Traveler Terms
& Conditions.

By submitting a signed application and deposit, the applicant agrees to the following terms and conditions.

How do I sign up?

Reservations, Deposits and Payments: To reserve a space on a tour, ask your group organizer for your group’s Tour ID. Sign on to passports.com/enroll and enter your Tour ID.

There are two deposit/payment options:

E-Z Pay Automatic Payment Plan: Automatic withdrawals from your checking account or credit card. Note: a $10 fee will be charged for any E-Z payment that is returned by your bank for any reason.

Convenience Billing: Pay manually via check or credit card. Make check payable to passports Student Depository Account. Be sure to include your signed, paper application. Enrollment must be accompanied by a $495 deposit. Note: a $10 fee will be charged for any check returned by your bank for any reason.

All credit card payments are subject to a 4% credit card fee.

Please do not send cash at any time. Allow 7 business days for processing of your application.

Late enrollment: Travelers enrolling within 120 days of departure must apply with full payment. Additional airfare supplements may apply to late applicants. Late applicants will be placed on a waitlist pending space availability, and, if not accepted onto the tour, will receive a full, 100% refund. New enrollments will not be accepted within 60 days of the tour’s departure date.

When must I be paid in full?

Payment in full must be postmarked 120 days prior to departure. E-Z-Pay users

must be paid in full 30 days prior to departure. Participants are solely responsible for qualifying for deadlines, and will not necessarily receive an invoice prior to their individual deadline dates. For non-E-Z-Pay participants, if full payment is not received 120 days before departure, the traveler will be cancelled from the tour with resulting cancellation penalties. (See below.) Also, see reinstatement policy.

How do I know my money's safe?

passports Student Depository Account: Client payments will be escrowed in the passports Student Depository Account. The account is maintained at the Cornerstone Bank, and bears the bank I.D. #4762390345. Withdrawals from this account prior to the return of the tour will be limited to direct costs on behalf of the traveling group, such as airfares and land deposits, client refunds, service fees, and administrative expenses; provided, however, that the total of such administrative expenses attributable to any one client or client group shall not exceed (a) aggregate client revenue(s) minus sums required to operate the tour(s), or (b) the total of cancellation penalties which would be withheld by passports in the event of Elective Cancellation/Withdrawal of the client or client group, whichever is less.

passports' CST# is 2067919-40. California law requires certain sellers of travel to have a trust account or bond. Passports maintains the trust account described above. For travelers who are in California when they make a payment: upon cancellation of the transportation or travel services, where the passenger is not at fault and has not canceled in violation of any terms and conditions previously clearly and conspicuously disclosed and agreed to by the passenger, all sums paid to Passports for services not provided will be promptly paid to the passenger, unless the passenger otherwise advises Passports in writing, after cancellation. Passports is not a participant in the California Travel Consumer Restitution Fund.

I don't want to, but I'm cancelling!

Elective Cancellation/Withdrawal: Individuals may withdraw from the tour at any time, but must do so in writing. Telephone cancellations will not be accepted. Notification by postal mail, fax and/or email is acceptable, and must bear a clear date of submission or a postal service postmark. The main group leader may cancel any participant’s position on the tour, in writing, for any reason.

Refunds: Refunds are based on the date of withdrawal, as determined by the date of the withdrawal letter as described above. Persons cancelling will receive a refund less the cancellation fees listed below, and the non-refundable items described in the section below. Allow a minimum of 30 days for processing. No exceptions will be made, except as provided in the Release & Agreement where a tour cannot operate due to low enrollment.

Standard Refund Policy: Cancelation...

105 days or more before departure: refund less $620

104-30 days before departure: 75% refund

29 days or less before departure: no refund

With Peace of Mind Plan ($199): 29-2 days before departure: 75% refund*

Ultimate Peace of Mind Plan: Cancel at any time and receive a full refund minus the cost of the plan ($449)*.

