BOOKING CONDITIONS FOR GERMANY, AUSTRIA, SWITZERLAND
Important Notice to Guests:
You are viewing the Booking Conditions applicable to cruises with Celebrity Cruises (and any related goods and services booked through Royal Caribbean Group). These Booking Conditions are applicable only to guests whose Primary Country of Residence is in Germany, Austria or Switzerland (“DACH“).
If your Primary Country of Residence is not a DACH country, then please visit https://www.celebritycruises.com/guest-terms to determine the Booking Conditions applicable to you.
“Primary Country of Residence” means the country where you primarily reside at the time of booking the cruise. This should be indicated by you, your agent, or other representative at the time of booking the cruise or at online check-in.
These Booking Conditions are governed by the laws of your Primary Country of Residence in the DACH region, and any claims or disputes must be resolved by alternative dispute resolution or under the laws and exclusive jurisdiction of the Courts of your Primary Country of Residence in the DACH region.
If you have any questions as to which Booking Conditions apply to your booking (or related goods and services), please contact your travel agent or local Celebrity Cruises representative.
These Booking Conditions together with our Guest Conduct Policy and any other current Policies or Supplementary Terms form the basis of your contract with us and apply to your booking. In the event of any inconsistency, these Booking Conditions shall prevail unless we notify you otherwise. Where you make a booking directly with us, the parties to the contract are you and either Celebrity Cruises Inc., RCL Cruises Ltd., Oceanadventures S.A., or Islas Galapagos Turismo y Vapores C.A. (each, trading as ‘Celebrity Cruises’) depending on which of those entities will be operating the cruise ship (“Vessel”) on which you sail (the “Carrier”). You will be advised of the relevant contracting party at the time of booking and/or on your confirmation invoice.
“Carrier” shall include: (i) the Vessel, or any substituted ship; its launches or crafts (ii) the Vessel’s operator, owner, manager and charterer; and (iii) with respect to the Land Tour portion of any CruiseTour, the operator of that Land Tour (“LTO”).
In these Booking Conditions, ‘you’ and ‘your’ means all persons named on a booking and ‘we’, ‘us’, ‘ourselves’ and ‘Royal Caribbean’ means either Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd or RCL Cruises Ltd trading as ‘Celebrity Cruises’ as will be determined as being the Carrier under these Booking Conditions. RCL Cruises Ltd. is a UK registered subsidiary company and UK sales and marketing agent of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. If you book a Celebrity Cruises® cruise-only holiday, fly cruise holiday or build your own package with us, you can have the peace of mind in knowing that we shall have responsibility for the proper performance of all aspects of your holiday.
If you book a Celebrity Cruises® cruise only holiday in conjunction with other services (such as flights, on-shore accommodation and/or ground transfers) which are arranged or provided by a travel agent or tour operator (‘travel organiser’) with whom you book and not provided by us, your contract for your entire holiday including the cruise and all other such services and arrangements will be with your travel organiser and not with us. The travel organiser’s own Booking Conditions will apply to your contract. Please ensure you obtain a copy of these from your travel organiser before or at the time of booking. Please note we do not have any liability to you in these circumstances. However, in the event we are found liable to you on any basis, our liability and/or obligations to you or your organiser will be no greater or different to the liability and obligations we have under these Booking Conditions to consumers who have a contract with us. In any such situation we will be fully entitled to rely on all defences, exclusions and limitations contained in the Booking Conditions set out below.
GUEST HEALTH SAFETY AND CONDUCT POLICY, AND OTHER POLICIES
It shall be a condition of boarding and remaining on-board any of our ships that all guests throughout their stay comply with our Guest Health Safety and Conduct Policy (“Guest Conduct Policy”) and other current Policies as notified to you. These policies are designed to ensure that all guests may participate in a safe and enjoyable cruise vacation and, as such, the Guest Conduct Policy sets forth standards of conduct for guests to follow throughout their Celebrity Cruises cruise holiday, including transfers to and from ships, inside terminals, while on-board, at ports of call, during shore excursions and at our private destinations. Please review the Guest Conduct Policy or contact your local booking office or your travel agent for further details in advance of travel.
1. Scope
1.1. These Booking Conditions (in the form of general terms and conditions) apply to all contracts between us, either Celebrity Cruises Inc or RCL Cruises Ltd trading as Celebrity Cruises (see also section 15.1), as the organizer of package and other travel services and you as the person who offers us to conclude a travel contract, as well as the (fellow) travelers. These booking conditions supplement the legal regulations, §§ 651a-y BGB in connection with Art. 2302 in national law in the EU member state where the trip is offered. Before concluding a package travel contract, we must inform you from 01.07.2018 about details of your package tour, which are relevant, as well as about your rights under EU Directive 2015/2302. The information about your package tour can be found in the general and specific service descriptions of the trips and these booking conditions. For your rights according to EU Directive 2015/2302, we have deposited or attached the form required for this in our catalogs or on our website, in your travel agency and in the booking systems in which our trips can be booked. In addition, the General Conditions for the Carriage of Passengers and their Luggage at Sea of the carrier/shipping company and for flight services the Conditions of Carriage of the respective operating airline for regular scheduled flights with international airlines apply. These booking conditions are available to you at your travel agent or on the Celebrity Cruises website. We would like to point out that tour operators within the meaning of the package travel laws mentioned for all package tours offered in the catalog or on the website is either Celebrity Cruises Inc or RCL Cruises Ltd. trading as Celebrity Cruises(see section 1.4). Insofar as this company is to be regarded as an organizer based in a non-EU member state in the context of a Brexit at the given time, the organizer assures the complete fulfillment of the security obligations applicable to them according to Art 17ff of the EU Directive 2015/2302 through its insurance policy with the insurance number BA2109500/ 2721852 at Liberty Mutual Insurance Europe SE with registered office at 20 Fenchurch Street, London, EC3M 3AW and the other national obligations of a tour operator in accordance with the implementation of EU Directive 2015/2302 of the respective country (Chapter IV and V of the Directive), in which the trips are offered.
RCL Cruises Ltd. operates a branch office at Hillmannplatz 11, 28195 Bremen. The branch office of RCL Cruises Ltd. in Bremen, Germany is the sales intermediary and marketing organization and authorized recipient for Germany, Austria and Switzerland, acting for Celebrity Cruises Inc or RCL Cruises Ltd trading as Celebrity Cruises. In accordance with the regulations in these booking conditions, legal declarations can be made by Celebrity Cruises Inc or RCL Cruises Ltd trading as Celebrity Cruises via RCL Cruises Ltd in Bremen, Germany towards the customer and by the customer towards RCL Cruises Ltd in Bremen, Deutschland with legal effect against Celebrity Cruises Inc or RCL Cruises Ltd trading as Celebrity Cruises.
1.2. Different provisions in the individually concluded travel contract take precedence over these booking conditions. With your travel registration (see point 2.) you declare that you know and accept these booking conditions.
1.3. In the context of these booking conditions, the personal form of address (e.g. “you”, “yours”) designates the person who offers us the conclusion of a travel contract.
1.4. In the context of these booking Conditions, the I form (e.g. “we”, “us”, “on our part”) refers to the legally responsible tour operator, being either Celebrity Cruises Inc or RCL Cruises Ltd trading as Celebrity Cruises, depending on which company was notified to you as the contracting partner before the booking of the journey and on the booking invoice (see also section 15.1).
1.5. A traveler or customer within the meaning of these booking conditions is anyone who is entitled to use the services to be provided by us within the framework of the travel contract on the basis of the statutory provisions on the travel contract.
1.6. If you and the (fellow) travelers are not the same person, you are responsible for all contractual obligations of fellow travelers for whom you make the booking as for your own, provided that you have accepted this obligation by means of an express and separate declaration.
