Booking, Refund, Cancellation, and Returns Policy

Booking Conditions

Welcome aboard! We’re thrilled you’re joining us for an amazing sailing adventure. Here’s everything you need to know about booking your dream trip:

To secure your spot on any of our fabulous sailing adventures, we require a nonrefundable deposit of 50%* of the total booking price at the time of booking. This helps us reserve the perfect vessel for your journey and prepare for an unforgettable experience. The remaining balance is due within 30 days after booking or by the start date of your adventure, whichever comes first. You’re also welcome to pay the full amount upfront – the deposit portion remains nonrefundable, while the balance is refundable according to our “Voluntary Cancellations & Refunds” terms below.

*unless otherwise specified on the trip description page of our Shop.

To keep everything ship-shape, a late fee of 5% APR of the total booking price applies to any past-due balance. To ensure smooth sailing, all balances (including any late fees) must be settled before boarding. If the balance remains unpaid at departure time, we’ll unfortunately have to treat this as an “involuntary cancellation” without refund possibility.

Want to share the love? You can transfer your booking to another passenger up to 45 days before departure – just let us know about the changes so we can update our passenger manifest.

Your amazing adventure with Bare Waves Sailing includes the following:

1. A fantastic sailboat charter for your entire trip
2. Your chosen cabin occupancy (single or shared) with selected occupancy
3. All mooring/marina fees at embarkation and disembarkation ports
4. Fuel for both sailboat and dinghy/tender
5. Dinghy/tender with outboard motor
6. Fresh bedding, pillows, and towels
7. Professional cleaning service after your journey
8. Expert, qualified skipper(s)
9. An incredibly fun and welcoming atmosphere!

To be transparent, these items aren’t included in your booking price:

1. Travel to/from the marina (airfare, transfers, ground transportation)
2. Pre/post-trip accommodation
3. Meals and drinks (unless you’ve booked a trip with our fabulous onboard chef)
4. Shore excursions or entertainment (unless specified in your trip details)
5. Mooring/marina fees at ports of call
6. Trip cancellation and international medical insurance (we strongly recommend getting these through a third party)
7. Entry visas or travel immunizations

Voluntary Cancellations & Refunds

While we hope you won’t need to cancel, we understand life happens! Here’s our policy:

To ensure we have the perfect yacht for every journey, bookings are non-refundable, with some exceptions detailed below. Since we have two main types of sailing excursions (scheduled and bespoke), we have outlined our policy for each type:

Scheduled Sailing Excursions

Applies to sailing excursions where Bare Waves Sailing has defined the start and end dates, location, and itinerary.

If requested at least 30 days prior to the start date of the original trip, we’ll do our best to transfer your booking to a different trip if available. If your new trip costs more, you’ll just need to pay the difference. If it costs less, the difference is non-refundable.

To cancel your trip (a “voluntary cancellation”), just let Bare Waves Sailing UG know in writing through our website’s Contact form, email, or WhatsApp. Here’s what you can expect:

• 50% refund when canceling 60+ days before your trip starts
• No refund available within 59 days of your trip start date

Refunds go back to your original payment method, or we can issue a credit for a future adventure – just let us know your preference!

Exceptions (because we believe in transparency):

• We’re committed to making your trip happen! In the rare case we must cancel, you’ll get either a full refund or credit toward another amazing adventure.
• If we need to end a trip early due to yacht maintenance, we may offer a pro-rated refund or credit for the affected day(s).
• For force majeure events (extreme weather, natural disasters, regional violence, epidemics/pandemics, etc.), we’ll do our best to offer either a refund or credit towards a future trip. If force majeure happens mid-trip, we may pro-rate the affected days at our discretion.

Bespoke Tours

Applies to customized tours where you have requested specific start and end dates and location for the itinerary.

We are happy to discuss your needs at no cost to you prior to confirming your trip to ensure we can fit your timing, location, and your other needs. Since we need to invest upfront in securing a yacht suitable to your needs, bespoke tours are non-refundable once booked.

No-Shows and Voluntary Premature Disembarkation

If you miss the boat (literally!) by not arriving by the scheduled boarding time, we can’t offer a refund, and any remaining balance will still need to be paid.

If you need to leave mid-journey (whether by choice or necessity), we unfortunately can’t offer any refund or credit for the remaining trip duration.

Involuntary Cancellations

Safety and respect for others are our top priorities! If we need to ask someone to leave due to inappropriate behavior (such as illegal activities, causing physical or emotional danger others, or damaging property), no refund or credit will be provided.

If any damage or fines occur due to a passenger’s actions, they’ll be responsible for covering those costs.

Product Returns

For physical products purchased from our shop (excluding trip bookings), we offer a 14-day return window. Items must be unused and in original packaging.

Once we receive your return, we’ll email you about its status and process approved refunds to your original payment method.

Late or Missing Refunds

Haven’t seen your refund? First check with your bank or credit card company, as posting can take time. Still waiting? Get in touch.

Exchanges

We’ll happily replace any defective or damaged products. Need an exchange? Contact us for return instructions.

Shipping Returns

After contacting us, we’ll provide the return shipping address. Return shipping costs are your responsibility and non-refundable.

For valuable items, consider trackable shipping or insurance – while we’ll do our best, we can’t guarantee receipt of untracked items.

Sale Item Refunds

For items or services purchased during a sale, refunds will be calculated based on the sale price.

Need Help?

We’re here for you! Contact us with any questions about refunds and returns.