RoundCat Event Terms and Conditions

1.  Booking and Payment

Submitting and signing our Booking Form or Application Form does not guarantee you a space on the Trip. Your booking is not confirmed until the following are complete: i) you receive an email from us accepting your booking request; ii) we receive your initial or full trip payment; iii) we receive a completed Registration Form. Once these have been completed, you receive an email confirming your booking. If you fail to complete payment by the date indicated on the invoice or otherwise by us via email or if you fail to complete the Registration Form, you will forfeit your place on the Trip.  

If there are more than 180 calendar days before the Trip start date when we confirm your booking, you will pay for the trip in two installments: i) We will send you an invoice for an initial payment. The initial payment will be due within 48 hours. If you fail to complete the payment within 48 hours you will forfeit your place on the Trip. ii) We will send you an invoice for the final payment 180 calendar days prior to the Trip start date, unless otherwise specified by us via email or on the Trip details page of our website. If you fail to complete the final payment within 48 hours from the date indicated on the invoice, you will forfeit your place on the trip and the entirety of your initial payment.  

If there are less than 180 days before the Trip start date when we accept your booking, we will send you an invoice for the full trip payment and payment will be due within 48 hours. If you fail to complete the payment within 48 hours from the date indicated on the invoice, you will forfeit your place on the Trip.

Prices are in US Dollars. 

Minimum age to sign up for a Trip is 21. Participants 18 and over can sign up for a Trip, if traveling with another adult over the age of 21.

We reserve the right to decline to accept any prospective participant. 

2.  Insurance

You are required to purchase a travel insurance policy after making your initial payment (or full payment if you are registering less than 180 days before the Trip start date) that includes the following: i) trip cancellation/disruption insurance that is equal to or higher than the value of the Trip in the event you need to cancel for any reason, including those outlined below in Section 3 or there are Trip Changes (Modifications, Postponements, or Interruptions) or Trip Cancellations as outlined in Section 4; ii) travel medical insurance; and iii) medical evacuation insurance. 

If you fail to obtain travel insurance, you will personally assume full responsibility for any financial loss associated with the cost of your Trip, the cost of your travel arrangements, and any medical-related expenses. For example, you will be personally responsible for any financial losses if: (i) you need to cancel for any reason, including those outlined below in Section 3 or there are Trip Changes (Modifications, Postponements, or Interruptions) or Trip Cancellations as outlined in Section 4; ii) your flight has been canceled and the Trip is nonrefundable; (iii) a hurricane, volcano, or earthquake occurs while traveling and you are stranded; (iv) a terrorist incident occurs at the destination you  planned  on  visiting; (v) you have  a  medical  emergency  and  need  medical  attention  or evacuation; (vi) your bags are lost and your medication is in them, and you need to have an emergency prescription filled; or (vi) your passport and wallet are stolen, and you need emergency cash and a replacement passport. You also agree to assume all costs of medical care, evacuation, transportation, and related costs.

3. Cancellation by You

If you choose to cancel your Trip, you must inform us of said cancellation via email sent to hello@roundcat.jp (with confirmation of receipt from us), or in writing via certified mail or overnight courier (with a confirmation of receipt from us). 

The following cancellation and rescheduling fees apply: if we receive written notice 181 or more days prior to the Trip start date, we will refund your initial payment, less a $2,000 cancellation fee. If we receive written notice 180 days or fewer prior to the Trip start date you will incur a cancellation fee equal to 100% of the price of the Trip. There are no exceptions to this cancellation policy, including for reasons related to weather, terrorism, civil strife, pandemics, illness, personal, family or medical emergencies, changing your mind, or any other circumstances beyond our control. For this and other reasons, we require you to purchase a travel insurance policy that includes trip cancellation/disruption coverage that is equal to or greater than the cost of your Trip, as outlined in Section 2.  

If a flight or other delay for any reason prevents you from joining the Trip on the Trip start date, we will not provide a full or partial refund or credit toward a future Trip. If you are delayed, you may join the Trip late; however, any additional costs associated with joining the trip late are your sole responsibility. No refunds will be provided for any reason for an unused portion of a Trip, including if you leave a Trip for any reason or have to be removed from a Trip. The Trip price is a package cost and refunds are not available for services not used. There are no exceptions to this cancellation and refund policy, including for reasons related to weather, terrorism, civil strife, pandemics, illness, personal, family or medical emergencies, changing your mind, or any other circumstances beyond our control. For this and other reasons, we require you to purchase a travel insurance policy that includes trip cancellation/disruption coverage that is equal to or greater than the cost of your Trip, as outlined in Section 2.  