*Airline tickets, if purchased, would be refunded as a voucher issued by the airline, if available. If a voucher is not available, the cost of the airline ticket is non-refundable. For example, if you are due a refund of $3000 and airline tickets were purchased, you would receive the value of the voucher as a part of your $3000 refund. Meaning, it could be a $2000 cash refund plus a $1000 airline voucher. If vouchers are not available, the cost of your airline ticket will be deducted from your refund.

In addition, Peace of Mind Plan fee, service fees and credit card fees are non-refundable.

Reinstatement: Cancelled participants may reinstate, if space is available, by sending the full payment due plus a $225 Reinstatement Fee. Additional airfare supplements may apply. Reinstatements are not accepted within 60 days of departure. Anyone reinstating within 120 days will be waitlisted pending land and air availability.

I can’t go, but he/she can!

Substitutions: Persons wishing to withdraw may substitute another person at least 120 days before departure. Notification of cancellation with substitution must be made in writing to passports. The withdrawn participant will receive a refund of all sums paid less service fee and any airline penalties. Substitutes are not eligible for any price guarantees given to the cancellee, and are therefore subject to prices in effect at the time of substitution. If passports cannot accept a substitute, for any reason, the original participant must abide by the standard refund policy.

I think I'll stay on after the group comes back...

Delayed Return Flights and Travel Extensions: If an individual desires to travel on different dates from those of the main group, a $425 change fee will apply (subject to availability). If additional costs are required, passports will contact the traveler with details. Such changes may only be made 120 days or more before departure.

Individuals departing from alternate U.S. cities cannot be guaranteed specific flights, airlines, air routings or connections with the main group. Participants who depart from an alternate departure city will be required to pay the program tuition from that departure city and to provide their own airport transfers. Participants who wish to fly with the main group must arrange their own transportation to and from the main group's airport. Requests for alternate U.S. departure cities will not be accepted less than 120 days before departure.

"Land Only" participants who wish to purchase their own airline tickets must contact passports. Internal flights while overseas, if included in itinerary, will be provided. Land only participants must provide their own airport transfers. Group leader permission is required.

Participants switching from the group flight routing to their own transportation or vice-versa must submit a request in writing, and cannot be honored if received within 120 days of departure. Additional airfare costs may apply, and the individual traveler is responsible for payment of additional airfare costs.

I'd like to know about rooming fees.

Program Tuition prices listed in the catalog are based on triple student rates, with roommates assigned at the discretion of passports. Group organizers, adults or students may be subject to obligatory double or single rooms. passports will provide one obligatory double/single room, per gender, per group, for participants under 24 who must be roomed in double accommodations due to odd rooming configurations. Adults 24 years of age or older will be billed for obligatory room accommodations.

Adults who request single accommodations are required to pay for that service, and will be billed accordingly. Individuals will be notified by passports and are obliged to pay the cost of any rooming fees as shown below. Final rooming configurations are determined approximately 90 days prior to departure.

Rooming configurations may vary from hotel to hotel.

Double rooms: Adults 24 years of age or older who are not leading a group are subject to a mandatory per-person per-night charge, for European tours, in addition to the basic published tour cost. For non-European tours, contact passports for double room fees. This additional mandatory charge guarantees double room accommodations at hotels. Travelers sharing a double room with the group organizer or chaperone must pay their portion of the double room supplement. The double room guarantee is not refundable in the unlikely event that all group members receive complimentary double room accommodations by default during the tour.

Shipboard double room accommodations are subject to a mandatory per-person, per-night (inside cabin) charge for European cruises (for outside cabin double room fees, contact passports). Shipboard double room fees for non-European cruises are available upon request, subject to availability.

Single rooms: Single room accommodations at hotels, if available, are also subject to a per-person, per-night charge. For non-European tours, contact passports. Single rooms on trains, ferries, and cruises are often not available (please contact passports for availability).

Let's have the fine print: what's included?