The combination of travel services offered to you is a package tour within the meaning of Directive (EU) 2015/2302 in the implementation of §§ 651a-y BGB in conjunction with Articles 250-252 EGBGB in Germany, the Package Travel Act PRG in Austria or the federal law on package tours in Switzerland. Accordingly, all bookings will benefit from any EU or equivalent rights applicable to package travel under the law in force at the time of booking. The legally responsible tour operator, either Celebrity Cruises Inc or RCL Cruises trading as Celebrity Cruises (see also section 15.1) bears full responsibility for the proper execution of the package tour as a whole. In addition, RCL Cruises Ltd. are covered by their insurance policy number BA2109500/2721852, taken out by Liberty Mutual Insurance Europe SE, whose UK office is at 20 Fenchurch Street, London, EC3M 3AW, in accordance with the law, in the event that RCL Cruises Ltd. becomes insolvent to refund your payments and, where transport is included in the package, to arrange your transport home.
The most important rights under Directive (EU) 2015/2302 can be viewed at https://www.celebritycruises.com/guest-terms.
If you book a Celebrity Cruises ® cruise-only holiday in conjunction with other services (such as flights, on-shore accommodation and/or ground transfers) which are arranged or provided by a travel agent or tour operator (‘travel organiser’) with whom you book and not provided by us, your contract for your entire holiday including the cruise and all other such services and arrangements will be with your travel organiser and not with us. The travel organiser’s own Booking Conditions will apply to your contract. Please ensure you obtain a copy of these from your travel organiser before or at the time of booking. Please note we do not have any liability to you in these circumstances. However, in the event we are found liable to you on any basis, our liability and/or obligations to you or your organiser will be no greater or different to the liability and obligations we have under these Booking Conditions to consumers who have a contract with us. In any such situation we will be fully entitled to rely on all defences, exclusions and limitations contained in these Booking Conditions as set out below.
2. Conclusion of the travel contract
2.1. Tenders, descriptions, price lists or tables as well as other promotions or advertisements for travel services on our part in the corresponding catalogs or on our website – including those that refer to a specific period and/or name a specific price and/or other services and considerations – do not represent a contractual offer in the legal sense. Rather, this is merely a request to potential customers to submit an offer to us to conclude a travel contract with the appropriate content (“invitatio ad offerendum”).
2.2. With the booking (travel registration) you offer us the conclusion of the package travel contract for private purposes and confirm that you have taken note of the above-mentioned, pre-contractual information in accordance with Section 1.1. The basis of the offer is the travel description (route sketches are non-binding), the “General information ” in the travel brochure or on the website and the additional pre-contractual information from Celebrity Cruises for the respective trip, insofar as this is available to the customer before the booking. You are then legally bound to this offer; for our part, we are requested to accept or reject this offer within a reasonable period of time, but no later than seven days after receipt of the offer. The travel contract is only concluded upon acceptance by us. Offer and acceptance do not require any form.
2.3. We will send you and/or the traveler a travel confirmation/invoice (e-mail) immediately after the conclusion of the contract, which represents the contractual basis of your travel contract and in which you will be informed of your contractual partner.
2.4. Intermediaries (e.g. travel agencies, online portals) and third parties commissioned by us to provide services (e.g. hotels) are not authorized or otherwise entitled to make agreements, provide information or make assurances that affect the content of the travel contract, as it results from our current travel description valid for the travel period and the content of the travel confirmation/invoice, and/or go beyond our travel description or the contractually promised services in the travel confirmation/invoice, or contradict them stand.
2.5. If the content of our declaration of acceptance deviates from the content of the booking, then we have a new offer to which we are bound for a period of ten days. The contract is then concluded on the basis of this new offer if you declare acceptance to us within the commitment period by means of an express or implied declaration, e.g. down payment, final payment or by starting the journey. You can declare acceptance informally.
2.6. For bookings in electronic business transactions (e.g. Internet), the following provisions apply to the conclusion of the contract in addition to the above provisions:
2.6.1. The online booking process will be explained to you on the relevant website.
2.6.2. You have a corresponding correction option available to correct the entries, to delete or to reset the entire online booking form, the use of which is explained.
2.6.3. The contractual languages offered for carrying out the online booking are specified.
2.6.4. If the text of the contract is saved by us, you will be informed about this and about the possibility of calling up the text of the contract later.
2.6.5. By pressing the button (the button) “Book with obligation to pay” or a corresponding button during the course of the online booking, you offer us the conclusion of the travel contract in the form of your travel registration.
2.6.6. The receipt of the travel registration will be immediately confirmed to you electronically (confirmation of receipt).
2.6.7. The transmission of the travel registration by pressing the button “Book with obligation to pay” does not justify any claim on your part to the conclusion of a travel contract.
2.6.8. The contract comes about through our confirmation, which, unless otherwise regulated by law, does not require any special form. Immediately after the conclusion of the contract, we will then send you a final travel confirmation in the legally required written form. If our acceptance of the contract takes place immediately after pressing the button “book with obligation to pay” or a corresponding button during the course of the online booking through a corresponding immediate display on the screen, the travel contract is concluded with the display of this acceptance of the contract without interim notification. In this case, you will be offered the opportunity to save and print out the travel confirmation, or we will send you a travel confirmation in the form prescribed by law upon or immediately after the conclusion of the contract. However, the legal validity of the travel contract does not depend on you actually using these storage or printing options.
2.6.9. In the case of package travel contracts that were concluded at a distance (e.g. via telephone calls, e-mails, telemedia or online services), there is no right of withdrawal, but the statutory rights of withdrawal and termination. However, there is a right of cancellation if the contract for travel services according to § 651a BGB was concluded outside of business premises, unless the negotiations on which the conclusion of the contract is based were conducted on the basis of a previous order by the consumer; in the latter case there is no right of withdrawal.
2.7.0 For departures ex North America/Caribbean: The minimum age for customers traveling alone and for the consumption of alcohol is 21 years. Guests 20 and under must be accompanied by an adult 21 years or older booked in the same stateroom. For all other departures: The minimum age for customers traveling alone and for the consumption of alcohol is 18 years. Guests 17 and under must be accompanied by an adult 18 or older booked in the same cabin. Exception for Dubai Travel: Must be 21 or older to consume alcohol.
The following applies to all trips: Please note the requirements for guests up to the age of 17 who are not traveling with their parents but with other family members or friends (see “General information”). Infants may only board a cruise if they are at least six months old at the time of departure. However, on a cruise that includes three or more consecutive sea days, infants must be at least one year old at the time of departure. For families who want to accommodate their children in a separate cabin, the cabins must be next to each other. Attention: The upper beds are not suitable for children up to 6 years old.
The minimum drinking age for all alcoholic beverages on Celebrity Cruises ships depends on the location of the ship at the start of the cruise itinerary but can change during the sailing as local laws require. For ships originating in Europe, Asia, Australia and South America the minimum drinking age limit is eighteen (18). For ships originating in North America, the minimum drinking age is twenty-one (21). We reserve the right to vary minimum age limits without notice where local laws require or where we deem it desirable or necessary. If a guest that is below the minimum age limit to consume alcohol onboard has a birthday during a cruise itinerary that would then mean they meet the minimum age limit for consuming alcohol, they must notify the Guest Services Desk and provide evidence in the form of their passport as proof of age in order to allow the Guest Services Desk to update their details and permit them to purchase alcohol onboard. Please note that within the territorial waters of some countries on your itinerary or based on your embarkation port, the onboard shops may be closed or alternatively restrictions may be imposed on some items available for purchase or additional VAT added dependent on that country’s VAT rules. Restrictions apply and this policy is subject to change without notice. Guests are allowed to bring aboard, on embarkation day only, 1 bottle (75cl) of wine or champagne per person for consumption within their stateroom. When consumed in any shipboard restaurant, bar or dining venue, a corkage fee of $25 applies per bottle. Alcoholic beverages that are purchased in ports of call or from onboard shops will be stored by the ship and delivered to guest staterooms on the last day of the sailing. Security may inspect containers (water bottles, soda bottles, mouthwash, luggage etc.) and will dispose of containers holding alcohol. Celebrity Cruises Guest Conduct Policy may be enforced, up to and including disembarkation, if a guest violates any alcohol policy. Guests under the age limits above will not have alcohol returned to them. Guests who violate any alcohol policies, (over consume, provide alcohol to people under stated age above, demonstrate irresponsible behaviour, or attempt to conceal alcoholic items at security and or luggage check points or any other time), may be disembarked or not allowed to board, at their own expense, in accordance with our Guest Conduct Policy. Celebrity Cruises reserves the right to revoke or otherwise restrict drinking privileges of any guest, regardless of age. Additional policies for groups are located in the Appendices of the Travel Agent Guide and are enforced without exception. Applicable regulatory age restrictions apply while the ship is in port and until the vessel enters International waters.
