1. English is the official language of the trip.
2. No traveler will be allowed to deviate from the itinerary or program established for the group.
3. The exchange student must arrive at the boarding place on the date and time established by the Organization. No student may arrive early without the approval of the Organization and his/her host district; if a student must arrive early, additional fees may apply, including but not limited to; hotel costs, meals, transportation to the hotel and any unforeseen expenses due to the early arrival. After the trip all students must return immediately and straight to his/her host city.
4. In bus trips, you must board/disembark at the boarding place closest to the city that you live in. Students who wish to board at a different boarding place must ask for previous authorization from the Organization and your host district 15 days prior to the departure of the trip. This possibility will depend on the availability of the bus seats. In this case, the student must pay for the chosen boarding place, if more expensive, and will not have right to a discount, if less expensive.
5. In case of bus trips, the Organization will be responsible for the Exchange Student’s reception and transfer only at the boarding city, only if we receive complete arrival information 10 days prior to the beginning of the trip, only if the student is using the supplied accommodation or is going directly to the boarding point, if this information is not supplied by the student, he/she must pay for the transfer from the Bus Depot/Airport to the boarding place or accommodation. The boarding place for trips by air is at the last airport.
6. The Organization is not responsible for the student's transportation from their host cities to the boarding place.
7. It is strictly prohibited to possess, use or buy drugs of any kind including alcoholic beverages.
8. In relation to romantic relationships, we expect all travelers to respect the Rotary rules.
9. It is not allowed to make piercings or tattoos during the trip.
10. "Pranks" such as removing objects from supermarkets, stores, hotels etc. will be strictly punished and will be reported to your host district in addition to any legal ramifications such acts might bring about.
11. One or more Rotarians will accompany the group as Chaperons.
12. Some trips may require a guarantee deposit to cover fines charged for delay penalties, devolution of lost and found objects, warnings, etc. The remaining amount will be returned to the exchange students at the end of the trip (if the payment was done with a credit card, you'll have the money back on the same card, not in cash).
13. The timetable is shown in the program and should be respected. The Organization reserves the right to alter the itinerary or timetable in case of unforeseen circumstances or for the benefit of the group. If you do not respect the timetable, you will be charged a penalty (this money will be reverted into an activity for all participants). We expect you to be responsible, have group spirit, and be on time.
14. The trip coordinators will determine the departure and return time for all activities as well as the curfew for each night.
15. Extra expenditures: This will vary from person to person. We estimate that USD15 per day for meals should be sufficient for most students. Use your own judgment on how much you will need to bring to cover expenses not included in the tour cost. You will be visiting places with a large variety of souvenirs, if you plan to shop bring more money. The trip doesn’t include extra expenditures such as but not limited to telephone calls, not included meals, laundry, mini bar, etc.
16. Credit Card is a convenient and safe way to pay for a lot of your expenses. ATM’s to obtain cash will be available, but maybe not when you need them, so we recommend you to have enough money between withdrawals. We suggest you have not less than USD20 and not more than USD100 at all times. The Organization will not be responsible for any missing cash.
17. Take as little luggage as possible, we strongly recommend 20kg/44lbs maximum for more than ten days trip and 15kg/33lbs for less. You will have to carry and be responsible for it at all times. Bring in your hand luggage all the personal belongings you will need during the trips such as toothbrush, medicines, camera etc. It is your responsibility to be informed about airlines policies regarding baggage, check in policies and all other aspects of travel. Be aware that checked bags cost is not included. The Organization will not be responsible for any lost or damaged luggage. If it is under the care of a supplier, the supplier will apply its own policy, therefore avoid bringing any expensive or valuable items.
18. The trip requires a minimum number of travelers to operate. The Organization reserves the right to cancel any trip that does not meet the minimum number of passengers. That number may vary depending on the tour, however most tours must have a minimum of 40 passengers for the tour to operate.
19. The talent show is a fun event for everyone. We will have a special moment when your talent will be appreciated. Be ready to make a presentation. Bring typical clothes from your country, CD’s with songs you might need, musical instruments you can play and, most important of all, creativeness and good temper. The coordination staff can help you to prepare your presentation.
20. Health Issues: Prepare before the trip by resting and eating well. If you take medication regularly, plan to bring enough for your entire trip. Attention: Your health is extremely important in order to enjoy the trip. Take good care of it!
21. Even if you can swim, USE CAUTION AT ALL TIMES! Those who cross the limit area established by the coordination staff will be strictly punished.
22. We will be often exposed to sun light. Be careful and bring, and use, a lot of sun block.
23. By going on the trip, the exchange student authorizes the use of his/her image on the Organization promotional material such as brochures, website, videos, etc.
24. No exchange student is allowed to leave the hotel at night without the accompaniment/ authorization of a trip coordination member.
25. This is a cultural trip; therefore all the exchange students must attend all the activities in the program.
26. Do not forget to always communicate with your home/host family and Rotary Club. Anyone can follow the trip on Twitter, Facebook and Blog; we might ask you to post the latest happenings.
27. Some tours may include promotional items such as T-Shirts, Backpacks, Water Bottles, etc. These items must be ordered in advance to be available for the tour; therefore those that register for the tour within 25 days of departure may not be eligible to receive promotional items listed in the inclusions section of the tour.
28. In case you decide not to go on the trip, you should request the cancellation of your reservation. All requests must be received in writing and the following schedule applies to all:
*Registration to 76 days prior to departure: you will be refunded all except nonrefundable deposit, service fees and/or any surcharges.
*75 to 61 days prior to departure: 25% of the total land price is nonrefundable.
*60 to 46 days prior to departure 50% of the total land price is non-refundable.
*45 to 31 days prior to departure 75% of the total land price is non-refundable.
*30 days or less prior to departure 100% of the total land price is non-refundable.
If you are able to find an exchange student to take your place and the change is possible, only 10% of the total land cost is non-refundable at any date.
These deadlines and penalties also apply if the student cannot attend the trip because he/she did not fulfill any of the reservation requirements.
29. Cancellation Policy for Air portion: Once the ticket has been issued (the ticket may be issued anytime without notice after the deposit is received) the cancelation rules for the airline will apply. Remember any refund will be the sole discretion of the airline or airlines involved and the Organization holds no responsibility regarding the airlines final decision. The airlines may change the cancellation policy and/or fees at anytime including but not limited to cancellation fees, baggage fees, cost of meals and beverages.
30. IMPORTANT: We cannot live with a large number of people, for the time of the trip, without good organization and everyone's cooperation. The common goal needs to be respect. In cases of bad behavior or disrespect for the excursion rules, the exchange student may receive up to five warnings, according to the seriousness of his act and to the coordinator's judgment. It is possible to receive 5 warnings at one time based on the seriousness of the student’s actions. Each warning will cost the student a fee and if him/her receives 5 warnings, his/her host district and the host family will be notified and that student will be sent to his/her host community immediately at his/her own expense. No refund will be given for the remainder of the tour. The student’s Rotary District/Club will be notified of any warnings a student receives during the tour by the coordinators or chaperone and all warnings will accumulate from trip to trip the student takes with us.