Booking conditions – general information

Booking procedure

Using the Friot Ship Management online booking system and boat finder, you can access details of thousands of boats from all over the world, allowing you to charter your boat quickly, conveniently and securely.

Search for a boat – Request a quote – Charter a boat online

Search from the main page by entering the place of departure, date (date of receipt – date of delivery), type of boat. On the results page, the search result can be refined with additional boat data (e.g. number of cabins, price, length, etc.). Our booking system only allows searches from Saturday to Saturday. If you have other requirements (e.g. for tropical destinations), please let us know in writing so that we can help you with an individual offer.

Detailed information sheet

The elements of the results list contain only the most important basic data of the boats. Click on Details to view the detailed data sheet of the boat, where you can find a detailed description of the boat, its equipment and a list of available extra services and equipment with prices. In the “Prices and availability” section, you can also check prices for other dates or check if the boat is available.

User account (registration)

The Friot Ship Management boat finder is open to the public, but certain functions (e.g. favourites, view previous bookings, etc.) are only available after registration and creation of a user account. In order to save offers, track options, bookings and manage the personal data required to process them, you will need a personal account in accordance with the GDPR rules in force. The account can be created using the “Register” menu item.

Offer – Request an offer

You can request an offer for several boats at the same time by email or by filling in the relevant offer request template. If you are a registered user, you can retrieve these offers later. The validity of the offers depends on the charter company operating the chosen boats. It is possible that a boat is booked after the offer has been sent, in which case we will try to find a boat with similar characteristics, but the best solution is to request an option on the chosen boat as soon as possible if you like any of the offers, giving you more time to think about your decision.

Option booking

If you like any of the boats but need more time to discuss the final decision with your team, option booking is a great way to reserve the boat. The option does not impose any obligations on the client, but the charter company guarantees the conditions set out in the option booking. Until the expiry of the option, the boat can only be booked by the holder of the option, but after the expiry date, the boat will be returned to the list of available boats that can be booked. The duration of options may vary from charter company to charter company, but they are usually valid for 72 hours. Options may not be extended (repeated). You can request an option booking by clicking on the Request Option button on the boat details page or by e-mail. You can finalise your booking at any time during the option period.

Reservation and boat chartering process

On the details page of the selected boat, you can initiate the booking by clicking on the Reservation button. You can then check the details of your booking on the Summary page and finalise it by entering your personal details (name, e-mail address, telephone number) and accepting the General Terms and Conditions, Booking Conditions, Privacy Policy, by ticking the checkboxes and clicking on the Book button.

You can also initiate and finalise a reservation by accepting an offer sent earlier. In the case of a previously sent offer, a reservation can only be made if the boat is still available!

By finalising your reservation, you commit to pay 50% of the charter fee and other services of your choice within 3 days of booking. The remaining amount must be paid 6 weeks before the trip. If the booking is made within 6 weeks of the trip, you must pay the full amount within the shortest possible time (1-2 days) of booking.

When making your reservation, please note that there are a number of costs (both mandatory and optional) in addition to the boat charter fee. For ease of reference, we have included below a list of costs for a typical boat rental (this list is for information only – it is not exhaustive!):

Mandatory costs:

• Boat charter fee
• Charter package, permit, transit log fee, cleaning fee
• Deposit and or bond insurance
• Fuel consumption
• Tourist tax

Optional costs:

• Skipper, captain for hire (if not included in the price of the boat)
• Hostess, cook
• Harbour dues outside base
• Car parking at base port
• Outboard motor dinghy
• Railing net (Children’s net)
• Small pet boarding fee
• Early pick-up or late drop-off fee
• etc.

Other charges:

Travel expenses to base port, Food, drink etc.

Confirmation of booking

After booking, we will send you the Booking Confirmation and the charter company’s information on the terms and conditions by email. (Contracts are always sent by charter companies in English, which is not translated and its interpretation is the sole responsibility of the charterer.) The checkbox ticked at the time of booking and payment of the first instalment shall constitute acknowledgement and acceptance of the contract. On taking over the boat, the contract is signed by the contracting parties in person. Some charter companies require the contract to be signed and a scanned contract to be sent by email at the time of booking.

The booking is binding, i.e. it is subject to payment. In the event of failure to do so, the charter company will cancel the booking, may cancel it in the event of late payment and may charge a cancellation fee.

The captain of the boat must be in possession of valid licences/authorisations (skipper, radio operator, etc.) required for chartering the boat at the time of picking up the boat. Any consequences resulting from the lack thereof shall be at the responsibility of the Charterer!

General cancellation conditions

The reservation can only be cancelled against a cancellation fee. The cancellation fee is 50% of the amount due 42 days prior to check-in and 100% of the amount due after check-in. Other cancellation conditions will be attached to the confirmation of each booking or included in the contract sent to you.

Changes to bookings may be made by mutual agreement, in writing, after successful negotiation with the charter company operating the boat, for a fee. (We will assist and cooperate in the negotiation, but we cannot guarantee the modification).

Special booking and cancellation conditions

As of 2020, due to the COVID-19 situation, Special Booking and Cancellation Conditions have been introduced for several charter companies, with new flexible and free rebooking options. These are subject to availability and possible price differences between booking periods and, in most cases, are available upon purchase of the relevant extra service (insurance) at the time of booking. Please read about the extra services on the boat’s detailed information sheet before booking, if you do not find the relevant information, please send an email to info@friotyacht.com.

