Castle Explorers Travel Agency Terms & Conditions
1. Agreement and Acceptance
These Terms and Conditions ("Terms") govern travel-planning, booking, payment-authorization, and related services provided by Castle Explorers, LLC ("Castle Explorers," "CE," "we," "us," or "our"), a Tennessee limited liability company. By submitting a registration form, payment authorization, electronic acceptance, or other written authorization to Castle Explorers or a Castle Explorers travel advisor, the traveler and any person acting on behalf of the traveler (collectively, "Client") acknowledge that they have read, understand, and agree to these Terms.
The version of these Terms accepted by the Client at the time of registration or payment authorization governs that transaction and related reservation unless the parties later agree in writing to different terms or a change is required by applicable law. Castle Explorers may update these Terms prospectively. Updated Terms do not retroactively replace Terms already accepted for an existing transaction solely because a new version is posted online.
The person accepting these Terms represents that they are at least 18 years old and have authority to accept these Terms for themselves and, where applicable, for the other travelers included in the reservation.
2. Role of Castle Explorers and Independent Travel Advisors
Castle Explorers is a travel agency that assists Clients with researching, planning, arranging, and booking travel services provided by independent third-party suppliers, including airlines, hotels, resorts, cruise lines, tour operators, transportation companies, excursion providers, travel-insurance companies, and other travel-service providers (collectively, "Suppliers"). Castle Explorers does not own, operate, manage, or control these Suppliers.
Castle Explorers works with independent travel advisors located throughout the United States. Travel advisors may communicate with Clients, provide recommendations, obtain payment authorization, and process authorized payments directly with Suppliers. Unless expressly authorized in writing by Castle Explorers or the applicable Supplier, a travel advisor may not bind Castle Explorers or a Supplier to a refund, credit, upgrade, compensation, exception, guarantee, or other obligation.
Travel advisors may independently charge planning, consultation, research, itinerary, change, or other professional-service fees. Such fees are established and collected by the individual advisor, not by Castle Explorers, unless otherwise expressly disclosed in writing. Any advisor-imposed fee is separate from Supplier charges and any Castle Explorers cancellation fee described below.
3. Quotes, Availability, Pricing, and Booking Errors
Travel quotes are based on information available when quoted and are not guaranteed until the applicable Supplier confirms the reservation and required payment has been successfully processed. Availability, promotions, inventory, fares, taxes, fees, exchange rates, and Supplier terms may change at any time before confirmation.
Castle Explorers and its advisors may correct clerical, typographical, calculation, system, inventory, or obvious pricing errors. If a Supplier refuses to honor an erroneous fare, rate, or inventory display, Castle Explorers is not responsible for requiring the Supplier to honor the error, but will reasonably assist the Client in evaluating available alternatives.
After final payment, additional government-imposed taxes, assessments, destination charges, port charges, fuel-related charges, tourism taxes, or other fees permitted by applicable law or Supplier terms may still apply.
4. Client Information and Duty to Review Confirmations
The Client is responsible for providing complete and accurate information for every traveler, including legal names exactly as shown on the government-issued identification or passport that will be used for travel, dates of birth, contact information, citizenship when relevant, and any other information requested by a Supplier.
The Client must carefully review all confirmations, invoices, itineraries, tickets, vouchers, and travel documents promptly upon receipt. Unless a shorter Supplier deadline applies, the Client should report any suspected error to the travel advisor within 48 hours of receipt. Failure to promptly report an error may limit available correction options or increase Supplier-imposed costs.
The Client is responsible for Supplier fees, fare differences, penalties, or other costs resulting from incorrect information supplied by the Client, including incorrect names or dates of birth. Castle Explorers will reasonably assist with correction requests but cannot guarantee that a Supplier will permit a correction.
5. Payment Authorization and Processing
Castle Explorers does not collect Client vacation funds for the purpose of later remitting those funds to Suppliers. When a Client authorizes a travel payment, the Client's travel advisor uses the Client's authorized payment card to process the payment directly through the applicable Supplier or authorized booking platform, except where a Supplier's established process requires a different lawful method.