Program Tuition Includes: Round-trip air transportation on major scheduled airlines. (The airlines involved are not responsible for any acts, omissions or events while you are on board the aircraft.) Triple rooms in Three Star or Four Star hotels. Private baths guaranteed. Ground transportation by private motorcoach, second-class rail service, steamship or ferry. (Air-conditioned hotels and motorcoach provided where available.) Continental breakfasts and dinners daily except as noted in itinerary. (Dinners not included on "Destination", "Twin Cities" and "Triple Cities" programs.) Lunches included only where noted specifically in itinerary. Sightseeing as indicated in itineraries, subject to restrictions beyond passports' control such as seasonality, closing times, holidays, special events, strikes, traffic conditions or inclement weather. Services of a specially-trained passports Tour Director/representative unless otherwise noted. Port taxes and European coach driver and local guide tips. Tour Director tips as noted on your itinerary. passports provides a post-departure travel protection plan which provides coverage for trip interruption, emergency medical expenses, trip delay and more.

What's not included?

Program Tuition Does Not Include: U.S. passport fees, visa fees, virus testing fees, border fees, foreign airport arrival/departure taxes (foreign arrival/departure taxes will be pre-billed to clients whenever possible, as a convenience), late payment fees, porterage, cruise personnel tips, baggage fees, personal expenses, gifts, laundry, valet service and unscheduled activities. Overnight lodging, unplanned transportation or other expenses related to airline rescheduling or delays or redefinition of travel seasons are also not included. Entrance fees, beverages, lunches, optional excursions or field trips, guided shore excursions on cruises, theater performances and tours are included only when specified in the itinerary.

Either Peace of Mind Plan is optional.

What else do I need to know?

passports programs are designed with teenage students in mind. Most tours involve a lot of walking. Porterage is not included. passports programs are educational in nature. Groups consisting mainly of adults may wish to consider paying a supplement to guarantee a modified, "all-adult" program.

The traveler's name must match his/her passport for correct issuance of airline tickets. If a name must be changed or corrected after the published final payment deadline for the tour, an airline-imposed name change fee may apply along with a $225 service fee.

Allergies, dietary requirements and medical conditions: You must report any food allergy, dietary requirement, medical condition, medication or mobility limitation to Passports directly and in writing at the time of enrollment, and must promptly notify Passports in writing of any change. Written notice may be given through the enrollment process, through the PassportsGo app, or by email to Passports. If you give this information to Passports by telephone, Passports will ask you to confirm it in writing, and it is not effective notice until you do. Reporting this information only to your group organizer, chaperone, school or Tour Director is not notice to Passports.

Passports will pass the information you report to its overseas operators, hotels and restaurants, and will make every reasonable effort to arrange suitable meal options. Meals and services on tour are provided by independent third parties, in facilities that Passports does not own, operate, staff or inspect, and that routinely handle allergens including nuts, peanuts, gluten, dairy, eggs, soy, fish and shellfish. Menus, ingredients, preparation methods, substitutions and cross-contamination controls are outside Passports’ control and vary by country and by property. Passports cannot and does not guarantee that any meal, ingredient, preparation area or service will be free of any allergen, or that any dietary requirement will be met at every meal.

If you have a severe or life-threatening allergy, you and, if you are a minor, your parent or guardian are responsible for your safety on tour. This includes carrying and knowing how to use any prescribed medication, including epinephrine auto-injectors, in a quantity sufficient for the full duration of travel and in accordance with airline and destination-country rules; verifying that a food is suitable before consuming it; and declining any food that cannot be verified. Neither Passports, its employees, its Tour Directors nor its suppliers administer medication or supervise a traveler’s food choices.

