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important information
Our Address:
Crystal International Academy
Kings Place
12-42 Wood Street
Kingston-upon-Thames
Surrey
KT1 1JY
Holiday insurance
It is a condition of booking that you take travel insurance which must be of
at least equal standard to Crystal-recommended Insurance (please see
insurance page). You must either take the cover recommended by us or take
out another policy offering at least the same or better cover (no liability will
be accepted for the consequences of your travelling without adequate
travel insurance).
Accuracy of website
All information on the website is to the best of our knowledge and belief
correct at this current time. However, we reserve the right to make
changes to information contained on our site and will advise you of
these changes at point of booking or when they are known to us. This
advice will be limited to that which is fundamental to the contract or which
we believe may affect the enjoyment of your course.
If any facility detailed on this site is essential to the enjoyment of your
course, please advise us at the time of booking and we will try to advise
you of the latest information. However, we are sure you will understand that
at times certain advertised facilities may not be in operation and we may
have no information or prior warning of such matters. Many pictures are
included for their attractiveness and general relevance; those with specific
notation refer to hotels or relevant features. Photographs of rooms represent
the type of accommodation available, but not all rooms will be the same
and room sizes, decor and furnishings will vary, particularly in older or
historical buildings. Where a property is described as having skiing to/from
the door, this is naturally subject to the individual skier’s ability and normal
snow conditions in that resort at the time.
Early and late season
During local or national holidays abroad, you may find facilities like ski
schools and shops are closed or have limited opening hours. If visiting a
specific place is important to you, call your destination’s local tourist office
direct. You may find certain facilities, such as restaurants or nightclubs,
closed during your stay, perhaps for redecoration. These closures may affect
facilities in your accommodation as well as in the resort, especially early and
late in the season. At the beginning and end of the season some ski lifts
may not be open and ski and public bus services may not be fully
functional.
Resort development and local events
Resorts grow and change, as do all towns, but the noise and inconvenience
of building works seem worse when you’re away. Our resort staff will keep
us informed about building works, especially in growing resorts. While we
have no control over building works, we will do our best to tell you about
any specific work going on near your accommodation, if there is time before
you go on holiday.
Artist’s impression and computer generated images
In some cases in this brochure we have had to use an artist’s impression or
a computer generated image of a hotel, apartment residence or chalet. This
image will be an accurate representation of the property based upon the
information available to us at the time of publication of this brochure.
Special requests
For any special requests consult the Crystal Reservations Department when
you confirm your holiday booking. We shall always do our best to meet your
requirements, but no guarantee is given as this does not form part of our
holiday contract with you, irrespective, of the fact that details of the request
may be found on your confirmation invoice. If, however, your request is
essential to your holiday arrangements, please make this known at the time
of booking in order that we can ascertain whether this is possible with our
supplier. This will require us contacting the supplier and confirming the
request to you in writing, for which there will be an administration charge
of £25.
Excursions/activities
The advertised events are dependent upon achieving a minimum number of
participants and, therefore, some events may not always be available due to
insufficient demand or, in some cases, adverse weather conditions. All
mentioned restaurants and other venues featured in this brochure which are
not owned by Crystal are not under our direct control and have not been
inspected by us. Therefore, any recommendation is merely an indication that
these facilities have proved popular and are worthy of mention and not a
personal recommendation by Crystal.
1. Heli-skiing opportunities offered in the brochure, or locally, are arranged
with the best local operator. As with all adventure sports, you partake at your
own risk and you will be required to sign a disclaimer prior to the activity.
Please also note that if, due to adverse weather conditions, or other
circumstances beyond our control, the heli-ski package is unavailable during
your stay, our liability is limited to a full refund of the heliskiing trip.
2. Any other excursions or hazardous activity in which you partake locally,
such as tobogganing, paragliding, inner-tubing or snow-mobiling etc., are at
your own risk and liability and may not be covered under the terms of your
holiday insurance. Please check the details of your individual policy before
participation.
Representation
We have at least one resident resort representative based in the majority of
our destinations. For the few resorts where this is not the case, you will have
the services either of a Crystal representative from a nearby resort or from an
appointed local agent/hotelier who will give guidance and assistance. Details
of an emergency contact number will be provided with your travel
documents.