4. Trip Changes (Modifications, Postponements, and Interruptions) and Trip Cancellations

We may modify elements of the Trip, including the itinerary or instructor, where reasonably required, at our sole discretion. If we make a change which materially affects the Trip, we will make reasonable efforts to notify you prior to the Trip start date, provided there is sufficient time to do so. If you choose to cancel the Trip based on these modifications, the terms of the Cancelation by You policy as outlined in Section 3 still apply. 

We reserve the right to postpone or cancel the Trip to a later date for insufficient participation or for reasons beyond our control including any event named in the Risks of Travel section below. 

You may decline to participate in the postponed Trip, in which case we will provide you with a credit in the amount you paid for the Trip, toward any future RoundCat Trip. The postponed Trip will be subject to the terms and conditions of this agreement. Except as set forth in this Section 4, we will not be liable for any other costs, damages, or refunds of any kind for any loss, delay, inconvenience, disappointment, or expense whatsoever.

If, for reasons beyond our control, including any event named in the Risks of Travel section below, a Trip must be interrupted or canceled, we will refund to you, within 120 days, any refunds that we receive from our suppliers during the 90-day period after the Trip end date.

5. Agent for Suppliers

We act as a sales agent for any supplier, including instructors, hosts (tour managers), guides, contractors or subcontractors, (“Suppliers”). We cannot be held liable or responsible for the acts or omissions of the Suppliers or their failure to adhere to their own schedules, provide services or refunds, financial default, or failure to honor future trip credits. We have no special knowledge regarding the financial condition of the Suppliers.

6. Risks of Travel And Release

We assume no responsibility for and shall not be liable for the acts or omissions on the part of any other party not under our control including agents, employees, officers, directors, associates, affiliated companies, hosts (tour managers), instructors, guides, contractors, and subcontractors failure to provide services or instruction; any acts of God, civil strife, unsafe conditions, terrorism, health hazards including pandemics, illness, personal, family or medical emergencies, weather hazards, or the suitability for a disabled person or any person of any portion of any trip. We have no special knowledge of dangers during travel or at destinations. For information related to such dangers, we recommend going to the International travel information section of the State Department travel website at:  https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel.html and looking for information specific to your travel destination. For medical and health information, we recommend going to the Centers for Disease Control website at www.cdc.gov/travel, and then scroll to the name of the destination country.

YOU HEREBY EXPRESSLY ASSUME ALL OF THESE RISKS AND DANGERS, AND YOU HEREBY EXPRESSLY AGREE TO FOREVER RELEASE, DISCHARGE AND HOLD US, AND OUR AGENTS, EMPLOYEES, OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, ASSOCIATES, AFFILIATED COMPANIES, HOSTS (TOUR MANAGERS), INSTRUCTORS, GUIDES, CONTRACTORS, AND SUBCONTRACTORS HARMLESS AGAINST ANY AND ALL LIABILITY, ACTIONS,  CAUSES  OF  ACTIONS, SUITS, CLAIMS, AND DEMANDS OF ANY AND EVERY KIND AND NATURE WHATSOEVER WHICH YOU NOW HAVE OR WHICH MAY HEREAFTER ARISE OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE TRIP OR PARTICIPATION IN ANY ACTIVITIES IN WHICH YOU PARTICIPATE.

7. Foreign Entry Rules

You assume full and complete responsibility for checking and verifying any and all passport, visa, vaccination, or other entry requirements of your destination and your connecting points, and all conditions regarding health, safety, security, political stability, and labor or civil unrest at such destination. Many countries require your passport to be valid for six months or more after your date of entry. Some countries will not admit persons convicted of a crime. Some countries require both parents’ consent for minors to travel.