Traveling with Passports is not recommended for individuals who have difficulty walking, climbing stairs, carrying baggage, or otherwise requiring special assistance. Accessibility standards vary widely outside the United States, and many places on a Passports itinerary do not meet the standards travelers are used to at home. Sidewalks often have no curb ramps; historic sites, hotels, coaches, trains and ships frequently have steps, narrow doorways and no elevator; and cobblestones, uneven paving and long walks between stops are common. Passports does not provide personal care, and neither Passports nor its Tour Directors assist with mobility, medication or other personal needs. Travelers who require that assistance are strongly encouraged to travel with a companion who can provide it. If you have a mobility limitation, allergy or medical condition, please contact Passports before enrolling so that we can discuss the specific itinerary with you. Passports will make reasonable efforts to accommodate needs reported to us in advance, but cannot alter facilities, vehicles or services operated by third parties. If an allergy or medical condition cannot reasonably be accommodated on a particular itinerary, Passports may recommend a different program. Failure to disclose an allergy, dietary requirement or medical condition, or disclosure made only to a group organizer, is not grounds for cancellation without penalty or for a refund, and the standard refund policy applies.

For additional information, please see the Release & Agreement. Your Agreement and the above Terms cannot be modified except in writing by an officer of passports, or as provided in the Release & Agreement. No verbal modification shall have any validity.

Text Message (SMS) Terms

These terms apply to the text messages Passports Educational Travel sends, and are in addition to the terms above.

Program and message types. Passports Educational Travel sends text messages only to people who have opted in during tour enrollment, and only about their own tour. Messages include account and enrollment updates, payment and billing reminders, secure sign-in links to your Passports account and the PassportsGo app, trip reminders and travel-day alerts, and replies from our customer service team when you text us a question. We do not send marketing or promotional text messages through this program, and we never use purchased or third-party lists.

How you opt in. You opt in by checking the text-message consent box on the enrollment form when you enroll on a tour. That checkbox is separate from every other communication preference — checking it opts you in to text messages only.

Message frequency. Message frequency varies.

Cost. Msg & data rates may apply.

How to opt out. Reply STOP to cancel at any time. You will receive one confirmation message and will not receive any further text messages from us. Reply START to resubscribe.

Help. Reply HELP for help. You can also reach us at 1-800-332-7277, Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM Eastern, or by email at info@passports.com.

Delivery. Wireless carriers are not liable for delayed or undelivered messages.

Privacy. Your mobile number and opt-in data are never shared with third parties. No mobile information will be shared with third parties or affiliates for marketing or promotional purposes. See our Privacy Policy.

I am an applicant for a tour with Passports, Inc., d/b/a Passports, and acknowledge and agree to the following conditions binding upon myself, and upon my parents or guardians if I am a minor, and upon Passports, Inc. (“Passports”).

