Booking Terms and Conditions 

The purchase of your travel booking constitutes a contractual agreement between the travel agent, traveller(s), customer(s), and/or purchaser(s), (collectively as “you” and “traveller”), and Flight Centre Travel Group Limited trading as Cruise HQ (“Cruise HQ”, “we”, “us”) pursuant to the following booking terms and conditions (“Terms”): 

1. PASSPORTS & VISAS 

All travellers must have a valid passport for international travel and many countries require at least 6 months validity from the date of return and some countries require a machine-readable passport. When assisting with an international travel booking, we will assume that all travellers on the booking have a valid Australian passport which is valid for the relevant destination and transit point. It is important that you ensure that you have valid passports, visas and re-entry permits which meet the requirements of immigration and other government authorities. Any fines, penalties, payments, or expenditures incurred as a result of such documents not meeting the requirements of those authorities will be your sole responsibility.  

2. TRAVEL DOCUMENTS:  

Travel documents include (without limitation) airline tickets, hotel vouchers, tour vouchers or any other document (whether in electronic form or otherwise) used to confirm an arrangement with a travel service provider. Travel documents may be subject to certain conditions and/or restrictions including (without limitation) being non-refundable, non-date-changeable, and/or subject to cancellation and/or other change fees. Travel documents cannot be transferred to another person to use. All airline tickets must be issued in the name of the passport/photo identity holder. An incorrect name on a booking may result in an inability to use that booking, the booking being cancelled, and the application of additional change and/or cancellation fees. Any errors in names, dates and timings may result in an inability to use that booking and the booking being cancelled. Any errors in names, dates or timings on your documentation will be your responsibility if not reported at the time of booking. 

Please ensure you read your travel documents carefully for details on baggage allowances and fees as these can vary from airline to airline and country to country. Excess baggage (if your airline allows it) can be expensive and is your responsibility.  

3. TRAVEL INSURANCE:  

We strongly recommend that you take out appropriate travel insurance to cover your travel arrangements. Your insurance protection should at least include cover for cancellation, medical and repatriation expenses, personal injury and accident, death and loss of personal baggage and money and personal liability insurance. Evidence of such insurances should be produced to us on request. Insurance cover offered by credit card companies or reciprocal medical cover agreements are often not comprehensive. Travel insurance is strongly recommended by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade for all overseas travel.    

4. HEALTH: 

It is the traveller’s responsibility to ensure they are aware of any health requirements for their travel destinations and to ensure that they carry all necessary vaccination documentation. Travel carriers and local authorities at travel destinations may require vaccination evidence and specific testing prior to boarding and/or upon arrival at the traveller’s destination, including, but not limited to, a temperature check as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. A traveller may be denied entry onto a carrier and/or entry upon arrival at a destination or be required to self-quarantine at a destination and upon a return to Australia. We recommend that you consult with your local doctor, travel medical service or specialist vaccination clinic before commencing your travel. General health advice for the destination you wish to visit is also available from DFAT (see www.smartraveller.gov.au). 

5. COVID-19 TRAVEL ADVISORY NOTICE:  

Government, airline, cruise line and travel service providers COVID-19 travel requirements are subject to change without notice.  

Before booking, regularly after booking, and immediately before you travel, ensure you check the latest Australian Federal Government’s travel requirements and our advice outlined below. Visit the Australian Department of Home Affairs website https://covid19.homeaffairs.gov.au/ for more information. Australia and all other countries may implement measures which continuously change, including additional health and safety protocols in response to COVID-19 and new variants which may impact your travel. 

We recommend that you contact the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (“DFAT”) or visit their website at www.smartraveller.gov.au for general travel advice, as well as specific advice (including safety alert levels) relating to the destination/s you wish to visit or transit through. You can also register your travel plans with DFAT, so that you may be more easily contacted in an emergency.  

You acknowledge that in choosing to travel at a time where you may be exposed to COVID-19. It is your own responsibility to acquaint yourself with all relevant travel information, including applicable health risks. You acknowledge that your decision to travel is made based on your own consideration of this information, and you acknowledge and agree that you are aware of, and assume responsibility for, the risks associated with traveling at this time. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we accept no liability in relation to these additional risks. 