2.7.1 Customers with special needs and those with restricted mobility must notify Celebrity Cruises of their disability when registering for a cruise so that Celebrity Cruises can guarantee that the trip can be carried out properly (see also Section 10).
2.7.2 We cannot accepted guests who will be more than twenty-three (23) weeks pregnant at any time during the cruise or Cruise Tour. Please contact us if you have already reserved your cruise and do not meet this requirement. Guests will be required to fill out a Public Health Questionnaire prior to arrival or at the pier attesting that they are not more than twenty-three (23) weeks pregnant.
3. Contractual obligations of you / the traveller: payment
3.1. Your payments are secured according to the legal regulations of § 651 r BGB in Germany/ §6 II No.4 PRG in Austria/ according to the federal law on package tours in Switzerland, or according to the regulations of the country in which the trip is offered. With the travel confirmation, you will receive a confirmation from the customer money insurer or at his instigation in accordance with Art. 252 of the EG-BGB (security certificate in Germany, or its equivalent in Austria in the EU form, or insolvency insurance confirmation in Switzerland, or corresponding to the national regulations of the country in which the trip is offered) as proof.
3.2. You are obliged to pay the agreed remuneration (travel price) on the agreed due dates, but not before you have received the information specified in Section 3.1, including proof (security certificate). The deposit shown on the travel confirmation/invoice is due immediately.
for 1 – 5 nights 100 EUR/CHF per person
for 6 – 9 nights 165 EUR/CHF per person
for 10 – 14 nights 165 EUR/CHF per person
for 15 nights and more 490 EUR/CHF per person
For all suites: a non-refundable deposit equal to 10% of the cruise fare (based on double occupancy) will be required. If the 10% value is less than the current standard deposit amount, the standard amount will be applied.
The decisive factor is the duration of the cruise, without including connecting stays/hotels.
The difference between the down payment made and the agreed remuneration (the final payment) is due 50 days before prior to the departure, as shown on the travel confirmation (Austria 15 days before the start of the trip), or 120 days prior to departure for selected sailings of 15 nights or longer. You and/or the travelers are obliged to pay this without further request. If you book within this schedule, you must pay the total holiday cost at the time of booking. For bookings including flights, a higher deposit may be required to guarantee the flights. Any increase in the deposit will be notified at the time of booking. Payment of the deposit implies acceptance of the contract and its terms and conditions.
If you have booked through a travel agent, the travel agent may have different payment conditions that will apply to your booking. If you are unable to complete the online check-in process, this may be due to an outstanding balance on your booking. If you have booked via a travel agent, please speak to your travel agent so that the funds can be transferred to us to complete your online check-in.
4. Default, withdrawal due to default
4.1. We are entitled to refuse to provide the travel services until the remuneration has been paid in full, i.e. the full payment of the advance payment and final payment before the start of the trip.
4.2. If you do not make the down payment and/or final payment in accordance with the agreed due dates, although we are willing and able to provide the contractual service, have fulfilled our legal information obligations and you have no legal or contractual right of retention, we are entitled, after a reminder, to withdraw from the contract by setting a deadline and to charge you with the withdrawal costs.
4.3. Travel documents will only be made available after receipt of payment of the full travel price.
4.4. The fees in the event of a cancellation of the trip and processing and rebooking fees are due immediately.
5. Duty to cooperate / Obligations of the customer
5.1. You must inform us if you do not receive the necessary travel documents (e.g. flight ticket, vouchers, etc.) within the deadlines communicated by us.
5.2. If you cancel the contract due to a defect of the type described in § 651 i II BGB, or the national equivalent of the definition of the travel defect in the country in which the trip is offered, insofar as it is significant, according to § 651 l BGB, or of the corresponding national implementation of Art. 16 Para. 6 of the Directive, you must first set us a reasonable period of time to remedy the situation. According to § 651 o BGB (and the equivalents in the PRG for Austria and in the Swiss federal law for package tours, or the national implementation of the guideline in the country in which the trip is offered), you are obliged to notify Celebrity Cruises of a travel defect immediately, i.e. the German authorized recipient RCL Cruises Ltd, Hillmannplatz 11, 28195 Bremen or directly to your contractual partner, either RCL Cruises Ltd trading as Celebrity Cruises, Building 7, The Heights, Brooklands, Weybridge, Surrey, KT13 0XW or Celebrity Cruises of Miami, Florida or the agents of Celebrity Cruises (tour guide or travel agent). You must note that if the travel agent is notified of a defect outside of his opening hours, it cannot always be immediately passed on to us so that the request for remedy can be processed quickly. Your claims do not lapse if you fail to notify us of the defect through no fault of your own. You can request redress in accordance with § 651 i III No.1 BGB (and the equivalents in the PRG for Austria / Swiss Federal Law on Package Travel, or the national implementation of the directive in the country in which the trip is offered) if during the If a defect according to § 651 i II BGB should occur. If we cannot remedy the travel deficiency, you can request a reduction in the travel price in accordance with § 651 m BGB, or the national implementation of the directive in the country in which the trip is offered, or compensation for damages in accordance with § 651 n BGB, or the require national implementations of the directive in the country where the trip is offered. Tour guides, agencies and employees of service providers are not authorized and not authorized by Celebrity Cruises to confirm defects or to recognize claims against us. If the package tour is significantly affected by the defect, you can cancel the package tour in accordance with § 651 l BGB or the national implementation of the directive in the country in which the trip is offered. The same applies if you cannot reasonably be expected to travel as a result of such a defect for an important reason that is recognizable to us. The termination according to § 651 l BGB, or the national implementation of the guideline in the country in which the trip is offered, is only effective if we or, if available and contractually agreed as a contact person, our representatives (tour guide, agency), a have allowed a reasonable period specified by you to elapse without remedying the situation. There is no need to set a deadline if the remedy is impossible or is refused by Celebrity Cruises or its agents, or if immediate remedy is necessary, or if the immediate termination of the contract is justified by a special interest on your part.
5.3. In the event of baggage loss or baggage delay, damage or delivery delays for air travel must be reported to the responsible airline immediately on the spot by means of a damage report. Airlines may refuse refunds if the claim form has not been completed. In the event of luggage damage, the damage report must be submitted within 7 days, in the event of a delay within 21 days after delivery. In addition, the loss, damage or misdirection of baggage must also be reported immediately to the local Celebrity Cruises representative. Damage to or loss of baggage during embarkation or disembarkation must be reported immediately. You are obligated to send a written notice to Celebrity Cruises or its agents. If cabin baggage is visibly damaged, you must report the damage immediately, at the latest at the time of your disembarkation. In the case of other, externally damaged baggage that was carried by the cabin crew or stored for you, you must report the damage as soon as it is returned to you. If the damage is not visible from the outside, the report must be made no later than 15 days after disembarkation, handing over or after the time at which handing over was scheduled. The carriage, stowage and handling of the passenger’s own luggage on board is always at their own risk. Cabin baggage damage is limited to a maximum liability of 2,250 units of account (unit of account is the Special Drawing Right of the International Monetary Fund. The amount is converted into euros according to the value of the euro against the Special Drawing Right, see: www.imf.org/external/np/fin/data/rms_five.aspx), each per customer and trip, insofar as damage was not caused intentionally or through gross negligence by Celebrity Cruises. The limitation of liability also applies if Celebrity Cruises is solely responsible for damage suffered by the customer due to the fault of a service provider. In the event of loss of or damage to mobility aids or other special equipment used by a passenger with reduced mobility, Celebrity Cruises shall reimburse the replacement value of the equipment in question or the cost of repair, if applicable. (§§ 537 ff HGB as de facto implementation of EU VO 392/2009).