1. Responsibility. Passports is responsible only for the acts or omissions of its employees. Each tour begins with the takeoff of the first flight and ends upon completion of the return flight (with the exception of land-only arrangements, which start at the first hotel and end with completion of services at the last hotel).
2. Passports cannot be responsible for events beyond its control, including, without limitation, acts of God, war, strikes or government restrictions, or for any other circumstances of force majeure; nor, in the absence of its own negligence, for personal injury, accidents, illness, death, property damage or loss, delay or inconvenience caused by persons not controlled by Passports, including, without limitation, airlines, bus companies, railways, hotels, restaurants, taxis, group leaders, or any other agency, company or individual. Passports acts only as an agent for the airlines, hotels, restaurants, motorcoach and rail operators, cruise lines, guides, ground operators and other suppliers that provide tour services. Those suppliers are independent contractors. They are not employees or agents of Passports, and Passports is not liable for their acts, omissions, negligence or default.
3. Passports is not responsible for loss of a government-issued passport, travel documents or tickets, loss or damage to luggage or any other personal belongings, or for consequential damages in any event.
4. Passports reserves the right to cancel any participant at any time for reasons which appear to be valid in its sole judgment. Passports shall have the right, without refund, to send home (on notice to parent or guardian for minors) at his/her own expense, and without escort, any student or adult who does not adhere to Passports’ Code of Conduct, or who infringes upon others’ enjoyment of the tour. I agree to release Passports, its agents and employees, my local school and school district, and the group leader from all claims arising out of such events, acts, or omissions.
5. I understand that if I am expelled from school, or if I am under other disciplinary measures instituted by my teacher, school or other authorities, or if I fail to meet the requirements for this tour as set forth by my teacher, school, school administrators or others, I could be declared ineligible to participate in the tour. My application may be cancelled, and I will be subject to the cancellation/refund policy published in the Terms & Conditions. I agree to comply with all instructions of my group leader.
6. Passports is not responsible for me when I am absent from Passports scheduled activities. I understand I will be required to pay for any damage or injury, whether accidental or willful, caused by me while on a Passports tour. If by my acts or omissions I cause or threaten to cause damage of any kind whatsoever to third parties, I accept full responsibility. Further, in the event of such damage or loss, I agree to indemnify and hold Passports harmless from any and all actions taken by third parties for said damages and loss.
7. If I become ill, injured or incapacitated during my tour, Passports will do whatever it deems necessary to preserve my health and safety including, without limitation, obtaining medical treatment for me at my expense, and/or transporting me at my own or my parents’ expense back to my home for medical reasons. I agree to pay or reimburse any extra expenses incurred on my behalf by my group leader, or other group members, for medical or other reasons. I authorize Passports, its employees and its Tour Directors to consent on my behalf, and if I am a minor my parent or guardian authorizes them to consent on my behalf, to any examination, test, anesthetic, medical or surgical treatment, and to hospitalization, that a licensed medical professional considers advisable, where my parent or guardian cannot be reached in time. This authorization is given in reliance on the judgment of the treating provider, and Passports is not responsible for the selection, acts or omissions of any medical provider, facility or transport service.
8. Photographs and recordings. Photographs, video and audio recordings of me, my image, likeness and voice, and any comments or statements I make while participating in a Passports tour may be used, in any media, without compensation and without liability, by Passports and by the suppliers that host or provide services on my tour (such as camps, attractions, venues and guides), for any lawful purpose, including publicity, advertising, illustration, social media and website content. I authorize Passports to grant this permission to those suppliers on my behalf. If I am under 18, my parent or guardian gives this consent on my behalf by accepting this Agreement.
9. If I wish to withdraw from a Passports tour, I must do so individually in writing. Any refund to which I may be entitled is given by the “Passports Terms & Conditions” which I agreed to upon enrollment. No exceptions to the Terms & Conditions will be made.
10. Passports reserves the right to make changes to a tour, in its sole discretion, including changes in departure dates, cities, the order of an itinerary, activities, hotels, group leader assignments, airlines, determination of flight routings, services, fees or other itinerary modifications as may be required. Sites, attractions and activities may also become unavailable for reasons outside the control of Passports, including closures, holidays, strikes, weather, security measures and government or civic events. Such changes to a tour that operates are not grounds for withdrawal with a full refund, or for refunds after the tour. Passports also reserves the right to discontinue a tour. Where a tour cannot operate due to low enrollment, the alternatives in the following paragraph apply. If tour features are unavailable for any reason, substitutions will be made whenever possible.
