Attending a Retreat Terms & Conditions

Payment Schedule

You may secure your spot in a retreat with a deposit until the “Balance Due Date” as listed in the table below. If you make a new booking after the Balance Due Date, full payment is required to secure your spot (if any are still available). Full payment of the retreat package price is due by the Balance Due Date indicated for each trip.

You will find the retreat’s specific Balance Due Date sent to you in our intake email.

These due dates vary depending on the trip; be sure to refer to the “Balance Due Date”.

After booking your retreat with a payment, you will receive a booking confirmation email. Confirmation of your participation does not necessarily mean that your trip is confirmed to depart as scheduled. Retreats are typically confirmed to proceed as scheduled by the Balance Due Date specific to that retreat. If your balance payment is not received by the Balance Due Date, your deposit is forfeited and your booking is cancelled.

Pricing

All retreat prices are quoted and payable in USD. Blisstopia Retreats is not responsible for any fees incurred due to currency exchange or fees charged by your credit card/bank for processing funds in another currency.

Covid-19 Release of Liability

By booking a trip at this time, you acknowledge the highly contagious nature of COVID-19 and voluntarily assume the risk for yourself and any minors traveling with you, that you or they may be exposed to or infected by COVID-19 by traveling and that such exposure or infection may result in personal injury, illness, permanent disability, and death even if such injuries or losses occur in a manner that is not foreseeable at the time you book your trip. You acknowledge that exposure to such viruses or disease is an inherent risk of traveling, that cannot be controlled or eliminated by Blisstopia Retreats.

You acknowledge that due to the uncertainty of travel at this time, your trip may be postponed or cancelled, or changes may be made to itineraries due to closures of certain sites or activities, for which there may be no refund. You may also be required to quarantine upon arrival in some locations. Some locations may require you to have a vaccination or proof of negative testing. Stopover countries requirements will also apply. On your return home, additional testing, requirements, or documentation may be required. You are responsible for understanding these requirements and must not rely on Blisstopia Retreats to provide these details. You understand that you may become sick before, during, or after the trip and may not be able to travel and such cancellation or interruption will be subject to our cancellation terms below, for which we will not be liable.

You agree that due to uncertainty caused by COVID 19, Blisstopia Retreats has strongly encouraged the purchase of travel protection coverage including cancel for any reason coverage if and when available, and that should you fail to purchase travel protection coverage, Blisstopia Retreats shall not be liable to any losses howsoever arising. 

You, for yourself, and any minors traveling with you, and on behalf of your and their heirs, assigns, personal representatives and next of kin (the Releasors), HEREBY RELEASE, AND HOLD HARMLESS Blisstopia Retreats, its owners, members, agents, and/or employees, and suppliers (RELEASEES), of from and against any and all claims, damages, demands, losses, and liability arising out of or related in any way, in whole or in part to any POSTPONEMENT, CANCELLATION, CHANGES, INJURY, DISABILITY, DEATH OR ANY OTHER LOSS you may suffer due to exposure, infection, spread, closure, and travel restrictions related to COVID- 19, WHETHER ARISING FROM THE NEGLIGENCE OF THE RELEASEES OR OTHERWISE, to the fullest extent permitted by law. 

The terms of this HOLD HARMLESS AND RELEASE OF ALL LIABILITY paragraph, shall survive any termination or cancellation of this Contract, whether by operation of law or otherwise.

Cancellation By You

You may choose one of the options below up until the retreat’s “Balance Due Date” which can be found in the welcome confirmation email we send you after registration. After your retreat’s Balance Due date, bookings are non-refundable. For this reason, we strongly encourage you to purchase travel insurance.

Option 1: Transfer your payment to a different retreat date and/or destination taking place within the next 12 months. A $250 booking transfer fee is required to process this booking change. Deposits can only be transferred ONCE.

Option 2: Cancel your booking and receive a refund less the applicable cancellation fee ($500 for domestic retreats, and $800 for international retreats).

Cancellation / Reschedule By Blisstopia Retreats

Blisstopia Retreats reserves the right to cancel or reschedule any trip for any reason. We do our best not cancel a tour less than 30 days before departure except for Force Majeure, natural disasters, pandemic, travel bans, war, civil unrest or other unusual or unforeseen circumstances outside the Blisstopia Retreats’ control.