6. PRICES: 

All prices are subject to availability and can be withdrawn or varied without notice. Prices are only guaranteed once your booking has been paid for in full. Please note that prices quoted are subject to change. Price changes may occur by reason of matters outside our control which increase the cost of the product and/or service. Such factors include, but are not limited to, adverse currency fluctuations, fuel surcharges, taxes and airfare increases. Some product and/or service prices are ‘Instant Purchase’ due to the dynamic pricing of products and/or services and constantly changing availability, and so can only be secured if paid for in full immediately when quoted (and even once paid for by you in full, a product and/or service price may not be able to be secured for you, because the price (e.g. an airfare or a room-rate) may become unavailable in the short time period between your payment being processed by us and our booking systems being able to make the booking for you due to availability or changes in the travel service provider’s booking and yield management systems). By agreeing to these Terms, you expressly acknowledge your acceptance of these conditions (i.e., increases before full payment and increases after full payment will be your responsibility) applicable to your client’s purchase. You agree that you will be responsible for obtaining your client’s written consent to any increases to prices in accordance with this section and you agree to indemnify and hold harmless Cruise HQ against any claims arising out of such a failure to obtain written consent. 

Gross pricing includes a non-refundable transaction fee of up to $8 per booking for international cruises and $3 per booking for Australian domestic cruises will apply (based on twin share).    

7. FINANCIAL ARRANGEMENTS: 

We receive remuneration through commissions, financial incentives, fees or payments, rebates, other means including transaction processing fees, merchant service fees or other payments or credits of a similar nature and other means (together, “financial arrangements”) from third party travel service providers, card issuers, credit providers, payment service providers and/or other suppliers/partners for booking travel and travel-related products and/or services on your behalf and/or for providing other products and/or services (including any credit) to you. We are entitled to retain, and we are not required to account to you, for any such fees, payments or credits we may receive. We are not required by law to disclose the nature or value of these financial arrangements. 
  

8. DEPOSIT AND FINAL PAYMENT :  

You will be required to pay a deposit or deposits when booking. Your travel agent will advise you of how much that will be. Subject to your rights under the Australian Consumer Law, all deposits are non-refundable for changes of mind or cancellations by you, or if the travel service provider’s terms and conditions provide that your deposit is non-refundable. If your deposit is refundable, this is subject to us having received the funds from the travel service provider and/or being authorised by the travel service provider to refund your deposit. A deposit will generally secure your booking/seat, however prices quoted may change before you make the final payment for the reasons outlined in section 7 above. Some products and/or services must be paid in full at the time of booking. 
  

9. OUR CHANGE AND CANCELLATION FEES: 

Subject to your refund and remedy rights under the Australian Consumer Law, the following change or cancellation fees will apply to your booking (including online bookings and bookings made with a travel agent), as set out in sections 10 to 13 below:  

  • Changes: bookings will incur a fee of $50 per person in addition to any supplier fees.  
  • Domestic Cruises: There will be a $50 per booking charge for any under 16-night Australian Domestic Cruise booked directly with our Reservations team. 
  • Cruise Nett Rates: If a wholesale net fare is booked (mainly with our packages), Travel Agent commission is not protected.  
  • Airfares: A ticketing fee of $10 per person, per ticket is included in the pricing. A reissue fee of $20 per person per ticket after ticketing and a cancellation fee of $30 per person per ticket will be charged in addition to airline fees. 
  • Packages: A non-refundable deposit of $25pp (in addition to the supplier deposit) will be charged.  
  • Groups: A non-refundable deposit of $100 per cabin (in addition to the supplier cabin deposit) is required as guests are added to the group. Any amendments to the group booking once it has been secured will also incur a fee of $50 per person, per amendment.   
  • Cancellations: If the booking is cancelled once final monies are paid, $100 per person will be charged. This is in addition to supplier cancellation fees.  

These change and cancellation fees reflect the reasonable, direct and indirect costs, time and effort incurred or involved in us providing booking and advisory services to you, as well as processing and managing the changes to, or cancellation of, your booking.  
 
All bookings are made on your behalf subject to the terms and conditions imposed by the travel service provider.  If, for example, a travel service provider’s terms and conditions contain a “no refund policy”, we will only be able to provide you with the remedy provided by the travel service provider (if any), which may include a travel credit supplied by the travel service provider. You indemnify Cruise HQ against all losses, damages, claims and costs (including reasonable attorney fees) which Cruise HQ may sustain or incur directly from or concerning: (a) any failure by the travel agent to obtain the customer’s written acknowledgement of the refund and/or cancellation policy of this booking as set out above in this paragraph; (b) any failure by the customer to pay the full amount owed for this booking, including without limitation Cancellation Fees; and/or (c) any chargebacks by the travel agent or the travel agent’s customer relating to this booking or Cancellation Fees. 

10. SUPPLIER/TRAVEL SERVICE PROVIDER INSOLVENCY:  

To the extent permitted by law, neither we nor any of our related bodies corporate, directors, employees or agents, accept any liability for any consequences arising from the insolvency of a third-party provider. This includes any losses, delays, or inconveniences experienced by travellers or travel advisors due to the insolvency of airlines, tour operators, cruise lines, accommodation providers, or other service entities. You should address any issues related to supplier insolvency with your respective travel advisor, who is responsible for assisting with alternative arrangements or solutions. 

