Last updated: 2026-05-10 · v1

Booking Terms

Effective Date: 2026-05-11 Last Updated: 2026-05-11 Version: 1.0

These Booking Terms govern your booking of voyages, cabins, expeditions, and related travel services through the Gvoya platform operated by GRANDROUTES GLOBAL PTE. LTD. ("Gvoya"). They form a binding part of the Terms of Service and are read together with the Cancellation Policy, Refund Policy, and the operating Supplier's own terms displayed at checkout.

1. Role of Gvoya

Gvoya is a booking intermediary; the contract for the carriage and supply of travel services is between you (the "Lead Passenger") and the relevant Supplier (cruise line, yacht operator, expedition company). Gvoya transmits bookings, processes payments on Suppliers' behalf where authorized, and issues a confirmation only after the Supplier accepts the booking. Where Gvoya is the merchant of record, it is identified at the point of sale.

Gvoya and its affiliated operating entities (including Hangzhou Grandroutes International Travel Service Co., Ltd.) are not parties to, nor obligors under, the cruise ticket / carriage contract. They act solely as a third-party platform assisting with the booking of cruise tickets, are not responsible for any travel-risk incidents, accidents, or contract disputes arising during the voyage, and bear no joint or several liability for them.

2. Booking Confirmation Workflow

2.1 Steps

  1. You select a voyage on the Service and proceed to checkout.
  2. You provide passenger details (full names matching travel documents, dates of birth, nationality, passport numbers — encrypted at rest), contact information, and any disclosed special requirements (dietary, medical, accessibility).
  3. You accept these Booking Terms, the Cancellation Policy, and the Supplier's voyage-specific terms displayed inline.
  4. You pay the first installment shown at checkout — the platform deposit (currently 20% of total fare), or a higher amount where the booking is made inside a cancellation-penalty window — via the available payment methods (Alipay, WeChat Pay, bank transfer where offered, Stripe-processed cards; Stripe to launch v1.1).
  5. We transmit the booking to the Supplier; you receive an initial "pending" confirmation.
  6. The Supplier confirms or rejects within 24-72 hours; you receive the final booking confirmation by email and in-app.
  7. Any remaining balance is due per the installment plan shown at checkout (derived from the cancellation schedule displayed for the voyage; balance no later than 60 days before departure).

2.2 Booking Status

A booking is only confirmed when you receive a "Confirmed" status with a Supplier-issued confirmation number. If the Supplier rejects the booking, your deposit is fully refunded to the original payment method.

3. Pricing, Currency, and Taxes

Prices are displayed in your selected currency (one of 25+ supported currencies); the converted amount is final at the time you confirm payment. The booked total includes:

  • The fare for the selected cabin / passenger configuration
  • Mandatory port fees, government taxes, and gratuities where included
  • A Gvoya service fee (where applicable; itemized at checkout)

It does not include (unless explicitly stated):

  • Travel insurance
  • Pre-/post-cruise hotels and flights (booked separately)
  • Optional shore excursions
  • Specialty dining or drinks packages
  • Personal expenses on board

Currency conversion uses our daily exchange-rate snapshot from a reputable wholesale provider; refunds are issued in the original currency at the original conversion rate to avoid foreign-exchange risk to you.

4. Payment Schedule

Your payment schedule is derived from the cancellation schedule displayed for your voyage. The exact installment plan — amounts and due dates — is shown at checkout and reproduced in your booking confirmation; the displayed plan governs your booking. In general:

  • Deposit: the platform deposit percentage shown at checkout (currently 20% of total fare) is due at booking; non-refundable except where required by law or by the displayed cancellation schedule.
  • Installments: each cumulative amount becomes due before the corresponding cancellation-penalty window opens (with a platform buffer), so that amounts paid always cover the penalty exposure under the displayed schedule.
  • Balance: due no later than 60 days before departure.
  • Bookings close to departure: where a booking is made inside a penalty window, a correspondingly higher first payment — up to full payment — is due at booking, as shown at checkout.

We send payment reminders ahead of each due date. Failure to pay an installment by its due date may result in automatic cancellation and forfeiture of amounts due under the displayed cancellation schedule.