Clients may provide payment information and authorization through Castle Explorers' registration and payment-authorization forms or another approved written method. By submitting payment authorization, the Client authorizes the travel advisor to use the payment information for the specific Supplier transaction or payment amount authorized by the Client.
Castle Explorers' customer relationship management system may securely retain payment-card information for authorized business purposes. Card security codes are not collected through Castle Explorers' registration or payment forms. Access to stored card information is restricted and may require an authorized user to take an additional step to reveal the full card number.
If a Supplier permits scheduled or automatic payments, a travel advisor may arrange them at the Client's request. The Supplier's terms govern such scheduled payments. Clients remain responsible for monitoring payment due dates, available credit, expired or replaced cards, and successful processing.
A payment is not complete until accepted by the applicable Supplier. Declined, reversed, disputed, fraudulent, expired, or otherwise unsuccessful payment attempts do not satisfy the Client's payment obligation.
6. Fraud, Phishing, Impersonation, and Payment Security
Electronic communications and online transactions involve risks outside Castle Explorers' control, including phishing, spoofing, impersonation, compromised email accounts, malicious QR codes, fraudulent websites, fraudulent payment links, social-media impersonation, malware, account takeover, and other forms of cybercrime.
Castle Explorers and its travel advisors will not ask a Client to send vacation funds directly to Castle Explorers or directly to an individual travel advisor by wire transfer, personal check, cash, Zelle, Venmo, Cash App, PayPal person-to-person payment, cryptocurrency, gift card, or similar peer-to-peer method. Vacation payments are generally made by credit or debit card directly to the applicable Supplier or through the Supplier's authorized payment system.
Criminals may impersonate Castle Explorers, a Castle Explorers advisor, or a Supplier using names, logos, photographs, email signatures, email addresses, telephone numbers, social-media accounts, websites, QR codes, or other information. The appearance of familiar branding or even a message sent from a compromised legitimate email account does not by itself establish that the request is authentic.
The Client must independently verify any unexpected or changed payment instruction, urgent request for funds, request to use a new payment method, QR code, payment link, request to disclose card information, or request to send money to a person or account. Verification should be made using previously established contact information or contact information published on Castle Explorers' official website, not solely by replying to the suspicious message or using contact information contained within it.
Until Castle Explorers receives notice that a Client's email account, telephone number, device, or other communication channel has been compromised, Castle Explorers and its advisors may reasonably rely on communications that appear to originate from contact information the Client previously provided. Clients are responsible for safeguarding their own accounts, devices, passwords, and payment information and for promptly notifying Castle Explorers of suspected compromise.
To the fullest extent permitted by law, Castle Explorers is not responsible for funds, credentials, personal information, or property voluntarily provided by a Client to an unauthorized third party as a result of phishing, spoofing, impersonation, malicious QR codes, fraudulent websites or links, compromised Client accounts, or other third-party scams where Castle Explorers did not authorize the payment destination or transaction. A payment to an unauthorized third party does not satisfy amounts owed to a Supplier unless the Supplier actually receives and accepts the payment.
If a Client suspects fraud, the Client should immediately contact the travel advisor or Castle Explorers using a known contact method and should also contact the applicable bank, card issuer, or payment provider. Castle Explorers will reasonably cooperate with legitimate fraud investigations but cannot guarantee recovery of funds sent to an unauthorized third party. Nothing in this section excludes liability that cannot lawfully be excluded.
7. Travel Protection / Travel Insurance
Travel protection is strongly recommended because travel can be affected by illness, injury, weather, Supplier changes, delays, cancellations, missed connections, lost baggage, emergencies, and other unexpected events. Clients completing Castle Explorers' registration process are asked to indicate whether they wish to purchase or decline travel protection, and that selection may be retained with the booking record.
Travel protection may be offered through a Supplier or through a separate insurance provider. Policy terms, exclusions, covered reasons, benefit limits, pre-existing-condition provisions, purchase deadlines, and refund or review periods are controlled by the insurer or plan provider, not Castle Explorers.
