General Terms and Conditions

Deposit

Cooking vacations: A non-refundable deposit of $500.00 (in some cases US$1000.00 or more) per person is required to secure a booking of a cooking vacation. Reservations will be confirmed upon receipt of a signed booking form and deposit. If you make the initial reservations less than 60 days before the date of travel, full payment is due.

Opera and Cuisine vacations: A non-refundable deposit of $1000.00 per person is required to secure a booking of an opera and cuisine vacation. Reservations will be confirmed upon receipt of a signed booking form and deposit. If you make the initial reservations less than 90 days before the date of travel, full payment is due.

One-day classes: A non-refundable payment in full is required to secure a booking of a one-day cooking class. The International Kitchen always advises by e-mail if your class is confirmed, along with the necessary information. If you do not receive the e-mail, please check your Spam folder. It is the sole responsibility of the traveler to contact us at least 72 hours in advance if you do not have your class instructions. Once we confirm the class, there is no refund.

The International Kitchen guarantees programs and classes of very high quality for small numbers of participants. The only way to ensure this and to have a continuum of quality, is to guarantee payment to all of the varied people involved in the running of a program; i.e., chefs, drivers, guides, translators, inn keepers, etc., etc. Therefore, it is not possible to refund, or even reapply a payment, as we still must run the program for those booked, and honor our payments to our suppliers. We strongly recommend the purchase of travel insurance.

Final Payment

Final payment for cooking vacations is due by check at the International Kitchen Inc. 60 days prior to the first day of travel. Final payment for opera and cuisine vacations is due by check at the International Kitchen Inc. 90 days prior to the first day of travel. If final payment is not paid (or postmarked) within 7 days of the due date you will be subject to a $100 penalty fee per booking. Late payment may result in the cancellation of the program and forfeiture of your deposit.

Late Bookings

Cooking vacations or Opera and Cuisine Vacations: There will be a US$100 late fee if the program start date is 14 days or less from the date the booking form is submitted. There will be a $200 late fee if the program start date is 7 days or less from the date the booking form is submitted.

One-day classes: There will be a US$25 late booking fee if the class date is 14 days or less from the date the booking form is submitted.

Travel Insurance

WE STRONGLY URGE YOU TO PURCHASE TRAVEL INSURANCE to protect your trip investment and yourself while traveling. To view our insurance brochures, please click on the following links: International Kitchen - TraveLite and International Kitchen - Travel Plus, or to view full details for both policies click here. For additional information on the optional Business upgrade: please see Business Upgrade and Addendum to Coverage: Business Upgrade. The International Kitchen, Inc. will automatically order travel insurance (Travelex Custom TraveLite) to cover the cost of your class or tour, unless you waive the insurance. The optional Business Upgrade will not be ordered unless requested by the traveler, in which case it will be ordered for each person on the policy. The cost of the insurance will be charged to your credit card by Travelex Insurance. Cancellations due to medical reasons can only be covered by your travel insurance carrier. We are happy to assist with any necessary documentation to make your claim. The International Kitchen, Inc. cannot issue refunds or reapplication toward future trips. If you do not want The International Kitchen, Inc. to purchase travel insurance for you, you must waive the insurance on the booking form. In waiving the purchase of travel insurance you indicate that you understand that all payments are non-refundable, non-transferable, and cannot be re-applied, even in the event of an emergency, catastrophe, or unexpected illness, accident, or death.

Cancellations

Deposit and final payment are nonrefundable and cannot be applied to another departure. The purchase of travel insurance, which covers cancellation due to medical reasons, default and/or airline strike, weather, etc. (please see policy for details), is strongly advised. Full refunds will be made if The International Kitchen cancels a tour. The International Kitchen, Inc. may cancel any program at any time before departure for any reason, including insufficient participants to operate the program. The International Kitchen, Inc. will make every effort to follow any published itinerary, but variances may occur due to availability and factors beyond the control of said operator. The International Kitchen, Inc. may in its sole discretion substitute a service or good of similar quality for any stated in any itinerary. If a tour is cancelled, The International Kitchen, Inc. will make every effort to find a suitable replacement, but its liability is limited to a full refund of payment rendered.

Certification of Health:

By making payment, traveler certifies that he or she does not have any condition or disability that would create a hazard or hardship for other travelers participating in the program and the traveler understands that health care standards, facilities and services in Europe may be different or inadequate for treatment of certain health conditions. The International Kitchen, Inc. makes no representations or warranties and disclaims any made regarding special accommodations or handicap accessibility on any program. The International Kitchen, Inc. reserves the right to decline accepting or retaining any traveler whose health or actions in The International Kitchen, Inc.’s sole judgment impede the operation of a trip or the welfare or enjoyment of fellow travelers.

The International Kitchen, Inc. cannot accommodate any allergies, dietary needs or restrictions. It is the sole reesponsibility of the traveler to take care of their own dietary needs.