When chartering a boat, we will send you the charter company’s information on the general terms and conditions and a detailed description of the special booking and cancellation conditions together with the confirmation of your booking. If no special (COVID-19) booking and/or cancellation conditions have been issued by the charter company for a boat, only the terms and conditions set out in the brochure on the general terms and conditions will apply. As is generally the case in shipping, the language of the contract is English. (Contracts are always sent by charter companies in English, which is not translated and its interpretation is the sole responsibility of the charterer.)

Payment of the reservation – terms of payment

The charter fee of the boat and the price of other equipment and services to be paid in advance are payable in two instalments. The first instalment (50%) is due at the time of booking, which finalises the reservation. The second instalment (50%) is due no later than 6 weeks before the date of check-in.

If the check-in date is within 6 weeks of booking, the charter fee is payable in one instalment.

The method of payment for additional equipment and services ordered and payable on the spot (currency, type of card accepted) is at the discretion of the charter company. In some destinations, a tourist tax is also payable on chartering a boat.

Payment by bank transfer

All details required for bank transfer can be found on the Booking Form under Payment Details. Due to bank processing time, please send a copy of the bank transfer receipt by email to info@friotyacht.com.

Payment confirmation

All payments will be confirmed by email or, if you are registered, you can track the status of your booking and payments in your personal account.

Check-in

The boat chartered by the Customer can be picked up at the Charter Company’s base upon presentation of a document proving payment of the charter fee. Only persons on the crew list may be on board during the cruise.

Passenger list (crew list)

When sailing by sea, it is compulsory to provide the details of the entire crew (i.e. the exact names, date and place of birth, ID or passport numbers of the passengers on board). The online uploading of the crew list is only available after full payment of the prepaid items of the boat (at the latest 1 week before the check-in of the boat). The crew list must be uploaded together with the skipper’s qualification details and a copy of the skipper’s qualification(s), certifying that they hold the valid qualification(s) required for the area of water.

Boarding Pass

A document issued for the purpose of taking over the boat, which indicates that the boat has been fully paid for and the passenger list has been completed and is ready for boarding. Some charter companies do not issue a Boarding Pass; they will accept a booking confirmation or proof of identity of the Customer at the time of taking over the boat.

Deposit

The deposit must be paid at the charter location, by cash or credit card (debit cards may not be used). The deposit is a refundable amount of money that serves as a guarantee for both the charter company and the charterer. The deposit is refunded when the boat is returned provided that no claim, damage or deficiency has occurred to the chartered boat during the charter period, for which the chartered boat’s delivery and acceptance note (report) is the reference. No interest or handling charges shall accrue or be payable on the deposit. Please keep the receipt of the deposit carefully for the duration of the charter!

Deposit insurance

Deposit insurance is a non-refundable amount of money, which is intended to ensure that the charterer does not have to pay the full amount of the deposit in addition to the amount of the charter, while at the same time ensuring that the owner and the charterer are fully insured. The amount of the deposit insurance is usually 7-10% of the deposit (depending on the charter company).

The deposit insurance does not cover the following damages: damage caused by gross negligence, damage caused by alcohol or other intoxicants, loss of equipment on board, blocked toilets. This information is of a general nature and you should always check with the charter company for any excesses on the deposit insurance.

It is also common practice for charter companies to use a mixture of the two. This means that the charterer pays a deposit insurance up to about 10% of the deposit (which is non-refundable) and also a significantly reduced deposit which is refundable if there is no damage.

Check-in

The boarding pass specifies the time from which you can check-in the chartered boat at the port. In the vast majority of cases, this is 17:00, but it may be different. At the port, you should go to the office of the charter company. Before checking-in the boat, you will have to pay for the items payable on the spot (equipment and services ordered, tourist tax) and the deposit. The deposit will be refunded upon checking out of the boat and its equipment in a complete and undamaged condition. In most charter companies, the deposit can be secured by credit card (credit card only, debit card not accepted!)

At this time, a detailed technical briefing and chart briefing will take place.

In all cases, a report will be prepared, in which any faults or deficiencies will be recorded; if an existing fault or deficiency is not indicated in the report, it cannot be referred to on return, so we ask our customers to take their time and be careful!

Check-out

Normally, the boat must be returned to the base port the evening before the day of check-out (17:00), and the boat must be fully refuelled before then. The charter company representatives will be present either in the evening (late afternoon) or at 8.00 a.m. on the day of the check-out. The charter company will take back the boat on the basis of the check-in report, verifying the condition and existence of the boat and its equipment at the time of delivery. In the event of any damage or deficiencies, the damage will be covered by the deduction of the deposit, as will any penalty for failure to comply with other contractual obligations (delay, non-refuelling, unpaid mooring, etc.).

After the boat has been checked-out, the client will receive an invoice from the charter company for the total amount of the charter (prepaid instalments + amounts paid on the spot).

Crossing borders by boat

Crossing the border is not permitted by most charter companies. Even if it is allowed, it is subject to very strict rules, as the boat must have the necessary papers and equipment for international navigation. When crossing the border, it is compulsory to sail to the port nearest to the border, where the crossing will be performed in accordance with international visa and customs regulations.

It is also important to note that the captain must also have the appropriate maritime skipper licence, which is valid for international waters.

If you are planning to cross the border during your trip, please let us know before booking.

 

Should you have any further questions regarding the booking process, we are at your disposal.