Rules and Regulations
The following are the conditions relating to the booking of an expedition with Blue Caribbean Environmental Conservation and are required to be read in close conjunction with and reference to the following documents:
*BCEC Expedition Reference Manual
*BCEC Medical Forms
1. Interpretation
The following expressions shall have the meanings as set out below:
BCEC shall mean Blue Caribbean Environmental Conservation, a company incorporated in Trinidad & Tobago (Company Registration No. whose registered office is at: Man O War Bay, Charlotteville, Tobago, West Indies. BCEC Expedition Reference Manual shall mean the document entitled “BCEC Expedition Reference Manual” which is available from the Blue Caribbean Environmental Conservation Website.
BCEC Expedition Reference Manual shall mean the document entitled “BCEC Expedition Reference Manual” specific to the expedition for which the volunteer has made a booking, and which is available from the BCEC Website. BCEC Website shall mean the official BCEC website which can be found at www.bluecaribbeanconservation.org
Deposit shall mean the deposit of $150.00 CD payable at the time of making a booking and which shall form part of the total Expedition Fee payable.
Expedition shall mean the expedition organized by BCEC upon which the volunteer has expressed a wish to participate or has been accepted to participate.
Expedition Fee shall mean the total sum payable by the volunteer to participate on the expedition for which they have made a booking and for which that booking has been accepted by BCEC.
Expedition Leader shall mean the leader of the expedition appointed by BCEC.
In writing shall mean by letter, fax or email.
Volunteer shall mean the person who has made a booking and received written confirmation from BCEC that their booking has been accepted by BCEC.
2. Booking and Payment
Volunteers are strongly advised to submit a booking as early as possible prior to the published start date for the expedition.
BCEC Expedition bookings and payments may only be made electronically. Directions can be found on our website, which is located at www.bluecaribbeanconservation.org Please contact us for further information.
A non-refundable deposit of $150.00 CD is payable at the time of the initial booking. The deposit is accepted as part-payment of the expedition Fee and will be refunded only if the booking is not accepted by BCEC.
A booking is deemed as accepted only upon receipt by the volunteer of confirmation in writing by BCEC.
BCEC reserves the right to decline any booking within 14 days from the date of the booking, in which case the deposit will be refunded.
The balance of the expedition Fee is payable no later than 8 weeks prior to the published start date of the expedition.
Where a booking is made less than 8 weeks prior to the published start date of the expedition, the balance of the expedition Fee is payable no later than 2 week following the initial booking and payment of the deposit.
Failure to pay the balance of the expedition Fee by the due date entitles BCEC to treat the booking as cancelled and retain the deposit paid. BCEC shall be entitled to charge interest at the rate of 3% above the base rate of Scotia Bank, Lowlands, Tobago on any late payments owing to BCEC by the volunteer.
3. Expedition Fee
Full details of the expedition Fee to join a BCEC expedition are provided on the BCEC website.
Full details of what is included and excluded in the expedition Fee are provided in the BCEC Expedition Reference Manual, which can be obtained from the BCEC website.
4. Charges
The expedition Fee may be subject to surcharge in the event of the alteration of circumstances arising beyond the control of BCEC such as adverse fluctuations in currency exchange rates or substantial increase in the costs of local commodities, services or taxes.
Any notification of a surcharge will be made in writing by BCEC to the volunteer and by no later than 4 weeks prior to the start date of their expedition. Such notification will include a brief explanation by BCEC to the volunteer of the reasons for the surcharge.
If the alteration results in a surcharge of 15% or more of the expedition Fee the volunteer shall either pay the surcharge in full by no later than 10 days prior to the start date of their expedition or terminate their booking by notifying BCEC in writing within 10 days of the date of the notification by BCEC. Should the volunteer elect to terminate their booking, BCEC shall offer a full refund of the expedition Fee paid and BCEC shall not be liable for any loss or damage suffered as a result of such termination by the volunteer.
5. Cancellation by Volunteer
Cancellation of a booking must be made in writing. The date of cancellation for the purposes of the cancellation provisions below shall be the date of receipt of notification in writing of the cancellation.
If the cancellation is made more than eight weeks before the published start date of the expedition, the deposit and 50% of the balance of the expedition fee paid shall be retained by BCEC.
If the cancellation is made eight weeks or less before the published start date of the expedition, all monies paid to BCEC by the volunteer shall be retained by BCEC.
BCEC will not be liable to pay the volunteer any other losses, costs or expenses (including any consequential or indirect losses) arising as a result of cancellation by the volunteer.
In view of the above strict cancellation provisions, BCEC strongly recommends that appropriate cancellation insurance is obtained by the Volunteer at the time of booking, and the Volunteer acknowledges the importance of securing such insurance coverage.
