Terms & Conditions

Vocatio Travel LLC (“Vocatio”) looks forward to serving you in what we hope will be a memorable and life-changing experience for you.  These Terms and Conditions to which you agree when you sign up for a Vocatio tour.  They are designed to provide you with the best possible experience and to allow us the ability to manage our tours in the most efficient way reasonably possible.  Because these Terms and Conditions are an important part of your agreement to travel with Vocatio, please take the time to read them carefully before completing your reservation.  For purposes of this Agreement, “pilgrim” and “you” refer to the person travelling with Vocatio.

 

Tour pricing: Vocatio requires an initial deposit of $300.00 per person delivered along with this Agreement signed by you in order for you to reserve a place on a tour.  The deposit will be credited to your account with Vocatio.  The price for the tour you select will be locked and guaranteed when we receive your deposit. The deposit and this signed Agreement must be received by Vocation on or before 120 days prior to the departure date for the tour selected.  Vocatio’s current tour prices are listed on the attachment to this Agreement. Please note: Vocatio tour prices do not include airfare and are subject to change without notice prior to receipt of the initial $300.00 per person deposit.  Vocatio accepts payment via Veem, an online global payment platform.  All Vocatio pricing and payments shall be in US dollars. Final tour payment must be received by Vocatio on or before 30 days prior to prior to the departure for the tour selected, and in one payment. Unfortunately, missing the final payment deadline may result in you being removed from the tour. 

 

Tour services: Vocatio tours include sightseeing tours led by independent local guides who have been selected by Vocatio; admissions to pre-determined sights; meals accommodations each night; all transportation from the first lodging to the last lodging of the tour  (please note: our tours do not include optional activities or side trips by individual tour pilgrims during the tour); all tips for tour guides, drivers, and food servers at tour-provided meals; and tour materials including Vocatio Travel Pilgrimage Notes. 

 

Scheduled activities are subject to change: International travel involves numerous variables that require flexibility and willingness to accept last-minute changes and adaptations.  The safety and health of our pilgrims and guides are Vocatio’s primary concern, even when a changed itinerary means missing out on a segment of a tour.  Please note that changes, cancellations, and adaptations made during an active tour for safety and/or health reasons will be at the sole discretion of Vocatio.  By signing this Agreement, you understand that partial or complete cancellations of segments of a tour that is already underway for health and safety reasons will not be cause for a refund. 

 

Cancellations, refunds, and travel insurance: Vocatio understands that from time to time circumstances may require a pilgrim to cancel a tour reservation.  All cancellation requests must be made in writing and delivered to Vocatio.  Cancellation requests made 90 days or more prior to the departure date of the tour being cancelled will require a US$300 administrative fee which may be taken out of the pilgrim’s initial deposit, the balance of which will be refunded to the pilgrim.  If the cancellation request is received by Vocatio between 30 to 89 days prior to the departure date of the tour being cancelled, then a US$350.00 administrative fee will be deducted prior to the balance being refunded.  If the cancellation request is received by Vocatio less than 30 days prior to the departure date of the tour being cancelled, then a US$400.00 administrative fee will be deducted from the prior to the balance being refunded.  The foregoing is separate and apart from additional airline or other vendor cancellation fees, and the pilgrim must pursue cancellation and refunds from the airlines or other vendor on his or her own behalf.  Please note that, while Vocatio will cooperate as much as it reasonably can to assist a pilgrim with obtaining refunds already paid by Vocatio to an airline or other vendor on the pilgrim’s behalf, Vocatio cannot guarantee that it will succeed in obtaining refunds.  For that reason, pilgrims are required to purchase their own comprehensive travel insurance, and to become familiar with the travel insurance policy terms and claim process of whichever insurer from which they elect to buy.  Travel insurance premiums are not covered by the Vocatio price and are the pilgrim’s own responsibility.  You must present written proof of travel insurance 30 days or more prior to the departure date of your tour.  If a tour is cancelled by Vocatio, pilgrims will receive whatever amount Vocatio is able to secure in refunds through its reasonable efforts from third-party venders (plus whatever a pilgrim receives from travel insurance.

 

Air travel and accommodations:  Vocatio will arrange travel for pilgrims in economy class.  Air fares will be based on applicable rates and schedules at the time of booking.  Please note that Vocatio does not have control over changes in air fares and flight schedules.  To accommodate the logistics of each tour, each pilgrim is allowed only one checked bag and one carry-on bag per person.  Vocatio is not responsible for any lost, damaged or stolen baggage.  Pilgrims must abide by the prevailing terms and tariffs applicable to their airline ticket and baggage claim.  Hotel and lodging accommodations will vary from tour to tour and from destination to destination, from hotels, to hostels, to monasteries.  Please consult with Vocatio prior to your tour to understand the accommodations possible on your tour.