Castle Explorers and its advisors do not determine whether an insurance claim is covered and do not guarantee payment of any claim. The Client is responsible for reading the policy or plan documents and determining whether the coverage meets the Client's needs. A Client who declines travel protection accepts the financial risks associated with traveling without such protection.
8. Changes, Cancellations, and Castle Explorers Cancellation Fees
Supplier change and cancellation rules apply to every reservation and may include nonrefundable deposits, change fees, cancellation penalties, fare differences, forfeiture of payments, or loss of promotional benefits. Supplier rules may become more restrictive as the travel date approaches.
In addition to Supplier penalties and any separate advisor planning fees, Castle Explorers charges the following agency cancellation fee when a Client cancels a reservation:
Reservation total $0-$999: $50
Reservation total $1,000-$2,499: $150
Reservation total $2,500-$4,999: $250
Reservation total $5,000-$7,499: $350
Reservation total $7,500 or more: $500
Unless emergency circumstances make written communication impracticable, cancellation or material change requests should be made in a recordable written format, preferably email, so that the request and timing can be documented. A cancellation is not effective merely because the Client stops payment, misses a payment deadline, files a chargeback, or communicates with an unauthorized third party.
Clients may contact Suppliers when reasonably necessary, including during active travel disruptions. However, the Client should not independently cancel, transfer, take over, materially modify, or otherwise alter an agency-managed reservation without notifying the travel advisor because doing so may affect the advisor's ability to service the booking and may create Supplier penalties or loss of benefits.
9. Refunds
Refund eligibility is determined by applicable law and the applicable Supplier's terms. Castle Explorers does not control whether a Supplier approves a refund, the timing of Supplier processing, card-issuer processing, ACH timing, or currency conversion.
Most Supplier refunds are returned to the original form of payment. If the original payment method is no longer available and a Supplier instead sends a refund to Castle Explorers or another authorized recipient, Castle Explorers may forward the funds through the appropriate advisor or other lawful method for delivery to the Client. Castle Explorers may require reasonable identity and payment verification before releasing funds.
Approval of a refund is not the same as receipt of a refund. Processing time may vary by Supplier, financial institution, payment processor, and payment method. Foreign-currency refunds may differ from the original amount charged because of exchange-rate changes or bank fees.
Castle Explorers is not responsible for a Client's failure to receive funds caused by inaccurate banking or payment information supplied by the Client, closed accounts, card replacement, payment-provider restrictions, or other circumstances outside Castle Explorers' reasonable control.
10. Chargebacks and Payment Disputes
Clients retain all rights provided by applicable law and card-network rules to dispute unauthorized or improper charges. However, a Client should not use a chargeback or payment dispute to avoid a valid cancellation fee, planning fee, Supplier penalty, or other amount legitimately owed under an accepted agreement.
Before initiating a chargeback concerning a travel transaction, the Client is encouraged to contact the travel advisor or Castle Explorers so that the parties can attempt to identify the transaction and resolve any misunderstanding. Castle Explorers may provide booking confirmations, payment authorizations, accepted Terms, communications, Supplier records, and other relevant documentation to a financial institution or payment processor in response to a dispute.
11. Passports, Visas, Entry Requirements, and Government Documentation
Each traveler is responsible for obtaining and carrying all documentation required for the itinerary, including passports, visas, electronic travel authorizations, identification, vaccination or health documents when required, and any transit-country documentation. Requirements may depend on citizenship, residency, destination, transit points, age, and itinerary.
Castle Explorers and its advisors may provide general travel-document information or links to government resources as a convenience, but government authorities determine admissibility and documentation requirements. Requirements can change after booking. Clients must independently verify current requirements with the appropriate government authorities before travel.
Clients are responsible for passport validity requirements, blank-page requirements, visa or authorization deadlines, and ensuring that names on reservations match travel documents. Castle Explorers is not responsible for denied boarding, denied entry, deportation, fines, penalties, or additional travel costs resulting from missing, expired, inaccurate, or insufficient travel documents, except to the extent liability cannot lawfully be excluded.