Your accommodation
Crystal ratings: With all the various national tourist boards applying widely
varying criteria to hotel ratings, the whole question of international hotel
grades has become confused. We have therefore applied our own ‘Crystal
rating’, representing the general standards of that country in order that fairer
comparisons can be made. Our classifications take into account not only the
basic facilities, but also the location, leisure facilities, general character and
atmosphere of the hotel. Chalet and Club Hotel ratings give comparisons with
other chalets but do not provide like for like comparisons with the ratings of
full service hotels.
General accommodation information
1) Properties in this brochure have been carefully chosen and are considered
to offer suitable accommodation for the cost shown. As countries apply
widely varying criteria, we have featured our own ‘ratings’ to help you
choose from the various properties on offer and to compare from one
country to another. To avoid confusion, many properties featured are
described as hotels as, in our view, terms such as Pension, Haus, Gasthof
and the like do not always reflect the quality of the properties and are
usually an official grading for tax purposes.
2) Annexe accommodation may be part of the main hotel or in a separate
building, which is guaranteed to be within walking distance. It should be
borne in mind that chalet/annexe accommodation, though it may give access
to facilities at the property through which it is sold, may not offer rooms to
the same star level as the associated property where your main meal may
be provided. This is reflected in the cost reduction.
3) Prices are based on accommodation in standard twin/double-bedded
rooms unless otherwise stated.
4) Baths may not always be full size and showers may not always have a
shower tray or curtain.
5) Soap is not normally provided in rooms.
6) Credit cards: many hotels/properties as a matter of policy require an
imprint of your credit card to be taken at registration for security reasons.
This is particularly common in USA/Canada, where credit cards are favoured
by most suppliers and the majority of commercial outlets in preference to
cash, so we recommend carrying one or more of the recognised cards.
Visitors to Austria or Eastern Europe will generally find that credit cards are
not widely accepted.
7) Free drinks will be given at the discretion of the hotel owner and the offer
is normally limited to one drink per person during evening meals. “Unlimited”
free drinks refers to drinks between starter & dessert. This is usually a choice
of house wine, beer or soft drinks and will not include spirits, etc.
8) Check-in/check-out at hotels is normally after 15.00 hours (after 17.00
hours for apartments) and you should anticipate having to vacate your room
by 10.00 hours irrespective of the time of your departure. For some European
areas, your flight will leave the UK early in the morning and you may arrive
in resort before midday, so your room may not be ready when you arrive. On
the day of your departure, there will be somewhere to store your luggage
free of charge, where you can leave your bags until departure time, though
this may not always be locked.
Courtesy rooms may not always be available.
9) Full and half-board customers: A table d’hote menu is usually offered to
all customers who book meal arrangements, with limited or no choice of
menu, unless specifically stated. Meals usually start with dinner on the first
day of your arrival in resort and finish with breakfast on your day of
departure.
If you arrive after 20.00 hours it is likely that a cold platter will be provided
and if you have an early morning departure hotels may not be able to
provide a full breakfast. Sometimes hotels may allocate tables on a shared
basis and in some countries, particularly Italy, it is common for individual
napkins to be re-used if clean and re-presented in a personalised envelope.
10) Packed lunches: may sometimes be made up by guests from the
breakfast buffet where applicable.
11) Balconies: The payment of a supplement for a balcony facility does not
guarantee a specific view or that it will be private, unless stated.
12) Smoking restrictions: In some countries, eg Norway, Italy and several
North American states, smoking is increasingly prohibited in public places -
e.g. hotels, restaurants, bars etc. It is your responsibility to obtain information
from the relevant tourist offices before you book if such restrictions would
affect your holiday enjoyment.
13) Cots: Should be requested at the time of booking. Any additional
payment for food/cot hire must be paid directly to hotels, for which we have
no control over the cost, and cot linen is usually provided (not duvets).
Please note we cannot guarantee that cots will meet British Safety standards.
The inclusion of a cot may restrict room space. N.B. Some rooms, particularly
those described as small or with restricted headroom, may not be large
enough to accommodate a cot. Please telephone our Reservations
Department for further information.
14) Hotel facilities: Leisure facilities, saunas, whirlpools and other facilities
advertised as available at a hotel, unless specifically stated as being “FREE”
will carry a charge payable to the hotelier. Children may not always be
allowed in hotel bars, particularly in North America, even when accompanied
by their parents. In some cases swimming trunks not shorts and swimming
hats may be compulsory.