When a tour is canceled by Blisstopia Retreats before the agreed date of departure for any reason, you have a number of options:

• Option 1: Transfer your retreat payment (less any non-refundable costs already paid to suppliers) to the same retreat in the future, or to a different retreat. Tell us which retreat you choose and we will apply all remaining funds to your new booking. The $200 book transfer fee does not apply.
• Option 2: Put your payment (less any non-refundable costs already paid to our suppliers) on file as credit with a 24 month expiration date. 
• Option 3: Request a refund you less any credit card processing fees, cancellation fees, and nonrefundable deposits we paid to local suppliers on your behalf. We work with our suppliers within each destination to minimize the amount of non-refundable costs and recover as much of your money as possible.

Note: If you purchased travel insurance, you can file a claim with your travel insurance provider for reimbursement of the non-refundable portion of your retreat payment. We can provide you with a receipt and notice of cancellation for this insurance claim. 

To cancel your retreat, please reach out to us at: info@blisstopiaretreats.com or call (623) 986-2899. Please do not request a chargeback from your credit card company. We will work with you process your refund in a timely manner.

Blisstopia Retreats is not responsible for any incidental expenses or consequential losses that the Client may have incurred as a result of the booking such as visas, vaccinations, non-refundable flights or rail, non-refundable car parking or other fees, loss of earnings, or loss of enjoyment, etc. If the Client is offered a refund but requests an alternate tour of a higher value than that originally booked, then the Client must pay the difference in price.

Where, after departure, a significant element of the trip contracted for cannot be provided, Blisstopia Retreats will make suitable alternative arrangements for the continuation of the trip. If it is not possible to provide a suitable alternative or the Client reasonably rejects any suitable alternatives, Blisstopia Retreats will provide the Client a refund of unused tour portions. Where a significant alteration or cancellation occurs which is not due to Force Majeure or other circumstances beyond the Blisstopia Retreats’ control, Blisstopia Retreats will in some circumstances offer compensation. Significant alterations do not include the substitution of a transportation method, modification of itineraries, change in hotel accommodation or meal offering.

Credit Card Bookings

While we do accept major credit cards including Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Discover, travelers must provide to us an authorization for every transaction for your trip.

We add a 3.5% service fee for any and all Credit Card Transactions.

We prefer the following alternatives for receiving payments:

1. Bank transfer (Zelle) to: Chase Bank (Blisstopia Retreats)
2. Venmo to: @Mark-Royce-7
3. PayPal to: markdroyce@gmail.com

Your authorization is an agreement for us and/or the supplier to charge your card and an acknowledgement and agreement to these terms and conditions including the cancellation terms. As such you agree not to make any improper chargebacks.

In certain cases, you can dispute charges with credit card companies ("chargebacks"). Before initiating a chargeback, we ask you first to call us to discuss any questions or concerns about our charges. We will work with you in attempting to resolve your concerns. By using our service to make a reservation, you accept and agree to our cancellation policy. Blisstopia Retreats retains the right to dispute any chargeback that is improper and recover any costs, including attorney’s fees related to improper chargebacks. Additionally, in the event of an improper chargeback, we retain the right to cancel any travel reservation related to that improper chargeback. 

The following chargeback scenarios are improper, and we retain the right to investigate and rebut any such chargeback claims:

• Chargebacks resulting from non-cancellable reservations, whether or not the reservation is used.
• Chargebacks resulting from charges authorized by family, friends, associates or other third parties with direct access to your credit card. This does not include credit card fraud.
• Chargebacks arising from inconsistency or inaccuracy with regard to the supplier’s product description.
• Chargebacks resulting from force majeure or other circumstances that are beyond the control of Blisstopia Retreats or the Supplier.
• Chargebacks resulting because you do not agree with the cancellation policy.

