Deposit and payments schedule
Deposits range anywhere from 10% to 30% of the total trip cost.
For confirmed bookings, the exact amounts and due dates for each trip are listed under "Deposit and Payments" in the trip's e-brochure and in your tour confirmation. A schedule has an amount due upon booking, one or two further payments on set dates, and the balance of the trip price due on the final date. Trips with an optional pre- or post-trip extension list a separate amount due upon booking for the extension.
We highly recommend that you obtain trip cancellation insurance to cover all of your deposits up to the total trip price as all payments made to us are non-refundable if you cancel for any reason.
Why deposits exist
When you book, your deposit is set at a level that allows us to secure your spot and cover our obligations to our supplier partners which include the aforementioned ships, hotels, ground handlers,etc. with a margin for normal fluctuations in member participation numbers.
Here’s the catch: many of the most interesting, small‑scale, or in‑demand travel providers we use demand non‑refundable commitments from us.
- Private yacht charters (our Nauticals) are the clearest example. We sign a binding contract to pay for the ship, all of it, whether we fill it or not. In most cases, we pay substantial non‑refundable amounts just to secure the booking.
That’s what your deposit is backing. It isn’t “extra.” It’s covering very real commitments we’ve already made (or are about to make) on your behalf.
The small‑group maths
Most of our trips (excluding Nauticals) work in a very tight band:
- Maximum group size: 18 (except for private charter Nauticals)
- Minimum group size: typically around 12 +/-
Below the minimum, the trip runs at a loss. That’s why we sometimes have to cancel departures: not because we don’t want to run them, but because running them would mean paying out more than we take in.
Why deposits are firm before a trip is confirmed
Non-refundable deposits aren’t about being inflexible; they’re about creating the stability that allows us to say “yes, this is happening” with confidence. That confidence lets us lock in hotels and ships earlier (often at better rates), confirm the trip so you can book flights without anxiety, and begin the detailed coordination that makes everything run smoothly.
We cannot offer exceptions
If we could afford to say yes to every exception, we would. But every exception sets a precedent, and every precedent quietly shifts risk from “shared” to “company bears it all.” Multiply that enough times and the math fails, not on a spreadsheet, but on whether we can continue to operate the kinds of trips people love (or at all for that matter).