed service and haven't told us in writing beforehand, the full cost of that service is lost. Once your programme has begun, there's no refund for any parts of your holiday you don't use.
Force Majeure
Should something truly beyond anyone's control prevent your holiday going ahead (war, civil unrest, an epidemic, a natural disaster, extreme weather or a government restriction on travel), 100% of what you've paid is kept as credit for future dates, on the credit terms set out above.
Travel Documents
Each traveller is responsible for holding a passport valid for at least 6 months and an Egypt visa. The visa fee isn't included in the price of your holiday.