 11. TRAVEL SERVICE PROVIDER CHANGE AND CANCELLATION FEES: 

Changed or cancelled bookings for any reason (including by reason of matters outside your or our control) may also incur travel service provider fees, which can be up to 100% of the cost of the booking, regardless of whether travel has commenced. Travel service provider fees may also apply where a booking is changed for any reason and when tickets or documents are re-issued. We will inform you about any such potential fees and the conditions under which they apply. Where we incur any liability for a travel service provider change or cancellation fee for any booking which is changed or cancelled for any reason, you agree to indemnify us for the amount of that fee.  Where you seek a refund for a changed or cancelled booking for which payment has been made to the travel service provider, we will not provide a refund to you until we receive the funds from that travel service provider (which may take 12 weeks, or longer, dependent upon the travel service provider’s processing time). In the event we are still holding the funds, we can only provide you with a refund once we are authorised by the travel service provider to process your refund, subject to that travel service provider’s change or cancellation policy.   
 

12. CHANGE OR CANCELLATION BY YOU: 

If you change any aspect of your booking, we will do our best to accommodate your request, but it may not always be possible. All changes will be subject to any applicable travel service provider fees and Cruise HQ change fees set out above, and you will be responsible for any increase in pricing that may occur as a result of your change request. 
 
If you cancel any aspect of your booking, you will forfeit your deposit and you will be required to pay any applicable travel service provider fees and Cruise HQ cancellation fees set out above, and we will provide you with a refund for the remaining funds (if any). Alternatively, Cruise HQ or the travel service provider may offer you a travel credit for the full amount paid by you without applying any applicable travel service provider fees or Cruise HQ cancellation fees. If your deposit or booking is refundable, this is subject to Cruise HQ having received the funds from the travel service provider and/or being authorised by the travel service provider to refund your deposit or booking funds. 
For instant purchase or non-refundable bookings, if you cancel any aspect of your booking, you will not be entitled to a refund, travel credit or other remedy from the travel service provider and/or Cruise HQ.  

13. CHANGE OR CANCELLATION BY A TRAVEL SERVICE PROVIDER: 

The following terms apply to a cancellation by a travel service provider, except in the event of unavoidable or extraordinary circumstances (which are dealt with in sections 14 and 15 below).   
 
To the extent permitted by applicable law, if your booking is cancelled by a travel service provider, the travel service provider will generally offer you in the first instance alternative travel arrangements of comparable standard if available (and will refund any price difference if the alternative is of a lower value), or a travel credit for the full amount paid by you. Alternatively, subject to the travel service provider’s change or cancellation policy, the travel service provider may offer you a refund of all money paid by you in respect of the booking, from which the travel service provider and/or Cruise HQ will deduct any unrecoverable costs, and any applicable travel service provider fees and Cruise HQ cancellation fees set out above.   
 
“Unrecoverable costs” means all reasonable, direct and indirect costs we have incurred in relation to your booking, and includes amounts paid by Cruise HQ to other relevant travel service providers who are responsible for components of your booking and which may be non-refundable. For example, costs paid to overseas in-destination tour or transfer operators. 
 
For instant purchase or non-refundable bookings, if your booking is cancelled by a travel service provider, subject to the travel service provider’s change or cancellation policy, you may not be entitled to a refund, travel credit or other remedy from the travel service provider and/or Cruise HQ. 
  

14. UNAVOIDABLE OR EXTRAORDINARY CIRCUMSTANCES: 

In the event of unavoidable or extraordinary circumstances, a travel service provider may materially modify or cancel your booking as set out below.   
 
In these Terms “unavoidable or extraordinary circumstances” means any cause outside a travel service provider’s reasonable control which could not have been prevented or avoided even if all reasonable measures had been taken by the travel service provider (including, but not limited to, war, threat of war, riot, civil disturbances, industrial dispute, terrorist activity and its consequences, plague, epidemic, pandemic, infectious disease outbreak or any other public health crisis (including quarantine or other employee restrictions), natural or other disaster (such as volcanic ash or hurricanes or similar events), nuclear incident, fire or bushfires, adverse weather conditions (actual or threatened, including snow and fog), closed or congested airports or ports or other modes of transport, unavoidable technical problems with transport, unforeseen alterations to transport schedules, transportation disruptions or cancellations, domestic and/or international travel restrictions, changes to travel advisories and restrictions, changes to health advisories and quarantines, changes to immigration, labour and free-movement laws resulting from BREXIT, rescheduling of aircraft or boats or other modes of transport, changes to applicable laws and/or other government mandates (including evacuation orders and border closures), and similar events).  
 
