General Terms and Conditions
General Terms and Conditions of SPS Saar Personenschiffahrt GmbH & Co. KG
1) All orders are accepted only on the basis of the following conditions. Any verbal agreements or telephone orders that deviate from these terms require our written confirmation to be valid.
2) Offers and information contained in brochures, advertisements, and similar publications—including price information—are subject to change and non-binding. We are bound to specially prepared offers for thirty calendar days.
3) Round trips are offered for groups of 20 or more.
4) We strive to adhere to the stated dates and departure times; however, due to the nature of our operations, we cannot guarantee or accept liability for punctuality. The vessel is normally held at the designated dock 15 minutes prior to departure. Standby time is generally charged at €45 net per hour. A night surcharge of €22 per hour applies after 8:00 PM.
5) We are permitted to make changes or deviations to individual parts of the service from the agreed-upon content of the booking that become necessary after the conclusion of the contract and that were not brought about by us in bad faith, provided they do not significantly affect the overall nature of the booked service.
6) The agreed-upon fare and the ordered meals are payable no later than two weeks before the booked service is performed. The remaining balance and any other costs are due immediately after the service has been performed.
7) Events of force majeure, unforeseen operational disruptions, raw material shortages, and staff shortages entitle us to withdraw from the contract without prejudice to any claims for damages by the customer. Any advance payments made will be fully refunded in this case.
8) Our liability for both contractual and tortious claims for damages is generally limited to the compensation provided by our insurers. We are not liable for disruptions in services related to services that are merely brokered as third-party services (e.g., tours, wine tastings, etc.).
9) If the customer cancels the booking or fails to commence the trip without cancelling the booking, we may demand reasonable compensation for the arrangements made to provide the service and for our other expenses and losses. Subject to proof of lesser damages, we may calculate this compensation as a percentage of the total price for all services or per registered participant, taking into account the following schedule based on the proximity of the cancellation date to the contractually agreed start date. The flat-rate cancellation fees are:
- Free cancellation possible up to 30 days before the start of the service.
- From 29 days to 11 days before the start of the service: 50% of the total price
- From day 11 until the start of services: 95% of the total price
Rebookings made after the 15th day prior to the start of the service are considered cancellations followed by new bookings. In the event of a cancellation, we may also charge the customer for any actual damages incurred that exceed the flat fee.
10) We may withdraw from a booking before the start of the trip or use of the service, or terminate the contract after the start of the trip or use of the service:
Without notice if the customer persistently disrupts the execution of the booked service or the ship's regulations despite a warning from the captain or ship's crew, or if they behave in such a way that immediate termination of the contract is justified. In the event of termination, we retain the right to the agreed total price, less any expenses saved and other benefits.
11) If a service is not provided in accordance with the contract, the customer may initially demand redress. We may refuse redress if it would require disproportionate effort. Redress may also be provided by offering an equivalent substitute service. The customer may refuse the substitute service for an important, objectively identifiable reason. For the duration of any non-contractual provision of the service, the customer may demand a corresponding reduction in price (abatement).
Any defects in the food and beverages served must be reported immediately, provided they are detectable.
Subsequent complaints are therefore excluded.
The organizer is solely responsible for the required registration of the trip with GEMA (the German performing rights society) and for the GEMA fees.
A service charge of €6.50 per person is generally levied if the food is delivered.
Beverages can only be purchased from the onboard catering service.
If we fail to remedy the situation within a reasonable timeframe, or if a remedy is not possible, and the service is significantly impaired as a result of the non-contractual performance, the customer may terminate the contract.
12) The agreed-upon time periods for service provision must be strictly adhered to. The communicated departure times must also be adhered to, even in the case of stopovers. The customer or their passengers are solely responsible for any disadvantages resulting from failure to adhere to the communicated departure times. Claims for damages by the customer are expressly excluded in this respect.
13) Persons with reduced mobility can only be transported accompanied by a companion.
14) The invalidity of individual provisions of the above terms and conditions shall not affect the validity of the remaining provisions. The place of jurisdiction is Saarburg.