11. Published catalog itineraries are based on a minimum combined number of participants enrolled. Customized itineraries are based on specific enrollment numbers as determined by the group leader and/or Passports. If any tour cannot operate due to low enrollment, Passports may offer the group leader a choice of the following alternatives, and I understand that my group leader is authorized to choose on behalf of the entire group: 1) An alternate comparable tour as determined by Passports (utilizing public rail, bus, subway transportation, etc., when use of a private motorcoach is not justified). Participants are responsible for all costs associated with the program change; 2) Operating the original tour, provided all group members pay a “Small Group Supplement” which shall apply to all group members; 3) Deferring travel to a later date, with no provision for interim refunds or penalties for those who remain enrolled; 4) Cancellation of the tour, in which case the standard refund policy does not apply and Passports will notify participants directly of the refund arrangements. If my group leader chooses alternative 1, 2 or 3, the tour will go ahead on that changed basis and Passports will notify me of the change. If I do not wish to travel on the changed basis, I may withdraw by notifying Passports in writing within seven (7) days of that notification, and I will receive a refund of all payments I have made to Passports, less a service fee if one applies. Passports will confirm the amount of any service fee on request. If I do not withdraw within those seven days, I am treated as accepting the change, and the standard refund policy in the Terms & Conditions applies to any later withdrawal. I understand that these changes are not grounds for cancellation without penalty once that seven-day period has passed, or for refunds after the tour.
12. Passports reserves the right to change departure dates within the same weekend (or the nearest weekend for winter and spring departures); and within 10 days for summer departures. If such a change results in a tuition change, all group members must pay the Program Tuition fee for the new date. Custom tour members agree in advance to travel on an alternate tour chosen by their group organizer, or to pay a higher price bracket as previously agreed upon by the group organizer, if there is insufficient enrollment. I understand that these changes are not grounds for cancellation without penalty, or for refunds after the tour.
13. Passports and the airlines reserve the right to substitute airlines, to make changes in equipment, the itinerary, departure and arrival dates, times or cities, or to alter the itinerary, and I agree to accept any such changes. No refunds will be made under these circumstances, and Passports will attempt to provide comparable services or accommodations. Non-stop flights, specific airlines and/or schedules are not guaranteed. Airlines liability for loss or damage to baggage is limited. Due to airline, train and coach restrictions, luggage is limited to one suitcase, and one small carry-on bag per person. Airlines accept no liability for fragile or perishable articles. Higher limits of liability may be obtained from the airlines by paying the charge contained in the carriers’ tariffs, or optional baggage protection insurance can be purchased. Passports is not responsible for airline-imposed checked baggage fees. I understand that the airline's liability for death/injury is limited by their tariffs and/or the Warsaw Convention.
14. Holidays, special sporting, religious, political or other conditions beyond Passports’ control may produce the unavailability of centrally-located hotel accommodations or scheduled services. In such cases, Passports reserves the right to provide alternate accommodations and/or services, or to charge a supplement. Specific hotel properties or locations may be requested but are not guaranteed.
15. The published itineraries are sample descriptions only. Actual program itineraries may vary in certain respects. Hotel information and rooming assignments will be available approximately 90 days prior to departure. Tentative flight information will be available 60-90 days prior to departure. Flights are ticketed approximately 30-45 days before departure but can be ticketed any time after the final payment deadline. The day by day itinerary will be available approximately 7 days prior to departure.
16. If my tour is being sponsored by my school, school board, school district, individual school administrator, or local municipality, I will be notified of this fact in writing. Otherwise, I understand that my tour is not officially sponsored, contracted, paid for, or regulated by any of these groups or individuals, even though my school may, as a convenience, allow the use of school premises for planning the tour. I hereby and expressly waive all claims against any such groups or individuals which might arise out of the tour, or relate to it in any manner, including changes in school/school board administrative policies concerning “school” travel trips.
17. I understand that Passports and my group leader reserve the right to select a qualified replacement for my group leader if he or she is unwilling or unable to accompany the group, for any reason. Such changes do not constitute grounds for cancellation without penalty. The standard refund policy applies.
18. I am responsible for obtaining and carrying a current passport with an expiration date not less than six months after my return date, and any necessary visas and vaccination requirements for the countries I am to visit. My inability to obtain such documents and vaccinations shall not constitute grounds for cancellation without penalty. The standard refund policy applies. Passports will not be held responsible if I am unable to obtain the necessary travel documents, vaccinations or any other entry requirement for participation in the program. I understand that I must allow Passports a minimum of 30 days notice for any documents from the company that may be required to obtain a visa.