12. Travel with Minors
Parents and guardians are responsible for determining and obtaining all documentation required for minors, including passports, birth certificates, notarized consent letters, custody documentation, and any documents required when a child travels with one parent, with a non-parent, or without a parent or legal guardian.
Airlines, cruise lines, resorts, countries, and other Suppliers may impose minimum-age, room-occupancy, unaccompanied-minor, parental-consent, and other requirements. Clients must verify those requirements before travel.
13. Air Travel
Airline tickets are subject to the airline's contract of carriage, fare rules, baggage rules, seat-assignment policies, schedule-change rules, and other conditions. Airlines control schedules, aircraft, seating, delays, cancellations, boarding, baggage, and operational decisions.
Certain fares, including basic-economy or similarly restrictive fares, may limit or prohibit seat selection, changes, refunds, upgrades, carry-on baggage, checked baggage, or other benefits. The Client is responsible for reviewing the fare restrictions before purchase.
When flights are purchased on separate tickets, as self-connections, or as positioning flights, protection for missed onward travel may be limited or unavailable. A delay or cancellation on one ticket may not obligate another airline or Supplier to protect or reimburse the Client for a separately ticketed reservation.
Castle Explorers may recommend arriving at a destination in advance of a cruise, tour, wedding, event, or other time-sensitive travel component. A Client who chooses a tighter connection or same-day arrival accepts the increased risk of missed travel components.
Refund responsibility for air transportation depends on applicable law, the merchant of record, ticketing arrangement, and circumstances of the cancellation or significant change. Nothing in these Terms limits any airfare-refund right that applicable law gives the Client.
14. Cruises
Cruise reservations are subject to the cruise line's passenger ticket contract and policies. Cruise lines may change itineraries, ports, arrival or departure times, ships, cabins, onboard programming, dining, entertainment, or excursions for operational, safety, weather, regulatory, or other reasons.
Clients are responsible for arriving at the embarkation port by the cruise line's required deadline, complying with documentation and health requirements, paying onboard charges and gratuities, and following cruise-line conduct, age, pregnancy, medical, and accessibility rules.
Missing a port, tender cancellation, itinerary substitution, weather-related change, or other cruise-line operational decision does not automatically create a right to compensation from Castle Explorers. Any compensation is governed by applicable law and the cruise line's policies.
Excursions may be sold by the cruise line or by independent third-party excursion providers. The entity providing the excursion is responsible for operating the excursion, and its own terms and liability limitations apply.
15. Hotels, Resorts, All-Inclusive Properties, and Vacation Packages
Hotels and resorts control room assignment, check-in and check-out, restaurants, bars, pools, beaches, entertainment, transportation, construction, renovations, staffing, amenities, maintenance, and operational policies. Amenities and services may change without notice.
Natural conditions such as sargassum or seaweed, beach erosion, water conditions, weather, insects, wildlife, and seasonal conditions are outside Castle Explorers' control.
Photographs, maps, resort descriptions, star ratings, amenity lists, accessibility descriptions, and similar information may originate from Suppliers or other third parties and may change. Castle Explorers does not independently warrant that every Supplier-provided representation remains current at the time of travel.
16. Special Requests, Room Requests, Accessibility, and Dietary Needs
Requests for connecting or adjoining rooms, specific buildings, floors, room locations, bedding, views, cribs, early check-in, late checkout, celebrations, dietary accommodations, accessibility features, or similar preferences are requests only unless the applicable Supplier expressly confirms them as guaranteed.
Clients should advise their travel advisor as early as possible of any accommodation that is essential to their ability to travel. Castle Explorers will reasonably communicate requests to Suppliers but does not control Supplier facilities or performance and cannot guarantee that a Supplier will fulfill a request unless the Supplier expressly guarantees it.
Clients with medical, mobility, dietary, or accessibility needs remain responsible for determining whether the Supplier and itinerary are suitable for their individual circumstances and for communicating time-sensitive needs directly to the appropriate Supplier when necessary.
17. Excursions, Activities, Transportation, and Higher-Risk Activities
Excursions, tours, transfers, rental vehicles, water activities, adventure activities, theme-park experiences, and other activities are operated by independent Suppliers. Participation may involve inherent risks and may require separate waivers, age limits, health requirements, or physical-fitness requirements.
