Last year we had an awesome time cruising from Durban on the Rhapsody, and were thrilled when Starlight Cruises invited us to review the Sinfonia. We were on MSC cruise SI24 from Durban to Maputo-Portuguese Island in a category 8 outside cabin, leaving on 1 Feb 2010 and returning on the 5th Feb 2010.
The information contained here is to be used as a guideline only
DESTINATION – MAPUTO; BARRA LODGE; PORTUGUESE ISLAND
Passport information
ALL passengers travelling will require a valid passport – except in the case of a 2 night cruise to “Nowhere”. A cruise to Mozambique involves leaving South African sovereign territory and, as such requires a valid passport. You can NOT travel by presenting your identity document, driver’s licence or any other form of ID besides a valid passport, should this occur you WILL be denied boarding.
South African Citizens with dual nationality - MUST USE THEIR SOUTH AFRICAN PASSPORT TO EXIT AND ENTER SOUTH AFRICA.
Non-South African Citizens/Permanent Residents must have their permanent residence endorsed in their foreign passport.
When travelling on a “Nowhere” cruise you will be required to present an original official photo identity document – acceptable documents are - an ID book, drivers licence or a valid passport. Children require an original birth certificate. Photocopies and certified documents are NOT accepted.
Visa information
Currently South African passport holders do not require visa for Mozambique when travelling aboard the Sinfonia.
A fee of US$ 25 visa fee will apply to ALL foreign passport holders – this visa is obtained on board and does not have to be pre-arranged.
Health Requirements
There are no official health requirements for Mozambique.
Precautions: Mozambique is a Malaria area; however shore landings take place during the day when mosquitoes are least active. Please consult your Doctor; Pharmacist or Travel Clinic.
A. In these terms and conditions (”the booking conditions”) the following words shall have the meanings given to them hereunder:
The “Company” shall mean the owner of the Cruising Vessel.
“Starlight” shall mean Starlight Shipping (Pty) Ltd, the General Sales Agents in South Africa
for the Company.
Starlight has been appointed solely as the General Sales Agents in South Africa for the
Company and not as agents for the company
in any other capacity. The Company and not Starlight shall be the carrier in terms of the contract of carriage.
B. The carriage of the passenger and his luggage
shall be governed by the terms and conditions
on the face and reverse of the Company’s
passenger ticket to be issued prior to
embarkation. A copy of the Company’s standard
passenger ticket conditions is available for
inspection on request. The passenger shall be
bound by those terms and conditions and
agrees that his acceptance of the ticket shall
be deemed to be an acceptance of the terms
and conditions contained herein.
It is recorded that the terms and conditions of
the passenger ticket incorporate the Athens
Convention relating to the Carriage of
Passengers and their Luggage by Sea, 1974
(”The Athens Convention”). In terms of the
Athens Convention the carrier’s liability for the
loss of or damage to luggage and for any
damages suffered as a result of the death or
personal injury to a passenger, are limited as
provided for therein, In any event, the company
shall not be liable for any loss, injury or damage
of whatsoever nature or inability to perform the
contract of carriage or any part thereof arising
out of or resulting from vis major or force
majeure.
C. The contract of carriage shall be governed by
the law of the country where the Company has
it’s principal place of business.
D. The passenger agrees that any dispute, action or proceeding arising out of or in connection with the contract of carriage shall be brought before the courts of the country where the company has it’s principal place of business.
E. BOOKING CONDITIONS
Before you Book
Please read the section carefully - it contains
information you should be aware of before you
book your holiday.
To Make a Booking
Having established that space is available and
on requesting your booking, a non-refundable
deposit of R1000.00 plus the mandatory
insurance per person must be received within
72 hours, failing which Starlight shall, in its
absolute discretion, be entitled to cancel the
booking. Confirmation of the booking by the
passenger, or his agent, followed by a deposit
will be considered as a consent to all provisions
mentioned herein.
Balance of Fares
The balance of your tour fare including any
currency or fuel surcharges levied by that time,
after deducting the amount of your deposit, is
due and payable not later than 60 (SIXTY) days
prior to the departure of your holiday.