15) Fitness rooms/health suites: Facilities will vary and we cannot guarantee
the range or type of equipment provided will be as extensive as in a
purpose built gym.
16) Late night entry: Please ensure you always check the arrangements for
late night entry in the event your hotel closes the main door at a specified
time.
17) Car parking: is not always available at hotels and therefore if you require
this facility please check at the time of booking or call the hotel direct.
18) Local functions: Nowadays, even small hotels can be used as venues for
weddings, local celebrations & conventions. Hotels will always try to ensure
that guests are not inconvenienced but some disturbances may occur.
19) Lake/sea views: many rooms with a lake view may not have an
uninterrupted full view due to the fact that many of the lakes are surrounded
by trees. The same may be true for sea views.
Food
Vegetarian/special diets: Vegetarianism is still relatively uncommon in some
areas of Europe, particularly in Italy and Eastern Europe, so customers
requesting such meals may find choice limited in some hotels. Similarly, it
may be difficult for some hotels to cater for the needs of customers with
strict special diets.
If you have any special dietary requirements it is important that you request
these at the time of booking.
Eastern Europe: offers exceptional value. However, it should be noted that
standards cannot be compared with those found in Western European
destinations. Whilst some hotels boast a good range of facilities, they may
not always be of a comparable standard to Western European hotels,
particularly in terms of service and the variety of food offered. The provision
of some basic foods, for example, can be restricted at times, which results in
a limited choice of food being offered and, bearing this in mind, we would
not recommend Eastern Europe as an appropriate destination for vegetarians
or people with specific dietary needs.
Room descriptions
Single rooms may not always offer the same facilities or location as twin
rooms and the payment of a supplement does not necessarily mean that a
twin room will be provided for sole use. Often single rooms are purpose built
and intended for sole use only. “Single Savers” do not apply to all single
rooms in a property or on all dates.
Cabin rooms are sometimes featured in chalets/apartments and are small
internal rooms which may not necessarily have natural light, sometimes with
restricted head room.
Eaves rooms are so described because they have sloping roofs and beams,
often with skylight windows and reduced headroom.
Triple rooms are usually based on a standard twin room for two persons
with an additional couch/put-up bed added for the third person that may
restrict space. Purpose-built triple or quad rooms are sometimes available.
Such rooms normally comprise a standard twin/double room with additional
couch/put up beds being added for third & fourth occupants. This
arrangement may restrict space. Please refer to the brochure description for
the types of bed provided – your invoice will show the room and bed type.
Please note: Unless under-occupancy supplements are paid, rooms will be
allocated in accordance with the number occupying the room.
Accommodation categories
Rooms described as superior, suites, junior suites, apartments etc, offer a
variety of facilities and room configurations. As these descriptions vary
considerably from country to country it is not possible for us to provide a
standard description which will adequately cover all the variations. Therefore,
please make specific enquiries when booking to ensure the accommodation
meets your requirements, particularly for suites and apartments.
Accommodation facilities will be confirmed on your invoice as PS/PB -
private shower or bath, PS - private shower, PB - private bath, PSWC - private
shower with toilet, PBWC - private bath with toilet, BL - balcony, T - terrace,
MV - mountain view, VV- Valley View, RF – Resort Facing View, LV - Lake
view, FV - Fjord view, NF/SF - north or south facing, PF - piste-facing, NV - no
view, RV - restricted view, SUP - Superior room, DXL - Deluxe room, Basic -
wash basin in rooms, Q - one quad room.
Studios and apartments
All bed linen costs (although not towels unless specifically stated) and local
taxes are included in all Crystal prices. All accommodation is basically
equipped with cutlery, crockery etc. Kitchenettes usually offer only
2 or 3 hot plates and not ovens, unless advertised to the contrary. Items such
as toasters and kettles are not considered to be essential kitchen appliances
in Europe and are, consequently, rarely provided. Customers are normally
expected to make their own beds on arrival. Please also note that ‘starter’
packs are rarely provided and you should, therefore, anticipate purchasing
items such as milk, toilet roll, etc. on arrival (or the following day if you arrive
late). When more than one apartment is booked of the same or different
type, we cannot guarantee they will be in the same block, although a
request will be accepted wherever possible (see Special Requests).