Refunds and Adjustments

There will be no refunds for any unused portion of the tour.

We hope that your program will be perfect! However, should there be any problems that are not satisfactorily resolved with your local contact, you must notify The International Kitchen, Inc., while you are at the program. If you do not, there will be no possibility of any adjustment, should that be deemed appropriate.

Transfers

Where transfers are included, there is one scheduled group transfer for arrival and departure at a designated time and place. It is the responsibility of the tour participant to be at the transfer point at the designated time. Private transfers can be arranged for an additional fee. Please be advised that if you are arriving and/or departing on the dates of the program, a late arrival or very early departure may necessitate a special transfer at an additional fee. We would be happy to confirm transfers with you before you finalize your travel arrangements. Neither The International Kitchen, Inc. nor its providers are responsible for late arrivals due to flight delays or any other reason. If you are delayed, we will do our best to transfer you to the program whenever you arrive, but please be prepared to pay an additional fee in Euros direct to the driver.

Tour Prices

All prices are per person and based upon double occupancy. Single and triple reservations are available with a price adjustment. Price is subject to change without notice as a result of adverse economic changes or currency fluctuations that may affect air/land transportation, hotels, or other related service providers.

Travel Documents

It is the responsibility of each tour participant to obtain and carry a valid passport, visa(s), and any other documents required by applicable government regulations. Non US residents may require special travel documents. Check with your local embassy or consulate.

Responsibility

The International Kitchen, Inc. does not own or operate any of the suppliers of services or accommodations for your trip. As a result, it is not responsible for any negligent or willful act or failure to act of any such supplier or of any third party over whom The International Kitchen, Inc. has no control. The International Kitchen Inc. and its representatives act only in the capacity of an agent of all air/land transportation, sightseeing, tour operators and hotels which provide services included in the specified tour. The individual tour participant agrees that The International Kitchen Inc. and its representatives shall not be liable for any injury, damage, loss, accident, delay, or irregularity, liability or expense to person or property due to any act of default of hotel, air/land transportation carrier, restaurant supplier or other contractor rendering or providing services. The International Kitchen Inc. and its representatives shall not be responsible for any expense or liability resulting from labor disputes, war, acts of terrorism, government restraints, weather conditions, sickness, pilferage or any other cause beyond their control. The International Kitchen Inc. and its representatives reserve the right to accept, or to retain or refuse any person as a participant of any tour or to cancel any program of a tour if circumstances so demand. The International Kitchen Inc. and its representatives reserve the right to cancel any tour prior to departure for any reason (including insufficient number of participants) or to change itineraries and/or substitute services or hotels of equal quality without prior notification.

Participant Agreement Release and Acknowledgment of Risk

Waiver and Release of Liability

In consideration of The International Kitchen, Inc. furnishing services to enable me to participate in one of its programs, I agree as follows:

I fully understand and acknowledge that culinary and travel activities have: (a) inherent risks, dangers and hazards and such exists in my participation in The International Kitchen, Inc. sponsored activities; (b) my participation in such activities may result in injury or illness; (c) these risks and dangers may be caused by the negligence of the owners, employees, officers or agents of The International Kitchen, Inc., the negligence of the participants, the negligence of others, accidents, breaches of contract, the forces of nature or other causes; and (d) by my participation in these activities, I hereby assume all risks and dangers and all responsibility for any losses and/or damages, whether caused in whole or in part by the negligence or other conduct of the owners, agents, officers, or employees of The International Kitchen, Inc., or by any other person.

I, on behalf of myself, my personal representatives and my heirs hereby voluntarily agree to release, waive, discharge, hold harmless, defend and indemnify The International Kitchen, Inc. and its agents, officers and employees from any and all claims, actions or losses for bodily injury, property damage, wrongful death, loss of services or otherwise which may arise out of my participation in The International Kitchen, Inc.'s activities. Travelers further agree that they will indemnify and hold The International Kitchen, Inc. harmless in respect of any claims arising in connection with the trip made by: a) third parties, which arise from the misconduct of the travelers; b) the traveler's family members, dependants of heirs, c) third parties, which the traveler, their estate, their family member, dependants of heirs have sued, if damages are recovered from such third parties, to the extent the third party obtains any indemnification from The International Kitchen, Inc., ; except where the loss, injury, death or damage is caused by the reckless or fraudulent conduct on the part of The International Kitchen, Inc., or their employees, guides, shareholders, officers or directors.

I understand that The International Kitchen, Inc. reserves the right to take photographic or film records of any of its programs, and hereby agree that The International Kitchen, Inc. may use any such photographic or film records for promotional and/or commercial purposes without any remuneration to the traveler. The traveler agrees to assign all right, title and interest they may have in or to any media in which their name or likeness might be used to The International Kitchen, Inc.

The venue of any dispute between the parties that may arise out of this agreement or otherwise shall be the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois.

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