Terms & Conditions everything in writing

Who we are

These terms govern all services provided by WaveFest (“we”, “us”, “our”), operating from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, to any person or organisation booking those services (“you”, “the Client”).

Our services include private and corporate yacht charters, water activities, land tours and event programmes across the United Arab Emirates and, seasonally, the Sultanate of Oman. Where any part of a programme is delivered by a third-party supplier — a vessel owner, a licensed tour operator, a caterer, a venue or a transport provider — we contract that supplier on your behalf and remain your single point of contact throughout.

Contact: wavefest26@gmail.com · +971 52 958 9016

Enquiries and proposals

An enquiry places you under no obligation and carries no cost.

Following an enquiry we issue a written proposal setting out the services included, the applicable dates, the total price as a single all-in figure, the payment schedule, and the cancellation terms that will apply. Where a proposal depends on something outside our control — a permit, a berth, a venue confirmation or a supplier availability hold — the proposal will say so explicitly.

A proposal is valid for the period stated on it. Where no period is stated, it is valid for fourteen days. Prices quoted after that period may change to reflect supplier availability and cost.

A proposal is an invitation to book. It does not constitute a confirmed reservation, and no date is held for you until a booking is confirmed under clause 3.

Booking and confirmation

A booking is confirmed only when both of the following have occurred:

1. You have accepted the proposal in writing, by email or other durable written form; and
2. We have received the deposit specified in the proposal in cleared funds.

On confirmation we will issue a written booking confirmation. That confirmation, together with the accepted proposal and these terms, forms the entire agreement between us. Anything discussed but not recorded in those documents does not form part of the booking.

You must ensure that the details on the booking confirmation — dates, timings, guest numbers, marina or meeting point, and any dietary or accessibility requirements — are correct, and notify us of any error without delay.

Prices and payment

All prices are quoted in United Arab Emirates Dirhams (AED) unless expressly stated otherwise, and are stated inclusive or exclusive of Value Added Tax as indicated on the proposal. A valid VAT invoice will be issued where applicable.

Unless the proposal states otherwise, payment is due as follows:

1. A deposit, as specified in the proposal, on confirmation of the booking; and
2. The balance in cleared funds no later than the date stated in the proposal, which will ordinarily be not less than fourteen days before the date of service.

For bookings confirmed fewer than fourteen days before the date of service, the full amount is payable on confirmation.

We reserve the right to treat a booking as cancelled by you under clause 6 where payment is not received by the due date, having first given you written notice and a reasonable opportunity to pay.

Bank charges, currency conversion costs and payment-processing fees are payable by you in addition to the quoted price.

Changes to a confirmed booking

We will always try to accommodate a change, and will confirm in writing whether it is possible and what it costs before anything is committed.

Guest numbers. Final numbers must be confirmed by the date stated in the proposal. Increases are subject to vessel or venue capacity and supplier availability, and may increase the price. Reductions notified after the final-numbers date do not reduce the price, because supplier commitments will already have been made on your behalf.

Timings and itinerary. Changes to departure time, duration or routing are subject to availability, marine traffic conditions and any applicable permit. Changes requested on the day may not be possible.

Date transfers. A request to move a confirmed booking to a different date is treated as a cancellation and rebooking under clause 6, unless we agree otherwise in writing.

Cancellation by you

All cancellations must be notified to us in writing. The cancellation takes effect on the day we receive that notice.

The cancellation charges applicable to your booking are set out in your proposal, and are agreed before you commit. Cancellation charges reflect commitments we have already made to suppliers on your behalf and which we cannot recover.

Where a proposal is silent, the following applies as a default: cancellation more than thirty days before the date of service — deposit forfeited; between thirty and fourteen days — fifty per cent of the total price; fewer than fourteen days — one hundred per cent of the total price.

Where we are able to recover any part of a committed supplier cost following your cancellation, we will refund that amount to you.

Weather, sea state and safety

The safety of guests and crew takes precedence over every other consideration, and the decision of the captain or the responsible supplier is final.

Where a charter or activity cannot safely proceed because of weather, sea state, visibility or a marine authority instruction, we will offer you, at your election:

1. An alternative date, subject to availability, at no additional charge; or
2. A full refund of all sums paid to us in respect of the affected element.

Where a departure is made and subsequently curtailed on safety grounds after the service has begun, we will refund or credit a fair proportion of the price reflecting the unused portion.

This clause applies to the marine and water elements of a booking. Land programmes affected by weather will be varied where possible under clause 8.

Changes or cancellation by us

We do not cancel confirmed bookings other than for reasons of safety, force majeure, or a supplier failure outside our control.

We may need to make minor changes to an itinerary — a substituted vessel of equivalent or superior specification, an adjusted route, a revised running order, or a substituted venue of comparable standard. We will notify you of any such change as soon as we are aware of it. A minor change of this kind does not entitle you to cancel without charge.

Where we make a significant change to a confirmed booking, or cancel it, you may accept the change, accept an alternative we offer, or cancel and receive a full refund of all sums paid to us.

Force majeure. We are not liable for failure to perform where that failure results from an event beyond our reasonable control, including but not limited to severe weather, natural disaster, epidemic, act of government or regulatory authority, closure of airspace or waterways, civil unrest, industrial action, or failure of public infrastructure. In such circumstances we will refund all sums paid to us less any costs we have irrecoverably committed to suppliers on your behalf.