A material modification is one that has a serious impact on your booking and would cause substantial inconvenience to you (including a change of departure date, departure point or airport, or change of departure time of more than 12 hours).  

 15. CANCELLATION DUE TO UNAVOIDABLE OR EXTRAORDINARY CIRCUMSTANCES: 

If your booking is cancelled by the travel provider due to unavoidable or extraordinary circumstances, either the travel service provider will offer you a travel credit or Cruise HQ may, subject to Cruise HQ’s hardship policy, offer you a Cruise HQ travel credit for the full amount paid by you. 
 

16. PAYMENTS BY CREDIT CARD, DEBIT CARD AND CASH: 

Credit card surcharges of 0.80% for Visa, 0.50% for MasterCard and 0.80% for American Express will apply when paying by credit card.  
 
Debit card surcharges of 0.39% for debit card Visa and no fee for debit card MasterCard will apply when paying by debit card. 
 
You authorise us to charge all fees incurred by you in relation to the products and/or services provided by us to the credit card or debit card designated by you. If payment is not received from the card issuer or its agents for any reason, you agree to pay us all amounts due immediately on demand. 
 
If you choose to save your credit card details with us, they will be securely stored and may be used for your future transactions with us (including transactions agreed over the phone or by email). You can choose to remove your saved credit card details at any time. 

 17. TAXES: 

Additional taxes and surcharges that cannot be pre-collected may be charged locally by car rental agencies, hotels, or other suppliers. Certain taxes are mandatory in various countries. There may also be an additional local tax charged at some airports. All taxes are subject to change without notice.  
  

18. SERVICE GUARANTEES: 

Our booking and advisory services come with guarantees under the Australian Consumer Law that: 

  • they will be provided with due care and skill; 
  • they will be reasonably fit for the specified purpose;  
  • they can reasonably be expected to achieve the desired result; and 
  • they will be provided within a reasonable time. 

 
If we fail to meet any of these guarantees, you have rights under the Australian Consumer Law. 

19. AGENCY: 

Cruise HQ acts as a wholesale agent only. We sell various travel related products and/or services as agent on behalf of numerous third – party travel service providers, including, but not limited to hotel, tours, airlines, cruise lines and rail, as well as our wholesalers and tour operators. Cruise HQ does not own, operate, manage, or control these independent travel service providers of services and is not liable for their acts or omissions. Cruise HQ’s obligations to you are to make travel bookings on your behalf for your client’s and to arrange relevant contracts between you, your clients, and the travel service providers. We exercise care in the selection of reputable travel service providers but we have no responsibility for these services, nor do we have the authority to make any warranty or representation regarding their standards. Fulfilment of a request cannot be guaranteed. All bookings are subject to the terms and conditions imposed by these travel service providers, including conditions of carriage, fare rules, change and cancellation policies and limitations of liability, and the provision of data about you or provided by you to a third party. The travel service provider’s terms and conditions are separate to our Terms. The relevant travel service provider’s terms and conditions can generally be accessed on their country-specific website. If you would like any assistance to access any travel service provider terms and conditions, if you are not sure which terms and conditions apply to your booking, or if you would like us to provide you with a full copy of the travel service provider terms and conditions, please contact us. You agree that you and your client’s legal rights in connection with the provision of travel services are against the specific travel service provider and, except to the extent a problem arises as a result of our gross negligence, fraud, criminal conduct or wilful misconduct, are not against us. Specifically, if for any reason (excluding gross negligence, fraud, criminal conduct or wilful misconduct on our part) any travel service provider is unable to provide the services for which you have contracted, your rights are against that provider and not against us. Although we will use due care and skill in performing our services, we will not always be able to verify if, and cannot guarantee that, all information provided by the travel service provider (including the travel service provider’s brochure and terms and conditions) is accurate, complete and correct. Subject to any rights and/or remedies you may have under the Australian Consumer Law,  we cannot be held responsible or liable for any errors, omissions, interruptions (for example, aircraft substitutions, renovations occurring at hotels, swimming pool closures, accommodation inclusions or changes to inclusions, resort fees payable, breakdowns, repairs, upgrade or maintenance of systems), or inaccurate, misleading or untrue information or non-delivery of information by the travel service provider. If we become aware that the information provided by the travel service provider is incorrect or incomplete in any way, we reserve the right to correct any information (including, but not limited to, pricing information (except where pricing has been finalised)) and amend your booking (in consultation with you) to ensure that it reflects the correct price or otherwise contains the correct and complete information. 