 

Travel documents:  Travel with Vocatio requires a valid passport.  You agree to comply with all governmental requirements for travel, whether of the United States or another nation, including but not limited to passport and visa laws (most Vocatio tours do not involve visa requirements), as well as the recent fluid laws pertaining to the covid-19 pandemic.  Please note that your U.S. passport must be valid for six months past the date of your anticipated return from outside the U.S.  Passport and related fees are not covered by the Vocatio price and are the pilgrim’s own responsibility.  Pilgrims under the age of 18 are required to present to Vocatio a completed and notarized Diocese of Dallas Offsite Travel Youth form, in addition to a signed consent by the pilgrim’s parent or legal guardian.  Any adult pilgrim is required to submit a completed and notarized Diocese of Dallas Adult Offsite Travel form at least 30 days prior to the departure date of their respective tours.

 

Ancillary costs and health insurance:  In addition to travel insurance premiums and passport fees, unless otherwise agreed to in writing by Vocatio, the price of a Vocatio tour does not include the cost of expenses and purchases made by a pilgrim outside of the stated items and services specified in this Agreement, which means the Vocatio price does not cover tips, food and beverage not otherwise provided in included tour meals, airline charges for extra baggage, personal items, taxes on individual purchases, fines for violation of local laws or ordinances, or health care insurance and costs.  Vocatio strongly encourages each pilgrim to obtain and understand the scope of their own health insurance that may be needed on a tour as a result of an injury, illness or other ongoing health condition that will require medical attention.  Although Vocatio will certainly do what it reasonably can to access health care on behalf of a pilgrim, you understand that Vocatio is not responsible for providing health care or for the outcome of health care rendered to a pilgrim on a tour.

 

Waiver and indemnity for liability:  Pilgrim agrees and acknowledges that Vocatio is a supplier of services whereby third-party travel, lodging, food service, and guided tour enterprises provide independent services directly to patrons such as pilgrim, and that Vocatio is not an owner, affiliate, partner or contractor of such third parties.  Pilgrim further agrees and acknowledges that Vocatio does not assume liability for the performance of the individual services described above and that Vocatio acts only to combine these services for referral to pilgrims in a single unit of sale for convenience, efficiency and cost savings.  Pilgrim agrees that Vocatio is not responsible for, either directly or indirectly, and pilgrim hereby waives, any and all claims against Vocatio for any loss, damages, or injury which may result from any act or omission committed or omitted by the third party(ies) performing or providing the components of tour services.  Pilgrim hereby covenants and agrees to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Vocatio and its members, owners, shareholders, officers, directors, employees, and representatives from any and all liability, losses, costs, obligations, and expenses, including reasonable attorneys’ fees, which the pilgrim may incur as a result of the negligence, fraud, accident or other misconduct of a third-party provider of tour services incident to this Agreement, or of a third party’s respective agents or employees, including, but not limited to, negligence while operating any means of transportation.  Pilgrim further agrees that pilgrim shall first submit claims to pilgrim’s travel insurance provider for resolution prior to submitting any claim to Vocatio that is not waived in this Agreement.

 

Pandemic-related travel requirements: In the event that Covid or other pandemic-related circumstances affect travel through Vocatio, whether by virtue of laws or regulatory guidelines of the United States and/or another nation as part of your Vocatio tour, or by virtue of health conditions that arise during a tour, you agree to abide by the then prevailing laws and guidelines of the country in which you are present, whether during a tour, on board transportation, or in an airport.  Vocatio will use reasonable efforts to arrange for Covid testing in countries other than the United States if a negative test is required to re-enter the U.S.  You agree that Vocatio will not be responsible, and you agree to hold Vocatio harmless, for damages of any type resulting from a pilgrim contracting Covid (or any other disease) that requires quarantining for any length of time.  Vocatio will use reasonable efforts to arrange quarantine accommodations, but you agree to be responsible for all costs incurred due to a quarantine, including but not limited to hotel charges, airline flight change fees, ground transportation costs, meal and medicine expenses, and health care costs.

 

Pilgrim standards of conduct: We certainly do not anticipate inappropriate, unruly, or unacceptable behavior by pilgrims on a Vocatio tour. In the unlikely event such problematic conduct occurs that is incompatible with the safety, comfort, or convenience of other pilgrims on a tour, then Vocatio reserves the exclusive right and sole discretion to expel a pilgrim from a tour at any time.