8. Credit Card Merchant

We are the merchant on your credit card transaction. Please bear in mind that our services consist of facilitating the sale and paying the Suppliers. If a Supplier does not provide the service or ceases operations, your recourse is against the Supplier, not us.  You agree not to initiate a chargeback against us or a refund request that is not authorized by this agreement and to pay any and all legal fees incurred by us in disputing any such claim for refund.

9. Participants Needing Special Assistance

We will make reasonable efforts to accommodate the needs of our participants. However, participants needing special assistance for their personal needs, such as mobility accommodations, allergies, or dietary restrictions, must notify us prior to booking, via our booking form or via email at hello@roundcat.jp, for a determination of what assistance we can reasonably provide. Even if we are able to make accommodations, each participant is responsible for managing their own allergies, dietary restrictions, mobility issues, or other medical conditions while traveling on a Trip. We regret that we cannot provide special individual assistance to participants with special needs for planned daily activities, such as walking, dining, etc. In no instance will we or our agents, employees, officers, directors, associates, affiliated companies, hosts (tour managers), instructors, guides, contractors, and subcontractors physically lift or physically assist participants in any situation.

10. Medical Proxy

If you are unable to authorize your own medical attention and treatment, you authorize our agents, employees, officers, directors, associates, affiliated companies, hosts (tour managers), instructors, guides, contractors, and subcontractors, to authorize medical attention and treatment on your behalf. You agree to hold us harmless and release us and/or them from any liability for medical attention authorized by us or them on your behalf. You also acknowledge you are financially responsible for any costs associated with medical treatment, including treatment administered or authorized by us, and you are responsible for any expenses incurred from an illness, injury, or early departure, including testing, treatment, isolation, transportation, and fees. We assume no liability regarding provision of medical care or evacuation services. If we provide or seek medical care on your behalf, you acknowledge we may not have had formal medical or first aid training and are acting only as a good Samaritan. 

11. Claims Deadline and Exclusive Jurisdiction

You agree to present any claims against us within 30 days of the Trip end date and to file suit within three months from the Trip end date, and you acknowledge that this expressly limits the applicable statute of limitations to one year.  You agree that the courts in Santa Cruz County USA will be the exclusive jurisdiction for all claims brought by you or us, and you hereby submit to the personal jurisdiction of those courts.

12. Etiquette, Illegal Drug Use, and Alcohol 

You acknowledge and understand that traveling abroad may expose you to unique and different situations. These differences may involve cultural and social interactions, such as food, drink, attire, and local laws. While RoundCat makes every reasonable effort to provide guidance about these differences, it is your responsibility to research such differences and act responsibly while traveling.

RoundCat does not tolerate any kind of illegal drug use during Trips and we require responsible alcohol consumption. You are required to comply with the laws of all countries visited. Failure to abide by this provision may result in immediate removal from a Trip without a refund or other liability to RoundCat.

13. Authority During Trips

You agree to abide by the authority of the RoundCat Team Leader (Tour Manager) or other RoundCat agents, employees, officers, directors, associates, affiliated companies, hosts (tour managers), instructors, guides, contractors, and subcontractors at all times. Should you fail to do so, or, in the opinion of the RoundCat Team Leader (Tour Manager) or the RoundCat Managing Partners, you endanger, or distress, or disrupt others, you may be immediately removed from the Trip without a refund or other liability to RoundCat. 

14. Use of Likeness 

You acknowledge and agree that RoundCat agents, employees, officers, directors, associates, affiliated companies, hosts (tour managers), instructors, guides, contractors, and subcontractors, and other participants on your Trip, may take or create images, photos, and videos in any format that contain or feature you. These images may contain your name, likeness, identity, photographic image, videographic image, or oral or recorded statements. You agree RoundCat may use these materials for any purpose, including to promote and publicize RoundCat products and services, and hereby grant RoundCat a perpetual, royalty-free, worldwide, irrevocable license to use such images without prior inspection.

15. Participating in non-RoundCat Activities

On many of our trips, you may have free time and choose to participate in non-RoundCat activities, such as hiring a local guide, or hiring a local driver. RoundCat does not endorse or sponsor such activities and makes no representations about the safety or quality of such activities or the standards of the independent operators running them. RoundCat is not responsible for your safety should you decide to participate in such non-RoundCat activities. If you still decide to participate in such activity, you assume full responsibility for any risks involved.