6. Services/Prices
6.1. The scope of the contractual services and their price results from the service description in our relevant travel advertisement, as well as the travel documents, in particular the travel registration and the travel confirmation, including any special requests listed in the travel confirmation. We would like to point out that travel offers are intended for relaxation and that it is therefore not permitted to commercially advertise, offer or sell your own services, products or other paid services on board or during shore excursions offered by Celebrity Cruises without written permission.
6.2 We reserve the right to increase or decrease the price of unsold holidays at any time. You will receive confirmation of the price of your chosen holiday as above. After confirming the price of your chosen holiday at the time of booking, subject to correction of errors, we will only increase or decrease the price in the following circumstances:
6.2.1 Price increases or decreases after booking will be passed on in the form of a surcharge or refund. A surcharge or refund will be payable, subject to the conditions set out in this clause, if the cost of carriage or the duty, tax or charge payable for services such as landing fees or embarkation and disembarkation fees at ports or airports increases or decreases, or if our costs increase or decrease as a result of adverse or beneficial changes in the exchange rates used to calculate the cost of your holiday.
6.2.2 Even in the above cases, we only charge a surcharge if the cost increase exceeds 2% of the total price of your trip (excluding change fees). If the surcharge is more than 8% of the trip price (excluding change fees) and we inform you in writing at least 20 days before the start of the trip, you have the right to choose one of options (a), (b) or (c) as in Clause 7.2 explained in more detail. You have 14 days from the date of issue printed on the surcharge invoice to let us know whether you wish to opt for option (b) or (c) under clause 7.2 below; otherwise we will assume that you have accepted the change and will invoice you accordingly for the additional costs, stating the additional payment period.
6.2.3 If you do not tell us within this period that you wish to choose one of the two options, we are entitled to assume that you do not wish to do so and will pay the additional cost. The surcharge must be paid together with the balance of the travel price or within 14 days of the date of issue printed on the surcharge invoice, whichever is the later.
6.2.4 Please note that travel services are not always purchased in local currency and some apparent changes due to contractual and other safeguards will not affect the price of your holiday. A refund will only be made if the cost reduction incurred by us exceeds 2% (see above). In the event of a refund, we will pass on the full amount of the cost reduction to you. We reserve the right to correct errors in advertised and confirmed prices. We will do this as soon as we become aware of the error. Please note that changes and errors may occasionally occur. You must verify the price of your chosen holiday at the time of booking. Please note: Any change you make to your booking may result in a change in price as explained in clause 9.
7. Changes in service (without price change)
7.1. Changes or deviations of individual travel services from the agreed content of the travel contract are permissible after the conclusion of the contract, provided they are insignificant, do not change the overall layout of the trip and were not brought about in bad faith. Celebrity Cruises expressly reserves the right to make such changes to services, insofar as these changes are insignificant in accordance with § 651 f II BGB (or the equivalent in the PRG for Austria or the federal law on package tours in Switzerland) and do not affect the overall design of the trip. This proviso applies in particular to changes in travel and lay times and/or routes (particularly for safety or weather reasons), which the captain responsible for the ship alone decides on.
7.2. In the event of a significant change in an essential feature of a travel service or a deviation from the customer’s special requirements that have become part of the travel contract, Celebrity Cruises is obliged to inform you in all these cases on a durable medium (e.g. by letter, fax or e-mail ) clearly, understandably, in a prominent manner immediately after learning of the reason for the change and before the start of the trip about such a change in service in accordance with § 651 f II BGB (§ 9 PRG for Austria and analogously in Switzerland, or the national implementation of the directive in the country , in which the trip is offered) and in the cases of § 651 g I 3 BGB (§ 9 II PRG in Austria and the Swiss equivalent or the national implementations of the directive in the country in which the trip is offered) offer the contract change, or alternatively participation in a replacement trip, combined with a deadline for the customer to make a declaration of up to 10 days. You are then entitled to accept the new contract change offer communicated by us within the reasonable period set by us
(a) either accept or
(b) withdraw from the travel contract free of charge or
(c) to confirm your participation in a replacement trip if we have offered such a trip.
You are free to respond to our change notice. If you do not react to this or not within the set period, the communicated offer to change the contract is deemed to have been accepted.
7.3. Any warranty claims remain unaffected insofar as the changed services are defective. If we incurred lower costs for the implementation of the alternative trip with equivalent quality, you are entitled to the difference according to § 651m II BGB (or § 9 V in the Austrian PRG or the Swiss federal law, or the national implementation of the guideline in the country in which the trip is offered).
7.4 We expressly reserve the right to make short-term changes to flight times, routing, the aircraft, the airline and stopovers, provided these do not represent a significant change in the travel service in the legal sense.
8. Cancellations and Refunds
If you or anyone travelling with you wishes to cancel your/their cruise or flights, you must immediately give notice to us or your travel agent so that your agent can give us notice of cancellation on your behalf.
The cruise and flights will only be deemed cancelled from the date we actually receive notice of cancellation from you or your travel agent. Insurance premiums and or amendment charges cannot be refunded in the event of cancellation.
Cancellation of cruise
Unless otherwise set forth on your booking invoice, the following cancellation charges currently apply to your cruise. Please note that onboard Suites may be subject to higher deposits and cancellation charges.
| All Cruises (except Galapagos Cruises): | |
| Days to Sailing*: | Cancellation Charge (Per Guest): |
| 50+ days | No charge (except for non-refundable deposit amounts) |
| 49 – 31 days | 50% of total price |
| 30 – 15 days | 75% of total price |
| 14 days or less | 90% of total price |
| All Galapagos Cruises: | |
| 150+ days | No charge (except for non-refundable deposit amounts) |
| 149 – 121 days | 10% of total price |
| 120 – 91 days | 25% of total price |
| 90 – 61 days | 50% of total price |
| 60 – 31 days | 75% of total price |
| 30 days or less | 100% of total price |
*In instances where the deposit amount paid is higher than the 25/50/75% of cruise fare cancellation charge, then the highest of the two amounts is payable as the cancellation charge, i.e. the full deposit amount is retained.
Celebrity Cruises Onboard Bookings
Celebrity Cruises ‘Cruise Now’ bookings made onboard our ships may be subject to different terms and conditions. Please consult the specific terms and conditions provided at time of booking onboard.
Cancellation of flights & or hotels
All flights cancelled will incur a cancellation charge of 30 EUR/CHF per person plus any airline cancellation charges. In some cases these could be the full cost of the airline ticket. Please contact your travel agent or speak to our Air/Sea Department for your flight cancellation charges as they vary by airline, destination and fare type.
Hotel cancellations will incur a 50% cancellation fee 30-8 days prior to sail. No refunds will be made to no shows or cancellations within 7 days of sailing.
Other cancellation policies
Depending on the reason for your cancellation, you may be able to reclaim these cancellation charges (less any applicable excess) under the terms of your travel insurance policy. Claims must be made directly to the insurance company concerned. Where any cancellation reduces the number of full paying party members below the number on which the price, number of free places and/or any concessions agreed for your booking were based, we will recalculate your holiday cost and re-invoice you accordingly. Any such invoice must be paid within 7 days if rendered within 70 days of sailing (90 days in the event of holiday sailings). In all other instances invoices for any such cost increases must be paid within the time frame stipulated for the payment of the balance due on the original booking. In the event that any cost increase to a booking due to a cancellation is not paid within the time limit specified, we reserve the right to cancel the booking and in those circumstances, normal cancellation charges will apply.
Travel agents may impose their own charges in connection with a cruise (for example service fees) and may impose their own cancellation fees. Any charges or fees of this nature are a matter strictly between the guest and their travel agent.