The Client is responsible for reviewing and complying with the operator's rules and deciding whether participation is appropriate. Castle Explorers does not supervise or control the operation, maintenance, staffing, or safety procedures of independent activity providers.
18. Supplier Changes, Default, Insolvency, and Cessation of Operations
Castle Explorers does not guarantee the financial condition, solvency, continued operation, or performance of any Supplier. A Supplier may change ownership, reduce services, discontinue a route or product, cancel a reservation, cease operations, enter bankruptcy or insolvency proceedings, or otherwise fail to provide purchased services.
If a Supplier defaults or ceases operations, the Client's remedies may depend on applicable law, Supplier terms, credit-card protections, travel insurance, bankruptcy proceedings, or other third-party remedies. Castle Explorers will reasonably assist with available alternatives or documentation but is not the financial guarantor of an independent Supplier.
19. Force Majeure and Events Beyond Castle Explorers' Control
Castle Explorers is not responsible for delays, changes, cancellations, losses, or interruptions caused by events outside its reasonable control, including hurricanes, tropical storms, floods, earthquakes, volcanic activity, wildfire, extreme weather, sargassum or beach conditions, epidemics or pandemics, civil unrest, terrorism, war, labor strikes, airport or port closures, air-traffic-control restrictions, infrastructure failures, utility outages, cyberattacks, government actions, border restrictions, or similar events.
When such an event occurs, Supplier terms, applicable law, and any purchased travel protection determine available refunds, credits, rebooking options, or other remedies.
20. Health, Safety, and Personal Responsibility
Travel involves inherent risks. Clients are responsible for assessing personal health, safety, and travel-readiness considerations and for following governmental and Supplier rules. Castle Explorers does not provide medical advice and does not guarantee that any destination, resort, cruise, transportation provider, activity, or other travel service is free from illness, crime, injury, or other risk.
Clients are responsible for obtaining appropriate medical advice, medications, vaccinations when required, and emergency or evacuation coverage they consider appropriate.
21. Client Conduct and Right to End the Service Relationship
Clients must not engage in fraud, threats, harassment, discriminatory abuse, illegal conduct, intentional misuse of payment disputes, or abusive communications toward Castle Explorers, its owners, advisors, staff, Suppliers, or other travelers.
Castle Explorers may decline future services or terminate the advisor-client service relationship when reasonably necessary because of abusive, threatening, fraudulent, or unlawful conduct. Active reservations will be handled in a manner consistent with applicable law, Supplier requirements, and Castle Explorers' existing obligations.
22. Communications and Electronic Records
Clients may communicate with advisors by email, telephone, text message, social media, or other channels. For cancellations, material booking changes, payment instructions, disputes, or other significant matters, Castle Explorers strongly recommends a recordable written communication such as email or an approved electronic form.
Electronic acceptance, checkbox acceptance, submitted registration forms, submitted payment forms, email approvals, and other electronic records may be retained as evidence of the Client's authorization and agreement.
23. Advisor Departure, Reassignment, and Ownership of Agency-Managed Reservations
Reservations booked under Castle Explorers' agency credentials remain agency-managed reservations even if the servicing travel advisor resigns, is terminated, becomes unavailable, or otherwise leaves Castle Explorers.
Castle Explorers may reassign an active reservation to another advisor or, in appropriate circumstances, may permit the departing advisor to continue servicing an existing reservation under Castle Explorers' oversight and subject to Castle Explorers' requirements. The Client does not acquire the right to transfer an agency-managed reservation solely because an advisor leaves the agency.
Castle Explorers will make reasonable efforts to provide continuity of service and will communicate any material servicing change when practical.
24. Supplier Terms Control Supplier Services
Each Supplier's own contract, terms, conditions, fare rules, passenger ticket contract, cancellation policy, waiver, or other agreement may apply in addition to these Terms. If there is a conflict concerning the Supplier's own service, the Supplier's applicable terms control the relationship between the Client and that Supplier, subject to applicable law.