Your responsibilities

You are responsible for the conduct of your guests for the duration of the service, and for ensuring that they comply with the instructions of the captain, crew, guides and suppliers at all times.

You must ensure that all guests:

1. Arrive at the stated time and place. Late arrival does not extend the duration of a charter or programme, and no refund is due for time lost;
2. Carry valid photographic identification where required for marina, venue or border access;
3. Comply with the laws of the United Arab Emirates or the Sultanate of Oman as applicable, including those relating to public conduct, dress in cultural and religious sites, alcohol, and controlled substances;
4. Disclose in advance any medical condition, mobility requirement, allergy or dietary requirement relevant to their safety or participation; and
5. Do not bring aboard or into any venue any item prohibited by that vessel, venue or supplier.

We, the captain, or any supplier may refuse boarding or participation to, or remove, any person whose conduct presents a risk to themselves or others, or who is in breach of applicable law. No refund is due in those circumstances, and you remain liable for any resulting cost.

You are liable for any loss of or damage to a vessel, venue, vehicle or equipment caused by you or your guests, other than fair wear and tear.

Insurance, health and liability

All vessels we charter operate under the licences and insurance required by the relevant maritime authority, and all suppliers we contract are required to hold appropriate insurance for their activity.

You are strongly advised to arrange your own travel and event insurance, including cover for cancellation, curtailment, medical expenses, personal accident and personal property. Our insurance does not cover your losses.

Certain activities carry inherent risk. Guests participate in watersports, diving, desert driving and adventure activities at their own risk, and may be required by the operating supplier to sign a waiver before participating.

We accept liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, and for any other liability that cannot lawfully be excluded or limited.

Subject to the paragraph above, our total liability arising out of or in connection with a booking is limited to the total price paid by you for that booking. We are not liable for indirect or consequential loss, including loss of profit, loss of business, loss of anticipated savings, or loss of opportunity.

We are not liable for personal property brought aboard a vessel or into a venue, which remains at the owner’s risk throughout.

Alcohol, licensing and local law

Alcohol may be served only where the vessel, venue or supplier holds the licence required to do so, and only within the terms of that licence. We will confirm the position in writing as part of the proposal. Where a licence does not permit service, no alcohol may be brought or consumed.

During Ramadan and on certain public and religious occasions, licensing, entertainment and music restrictions apply across the United Arab Emirates and Oman. Where a booking falls within such a period, we will set out the applicable restrictions in the proposal before you commit.

Islamic calendar dates, including the start of Ramadan and both Eid holidays, are confirmed by the relevant national authority close to the date and cannot be guaranteed in advance. Where a booking falls near an expected date, we will agree an appropriate contingency with you at the time of booking.

Permits, filming and media

Where a programme requires a permit — protected-area access, an event licence, a filming permit or aviation authorisation for aerial photography — we will identify the requirement and the lead time it carries before the booking is confirmed. Permits are granted at the discretion of the issuing authority and cannot be guaranteed. Where a permit is refused through no fault of ours, clause 8 applies.

We may take photographs or video during a service for our own promotional use. If you or any guest does not wish to appear in such material, tell us in writing before the date of service and we will comply. Where a programme is of a confidential or private nature, tell us and we will not photograph it at all.

Commercial photography or filming that you arrange must be notified to us in advance, as it may require a permit.

Data protection

We collect only the information needed to plan, quote and deliver your booking: names, contact details, and any dietary, accessibility or medical requirement you choose to disclose.

We share that information with suppliers only to the extent necessary to deliver your booking — for example, providing a guest manifest to a marina or dietary requirements to a caterer. We do not sell your data, and we do not share it for marketing purposes.

We retain enquiry and booking records for as long as necessary for our legal and accounting obligations. You may ask us at any time what we hold about you, ask us to correct it, or ask us to delete it, by writing to wavefest26@gmail.com.

Complaints

If something is not right, tell us at the time. Most problems can be resolved on the day, and almost none can be resolved a month later.

Raise the matter immediately with the captain, guide or your WaveFest contact so that we have the opportunity to put it right during the service.

If the matter remains unresolved, write to us at wavefest26@gmail.com within twenty-eight days of the date of service, setting out what happened and what outcome you are seeking. We will acknowledge within three working days and respond substantively within fourteen days.

General

Entire agreement. The accepted proposal, the booking confirmation and these terms constitute the entire agreement between us, and supersede any prior discussion or representation.

Severability. If any provision of these terms is found to be unenforceable, the remaining provisions continue in full force.

Third parties. No person other than you and us has any right to enforce these terms.

Assignment. You may not transfer a booking to another party without our written consent, which will not be unreasonably withheld.

Amendments. We may update these terms from time to time. The terms that apply to your booking are those in force on the date your booking was confirmed.

Governing law

These terms, and any dispute or claim arising out of or in connection with them, are governed by the laws of the United Arab Emirates.

The courts of the Emirate of Dubai have exclusive jurisdiction, save that where a service is delivered in the Sultanate of Oman, the mandatory provisions of Omani law applicable to that service will apply to that element.

Nothing in these terms affects any statutory right you may have that cannot lawfully be excluded.