The Company and/or Starlight reserves the
right to cancel the reservation within 8 weeks
of departure if the full fare inclusive of all
surcharges has not been received. The company
and/or Starlight reserves the right to retain
all of the deposit to offset damages or loss of
profit which results from late payments. If your
reservation is made within 60 days of departure
the full fare (inclusive of all surcharges) is due
within 48 hours of making your reservation. The
Company and/or Starlight shall at its or their
absolute discretion, be entitled to cancel the
reservation without further reference if the fare
is not received. In addition to any increase in
the fare levied prior to payment of the balance
of the applicable fare at that time, the Company
may within its sole discretion declare and levy
an extraordinary surcharge in the event of an
unforeseen increase in the ruling price of fuel
occurring during the currency of a cruise, in
which event the Company may debit the
passenger’s on-board account with such
extraordinary surcharge(s).
Validity
The contract of passage is valid only for the
person (or persons) whose name appears on
the ticket and for the sailing day indicated. The
contract and ticket is/are not transferable.
Passage Fare
The passage fare as may have been advertised
or quoted is simply the fare in force at the date
of issuing the brochure. The Company reserves
the right to increase the fare before the sailing
of the vessel and the passenger in such case
must pay the difference before embarking or
shall have the right to cancel the contract
forfeiting the non-refundable deposit paid to
secure such booking. The advertised or quoted
ticket fare appearing in any brochure or other
publicity material, or included in the package
price can be increased by the company within
its sole discretion due to any circumstance
beyond its reasonable control, including but not
limited to the occurance of currency fluctuations,
the increase in the ruling price of fuel at the
place it may be or is likely to be stremmed,
increases in air tickets, any kind of taxes, or
any other kind of increase connected with the
holiday, package or cruise.
Cancellation by the Company
If the Company cancels any cruise or voyage
at any time, in whole or in part, its liability shall
be limited in its absolute discretion to refunding
that part of the fare attributable to the part of
the cruise or voyage that has not been
performed, or to transferring the passenger to
another ship of similar, but not necessarily
identical, class and type performing substantially
the same cruise or voyage and provide thereon
substantially similar accommodation and
facilities as on the original ship.
Amending a booking
Passengers amending a booking will be charged
according to the table below
(7 days and less - no changes allowed)
Cancellation by the Passenger
The Passenger shall be entitled to cancel the
booking by giving notice in writing to the General
Sales Agents in which event he shall be subject
to the cancellation charges as follows:
Between 45-60 days 25% of the cruise fare.
Between 30-45 days 50% of the cruise fare.
Less than 30 days 100% of cruise fare.
Deposits are in all instances non-refundable.
Passenger’s Responsibility
The Passenger shall be directly responsible to
the Company for any penalties, inconveniences,
fines and expenses which by his fault the
Company incur or may be assessed by port
authorities, customs, health offices or by any
other officials or authorities whatsoever. The
passenger shall be bound by any order issued
by the Master of the vessel and shall submit if
requested by servants or agents of the Company
to a search of the passenger’s person or any
luggage and goods.
Health of Passenger
Where a passenger in the sole opinion of the
Company and/or its Port Agents and/or the
Master of the ship is considered to be, or has
become, unfit to travel for any reason whatsoever
or is likely to endanger his health or
safety or endanger the health or safety of or
impair the comfort of others on board or seems
likely to be refused permission to land at any
Port, then that passenger may not be permitted
to embark or may be disembarked at any Port,
may be transferred from one berth to another
or may have any drug, medicine or other
substance administered through the ship’s
doctor and/or his staff without liability to the
Company for any consequential damage, loss,
expense, loss of time or inconvenience and the
Company shall not be required to repay any
portion of a fare to any such passenger.
Without limiting the foregoing, any passenger
who assist or fails to report a stowaway shall
be deemed to be unfit to travel.
Other Carriers
In making any arrangement for the care or
transportation of any passenger other than by
the ship named in this contract or for any shore
excursion and transportation to or from shore
and on land, the Company and/or Starlight is
acting solely in the capacity of agent for the
persons or parties providing same, but does so
on the express condition that no liability of any
kind howsoever caused, including the negligence
of any party inclusive of the servants or agents
of the Company and/or Starlight shall attach to
the Company and/or Starlight in connection
with or arising out of such arrangements or in
the execution of the care or transportation
contracted for. The passenger agrees that any
independent or third party contractors with
whom the Company and/or Starlight so contracts
provide their services subject to their usual
standard terms and conditions.