9. Rebookings, contract transfers, name changes
After the conclusion of the contract, you are not entitled to changes with regard to the travel date, destination, place of departure, accommodation or mode of transport, in particular the partial cancellation of additional services, transport services on arrival (rebooking). If, at your request, a rebooking is made as a gesture of goodwill, this is only possible once. In the event of a withdrawal from the rebooked trip, cancellation fees will be charged in accordance with Section 8. However, we charge a rebooking fee per customer if the following deadlines are met. Unless otherwise agreed in individual cases before the rebooking is confirmed, the one-time rebooking fee is:
9.1. Rebooking when traveling by flight:
Subject to availability, changes can be made up to 60 days before departure. In addition to the additional costs actually incurred (e.g. with the airline), an additional processing fee of 60 EUR/CHF per cabin will be charged. Please ask us in advance about the exact costs for the intended rebooking.
9.2. Rebookings for trips without a flight:
Changes can be made up to 60 days before departure. In addition to the additional costs actually incurred (depending on the trip selected), an additional processing fee of 60 EUR/CHF per cabin will be charged.
Rebookings from 60 days before the start of the trip are only possible after prior cancellation of the trip, regardless of the type of trip.
9.3. Transfer of contract to third parties / substitute person:
You are entitled to provide a substitute participant within the framework of the legal provisions (e.g. § 651 e BGB for Germany or the national implementation of the directive in the country in which the trip is offered). A processing fee of EUR/CHF 60 per person and transaction will be charged for the change of travel participants (person replacement). You and the substitute traveler are jointly and severally liable for any additional costs incurred, in particular for changing flight tickets, in accordance with the statutory provisions. You will be informed of the costs and fees involved before the change is implemented.
You can send us the legally binding declaration required for this person replacement on a permanent data medium, which we receive up to 7 days before the start of the trip, thereafter only if the declaration is made within a reasonable period of time before the start of the trip, and demand that a third party in your rights and obligations from the travel contract.
In this case, we can demand reimbursement of the reasonable additional costs actually incurred by us against proof or object to the entry of the third party if they do not meet the contractual travel requirements. In addition, the statutory provisions apply.
9.4. If you change your name, Celebrity Cruises will only charge you for the additional costs actually incurred, including the additional costs from third-party providers (e.g. flight for ticket reissuance, hotel). In any case, there is an additional processing fee of EUR/CHF 60 per traveler for the additional administrative work involved. Any change in the spelling of the first or last name is considered a change of name. A change of name is only possible until the start of the journey. It is no longer possible to change the name before the start of the trip if Celebrity Cruises has already given the names of the passengers on this trip to the responsible authorities, in particular to the port and immigration authorities of the planned trip, in compliance with the legal regulations or official orders of the respective travel countries travel to countries visited.
10. Travelers with special needs, reduced mobility, ability to travel and other exclusions from carriage
10.1. As part of its legal obligations, Celebrity Cruises provides information about health regulations that apply to travel and entry into the respective countries or for the individual ports of destination. In addition, Celebrity Cruises is neither entitled nor obliged to give advice, recommendations or information on health conditions, risks, consequences or preventive measures for participating in the trip.
10.2. It is therefore exclusively the responsibility of the traveler himself, by obtaining the appropriate information, taking advantage of suitable travel medicine advice and a medical examination, to ensure that participation in the specifically booked trip, taking into account the personal disposition and condition of the traveler, does not pose a health risk or impairment or risk to him the occurrence or worsening of an illness, in particular an already existing long-term illness, is possible. With his booking, the traveler assures the fulfillment of these obligations. We are entitled at any time, but not obliged, to require the traveler to submit a medical certificate confirming the traveler’s ability to travel for the specific trip and the specific destination countries.
10.3. It is the responsibility of the traveler to ensure that the necessary medicines are available by carrying sufficient supplies (also taking into account any travel delays) by taking them with them and/or having them available in the respective destination countries. Celebrity Cruises’ contractual obligations include neither checking the availability of medicines in the destination countries nor informing the customer about them, nor stockpiling them on board, even if a ship’s doctor and/or a corresponding on-board pharmacy is available according to the service tender are.
10.4. For Travelers with Special Needs and Travelers with Reduced Mobility: Travelers with a physical or mental disability (including Travelers who require a wheelchair) who require special treatment or assistance should determine the nature of their disability prior to booking with Celebrity Cruises any medical equipment they will be bringing on board or any special medical or other assistance they may require in writing. This applies in particular to assistance in accordance with EU VO 1177/209. The travelers must furthermore be accompanied by a person able to render them assistance. Corresponding assistance on the part of Celebrity Cruises, its vicarious agents, employees, service providers or agents does not belong to the scope of the contractual services, unless otherwise expressly agreed or resulting from mandatory statutory provisions (in particular for air travel, Regulation (EC) No. 1107/2006 of July 5, 2006 on the rights of disabled air travelers and air travelers with restricted mobility and from EU Regulation 1177/2010 on passenger rights in sea and inland waterway transport). Travelers requiring a wheelchair must be equipped with their own standard size wheelchair (max.L:1270mm W:720mm H:1270mm) and be accompanied by a person able to assist them. Attention is drawn to the fact that certain areas on board are not accessible to wheelchair users due to their construction. A general suitability of the ships and all their facilities for use and inspection by disabled travelers and travelers with restricted mobility is not contractually owed. Celebrity Cruises reserves the right – taking into account the statutory provisions of EU VO 1177/2010 – to provide a disabled or restricted traveler who culpably failed to fulfill his or her obligations set out in these travel conditions and without breaching a statutory or contractual information or Celebrity Cruises’ duty of care has become the cause, has failed to refuse the booking, to prohibit embarkation or to terminate the travel contract, insofar as participation objectively poses a threat or serious impairment to the passenger himself, fellow passengers, ship’s crew and employees or to the safe execution of the journey itself can be expected. The rejected passenger is free to have a new check carried out by the mobility officer of the shipping company, providing all the documents that appear to be relevant for this decision.
10.5. You should check with your family doctor at least 8 weeks before the trip and again within 14 days before the trip about the current health regulations for all destinations of your trip. In order to ensure a healthy cruise, we ask passengers to fill out a questionnaire at the port and indicate whether they suffer from a gastrointestinal disease or any other disease that is easily transmitted from person to person such as COVID-19. There is a medical facility on all our ships to attend to you if you feel unwell during your cruise. We strongly recommend that you go to the medical facility if you feel unwell, especially if you have gastrointestinal conditions such as diarrhea or vomiting,. In such cases, please contact the medical facility immediately and follow all the advice and instructions given to you by the medical staff. If your condition is determined to be contagious, you may be required to remain in your cabin to prevent the spread of the disease to other passengers on board. Failure to follow the instructions of the ship’s medical staff is against our Passenger Health and Safety Policy and may result in your being required to disembark at the next port of call in accordance with that policy. For full details of our Passenger Code of Conduct contained in these Booking Conditions, please visit https://www.celebritycruises.com/guest-terms your travel agent. Travelers are obliged to consult the ship’s doctor immediately in the event of any illnesses, in particular gastrointestinal illnesses, COVID-19 or flu-like symptoms, and to provide him with complete and truthful information about all the circumstances of the illness. You are obliged to follow the instructions of the ship’s doctor or health authorities, in particular with regard to quarantine and hygiene measures.
10.6. Travelers with allergies or food intolerances are obliged to report them to the ship’s staff upon arrival on board at the start of the journey. Whenever possible, Celebrity Cruises will endeavor to accommodate special dietary requirements of travelers. These must be disclosed in as much detail as possible when booking. However, the provision of corresponding dietary catering services is only part of Celebrity Cruises’ contractual performance obligations if an express assurance has been given or an express agreement has been made in this regard.
10.7. The presence of a ship’s doctor is only owed if this is expressly provided for in the voyage description. The services of the ship’s doctor are not contractual services of Celebrity Cruises. The ship’s doctor carries out his work independently and on his own responsibility and is not subject to any instructions from Celebrity Cruises or the ship’s crew. The travel price does not include any services provided by the ship’s doctor; these are to be remunerated exclusively by the traveler himself. Celebrity Cruises does not owe any information about the options for treatment on a health insurance certificate or costs from statutory health insurance companies and/or corresponding reimbursements from statutory or private health insurance companies. The ship’s doctor is neither a vicarious agent nor a vicarious agent of Celebrity Cruises. Celebrity Cruises is not liable for the accessibility and availability of the ship’s doctor, for adhering to certain consultation and treatment times, for omitted treatment or assistance or for treatment errors.