Cleaning: The initial cleaning before your arrival is normally included and,
unless specified in the accommodation description, is not provided during
your stay. If cleaning is provided it may not be available during public
holidays.
In some Austrian and French apartments, electricity charges based upon use
may be payable locally.
Inventory deposit
In studios/apartments/chalets, an inventory deposit against damages or
breakages may be collected or an imprint of your credit card may be
required. This will usually be between £100 and £165 (but up to £250 for
some apartments/chalets), per studio/apartment, and is refundable on your
departure, or later. It is in your best interests to leave the accommodation as
it was found, as deductions for breakages, damage or leaving the
accommodation unclean can be made by the local agents. As deposits are
normally held by the accommodation owner/management and not Crystal,
we cannot become directly involved in situations or disputes that may occur.
A small refundable key/damage deposit may be required in catered chalets
or club hotels.
Other guests
We do not have details of other guests in hotels or apartments and are
unable to provide any information in this respect. Neither are we advised of
any conference/convention bookings, schools or wedding groups. We are not
privy to details of individuals booked in to chalets and Club Hotels and, in
any event, would not be at liberty to divulge such information. We have no
control over the behaviour of other guests and our representatives will assist
wherever possible if any guests’ behaviour is considered discourteous or anti
social.
Important chalet information
Meals: The board basis will vary from one chalet or hotel to another, and
this is shown on the individual resort pages.
Accommodation: Our chalets range from larger properties to smaller
traditional alpine houses and apart-chalets, where we have adapted the use
of one or more apartments within a larger complex. Due to this wide range it
is difficult to grade them on a like for like basis and, in addition to the
facilities available, location and general standard, we have based our grades
on our senior executives’ opinions and on customer feedback.
Chalets are, for the most part, family homes rather than hotels and as such
do not offer the same type of privacy or facilities as purpose built hotels or
apartments. Bedroom doors may not be lockable, rooms vary in size, even if
similarly priced, and there may be limited hanging and storage space. Some
chalets have internal cabin rooms or rooms located in the eaves which are
usually best suited to children and often sold at a discount. Many chalets
have bedrooms with private facilities (though not always en suite) whilst in
others bathroom facilities are shared between guests (usually 4-6 people)
and sometimes with Crystal staff who are resident in the chalet. It may not
always be possible to provide every guest with a front door key, though an
increasing number of chalets now have an entry code system. The majority
of chalets have lounge areas although seating may be limited.
Under occupancy supplements: These will apply when rooms are not used
to maximum capacity, provided you book the minimum number required.
Should you wish to have a room to yourself that typically accommodates
more people, a single room supplement will apply.
Smoking: In the interest of fire and safety regulations and out of
consideration for other guests, all chalets are non-smoking unless by prior
arrangement with the staff/owner when the whole chalet is taken. Please
note that we cannot accept liability for any discomfort if people smoke in
prohibited areas.
Bed linen/towels: All chalets include bed linen, one bath towel and one
hand towel per person. A mid week change of towels is included within all
Crystal managed properties.
Check in/out: Accommodation is normally available from 16.00 hrs on the
day of arrival and you should anticipate checking out before 10.00 hrs on the
day of departure.
Chalet staff: Service in chalets is relaxed, friendly and run entirely by Crystal
staff. As such these accommodations will rarely provide the same facilities or
levels of service found in hotels.
Hot tubs: In consideration of other guests, use of hot tubs is not permitted
after 22.00 hrs.
Cots: Please request at time of booking if you require this facility, for which a
£10 charge will be made in Europe and £30 in USA/Canada.
Valuables: Chalets don’t normally offer facilities to store valuables.
Smoking: If, despite our best efforts, guests smoke in a non-smoking areas,
we cannot accept liability for any discomfort.
What is/isn’t included in your holiday price
Crystal prices include:
Air holidays
• Return air flights and transfers (coach, train or taxi) to and from your resort
• Flight baggage allowance usually 44lbs (20kgs) but 15kgs on selected
routes.
• Accommodation and meals as per your booking.
• Help & advice from your Crystal resort representative or agent.
• All local taxes, VAT, UK and overseas service charges, and bed linen.
• All current airport taxes are included in our prices including the Air Travel
Duty.