Insurance
Neither the Company nor Starlight are
responsible for any loss or damage to property
or luggage howsoever arising, including in
consequence of the negligence of their servants
and contractors. The Passenger is obliged to
hold personal travel insurance to the satisfaction
of the Company and/or Starlight at the time of
departure covering the entire period of the
cruise. No Passenger may board the vessel
without such insurance cover being in place
and the existence of such cover is a condition
precedent to the acceptance of any booking
and is an absolute warranty by the Passenger
in favour of Starlight and the Company. The
Passenger shall produce a copy of the insurance
policy prior to boarding the vessel and failure
to do so will render the booking subject to
immediate cancellation without compensation.
The minimum terms of cover required are as
specified on the Booking Reservation Form
(”Mandatory Insurance Cover”).
Reservation Agents
The passenger agrees that the reservation
agent is his agent and not the agent of the
Company or Starlight. Accordingly, all money
handled by reservation agents is handled on
behalf of the passenger and not on Starlight’s
or the Company’s behalf. The risk of loss of
and/or theft of the money shall be borne by the
passenger until the money has been received
by Starlight. In the event of the reservation agent
signing the Booking Reservation form on behalf
of the passenger, the passenger confirms and
warrants the authority of the agent to do so and
agrees to be bound by all the terms and
conditions thereof.
In addition the reservation agent in so signing
the Booking Reservation Form warrants his/her
authority to do so on behalf of the passenger
and that the terms and conditions were drawn
to the attention of the passenger.
Embarkation
Starlight will send details of embarkation and
flight arrangements together with other helpful
information about 2 weeks prior to departure.
Passage Ticket
Passage Tickets will only be issued after due
receipt by Starlight of the full fare.
F. It must be noted that the terms of the booking and as otherwise set out herein, will be superseded by the terms of the passenger ticket issued to the passenger as at the date of embarkation, unless as is inconsistent with that specific condition.
G. Landings
The company is entitled to substitute any
advertised port of call if the master deems it
necessary to do so. Landings at the advertised
ports of call are weather dependent. The master
of the vessel shall make the decision whether
it is deemed safe to take passengers ashore.
The booking is confirmed, and we are within 60days of sailing; therefore we will require that FULL PAYMENT of all the amounts due is made within 48 Hours. Please ensure that you utilise the 6 digit Booking Reservation Number as a reference and fax proof of payment to us. Bookings with no deposits are automatically cancelled after 72 hours.
Starlight Cruises does not accept credit / debit card payments.
Booking Form
This document needs to be completed in full and returned to our office as soon as possible. No booking is deemed complete without our having received a fully completed and Signed Booking Form and no documents will be issued without this form.
Please ensure that all passengers fully understand the Terms and Conditions attached, by which this booking is governed.
E-mail back to: Bookingforms@starlight.co.za or fax to 011 807 5085
Passport and Visa Info
It is the sole responsibility of the passenger to ensure that all passports; visas; ID Documents, etc that are required are obtained.
Sinfonia Luxury Coach Transfer Service Jhb-Kzn Return
Starlight Cruises now offers a Return Luxury Coach Transfer service from Johannesburg to Durban. Please see attached for details.
Airport / Harbour Transfers
There is a continuous shuttle bus, which operates between Durban Airport and the Port when the Ship is in the Harbour. The cost is R70 per person each way. This service can be pre-booked with our reservation offices. Call us to make the necessary arrangements.
UShaka Tickets
We have negotiated a special entrance rate for Ushaka Sea World (not Wet ‘n Wild) of R50.00 per person. This amount is over and above the R70.00 cost of the shuttle itself. Provided your flight arrives in Durban before 10:00am, the Airport shuttle bus will stop at Ushaka on the way to the harbour and drop you off along with your hand luggage. Your checked luggage will continue with the shuttle bus to the harbour, and will be taken to your cabin.
It is preferable to book the Ushaka Sea World stopover prior to arriving in Durban, tickets can, however be purchased on the transfer coach. Ushaka Sea World tickets can be purchased at the Harbour upon Disembarkation.
Please note that Starlight Cruises does NOT accept credit card payments. Upon booking you will receive a confirmation with our banking details on it to do an internet transfer or a direct deposit into our account. Please note that Starlight’s bookings are booked on a live system nationwide - all Durban cruises and category options are subject to availability at the time of booking.
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