Sea & Sun Escapes by Mel
Terms & Conditions
Welcome to Sea & Sun Escapes by Mel, an Atlas Coast Travel Group partner. Please review these Terms & Conditions carefully before booking. By booking your travel with us, you agree to these terms. The following terms & conditions (the "Agreement") describe what you can expect from us. The terms "I", "me", "we", and "us" refer to Sea & Sun Escapes by Mel and the term "you" refers to the individual who signs this agreement.
By submitting a vacation or cruise inquiry you agree to be contacted by an associate of Sea & Sun Escapes by Me, an Atlas Coast Travel Group partner. Initial contact will be made within 24 hours, excluding holidays, either with an initial quote or to gather more details that may be needed.
1. What to Expect: The Booking Process
When you plan your vacation with Sea & Sun Escapes by Mel, we work together to design your perfect getaway. Here is how the booking process works:
- Consultation and Quotes: We will provide you with travel quotes based on the details you share. Prices and availability are not guaranteed until you make a deposit or full payment as required by the travel suppliers (such as airlines, cruise lines, hotels, or tour operators).
- Payments and Deposits: You must make all payments by the specified deadlines to secure your booking. Failure to make payments on time may result in the cancellation of your reservations and the forfeit of your deposit.
- Cancellations and Changes: All bookings are subject to the cancellation and change policies of our travel suppliers. We highly recommend purchasing travel insurance to protect your investment. Sea & Sun Escapes by Mel can provide a quote for travel insurance upon request.
2. What to Expect: During Travel
Once your trip begins, you are embarking on your adventure. Please keep the following in mind:
- Itinerary Management: You should download any relevant travel apps (such as airline or cruise apps) to monitor your flight status, gate changes, and daily schedules in real time.
- Travel Issues and Delays: While we assist in planning, travel suppliers are ultimately responsible for their services. If you experience flight delays, missed connections, or issues with your accommodations during your trip, contact the service supplier directly first for the fastest resolution, then notify us so we can assist where possible.
3. What to Expect: After Travel
Our service does not end when you return home:
- Feedback: We welcome your feedback! We love hearing about your experience and seeing your photos. Your reviews help us continue to improve our services.
- Post-Trip Issues: If you need to resolve a billing dispute or service issue with a supplier after returning, please let us know within 14 days of your return so we can help guide you through the supplier's resolution process.
4. Travel Documents & Identification Requirements
You must obtain and carry a valid passport, required visa(s), and all other travel documents that government regulations require.
- TSA and DHS Rules: For domestic and international travel, the U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) advise everyone to carry at least two forms of acceptable identification to board a flight. You can find a list of acceptable identification at tsa.gov/traveler-information/acceptable-ids. Examples include a DHS-designated enhanced driver’s license, a US passport, or a foreign government passport.
- Name Matching: The name, date of birth, and gender on your identification card must exactly match the information on your airline tickets and booking records.
- Passport Validity: Sea & Sun Escapes by Mel strongly recommends checking passport expiration dates. Many countries will deny entry if your passport expires within six (6) months of your arrival date.
- Non-U.S. Citizens: If you are not a United States citizen, you may need additional documentation. Please check the requirements for your destination.
- Children and Minors: Children and infants must also have all required travel documents. If a minor is traveling with only one parent, or without both parents, border authorities may stop them and deny entry unless you provide authenticated and verified parental consent forms. Please visit the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) site at cbp.gov for detailed requirements and forms.
- Youth Groups: The CBP requires that US child groups under age 19 entering by land or sea from contiguous territory with a school, religious, cultural, social, or sports group present either an original or copy of their birth certificate, a Consular Report of Birth Abroad, or a Naturalization Certificate. You must provide written parental or legal guardian consent to the supervising adult or group leader.
- Consequences of Non-Compliance: If you fail to strictly comply with these rules, security may deny you boarding or delay you at checkpoints, causing you to miss flights and subsequent cruise or tour bookings.
- Your Responsibility to Review: You must check each supplier's website to ensure everyone in your travel party has the required travel documents. When you receive your travel documents from us, you are responsible for reviewing and verifying all information immediately. Contact Sea & Sun Escapes by Mel right away if you notice any errors that require correction.
5. Risks, Safety, and Assumption of Liability
Travel to certain destinations carries more risk than others.
- Stay Informed: Sea & Sun Escapes by Mel urges you to stay informed daily on current events and review travel warnings, prohibitions, and advisories issued by the United States Government before booking international travel. You can find detailed information on international conditions and risk levels at these official websites:
- Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP): We recommend that U.S. citizens enroll in the free STEP program provided by the U.S. government. This program records your trip details with the Department of State so they can better assist you in an emergency. Register at step.state.gov.
- Disclaimer of Liability: By offering travel to specific destinations for sale, Sea & Sun Escapes by Mel does not represent or warrant that travel to those points is advisable or risk-free. Sea & Sun Escapes by Mel is not liable for costs, damages, or losses resulting from travel to such destinations. Your participation constitutes acceptance of these risks.
- Seller of Travel Registration: Sea & Sun Escapes by Mel, as an Atlas Coast Travel Group partner, operates under Florida Seller of Travel Ref. No. ST46588 | Washington UBI No. 606214170-001-0001 | California CST No. 2172267-70 | Registration as a seller of travel does not constitute approval by the State of California. Sea & Sun Escapes by Mel does not market or sell to residents of Hawaii.
- Release of Liability: You, the traveler, assume complete and full responsibility for checking and verifying passport, visa, vaccination, and entry requirements for your destinations. You also assume full responsibility for assessing safety and security conditions during your travel. By booking, you release Sea & Sun Escapes by Mel, its agents, and its affiliates from any duty to verify these requirements or safety conditions on your behalf.