Private Room Charges For Solo Travelers

Private-room accommodations are subject to a private-room package price, which guarantees a private room without a roommate (where available). See individual trip pages on our website for pricing details. In order to keep our private-room package prices as low as possible, on occasion private rooms may be smaller than shared occupancy rooms. Private-room accommodations may not available on all trips. Additionally, we cannot always guarantee private accommodations, even after reservations and confirmations have been made.

Shared Room Charges for Travelers Wishing to Be Paired with A Roommate

For guests who wish to book into a shared accommodate package, we are happy to pair you with a roommate. Please consult specific trip pages on our website for details. This amount will be charged approximately 30 prior to departure for domestic trips and 60 days prior to departure for international trips.

Airfare

In most cases, Blisstopia Retreats trips do not include national or international airfare. You are responsible for your airfare and are responsible for any non-refundable expenses you incur in the event we cancel a retreat (generally not less than 90 days before it begins). We highly recommend you purchase travel insurance for all your travel expenses.

Travel + Health Insurance

Blisstopia Retreats recommends international retreat participants, and highly recommends domestic retreat participants to obtain travel medical insurance with a minimum medical coverage of $100,000. This insurance must cover personal injury and emergency medical expenses including, but not limited to, helicopter evacuation, air ambulance and repatriation. It is strongly recommended the coverage be extended to include cancellation, curtailment, and all other expenses that might arise as a result of loss, damage, injury, delay or inconvenience that may occur during travel.

Force Majeure

Blisstopia Retreats assumes no liability for, any loss, damage, delay, or cancellation resulting in whole or in part from an Act of God or any other force majeure condition, including, without limitation: fire, volcanic eruption, hurricane, environmental pollution or contamination, inclement weather, earthquake, low or high water levels, flood, water or power shortages or failures, tropical storms or hurricanes, riots or civil commissions or disturbances, and any other acts of a similar nature, sabotage, arrests, strikes or labor disruptions, restraint of rulers or peoples, expropriations, acts of terrorism, war, insurrection, quarantine restrictions, government health advisories, epidemics, pandemics, or warnings or alerts of any kind of nature, government seizures, refusal or cancellation or suspension or delay of any government authority or any license, permit or authorization, damages to its facilities or the travel supplier and its facilities, or any other unforeseen circumstances or any other factors unforeseen by Blisstopia Retreats that impacts negatively on, or hampers, its ability to fulfill any of its contractual conditions. In the circumstances amounting to force majeure, we will not be required to refund any money to you, although if we can recover any monies from our suppliers, we will refund these to you without any charge by Blisstopia Retreats. Our planning fee is always non-refundable.

Medical Conditions + Special Requirements

You must notify us in writing during the process of booking (on your registration form) of any medical conditions, pregnancy, disability or any other mental and or physical condition which may affect fitness to travel and/or any medical condition. This includes any symptoms of Covid-19 or our suspected exposure to the virus that causes Covid-19. Failure to notify us of such a medical condition may result in your being refused travel, in which case the client is bound by the cancellation terms as laid out here.

Some retreats may be unsuitable for you due to age, mobility, disability, pregnancy or physical or mental conditions. It is your responsibility to clear major medical issues with your doctor and with a Blisstopia Retreats representative prior to booking. We may refuse to carry pregnant women over 24 weeks or clients with certain conditions. Blisstopia Retreats is not required to provide any special facilities unless it has agreed to do so in writing. We do our best to meet clients’ special requests including dietary restrictions, but such requests do not form part of the booking contract and therefore Blisstopia Retreats is not liable for not providing these requests. Medical facilities vary from country to country and we make no representations and gives no warranties in relation to the standard of such treatment.

Evacuation Procedures and Costs

If other documentation is required by the country, state or county (such as proof of vaccination, health declaration, affidavit, Covid-19 test results, etc), we do our best to relay that information to you during the trip planning period. However, it is ultimately your responsibility to have all the required documents completed prior to departure.

Required Travel Documents

Evacuations costs are to be covered by the person being evacuated. You may file a claim with your travel insurance company to try to recoup any additional costs related to injury or illness treatment or travel.

Age Limit

Blisstopia Retreats only offers tours and related activities to men & women aged 18 years and over.