10.8 Shore Excursions
To the best of our knowledge, the shore excursion information contained in our systems and documentation is correct at the time of publication. Our descriptions may relate to activities offered at the ports you are visiting. Please note that these excursions are operated by local operators who are independent third parties. We accept no liability for such activities as we do not direct, monitor or control them. These activities are offered by local operators who are completely independent from us and for whom we act as intermediary. They do not form part of your contract with us, even if we suggest specific organisers/centres to you and/or assist you in any way in booking such activities, unless they are expressly booked as part of your package holiday.
Arrangements you make directly with Shore Excursion Suppliers are solely between you and the local suppliers and do not form part of your contract with us, regardless of our providing you with practical assistance in booking such activities or even making the booking on your behalf be able. Accordingly, we cannot accept any liability, whether in contract, tort or otherwise, in relation to such activities.
Shore excursions may involve physical exertion or some degree of risk or danger. You should therefore carefully consider whether the shore excursion is suitable for you. It is your responsibility to be adequately informed about any shore excursion and/or activity you wish to participate in and to make appropriate inquiries with the third party suppliers to ensure you are appropriately dressed for the excursion/activity, including any required Clothing for difficult/hazardous terrain, prolonged physical exertion and/or extreme weather conditions.
For this reason, we cannot guarantee that shore excursions are generally available or available for passengers with disabilities – please contact us or your travel agent if you require information on specific excursions.
Special arrangements are made for passengers with reduced mobility or disabilities on certain Shore Excursions that have been determined appropriate following a risk assessment. For more details, including the cost of these special arrangements, please email shorexaccess@rccl.com and let us know your special requirements. If applicable, please also provide dimensions, weight and battery type of the wheelchair/scooter. For trips that involve flights, special events, overland and hotel stays, we may incur costs and a cancellation fee may apply.
We cannot guarantee the accuracy of any information provided by us or local suppliers in relation to such activities or about the resorts/areas/places you visit in general (unless this relates to the services forming part of your contract are), or that a particular excursion or activity which is not part of our contract will take place or the manner in which it will take place, as such services are beyond our control.
If you feel that any of the activities mentioned, which are not part of our contract, are essential to the enjoyment of your holiday, please write to us immediately so that we can update you. If we become aware of any material changes to any holiday location/area information or external activities which are likely to affect your decision to book a holiday with us, we will provide that information at the time of booking. However, we cannot guarantee this.
Regardless, you acknowledge and agree that the recreational activities on the shore excursion you participate in may involve risk, danger, and personal injury (sometimes fatal) and you agree that assume and accept all risks of personal injury or death that may occur. Potential hazards and risks associated with these activities include, but are not limited to, difficult and hazardous terrain, physical exertion over long periods of time, extreme weather conditions including sudden and unexpected changes, and difficulties in rescue in the event of injury.
By using, participating, hiring or booking a Shore Excursion, you accept these risks and agree that Celebrity Cruises, its employees, directors, agents, contractors and third party suppliers shall not be liable for any claims you, your dependents or legal guardians may have ( except for our negligence) for breach of contract, breach of law or breach of duty resulting in personal injury or death, direct/indirect or consequential damages, including but not limited to financial losses (e.g. lost profits, capital or income), or punitive damages or deterrent, special or incidental loss or damage, whether such liability arises in contract, tort or equity in connection with the provision of Shore Excursions.
By using, participating in, commissioning or booking a leisure activity, you acknowledge and agree that the risk information listed above constitutes a “risk warning” within the meaning of the relevant legislation.
Please Note: Any dispute or claim arising out of a Shore Excursion must be made against the local Shore Excursion operator. However, if such dispute or claim is brought against the carrier or an Celebrity Cruises client, it must be brought in accordance with the laws, and in the Courts of your Primary Country of Residence in the DACH region, who shall have sole jurisdiction over such dispute or claim, as specified in these Booking Conditions.
10.9 Tenders
In some ports, the ship anchors offshore; to bring the passengers ashore, smaller boats (so-called tenders) are used, which hold about 100 people. Passengers proceed to a tender platform from which they board the dinghy. Occasionally, for operational reasons, it is necessary for us to switch to a tender instead of docking at the port of call. Please note that boarding and disembarking the dinghies is at your own risk.
The Tender Services are provided by independent third parties; Celebrity Cruises is in no way responsible for their operation, supervision or control. Therefore, we cannot guarantee that the tenders available are suitable for passengers with disabilities or reduced mobility. Celebrity Cruises shall not be liable or responsible for any illness, injury or death of any passenger or for any damage to or loss of baggage or other personal belongings of any passenger arising out of or in connection with the voyage and disembarking from the tenders as these services out of our control.
You are obliged to follow all instructions given by the staff on the dinghies. If you cause damage to the dinghy, dinghy furnishings or equipment, or any other property on the dinghy or to other passengers, you will be fully liable for such damage and must indemnify Celebrity Cruises for any costs or claims arising therefrom.
11. Termination for Conduct-related Reasons
Celebrity Cruises can terminate the package travel contract – even before the start of the trip (see Section 12.1.) – without notice if you cause persistent disruption despite a warning from us or if you behave in breach of contract to such an extent that the immediate cancellation of the contract is justified. This is particularly the case if your physical or mental condition makes travel or onward travel impossible, i.e. you are unable to travel, or pose a danger to yourself, other travelers or the safety of the ship. Celebrity Cruises is also entitled to termination if you bring on board or attempt to bring on board weapons, ammunition, explosive or flammable materials (bengalos) or the like. Other grounds for termination for Celebrity Cruises include consuming or bringing on board drugs and committing a criminal offense.
Celebrity Cruises can terminate the package travel contract without notice if you have booked using false personal, address and/or identity document information or if you are on the relevant EU or OFAC anti-terrorist lists.
If Celebrity Cruises terminates the package travel contract for behavioural reasons after the start of the trip, we retain the right to the travel price; however, we must allow the value of the expenses saved as well as those benefits that we have gained from using the unused service elsewhere, including the amounts credited to us by the service providers, to be credited to us. You must bear any additional costs for the return journey.
There are rules on board (“Guest Vacation Policy”) that you must observe and comply with without restriction. The captain is responsible for the ship, the passengers and the crew. As part of the seamanship of the ship, ensuring safety and compliance with the ship’s regulations, the captain has sole decision-making authority and is therefore entitled to have you disembark without compensation in the event of violations. This also applies to cases occurring during the trip in accordance with Section 10.4.
12. Withdrawal by the tour operator before the start of the trip
12.1. If we are prevented from fulfilling the travel contract due to unavoidable, extraordinary circumstances or if we have to comply with official orders, we can withdraw from the travel contract before the start of the trip by making a declaration immediately after becoming aware of the reason for withdrawal.
Such circumstances also exist if we become aware of important personal reasons for the traveler before the start of the trip, which give reason to fear that the trip will be permanently disrupted, e.g. certain criminal convictions or travel bans.
12.2. If we withdraw from the travel contract in accordance with the provisions of this Section 12, we will reimburse you for any travel price that has already been paid immediately, but no later than within 14 days of the withdrawal.
12.3. Due to the long booking lead time (catalogue publication), Celebrity Cruises expressly reserves the right to cancel the trip before departure if security, organizational or business considerations (such as exceeding the economic sacrifice limit) require a repositioning of the trip and route planned ship becomes unavoidable. Any warranty claims remain unaffected by this, even insofar as any changed services are defective.
13. Liability of the tour operator
13.1. The contractual liability of Celebrity Cruises for damage that does not result from injury to life, limb or health (including liability for the violation of pre-, ancillary or post-contractual obligations) is limited to three times the travel price, insofar as damage of the customer is not brought about intentionally or through gross negligence or insofar as Celebrity Cruises is solely responsible for damage incurred by the customer due to the fault of a service provider.