6. Cancellation by BCEC Other Than For Force Majeure
BCEC will exercise all reasonable care to ensure that the volunteer participates on the expedition to which they have booked and been accepted by BCEC. However, the volunteer acknowledges and accepts the right of BCEC to change the published start date of the expedition or provide an alternative expedition location or to make other changes as BCEC in the circumstances deems necessary.
BCEC reserves the right to cancel the expedition and provide notice in writing to the volunteer. If the cancellation is made prior to the published start date of the expedition and no alternative expedition is provided by BCEC, BCEC will refund the expedition Fee less the non-refundable deposit, which the volunteer shall accept in full and final settlement of all claims which they may have against BCEC.
The volunteer acknowledges that certain medical conditions, psychological or physical, as declared by the volunteer on all medical forms submitted to BCEC by the volunteer may be contra indicatory to safe participation on the expedition by the volunteer.
BCEC reserves the right to cancel the volunteer’s booking based upon the medical advice of the BCEC appointed medical advisor(s) and in so doing the volunteer accepts that BCEC shall not be liable to refund any money already paid to BCEC by the Volunteer or be liable to the volunteer for any other losses, costs or expenses (including any consequential or indirect losses) arising as a result of cancellation on medical grounds.
7. Force Majeure
BCEC shall have no liability to the volunteer to make any refund or in respect of any other loss or damage suffered by the
volunteer as a result of the curtailment, suspension, alteration or the cancellation of the expedition caused by any event of force majeure occurring. For the purposes of “force majeure” shall mean war, threat of war, riot, civil strife, coup, industrial dispute, terrorist activity, threat of terrorist activity, hijacking, health risks, outbreak of infectious disease, quarantine, natural, manmade or nuclear disaster, fire, lightening, explosion, earthquake, storm, tempest, hurricane, flood, landslide, adverse weather conditions, bureaucratic obstacles, government or other official intervention, inability to obtain, or shortage of, fuel, power, gas, equipment transportation or product, loss, theft or damage to strategic equipment, or any other event or circumstance arising which is beyond the control of BCEC.
8. Acknowledgment of Nature Of The Expedition
The volunteer acknowledges and accepts that the expedition is designed to be primarily of scientific and educational benefit of Trinidad and Tobago, and not a traditional package holiday where timetables, itineraries and arrangements are clearly defined in advance. Flexibility of expedition timetables, itineraries and arrangements should not only be anticipated but also expected. In agreeing to join and participate on the expedition the volunteer agrees to accept this flexibility and to be prepared for variation which may arise with little or no prior notice, and acknowledges the right of BCEC to make alterations and variations which shall not be regarded as a cancellation for the purposes of Rules and Regulations #6.
The volunteer acknowledges and accepts that there is a significant element of personal risk and potential hazard involved in undertaking an expedition of the nature organized by BCEC and while BCEC aims to safeguard the volunteer's safety, it can not be held responsible for damage or injury caused by risks or hazards beyond its control.
BCEC shall not be liable to the volunteer for any claim arising from discomfort or disappointment suffered from participation on the expedition.
The volunteer warrants that he/she has read the BCEC Expedition Reference Manual that it forms part of any contract between BCEC and the volunteer and that he/she will comply with all obligations of volunteers referred to in those documents.
9. Brochure & Website Information
All information published by BCEC, including the BCEC brochure and website, contain statements representing BCEC’s honest belief that the facts as shown are correct. Every reasonable effort has been made to describe fully, and as honestly as possible, the expeditions and other products offered and every reasonable attempt will be made to supply what had been described.
BCEC reserves the right to make changes to its published information prior to confirming the volunteer’s booking and, provided such changes have been notified to the Volunteer prior to the volunteer submitting a booking or accepted by the volunteer after submission of the booking prior to BCEC’s confirmation, then such changes shall be binding on the parties.
10. Insurance
The volunteer agrees to effect full personal medical and travel insurance and agrees to be personally responsible and liable for ensuring that such insurance cover fully meets their personal requirements and the minimum requirements as recommended in the BCEC expedition guide.
The volunteer acknowledges the importance of insurance provision in respect of their spouse, dependent children and/or relatives and accepts responsibility for assessing their own personal circumstances and arranging any additional insurance cover that they personally deem to be necessary.
The volunteer further agrees to ensure that their insurers are aware of the type of travel and volunteering to be undertaken during the expedition and accepts the insurance proposal upon such basis.
11. Passports, Visa & Vaccinations
The volunteer must be in possession of a valid passport and all visas, permits and certificates required for the entire duration of the expedition and must also arrange to obtain whatever vaccinations are normally recommended for the countries through which the expedition is scheduled to travel.
Any information given by BCEC about visas, healthcare, vaccinations, climate, clothing, baggage, special equipment and other matters are given in good faith but without responsibility on the part of BCEC.