 20. RESPONSIBILITY:  

We strive to make sure your travel arrangements are satisfactory. However, Cruise HQ and its affiliates, employees, shareholders, subsidiaries, officers, directors, successors, agents, and assigns do not own or operate any entity that provides goods and services for your travel including without limitation, lodging facilities, airline, vessel, cruise line, motor coach, or other transportation companies, guides or guide services, local ground operators, providers or organizers of optional excursions, food service providers, etc. All such providers are independent contractors and are in no way affiliated with Cruise HQ or any of Cruise HQ’s affiliated entities. You therefore agree not to look to Cruise HQ and/or its affiliates, employees, shareholders, subsidiaries, officers, directors, successors, agents and assigns with respect to any act or omission of such providers. 

21. LIABILITY: 

To the extent permitted by law, Flight Centre Travel Group Limited along with its related bodies corporate, directors, officers, employees, servants, or agents, accept no liability in contract, tort, or otherwise for any injury, damage, loss (including consequential loss), delay, additional expense, or inconvenience caused directly or indirectly by the acts, omissions or default, whether negligent or otherwise, of third-party providers or any other third-party over whom we have no direct control, force majeure, insolvency, or any other event which is beyond our control or which is not preventable by reasonable diligence on our part. This includes, but is not limited to, acts of God, illness, pandemic, quarantine, acts of war, civil unrest, strikes, criminal or terrorist activities, mechanical failures of transportation, and any failure of transportation mechanisms to arrive or depart on time. Specifically, we do not accept any liability, whether in contract, tort or otherwise, for any act or omission of travel service providers, including their failure to provide a service whether through their negligence or otherwise. Furthermore, we make no representations about the standard of the services provided by travel service providers and accept no liability in that regard. 

Our liability will be limited to the extent that any relevant international conventions, such as the Montreal, Athens, Berne, and Paris Conventions, limit the amount of compensation that can be claimed. In scenarios not governed by international conventions, our liability shall be limited in accordance with the Civil Liability Act (NSW) 2002. Where our liability cannot be excluded, it is limited to the amount that you have paid for your travel services. This limitation applies unless overridden by applicable international conventions as determined under NSW law. 

This clause is subject to your rights under the Australian Consumer Law and the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth). Furthermore, nothing in these terms and conditions affects our right to limit our liability under the Limitation of Liability for Maritime Claims Act 1989 where applicable. 

22. SUPPLIER / TRAVEL SERVICE PROVIDER INSOLVENCY: 

Without limiting section 24, for the avoidance of doubt, in the event of a third party provider being unable to provide you with the product and/or service you have booked due to that third party provider becoming insolvent or being placed under external administration, subject to your refund and remedy rights under the Australian Consumer Law, we have no obligation to reimburse you for the cost of your booking, or for any loss or damage you may otherwise suffer as a result of any such insolvency or external administration.

23. SCHEDULE CHANGES: 

We recommend that you contact the travel service provider to confirm your scheduled departure time 24 hours prior to your departure. 

24. PRIVACY POLICY: 

We are committed to protecting your personal information provided to us by your travel advisor in connection with a booking and agree to handle your personal information in accordance with our Privacy Policy, which is available online at cruisehq.com.au or ask your travel advisor for details. By providing personal information to us, you agree that our Privacy Policy will apply to how we handle your personal information, and you consent to us collecting, using and disclosing your personal information, as detailed in our Privacy Policy.     

25. MONIES NOT HELD ON TRUST:  

All monies paid by you to us, if you pay us directly, will be the property of Flight Centre Travel Group Limited and will be a debt due and payable to the relevant supplier (contingent on availing) once the services to which the money relates have been availed, or the relevant booking is cancelled (subject to cancellation fees). You agree and acknowledge that such monies will not be held by Flight Centre Travel Group Limited on trust for or on behalf of you, and we may hold such monies in any account as we see fit, including with our own and/or other customer monies.    

26. MODIFICATIONS OF THESE TERMS: 

We reserve the right to modify any of these Terms at any time without prior notice. If we make changes to any of these Terms, we will post the amended Terms on the website, applications, or services, which are effective upon posting. The applicable terms that apply are those in effect at the time you make a booking.  

27. GOVERNING LAW: 

If any dispute arises between you and us, the laws of Australia will apply. You irrevocably and unconditionally submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Australia and waive any right that you may have to object to an action being brought in those courts.  

28. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:  

You acknowledge that you are 18 years of age or older, and that you understand and agree with the above Terms and our Privacy Policy.   

These Terms were last updated on 4 April 2024.