Accommodation only
• On some dates we are able to offer accommodation only holidays which
include accommodation and food basis as booked. Should you require
transfers these can also be arranged on our transfer coaches, at additional
cost, as long as you are travelling on one of our charter flights. Otherwise,
we would be pleased to offer you the option to buy car hire or private taxi
transfers.
All prices include VAT on all holidays to EU countries and are based on the
rates of exchange at the time that this brochure went to print:
US$ 1.80, CAN$ 2.00, Euro 1.42, SFR 2.15, NOK 11.00.
In addition to the details confirmed on the invoice the price of your holiday
includes all currency surcharges, local taxes, VAT, UK and overseas service
charges, all current airport taxes including USA airport tax and the
Government Air Travel Duty of £5 per economy passenger and £10 per
upgraded passenger travelling in different cabin classes to EEA countries, £20
per economy passenger and £40 per upgraded passenger travelling in
different cabin classes to non-EEA countries. Please note that UK domestic
flights will incur a £5 charge for each leg of the journey i.e. £10 return.
Due to circumstances beyond our control airlines may cease to operate on
certain routes which may have an effect upon the holiday price.
Tickets on departure
A minimum charge of £15 per person will be made for all tickets collected at
the airport. This does not include ticket re-issue in the event of loss (see “If
you change your booking”).
Deposit
When you wish to confirm a booking you must pay the registration fee of
£250 per person, together with the insurance premium if required. The
registration fee is deducted from the price of the course shown on the
price list.
Crystal prices do not include:
• Meals and accommodation en route (except where specified)
• In-flight catering on some short haul flights
• Airport flight supplement, where applicable
• Airport improvement tax for Vancouver Airport (approx. C$15) and Edmonton
(C$10)
• Ski travel insurance (which you must have, see Insurance section)
• Carriage of skis and snowboards on charter flights (included on scheduled
flights)
• Porterage of luggage at any stage
• Breakdown Insurance (Self-Drive)
• CDW or local taxes on car hire
• Any services provided locally that are advertised as being available at the
booked resort or accommodation, but not described as free of charge.
• Any local gratuities, taxes charged by hotels/condos in USA/Canada
• Credit card handling fees
• Visa fees
Administration charge
We reserve the right to levy an administration charge in certain
circumstances to cover any additional costs incurred by us, such as
contacting suppliers to check availability or special requests, returning lost
property, special ticket dispatch, extra administration relating to late bookings
within 7 days of departure etc. This charge is £25 per booking, but may be
higher to cover special ticket dispatch costs. This charge does not relate to
changes you make to your booking.
Whilst on a course
1. If you want to make changes to the booked arrangements in resort, for
example upgrading your accommodation, changing resort or extending or
reducing your holiday duration, changes will be subject to availability. Any
extra costs or cancellation charges must be paid by you locally. All changes
must be arranged with us in writing, either through our local
representative/agent, area office or, if this is not possible, our head office in
the UK.
2. The accommodation booked must only be used by those persons named
on your invoice unless otherwise agreed by us in writing. You are not
allowed to share the accommodation or let anyone else stay there.
3. You are responsible for any damage caused to your holiday
accommodation during your stay, except by unknown third parties and any
justifiable charges made by the owner/hotel manager in this respect must
be paid by you locally.
Flights & transfer information
Flight supplements: The cost of your holiday is based on departures with no
additional flight costs, with some exceptions (see notes below). These
departures are shown as £0 or “nil” supplement in the flight tables. If you
choose to fly from a different airport, or on certain days, you may have to
pay a 'flight supplement’. Flights not listed in the brochure, but which
become available after it is printed, may also attract extra charges, worked
out in the same way. Please note: Some holidays are only available on
flights with extra charges, either because the accommodation is available
only on certain days of flying, or because onward travel arrangements are
only available at certain times.
Airport/resort transfers
Approximate timings: In order to keep prices low and still offer you as many
UK departure airports as possible, we often need to combine transfers to
and from the resorts for passengers from several arriving and departing
flights. This means you may incur additional waiting time on arrival at the
airport and on your return, though we will do our best to keep waiting times
to a minimum. Transfer times listed on resort pages, which apply to the
actual journey time after leaving the airport/station, are approximate and can
vary due to poor weather, traffic conditions or transfer routes. Please note
that some transfers to your resort may not be accompanied by a Crystal
representative and may include transferring onto a smaller vehicle to take
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