Suppliers + Independent Contractors

Hotels, shuttle services, guiding or other elements of a Blisstopia Retreats Retreat are provided by local suppliers who may themselves engage the services of local operators and/or sub-contractors. We at all times endeavor to appoint reputable and competent local suppliers, though we cannot guarantee a certain standard of service quality or performance as these contractors are outside our direct control.

Suppliers + Independent Contractors

Blisstopia Retreats and its partners reserves the right to alter retreat programs and itineraries due to weather, road conditions, local circumstances or events, which may include mechanical breakdown, flight cancellations, illness, strikes, political disputes, natural disasters and other unforeseeable factors. This includes changes or cancellation of planned runs and any other aspect of the retreat itinerary to ensure the safety of our clients and staff. We accept no responsibility for losses, expenses due to delays, changes of flights or other services because of strikes, accidents, sickness, damage, negligence, weather, war, natural disasters, changes in schedules or other similar causes. Blisstopia Retreats and its partners do not assume responsibility for accidents or deaths that can be traced to the participants’ negligence, acts of third parties or exterior circumstances.

In the event a client elects to not participate in any part of the retreat itinerary (such as a guided hike, group meal or other activity), the client is not entitled to any refund.

Safety + Trip Enjoyment

We take your safety and well-being very seriously, which is why we partner with accredited tour operators, licensed guiding companies and other trained professionals for our all of international retreats. However, you are ultimately responsible for your safety, which is why we ask all retreat participants to sign a liability waiver before departure. To avoid possibly dangerous situations, it is extremely important that you obey any rules and regulations imposed by the Blisstopia Retreats Retreat Leaders and/or Local Guides and instructions given by them.

Blisstopia Retreats reserves the right to prohibit any Client from continuing on a trip or participating in any runs or activities, with no right of refund if, in our opinion, that Client’s actions pose a threat to their own safety or that of others, or seriously jeopardizes the enjoyment of the other participants. The decision of the Blisstopia Retreats Retreat Leader or representative will at all times be final on all matters likely to affect the safety and well-being of the trip. All Clients must, at all times, strictly comply with the laws, customs, foreign exchange and drug regulations of all countries visited, and Blisstopia Retreats will not accept responsibility or liability for any Client who contravenes any laws or other regulations of any country visited.

Health + Fitness

Most of our retreats should not be overly strenuous for people who are healthy and reasonably fit. You are expected to carry your own supplies on the hiking trails (water, snacks, light jacket,etc.). If you are affected by any condition, medical or otherwise, that might affect your or other people’s enjoyment of the trip, you must advise us of this at the time of booking. If your health or fitness changes between the time of booking and the trip departure date, you must notify us (info@blisstopiaretreats.com) of these changes before the trip starts.

Photography

In the course of participation in a retreat, photos or video may be taken by participants, your retreat leader or guides. These images may be used in any Blisstopia Retreats materials, website, Facebook, etc., unless you specifically request that we not use any material in which your image is depicted. Otherwise, you agree to allow us to perpetual, royalty-free, worldwide, irrevocable license to use such images for publicity and promotional purposes.

Non-Responsibility 

Blisstopia Retreats, and its employees, shareholders, agents, and representatives may use third party suppliers to arrange tours, transportation, sightseeing, lodging, and all other services related to this trip, if the retreat is outside of Blisstopia Retreats Peoria, AZ location. Blisstopia Retreats is an independent contractor and is not an employee, agent, or representative of any of these suppliers. Blisstopia Retreats does not own, manage, operate, supervise, or control any transportation, vehicle, airplane, hotel or restaurants, or any other entity that supplies services related to your trip with the exception of Blisstopia Retreats Center. All suppliers are independent contractors and are not agents or employees or representatives of Blisstopia Retreats. All tickets, receipts, coupons, and vouchers are issued subject to the terms and conditions specified by each supplier, and by accepting the coupons, vouchers, and tickets, or utilizing the services, all travelers agree that neither Blisstopia Retreats, nor its employees, agents, or representatives are or may be liable for any loss, injury, or damage to any trip traveler or their belongings, or otherwise, in connection with any service supplied or not supplied resulting directly or indirectly from any occurrence beyond the control of Blisstopia Retreats. Blisstopia Retreats assumes no responsibility or liability for any delay, change in schedule, loss, injury or damage or loss of any traveler that may result from any act or omission on the part of others; Blisstopia Retreats assumes no responsibility or liability for personal property; and Blisstopia Retreats shall be relieved of any obligations under these terms and conditions in the event of any strike, labor dispute, act of God, or of government, fire, war, whether declared or not, terrorism, insurrection, riot, theft, pilferage, epidemic, pandemic, illness, physical injury, quarantine, medical or customs or immigration regulation, delay, or cancellation. RWR accepts no responsibility for lost or stolen items. Blisstopia Retreats reserves the right to refuse any traveler or potential traveler at its sole discretion.