19. Participants are subject in all respects to the “Passports Terms & Conditions”, “Passports Code of Conduct” and “Passports Anti-Harassment Policy”. In signing this Release & Agreement, I acknowledge and agree to these Terms & Conditions. The version of this Agreement and of the Terms & Conditions published for my tour's travel year governs my tour, and replaces any earlier version and any prior statement, representation or understanding about the matters they cover. All program applications are subject to acceptance by Passports headquarters in Worcester, Massachusetts.
20. I understand that this Agreement is expressly between me and Passports, and that it cannot be modified by a third party, including my group organizer, school, or school board. I understand that Passports is not responsible for third party errors, and that Passports strictly adheres to published policies, including those published in the Terms & Conditions. No exceptions will be made to this Agreement or to the Terms & Conditions. Any modification or extension of this Agreement by Passports must be made in writing by an officer of Passports. Passports may also issue an updated version of this Agreement or of the Terms & Conditions for my travel year. Passports will make the current version available to me in the PassportsGo app. Passports will notify me when it publishes an updated version. A change that does not reduce my rights takes effect when it is published; any other change takes effect thirty (30) days after that notice, and my continued participation after it takes effect constitutes acceptance of it. An updated version does not apply to any claim or dispute that has already arisen or of which Passports has already been notified, does not make the cancellation or refund terms that applied when I enrolled less favorable to me, and does not affect any right or obligation that has already accrued.
21. Assumption of risk. I understand that travel, and international travel in particular, involves inherent risks that cannot be eliminated. These include, without limitation: illness and disease; injury; accidents involving motor vehicles, rail, air and marine transport; crime, theft, terrorism and civil unrest; natural disasters and adverse weather; uneven, slippery or unlit walking surfaces, stairs, and historic buildings and sites that do not meet modern safety or accessibility standards; differing standards of building, food, water, sanitation, medical and vehicle safety; and limited, delayed or unavailable medical care. I knowingly and voluntarily assume all such risks, whether known or unknown, including risks arising from the acts or omissions of parties Passports does not control. On behalf of myself, my parents or guardians, my heirs and my personal representatives, I release Passports, its officers, employees and agents from all claims, demands and causes of action arising from these inherent risks.
22. Allergies, dietary requirements and medical conditions. I have disclosed to Passports directly, accurately and completely, in writing, every allergy, dietary requirement, medical condition, medication and mobility limitation that could affect my participation in the tour, and I will notify Passports promptly of any change. I understand that disclosure made only to my group leader, chaperone, school or Tour Director is not notice to Passports. I understand that meals and services on tour are provided by independent third parties, that Passports does not own, operate, staff or inspect the kitchens and facilities involved, and that Passports cannot and does not guarantee that any meal, ingredient, preparation area or service will be free of any allergen. I am responsible for verifying that a food is suitable before consuming it, for declining any food that cannot be verified, and for carrying and self-administering any medication I require, including epinephrine auto-injectors, in a quantity sufficient for the full duration of travel. I accept full responsibility for the consequences of any condition I have not disclosed or have disclosed inaccurately, and I agree to release and indemnify Passports from any claim arising from it. I expressly authorize Passports to share the information I disclose under this paragraph with the people and organizations that need it in order to deliver or adapt my tour, including its overseas offices and ground operators, Tour Directors, hotels, restaurants and other suppliers, and my group leader and chaperones, and, in a medical emergency, with treating providers and my emergency contact. Passports will share only what is necessary for that purpose. I understand that this authorization covers health information, that some of these recipients are located outside the United States, and that Passports cannot accommodate a condition it is not permitted to disclose to the people delivering the service. I may withdraw this authorization at any time by notifying Passports in writing, but Passports may then be unable to accommodate the condition on my tour.
23. Limitation of liability. To the fullest extent permitted by law, the total liability of Passports to me for any claim arising out of or relating to my tour, however that claim arises, shall not exceed the total amount I have paid to Passports for the tour. Passports shall not be liable for indirect, incidental, consequential, special, exemplary or punitive damages, or for lost enjoyment, lost time or emotional distress, even if it has been advised of the possibility of such damages. This paragraph does not limit liability for death or personal injury caused by the negligence of Passports, and nothing in this paragraph limits any liability that cannot be limited under applicable law.