5. Passenger Information & Travel Documents

5.1 Information You Must Provide

For each passenger, you must provide accurate:

  • Full legal name (matching the passport or government-issued travel document)
  • Date of birth
  • Nationality
  • Passport number, expiry date, and issuing country (encrypted with AES-256-GCM at rest)
  • Emergency contact name and phone

You must also disclose, to the extent the Supplier requires:

  • Any medical condition that may affect your fitness to travel
  • Accessibility needs
  • Dietary restrictions

5.2 Documentation You Must Hold

You are responsible for ensuring you have:

  • A valid passport (typically valid for at least six (6) months beyond return date)
  • Visas and transit permits required by every country on the itinerary
  • Vaccinations and health certificates required by destination authorities or by the Supplier
  • Travel insurance with adequate medical and evacuation coverage (strongly recommended; mandatory for some Suppliers and destinations such as Antarctica)

Gvoya does not verify these documents. You bear all consequences of non-compliance, including denied boarding without refund.

6. AI Concierge Recommendations vs. Final Booking

The Gvoya AI Concierge provides personalized recommendations based on your stated preferences. Recommendations are not binding offers and are subject to availability at the moment of booking. The price, dates, and inventory shown at the time you click "Book" are authoritative; intermediate AI suggestions are informational only.

7. Modifications by You

Modifications are subject to the Supplier's policy. Common Supplier rules:

  • Name changes (passenger replacement): typically permitted with a fee; verify Supplier-specific policy at checkout
  • Date changes: subject to availability; may incur a re-fare differential
  • Cabin upgrade/downgrade: subject to availability
  • Itinerary changes are generally not permitted once the booking is confirmed

To request a modification, write to support@gvoya.com or use the in-app "Modify booking" flow. Quoted fees are confirmed by the Supplier before any change is processed.

8. Modifications by the Supplier or Force Majeure

Suppliers may modify itineraries due to weather, mechanical issues, port closures, government action, pandemic, or other operational/safety reasons. Such modifications are governed by the Supplier's contract; Gvoya facilitates communication and rebooking but is not liable for the Supplier's operational decisions. Where a Supplier cancels a voyage outright (rather than substituting), our Refund Policy applies.

9. Cancellation by You

Your right to cancel and the applicable refund are determined by the cancellation schedule displayed on the voyage detail page and at checkout, and reproduced in your booking confirmation. The general framework appears in the Cancellation Policy.

10. Behavior on Board

You agree to comply with the Supplier's code of conduct, the law of the flag state of the vessel, and the laws of every port and jurisdiction visited. Suppliers reserve the right to disembark passengers for safety or behavioral reasons; Gvoya is not liable for such Supplier decisions and any resulting incremental costs are your responsibility.

11. Special Categories of Travel

11.1 Polar / Antarctic / Arctic Voyages

Antarctic operators are members of IAATO (International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators); Arctic operators are members of AECO. Their environmental, biosecurity, and safety protocols apply and are non-negotiable. Mandatory expedition insurance, fitness declarations, and pre-departure briefings are part of the booking.

Given the special nature of polar expedition cruising, where a traveler cancels before departure, or is unable to travel due to circumstances not attributable to the travel agency — including visa refusal or delay by an embassy or consulate, administrative reconsideration, entry/exit restrictions, or detention — the applicable cancellation fees under the displayed schedule are borne by the traveler. This is expressly declared here; we appreciate your understanding and cooperation.

11.2 River Cruises and Yacht Charters

These follow the operator's specific embarkation, baggage, and dress-code rules.

11.3 Group / Charter Bookings

Bookings of five or more cabins are treated as group bookings; specific terms (release-back deadlines, group leader responsibilities) apply and are negotiated with our team — contact groups@gvoya.com.

12. Insurance

Travel insurance is not included unless you select an offered policy at checkout. We strongly recommend insurance covering trip cancellation, medical emergencies, evacuation (including Antarctic medevac where applicable), baggage, and travel disruption. For polar voyages, evacuation coverage of at least USD 250,000 is typically required by the operator.

13. Health, Safety, and Special Requirements

You must inform us at the time of booking of any health condition, mobility need, or accessibility request. We share this with the Supplier to enable accommodation; the Supplier may decline to carry passengers whose conditions cannot be safely accommodated. We do not retain medical details beyond what is needed for the booking and we apply Art. 9 GDPR special-category safeguards.

14. Liability

Gvoya's liability under these Booking Terms is limited as set out in Terms of Service §10. The Supplier's liability for the carriage of passengers is governed by the relevant international conventions (Athens Convention 1974 / 2002 Protocol where applicable), domestic maritime law, and the Supplier's own conditions of carriage.

15. Disputes

Any dispute arising from a booking should first be raised with our support team (support@gvoya.com) within sixty (60) days of return. Unresolved disputes are governed by Terms of Service §15.

16. Contact

Bookings: support@gvoya.com Modifications & Cancellations: support@gvoya.com Group Bookings: groups@gvoya.com Legal: legal@gvoya.com

GRANDROUTES GLOBAL PTE. LTD. (operating Gvoya), Singapore.