GENERAL: These terms apply to purchases of service(s) from the web address www.elding.is, which is run by Elding Whale Watching. The terms identify on the one hand Elding’s rights and duties and on the other the service buyer’s rights and duties. All communication regarding reservation of services, changes and cancellations shall be in writing and may be sent using e-mail or fax, or through the postal service, if time permits.
ONLINE: Service buyers can book all Elding Whale Watching’s tours until 1 hour prior to the scheduled departure. When booking a tour online, a confirmation and booking number will be sent to the e-mail provided in the booking process stating departure time and date. Upon receipt of full payment, a service voucher will be sent to the e-mail provided in the booking process stating departure time and date. It is the service buyer’s responsibility to safeguard the voucher and present it to the relevant service partner as payment for each service rendered.*Please make sure that you fill in correctly all the specific fields.
CONFIDENTIALITY AND SECURITY: We highly value your decision and or loyalty in choosing Elding Whale Watching for your adventure experience booking. Therefore, we will duly and diligently safeguard and protect the privacy and confidentiality of your personal details. All credit card transaction processes are verified by Borgun (www.borgun.is) and safeguarded at all times. SSL encrypts your credit card number, name, address, and telephone number before they travel over the Internet. This makes doing business over the Internet as secure as purchasing by telephone. Click on the logo below to verify our site's SSL certificate. Under no circumstances will information be handed to a third party.
PRIVACY POLICY: You can always visit our site without revealing who you are or providing any personal information. We do collect session data, but it cannot be linked to you as an individual. The usage information is for us to better understand how our sites are being navigated. If you decide to book a tour through Elding Whale Watching, we will collect information such as your name, nationality, phone number and email, that are necessary to provide you with the services offered on the site and give you important updates on your tour. We may invite you to participate in online surveys or send you pictures from your tour, but you can always opt out or unsubscribe from said emails. If at any point you wish to have your information removed from our database, please contact us via elding@elding.is. Elding Whale Watching will never give out, sell, rent or share your personal information with a third party.
CHANGE OF RESERVATION: If you need to make changes to an individual or group reservation, we ask you to send us a notice via email (to elding@elding.is) as soon as possible, and not later than 12 hours before departure. Changes received less than 12 hours before departure may be subject to levy according to Elding Whale Watching’s current tariffs and the policy of our service partners.
CANCELLATION POLICY: If you need to cancel an individual or group reservation, we ask that you send us a notice via email (to elding@elding.is) no later than 24 hours prior departure for individual bookings and 48 hours prior to departure for group bookings. Changes received less than 24/48 hours before departure may be subject to levy according to Elding Whale Watching’s current tariffs and the policy of our service partners. For bookings through third parties and combo tours involving one of our trusted partner's tours, other cancellation policies may apply.
VALIDITY OF PRICES: All rates quoted are based on current purchasing prices in Iceland. Elding Whale Watching reserves the right to increase prices already quoted or published in our price lists without notice in the event of currency fluctuation, government taxes, or any other cost increases that are outside our control. Any eventual changes in rates will not be made with less than 4 weeks’ notice before scheduled departure.
CHILDREN: All passengers under the age of 13 are required to wear life-vests for the duration of all our tours. Discounts for children are subject to the nature of the services and our service partners terms. Please see published schedule and prices for children discounts.
TOUR DEPARTURE: All our tours start from Reykjavík’s Old Harbour or Akureyri's floating pier, unless stated otherwise. The departure place and time is indicated on your confirmation ticket that you will receive upon booking the services. It is the service buyer’s responsibility to arrive at the starting point to check in for the tours.
LIABILITY: Elding Whale Watching reserves the right to alter routes, itineraries or timetables, change or cancel tour dates should the necessity arise, including irregularities due to adverse weather. The tours are run in wild nature and we can never guarantee sightings on a particular tour. The estimated duration of tours are standard times and can change according to sea conditions. All activities are undertaken entirely at clients own risk and they must behave in a fit and proper manner at all times in accordance with Elding Whale Watching guidelines and must take proper responsibility for their own safety. All tours and outdoor activities carry inherent risks and Elding Whale Watching does not assume any responsibility for accidents that are caused by its customers or can be traced to their own actions or are caused by factors outside of human control (Force majeure). Elding Whale Watching, its managers and staff accepts no responsibility or liability for any loss or damage of passenger’s property on our boats. With the purchase of your trip you agree to these conditions, understand its implications and accept responsibility for your participation during your tour.
REFUNDS: If Elding is forced to cancel a tour due to rough weather or other force majeure events, you can request a full refund of the cancelled services via email (to elding@elding.is). No refunds are issued in case of unsuccessful whale watching or northern lights tours due to poor sightings, although complimentary tickets are issued in most cases. NO REFUNDS ARE ISSUED ONCE A TOUR HAS TAKEN PLACE.
COMPLIMENTARY TICKETS: Our tours are highly dependent on nature, and as such, we cannot guarantee sightings of any kind. In the unlikely event that no whales or dolphins are encountered on your Classic Whale Watching tour or Premium Whale Watching tour, we do not refund the ticket price but instead offer a complimentary ticket valid on the Classic Whale Watching tour from either Reykjavík or Akureyri (tour code EL-01/02/03 or AK-01), as a gesture of goodwill. In the unlikely event that no auroral activity is reported on your Northern Lights Cruise, we do not refund the ticket price but instead offer a complimentary ticket to join us another time on the same tour (tour code EL-09). The tickets can be obtained in the saloon before disembarking. Note that each ticket is valid for two years, only for the service stated on the ticket and for returning passengers only. Please remember to bring the voucher and your matching ID when checking in for the complimentary tour.
SPECIAL NEEDS: If you have a known medial condition or special needs and may require assistance on board, we ask that you to notify Elding’s head office as soon as possible via email (to elding@elding.is) so that we can do our best to meet your requests and aid if needed.
ACCESSIBILITY ON BOARD: Please note that our fleet is not completely wheelchair accessible as there are steep stairs between lower and upper decks and high thresholds to get from the decks into the saloon as well as from the saloon to the toilets. Wheelchair users are welcome to bring a foldable chair onboard our bigger boats, but if possible, please advise our office prior to departure as we may need to assist with boarding. Passengers with limited mobility are not permitted on our Premium Whale Watching and Premium Puffin Watching tours.
FEEDBACK: We welcome any kind of feedback relating to our tours and services. Feel free to send us an email (to elding@elding.is) if you have any comments you would like to relay to our team. If for some reason you are not satisfied with our services, please make sure contact a member of our team as soon as possible (preferably before leaving our premises) so we can solve the matter quickly.