24. Events beyond Passports’ control. If a tour is cancelled, curtailed, delayed or modified, in whole or in part, because of an event beyond Passports’ reasonable control, including without limitation acts of God, epidemic or pandemic, quarantine, war, terrorism, civil unrest, strike or other labor action, government action, border or airspace closure, natural disaster, adverse weather, or supplier insolvency, Passports will use reasonable efforts to provide substitute arrangements or to recover funds from suppliers on my behalf. Passports is not obligated to refund amounts that are non-refundable to Passports or that have already been paid or committed to suppliers, and any refund or future travel credit offered in these circumstances is limited to sums actually recovered by Passports, less non-recoverable costs and service fees. Passports is not responsible for any additional cost I incur as a result of such an event, including accommodation, meals, transportation, testing or quarantine costs. I understand that travel protection may cover some of these costs, and that it is my responsibility to obtain the coverage I consider adequate. Where this paragraph conflicts with any other refund provision of this Agreement or the Terms & Conditions, this paragraph governs for cancellations, curtailments, delays or modifications caused by events beyond the reasonable control of Passports. Nothing in this Agreement or the Terms & Conditions limits any refund that applicable law, including seller-of-travel law, requires Passports to make.
25. Time limit for claims; notice before a claim. Any claim arising out of or relating to my tour, this Agreement or the Terms & Conditions must be commenced within one (1) year after the later of the scheduled return date of the tour and the date I knew or reasonably should have known of the claim, or it is permanently barred, except where a longer period is required by applicable law. This one-year limit does not apply to a claim for death or personal injury, and it does not shorten any period that applicable law allows for a claim brought by or on behalf of a minor. Before either Passports or I start an arbitration or court claim, the party making the claim will give the other written notice describing it, and both will try in good faith to resolve it for thirty (30) days. This does not prevent either party from starting a claim sooner where that is necessary to keep it from becoming time-barred.
26. Signature; minors. If I am under 18 years of age, my parent or guardian signs this Agreement both on their own behalf and on mine, agrees to be bound by it, and agrees to the release, assumption of risk, indemnity and arbitration provisions of this Agreement as to their own claims and as to any claim brought on my behalf. Where the law of my state does not allow a parent or guardian to release a minor's own claims in advance, as in New Jersey, the releases in paragraphs 4, 16 and 21 bind my parent or guardian as to their own claims but do not release my own claims as a minor, and the arbitration provisions of this Agreement still apply to my claims. I agree that an electronic signature, a checkbox acceptance, or submission of an online application has the same force and effect as a handwritten signature.
27. In the event any part of this contract is found to be legally void or unenforceable, then such part will be stricken but the rest of this document will be given full force and effect.
28. Arbitration: I agree that any dispute concerning, relating, or referring to this contract, the brochure, or any other literature concerning my trip, or the trip itself shall be resolved exclusively by binding arbitration in Worcester, Massachusetts, under the Consumer Arbitration Rules of the American Arbitration Association then in effect. Such proceedings will be governed by substantive (but not procedural) Massachusetts law. Any arbitration will be conducted on an individual basis only. I waive any right to participate in a class, collective, consolidated or representative action, and the arbitrator may not consolidate more than one person's claims or preside over any form of class or representative proceeding. If this waiver is held unenforceable as to any claim, that claim shall be severed and proceed in court, and any remaining claims shall continue in arbitration. To the extent a claim is not subject to arbitration, Passports and I each knowingly and voluntarily waive any right to trial by jury, and I agree that such a claim shall be brought exclusively in the state or federal courts located in Worcester County, Massachusetts. Passports will pay all filing, administrative and arbitrator fees above the filing fee those rules require of a consumer. At my request the arbitration will be conducted by telephone, by videoconference, or on the documents alone where the applicable rules allow, so that I am not required to travel to Worcester to participate. Either Passports or I may instead bring a qualifying claim in small claims court. I may opt out of this arbitration provision by sending written notice to Passports at its Worcester, Massachusetts headquarters within thirty (30) days after I first accept this Agreement, giving my name and stating that I am opting out; opting out will not affect my participation in the tour in any way. Opting out affects only this arbitration provision, and the remainder of this paragraph and of this Agreement continues to apply. This arbitration provision is governed by the Federal Arbitration Act. In all other respects, this Agreement is governed by the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, without regard to its conflict-of-laws rules.