Celebrity Cruises will only be liable for the acts or omissions of our employees, servants or agents if, at the time of the alleged act or omission, they were acting lawfully and performing a task or service with us on our specific instructions and in the course of their employment or assignment.
We are not responsible for any injury, illness, death, loss (e.g. loss of holiday enjoyment), damage, expense, cost or other amount or claim of any kind resulting from any of the following:
1. Act(s) and/or omission(s) of the data subject(s) or a member of their group, or
2. Act(s) and/or omission(s) of a third party unrelated to the provision of your holiday which was unforeseeable or unavoidable or
3. an event or circumstance which we or the service provider could not have foreseen or avoided despite due diligence, or
4. Act(s) and/or omission(s) by persons who, at the time of the alleged act or omission, were acting unlawfully and not performing any task or service on our specific instructions and in the course of their employment or assignment to us, or
5. Force Majeure, defined as any circumstance beyond our control or unavoidable, unforeseeable or exceptional circumstances within the meaning of EU Directive 2015/2302.
During your stay on board our ships you can participate in recreational activities. You acknowledge and agree that the recreational activities in which you participate may involve risks, hazards and personal injury (sometimes fatal) and you agree to assume all risks related to assume and accept personal injury or death that may occur. By using, participating, hiring or booking a Recreational Activity, you accept these risks and agree that Celebrity Cruises Inc, RCL Cruises Ltd trading as Celebrity Cruises, the carrier, its employees, directors, servants and contractors shall not be liable for any claims by you, your dependents or legal representatives for negligence, breach of contract, law or legal duty resulting in personal injury or death, for direct/indirect or consequential damages, including but not limited to financial losses (such as loss of profits, loss of capital or income or other), or be liable for any punitive, deterrent, special or incidental loss or damage.
By using, participating in, commissioning or booking a leisure activity, you acknowledge and agree that the risk information listed above constitutes a “risk warning” within the meaning of the relevant legislation.
You acknowledge, agree and understand that Celebrity Cruises Inc or RCL Cruises Ltd trading as Celebrity Cruises shall in no way be liable for the acts, inaction, omissions, negligence or intentional or intentional misconduct of any independent third party, including but not limited to independent third party tenderers, You agree to assume and accept the entire risk of injury or death and hereby waive any right to assert any claim against Celebrity Cruises Inc or RCL Cruises Ltd trading as Celebrity Cruises, its employees, directors, agents, contractors and third party service providers for personal injury or death resulting from such activities. All persons engaging in such recreational activities do so at their own risk. The limitation of liability of Celebrity Cruises Inc or RCL Cruises Ltd trading as Celebrity Cruises for Shore Excursions is set out in Clause 10.8 of these Booking Conditions.
Any further claims based on international agreements remain unaffected by this limitation of liability. For all claims for damages against Celebrity Cruises based on tort that are not based on intent or gross negligence, liability for property damage is also limited to three times the travel price. These maximum liability amounts apply to each customer and trip. Any further claims based on international agreements remain unaffected by this limitation of liability.
If Celebrity Cruises is assigned the position of a contractual shipowner, liability shall be governed by the applicable special international conventions or statutory provisions based on such. (Carriage by sea is subject to the liability provisions of the 1974 Athens Convention and Protocol thereto of 2002 and the IMO caveat and IMO Guidelines implementing the Athens Convention as implemented in the European Community by Directive 392/2009 for the carriage of passengers by sea. The You can find the exact liability limits here: https://europa.eu/%20legislation_summaries/transport/waterborne_transport/%20tr0017_de). The regulation of this paragraph only does not apply if the under section 13.1. mentioned regulations lead to a lower liability claim by Celebrity Cruises. In this context, Celebrity Cruises draws attention to the following points in connection with the liability regulations for sea transport:
1. Celebrity Cruises will – regardless of the existence of a claim for damages – make an advance payment in the event of death or personal injury as a result of a shipping incident within 15 days of determining who is entitled to the damage to cover immediate economic needs and in reasonable proportion to the damage suffered. In the event of death, the payment is at least EUR21,000. The advance payment expressly does not constitute an acknowledgment of liability. This can be offset against any compensation payments that may have to be made. It is to be repaid to Celebrity Cruises if the recipient of the advance payment was not entitled to damages in accordance with Article 6 Paragraph 2 of Regulation (EC) 392/2009.
2. Celebrity Cruises’ liability for loss of or damage to baggage, mobility aids and other special medical equipment used by customers and/or their fellow passengers with reduced mobility is excluded if the customer and/or fellow passengers caused the damage does not bring visible damage to Celebrity Cruises’ attention at the latest upon disembarkation or, in the case of non-identifiable damage, no later than 15 days after disembarkation. Written notification is not required if both parties have already jointly determined the damage within the deadline.
3. Celebrity Cruises is not liable for damage to or loss of personal equipment or valuables (e.g. money, important documents, precious stones, gems, jewelry, works of art, dentures, photo and film cameras, smartphones, notebooks and tablet PCs including accessories, etc.). Theft, other loss or other extreme effects that are not due to intentional or grossly negligent behavior on the part of Celebrity Cruises, unless they were deposited during transport for safekeeping, e.g. deposited in the reception safe.
4. Celebrity Cruises is expressly not liable for service disruptions, personal injury or damage to property in connection with services that are only mediated as third-party services (e.g. excursions, sporting events, visits to the theater, exhibitions, transport services to and from the advertised place of departure and destination), all third-party services are as such clearly and recognizable and therefore not part of the travel service to be provided by Celebrity Cruises within the framework of the travel contract.
5. Celebrity Cruises has put together an extensive shore excursion program for you, which is offered exclusively by carefully selected, local tour operators in the respective destination (port). Celebrity Cruises arranges these shore excursions, which are not organized, supervised or controlled by Celebrity Cruises. The Shore Excursion program is provided by local operators who operate independently of Celebrity Cruises. Organizers of shore excursions plan these in accordance with the ship’s lay times. Celebrity Cruises carries out the procurement of such third-party services purely as a service for the customer.
6. Air carriage owed as part of a package holiday is subject to the liability provisions of the Montreal Convention 1999, as amended by Regulation (EC) No. 779/2002.
7. Celebrity Cruises recommends that customers take out travel accident and luggage insurance in their own interest.
8. If a travel service is subject to international agreements or legal regulations based on such, which allow or exclude a claim for damages against the service provider only under certain conditions or restrictions or make the assertion of a claim for damages dependent on certain conditions or restrictions, these conditions or restrictions shall apply also in our favor.
9. You must offset against any claims for damages or reduction of price against us what you have received as compensation or reduction of price due to the same event in accordance with:
– international agreements (e.g. Montreal Convention) or
– legal regulations based on such or
– according to Regulation (EC) No. 261/2004 (passenger rights in the event of denied boarding, cancellation or long delay) or
– in accordance with Regulation (EC) No. 1371/2007 (rail passenger rights) or
– according to Regulation (EC) No. 392/2009 (accident liability of the carriers of passengers by sea) or
– according to Regulation (EC) No. 1177/2010 (passenger rights in maritime and inland waterway transport) or • according to Regulation (EC) No. 181/2011 (passenger rights in bus and coach transport).
Third Party Beneficiaries
Please note: Lead Guest accepts on behalf of themselves and their travelling party that Carrier’s exclusions and limits of liability (including all rights, defences and immunities) specified in these Booking Conditions shall also apply to and benefit: (a) designated third parties include any parent, subsidiary, affiliate, assignee or successor company of all entities identified in this Clause, (b) the officers, directors, employees, agents, crew and pilots of all the entities identified in this Clause, (c) any and all agents, independent contractors, suppliers, concessionaires, physicians and medical personnel, retail shop personnel, health and beauty staff, fitness staff, shore excursion providers, tour operators, (d) shipbuilders, manufacturers and designers of the Vessel or Transport, (e) suppliers, installers and maintainers of all component parts, launches, appurtenances, craft or facilities (whether at sea or on shore) related to the Vessel or any substitute ship or Transport, owned or operated by their owners, operators, managers, agents, charterers, contractors, concessionaires or others, and (f) owners and operators of all shoreside properties or facilities at which the Vessel or any substituted ship or the Transport may call. This Clause is without prejudice to the applicable statutory rights of any guest.