12. Compliance With Legal Requirements
The volunteer agrees to comply with all legislation, visas, immigration, customs and foreign exchange regulations of Trinidad and Tobago. In the event of a contravention by the volunteer of the laws of any country, the expedition leader shall have the right to require the volunteer to leave the expedition within 24 hours notice and no liability on the part of BCEC shall arise whatsoever.
13. Participation & Behaviour
The volunteer acknowledges that the expedition aims to obtain useful information to assist the preservation of the natural environment under observations during the expedition and that therefore the volunteer expects to access under the supervision of the Expedition Leader in a conscientious manner in order to assist in the compilation of this information.
The volunteer agrees to fully abide by all reasonable rules, regulations and instructions issued by BCEC, including but not limited to those stated in the BCEC Expedition Reference Manual and those from the Expedition Leader.
The volunteer agrees to abide by the authority of the expedition leader and to follow all of his/her reasonable instructions.
The volunteer will indemnify BCEC against any damage or loss whether suffered or incurred by BCEC, its staff, other volunteers, members of the local community or otherwise, arising from the volunteer’s actions or omissions.
BCEC reserves the right, in its absolute discretion, to terminate the volunteer’s expedition placement if the volunteer commits any illegal act on the expedition or the volunteer’s behaviour is likely, in the opinion of BCEC or its employees or agents, to cause distress, damage, annoyance or danger to its employees, other volunteers or to any third party or their property.
In the event volunteers placement has been terminated, the expedition leader may require the volunteer to leave the expedition within 24 hours notice and BCEC will have no further responsibility or liability for the volunteer whatsoever, including any arrangements for travel or accommodation, and will not provide any refunds of monies paid by the volunteer to BCEC.
Furthermore, BCEC will be under no obligation whatsoever to pay the volunteer compensation or cover any costs the volunteer may incur as a result of having to make alternative arrangements.
14. Complaints
In the event that the volunteer wishes to make a complaint in relation to the expedition, the volunteer will first ensure that the matter has been brought to the immediate attention of, the expedition leader who will respond by seeking to resolve the complaint as soon as reasonably possible.
In the event or an unresolved serious complaint, the volunteer must first complete a full written report detailing the nature of the complaint before departure from the expedition. This report must be signed and dated by the volunteer and the expedition Leader and a copy provided to the volunteer prior to departure. The volunteer should then notify BCEC of their complaint by letter within 28 days of their return and include a copy of the report made prior to their departure from the expedition. The volunteer acknowledges that it is unreasonable to take no action or fail to report their complaint to the expedition leader whilst on the expedition but then to write a letter of complaint upon return.
It is therefore a condition of booking that the volunteer communicate any problem to the expedition Leader and follow the procedures as laid out above. If the volunteer fails to follow these procedures, the volunteer accepts that BCEC cannot be held responsible or liable as the volunteer will have deprived BCEC of the opportunity to investigate and rectify the problem during the course of the expedition.
The volunteer agrees that under no circumstances shall BCEC be liable for damages or compensation arising from that part of any claim related to the assessment of inconvenience, discomfort, disappointment, loss of enjoyment or as a consequence of any event of force majeure occurring.
15. Data Protection & Copyright
The volunteer acknowledges and accepts that all information and data collected by the volunteer during the expedition is for the exclusive use of BCEC and that BCEC retains full and exclusive copyright, publishing and commercial rights in, and complete editorial control over, all the information and data.
The volunteer waives all rights in relation to the data and information collected by them during the expedition and agrees not to duplicate in any form, publish, render public or make use in any other way of data and information they have collected during the expedition, unless expressly permitted to do so in writing by a serving director of BCEC. The volunteer agrees that any written, video, film or photographic works they may be asked to make by BCEC during their expedition shall be copyright to BCEC and may not be duplicated or used for any purpose whatsoever by the volunteer unless expressly permitted to do so in writing by a serving director of BCEC. The volunteer waives any right to be identified as the author or creator of any such works.
The volunteer authorizes and permits without charge BCEC to use, publish and sell any information, reports, data, video, film and photographic works collected by the volunteer during the expedition, including any video, film or photographic images that may include the volunteer.
16. Variation, Conflict & Jurisdiction
No servant or agent of BCEC can vary or waive these rules and regulations and no variation of these conditions will be effective unless a serving director of BCEC has signed it.
In the event that any of the provision of these rules and regulations is held to be invalid under any applicable statute or
rule of law, such provisions will be omitted without affecting the validity or enforceability of anything remaining in the rules and regulations.
In the event of any conflict between any of these rules and regulations and any other document issued by, or on behalf of, BCEC these rules and regulations shall prevail, unless otherwise stated in writing.
These rules and regulations, and any matters arising from them, are governed by and construed in accordance with Trinidad and Tobago Law and are subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Courts of Trinidad and Tobago.