Castle Explorers is not responsible for a Supplier's failure to follow its own terms, although Castle Explorers may reasonably assist the Client in communicating with the Supplier.
25. Limitation of Castle Explorers' Responsibility
Castle Explorers is responsible for performing its own travel-advisory and booking services with reasonable care. Castle Explorers is not responsible for the acts, omissions, negligence, representations, delays, cancellations, bankruptcy, insolvency, operational decisions, safety practices, or failures of independent Suppliers except to the extent applicable law imposes responsibility on Castle Explorers.
To the fullest extent permitted by law, Castle Explorers is not liable for indirect, incidental, special, exemplary, punitive, or consequential damages arising from Supplier conduct or circumstances outside Castle Explorers' reasonable control. Nothing in these Terms limits liability for conduct that cannot lawfully be limited or excluded.
These Terms do not waive any non-waivable consumer right or remedy provided by applicable law.
26. Indemnification for Client-Caused Losses
To the extent permitted by law, the Client agrees to be responsible for losses, claims, penalties, costs, or expenses caused by the Client's own unlawful conduct, fraud, intentional misrepresentation, misuse of payment credentials, violation of Supplier rules, or material breach of these Terms. This provision does not require a Client to indemnify Castle Explorers for Castle Explorers' own non-waivable liability.
27. Informal Resolution, Governing Law, Venue, and Attorney Fees
Before filing a lawsuit concerning these Terms or Castle Explorers' services, the parties are encouraged to make a good-faith effort to resolve the dispute through written communication. This informal-resolution provision does not prevent either party from seeking urgent relief or exercising a right that cannot lawfully be delayed.
Except to the extent another jurisdiction's non-waivable law requires otherwise, these Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Tennessee, without regard to conflict-of-law principles. Subject to applicable law, any court proceeding arising primarily from these Terms or Castle Explorers' services shall be brought in a court of competent jurisdiction located in Shelby County, Tennessee.
If a party brings an action to enforce or defend rights under these Terms and a court determines that one party is the prevailing party, the prevailing party may recover reasonable attorney fees and court costs to the extent permitted by applicable law. This provision applies equally to Castle Explorers and the Client.
Nothing in this section eliminates any right to bring a claim in a forum that applicable law requires to remain available.
28. Seller of Travel Registration and Regulatory Disclosures
Castle Explorers, LLC is registered with the State of Florida as a Seller of Travel, Registration No. ST44008.
Castle Explorers may maintain additional registrations, licenses, or disclosures as required by applicable law. Registration by a governmental agency does not constitute an endorsement or guarantee of Castle Explorers or any Supplier.
29. Severability, No Waiver, and Entire Agreement
If any provision of these Terms is found unenforceable, the remaining provisions will remain in effect to the fullest extent permitted by law, and the unenforceable provision will be interpreted or limited as necessary to make it enforceable where permitted.
Castle Explorers' failure to enforce a provision on one occasion does not waive the right to enforce it later.
These Terms, together with the applicable booking confirmation, payment authorization, Supplier terms, and any written fee agreement or other written agreement specifically applicable to the reservation, constitute the agreement concerning Castle Explorers' services for that transaction.
30. Contact and Legal Notice Information
Castle Explorers, LLC
1942 Exeter Road
Germantown, TN 38138
Routine booking communications should be directed to the Client's assigned Castle Explorers travel advisor. Suspected fraud, account compromise, or legal notices should also be sent through Castle Explorers' official contact methods published on www.castleexplorerstravel.com.
31. Electronic Acknowledgment
By selecting an acceptance checkbox, submitting Castle Explorers' registration form, submitting Castle Explorers' payment-authorization form, or otherwise providing written electronic acceptance, the Client confirms that the Client has had the opportunity to read these Terms, agrees to be bound by them, and authorizes Castle Explorers and the servicing travel advisor to retain the electronic record of acceptance.
The Client further confirms that travel information and payment authorization provided are accurate to the best of the Client's knowledge and that the Client understands Supplier terms, cancellation rules, travel-protection selections, and payment-security responsibilities may materially affect the reservation.