Assumption of Risk/Waiver

Blisstopia RetreatsTraveler/retreat guest is aware that travel such area as traveler is undertaking on the trip may involve inherent risks, some in remote areas of the world. Inherent risks include, but are not limited to, risk of injury or death from: motor vehicles collisions, animals, roadway hazards, slips, and falls, criminal or terrorist acts, government actions, consumption of alcoholic beverages, tainted food, or non-potable water; exposure to the elements, including heat, cold, sun, water, and wind; your own negligence and/or the negligence of others, including tour guides, other travelers, Blisstopia Retreats and its employees, agents and/or representatives; attack by or encounter with insects, reptiles, and/or animals; accidents or illness occurring in remote places where there are no available medical services; fatigue, chill, overheating, and/or dizziness,; known or unknown medical conditions, physical excursion for which you are not prepared or other such accidents; the negligence or lack of adequate training of any third-party providers who seek to assist with medical or other help either before or after injuries have occurred; accident or illness without access to means of rapid evacuation or availability of medical supplies or services; and the adequacy of medical attention once provided.

Traveler understands the description of these risks is not complete and that unknown or unanticipated risks may result in injury, illness, or death. In order to partake of the enjoyment and excitement of this trip, traveler is willing to accept the risks and uncertainty involved as being an integral part of travel, including the risk of infection, illness, and death. Traveler hereby accepts and assumes full responsibility for any and all risks of illness, injury or death and of the negligence of Blisstopia Retreats and agrees to and shall hold harmless and fully release Blisstopia Retreats, and its employees, shareholders, agents, and representatives (together Blisstopia Retreats) from any and all claims associated with the trip, including any claims of third party negligence and/or the negligence of Blisstopia Retreats and traveler hereby covenant not to sue Blisstopia Retreats for any such claims or join any lawsuit or action that is suing Blisstopia Retreats. This agreement also binds your heirs, legal representatives, and assigns. The terms of this HOLD HARMLESS AND RELEASE OF ALL LIABILITY paragraph, shall survive any termination or cancellation of this Contract, whether by operation of law or otherwise.

Indemnification

Each traveler is expected to act responsibly and adhere to all behavior guidelines established by Blisstopia Retreats and our local suppliers. Our local suppliers reserve the right to remove you from any trip if you endanger yourself or others or disrupt others. In any such case, there will be no refund.

Traveler agrees to and shall indemnify and hold harmless Blisstopia Retreats and its employees, shareholders, agents, and representatives (collectively “Blisstopia Retreats”), from any expenses, losses, liabilities, damages, judgments, settlements and costs (collectively, “damages”) involved with or incurred by Blisstopia Retreats (including, without limitation, reasonable attorneys’ fees and the advancement of same) with respect to any claims, law suits, arbitrations, or other causes of action, which result, directly or indirectly, from: (i) traveler’s breach or violation, or threatened breach or violation, of this Agreement and (ii) Any damage caused by traveler while participating in the trip.

Claims + Complaints

If you have a complaint, please first inform the Retreat Leader or guide at the earliest opportunity to allow the grievance to be rectified. If satisfaction is not reached, contact us (info@blisstopiaretreats.com) while on retreat in order to give us the opportunity to rectify the matter. Failure to indicate dissatisfaction during the retreat will result in your ability to claim compensation from us being extinguished or at least reduced. If satisfaction is still not reached through these means on retreat, then any further complaint must be put in writing us within 15 days of the end of the trip.