14. Statute of Limitations
14.1. All travel contract claims of the customer according to § 651 i III BGB, or the national implementation of the guideline in the country in which the trip is offered, expire in two years. The maritime law claims for damages due to death, damage to body or luggage expire after two years. Claims from tortious acts become statute-barred within three years, unless they also arise under the provisions of the HGB on liability under maritime law.
14.2. The limitation period begins on the day on which the trip should end according to the contract (§ 651 j BGB). If the last day of the period falls on a Sunday, a public holiday recognized by the state at the place of declaration or a Saturday, the next working day takes the place of such a day.
14.3. If negotiations are pending between the customer and Celebrity Cruises about the claim or the circumstances justifying the claim, the limitation period is suspended until the customer or Celebrity Cruises refuses to continue the negotiations. The statute of limitations begins three months after the end of the suspension at the earliest.
15. Tour Operator and Consumer Dispute Resolution
15.1. The tour operator of the advertised ships is either Celebrity Cruises Inc or RCL Cruises Limited trading as Celebrity Cruises. The RCL Cruises Ltd. branch office in Bremen, Germany is the sales intermediary and marketing organization and as authorized recipient responsible for Germany, Austria and Switzerland, acting for Celebrity Cruises Inc and RCL Cruises Limited trading as Celebrity Cruises. Please also note the information in your booking and the travel documents in which the tour operator and your contractual counterparty is expressly named.
15.2. The in 15.1. The tour operators mentioned do not take part in the out-of-court dispute resolution procedure. Nevertheless, we are legally obliged to inform you that such proceedings are being conducted at: General consumer arbitration board of the center for arbitration e. V., Straßburger Str. 8, 77694 Kehl am Rhein, Tel.: 07851/7957940, Fax: 07851/7957941, email: mail@verbraucher-schlichter.de. Furthermore, reference is made to the European online dispute resolution platform https://ec.europa.eu/info/index_en for all travel contracts concluded in electronic legal transactions.
15.3. If you are not satisfied with the provision of the contractual services, you can contact our customer service. You can reach this at:
RCL Cruises Ltd.
Hillmannplatz 11
28195 Bremen
Phone: 0800/724 0346
Email: infode@rccl.com
16. Passport, Visa and Sanitary Formalities
16.1. You will be informed pre-contractually by the information in the travel catalogue, in the travel advertisement, or on the website, the online travel advertisements and in the “General information” in the travel catalogue, or online about the general entry requirements.
16.2 You must therefore note the need to carry valid ID, in particular a valid machine-readable passport (ePassport) and its period of validity. Basically, every passenger must carry a valid passport with them on the respective trip, which must be valid for at least 6 months after the end of the trip. On all trips that only call at ports in the EU as well as in Norway and Iceland, German citizens only need an identity card, which is also valid for at least 6 months after the end of the trip. However, it is recommended to carry the machine-readable passport (ePassport) for all trips. All children up to the age of 14 need a child’s passport for all trips that only call at ports in the EU, Norway and Iceland, otherwise a machine-readable passport (e-passport) as for adults, which is still valid for at least 6 months after the end of the trip. The entry of the child in the passport of a legal guardian is no longer sufficient.
16.3 Celebrity Cruises offers the trips in this travel catalogue or the corresponding website in these countries: Germany, Austria, Switzerland.
16.4 Celebrity Cruises will therefore inform its German, Austrian and Swiss customers of package holidays about the general provisions of passport, visa and health regulations, including approximate deadlines for obtaining any required visas, for the respective destination countries of the cruise or trip before the conclusion of the contract and about any changes to such provisions before the start of the journey. This information can also be arranged by the mediating travel agency due to their own legal obligation to do so (§ 651 v I 1 BGB, or according to the national implementation of the EU directive in the country in which the trip is offered) and should be documented by them. Celebrity Cruises provides further general information on its website and in the booking systems by accessing suitable databases.
16.5 When booking an individual service, the procurement of the information specified under Section 16.4 is the sole responsibility of the customer.16.6. As a customer, you are responsible for using the appropriate information stored for you until departure, obtaining and carrying the travel documents, including any necessary visas and health certificates, required by the authorities, any vaccinations that may be required, and complying with customs and foreign exchange regulations. Disadvantages arising from non-compliance with these regulations, e.g. B. the payment of cancellation costs or official fines due to a carriage exclusion, are at your expense. This expressly does not apply if Celebrity Cruises or the travel agent has not provided you with sufficient or incorrect information.
16.7. Celebrity Cruises is not liable for the timely issue and receipt of the necessary visas by the respective diplomatic representation, even if the customer has commissioned us with the procurement, unless Celebrity Cruises culpably violated its own obligations in this procurement.
For bespoke advice about your own circumstances, we suggest https://www.passolution.de.
This independent service is not included in the cost of your booking.
17. Travel Cancellation Insurance
We recommend that you take out travel cancellation insurance and insurance to cover the costs of assistance including repatriation in the event of accident, illness or death. The cost of this insurance is not included in the travel price.
18. Operating Airline
The EU regulation on informing passengers about the identity of the operating airline (EuVO 2111/05) obliges us to inform you about the identity of the operating airline (EN) of all air transport services to be provided as part of the booked trip when booking.
If an operating airline has not yet been determined at the time of booking, we will name the airline or airlines that will probably operate or will operate the flight. As soon as we know which airline will operate the flight, we will let you know. If the airline named to you as the operating airline changes, we will inform you of the change. We will immediately take all reasonable steps to ensure that you are notified of the change as soon as possible.
The “Black List” (airlines that are prohibited from using the airspace above the member states) drawn up in accordance with the EC regulation is available directly at: https://ec.europa.eu/transport/modes/air/safety/air-ban_de available.
19. Privacy
We collect, process, store and transmit your personal data and/or personal data of travelers exclusively in accordance with the relevant laws of the Federal Republic of Germany, Austria and Switzerland, in particular in accordance with the BDSG and the GDPR.
The personal data that you make available to us will be electronically processed, stored and used insofar as this is necessary for the execution of the contract, for processing the trip, for customer service or to comply with legal provisions. In addition, the data will only be used for market research purposes and for sending current information and offers if you have given your consent. Celebrity Cruises processes your booking order in accordance with the applicable data protection regulations based on the GDPR. You have the right to object to this further use of data at any time or to revoke your consent to the aforementioned purposes of use at any time. To do this, please send a letter to RCL Cruises Ltd., Data Protection Officer, Hillmannplatz 11, 28195 Bremen, or use our forms on the website www.celebritycruises.com.
We use CCTV to record images on all Celebrity Cruises® ships for the security and safety of our crew and guests. For further information on how this information is used and how long it is stored for please contact Celebrity Cruises® at privacy@rccl.com.
20. Final Provisions
20.1. The place of performance for all claims arising from and in connection with these Booking Conditions or the travel contract is your Primary Country of Residence in the DACH region unless consumer protection law and international agreements provide otherwise.
20.2. The place of jurisdiction is your Primary Country of Residence in the DACH region, insofar as this is permitted under the national regulations of the country in which the trip is offered is.
20.3. The law of your Primary Country of Residence in the DACH region applies exclusively to these Booking Conditions or the travel contract and all agreements concluded between you and/or the traveller and us based on or in connection with it, excluding the UN sales law, provided that the application of the law of another state, in particular the country of origin of you and/or the travellers or another state is not mandatory.
20.4. Should individual provisions of these Booking Conditions or the travel contract or parts thereof be or become invalid or unenforceable, this shall not affect the effectiveness and validity of the other parts of the affected provision, these Booking Conditions or the travel contract. An invalid or unenforceable provision will be replaced by a provision that comes as close as possible to the economic situation.
Version Date: March 2024