Questions & Answers

Find answers to some of your questions on this page.

Is travel insurance included?: » Answer from The Captain's Choice Tour available here; As from 31st of March 2010, insurance is no longer included in the price of your tour. We highly recommend you to take out travel insurance yourself. Please ask our reservations team if you require further information.

What if I have my own travel insurance?: » Answer from The Captain's Choice Tour available here; Travel insurance is very strongly recommended and The Captain’s Choice Tour includes this for you. However for those who wish to take out their own travel insurance we will refund the insurance cost off the total payment due for your tour, If you elect to use your own travel insurance we strongly urge to you read all of the fine print and ensure you are completely covered.

What about tourist visas for certain countries?: » Answer from The Captain's Choice Tour available here; Many of the countries featured on our tours require visitors to have a visa in their passport prior to entering the country. The Captain’s Choice Tour arranges the relevant visas on your behalf. Visa costs are not included in the tour price as many of our guests have passports of various nationalities, each with their own visa requirements and cost structures.

What is the weather like?: » Answer from The Captain's Choice Tour available here; The weather depends on the countries you visit. Generally speaking The Captain’s Choice Tours visit a region at the opportune time for mild weather. More specifically, guests on each tour are supplied with details on the expected weather for each destination. Refer to the Tours page Q&As on this website for more specific information for each tour.

What sort of clothes should I pack?: » Answer from The Captain's Choice Tour available here; There is no dress code on our tours – it is your holiday and you choose whatever is comfortable for you to wear. Most of our guests wear smart casual clothing and comfortable footwear is certainly recommended for the day tours. On some of the cruise ships we utilise there may be a more formal dress code, we will advise this prior to travel. On some days on some tours there may be a need to dress conservatively to adhere to local customs or religious beliefs, your Tour Manager will advise such on the previous day. Refer to the specific Q&A for each tour on this website for more details about clothing.

Can I extend my trip at either the start or the end of the tour?: » Answer from The Captain's Choice Tour available here; Yes, you can leave the UK before the group departure date and meet at the hotel on the day the group arrives and/or you can stay on in the country after the tour has been completed. Charges may apply if travel is not on group flights, please speak to one of our Tour Specialists for full details. Your Tour Specialist is happy to make any additional arrangements that you require.

Can I use a different airline and/or use my frequent flyer points and join the tour at the international starting point?: » Answer from The Captain's Choice Tour available here; Yes, it is possible to travel with another airline or use your frequent flyer points. Please see the Land Only content price of each tour; this price does not include transfers to/from the airport or travel insurance.

How much money do I need to take and in what currency?: » Answer from The Captain's Choice Tour available here; The Captain’s Choice Tour is fully inclusive of all travel costs, it is possible to complete a tour without spending an extra penny! However if you would like to buy souvenirs, extra drinks or do some laundry, this is at your own expense. Generally speaking, the best option is to purchase US dollar or Euro travellers cheques and/or currency (in small denominations) before you leave the UK, these can be exchanged for local currency whilst overseas. Travellers cheques you have left over can be changed back into UK pounds sterling. Please bear in mind, some countries travellers cheques can be extremely difficult to exchange. More specific information on what currency to take on your holiday can be found in the Q&A page for each tour and will be provided prior to departure of each tour.

Do I need to carry small change to tip hotel porters, tour guides, etc.?: » Answer from The Captain's Choice Tour available here; All Captains Choice Tours are inclusive of all tipping and taxes. In some circumstances you may wish to tip for exceptional service but it is not expected as your Tour Manager will tip guides, drivers, porters, restaurant staff, etc. on your behalf. However you may find carrying small change useful for small purchases such as stamps or additional water; small change may also be handy for use of public toilets.

Do you include alcoholic drinks with meals?: » Answer from The Captain's Choice Tour available here; We include one glass of wine, beer or soft drink with all group dinners. On some occasions on your tour we will provide drinks throughout dinner. We are unable to include any alcoholic drinks at dine-around meals but we do include water and coffee/tea on these nights.

Why does a Doctor travel on each tour?: » Answer from The Captain's Choice Tour available here; The Captain’s Choice Tour often visits countries where English is not widely spoken and where healthcare facilities often do not meet western standards. Having a doctor travel with the group provides reassurance and enables travel to continue uninhibited if minor health concerns, such as colds or stomach illness, arise. The Tour Doctor provides immediate but limited medical assistance for tour guests if the need arises. The Tour Doctor does not provide extended care for pre-existing conditions.

Do I have to pay to see the Tour Doctor?: » Answer from The Captain's Choice Tour available here; No charge applies for seeing the Tour Doctor but medicine prescribed by the doctor may be at a nominal cost.

I am travelling alone, do I need to pay for a single room?: » Answer from The Captain's Choice Tour available here; The Captain’s Choice Tour guarantees to match solo travellers with another person of the same gender at no additional cost (with the exclusion of cruise and train tours). If you do not wish to share with a stranger you can guarantee your own room by paying a single supplement; we keep our single supplements as low as possible. On cruise tours and tours involving overnight train travel (such as Silk Route and Hong Kong to Tibet) we will endeavour to match you with another traveller however this cannot be guaranteed and occupancy of a single cabin by choice or circumstance will require payment of a single supplement.

Do you have many solo travellers on your tours?: » Answer from The Captain's Choice Tour available here; We know sharing the experience is an important part of travel but for many reasons people travel alone. On an average Captain’s Choice Tour approximately 25% of our guests are solo travellers, but all return home with many new friends and companions. To make meeting new friends easier we hold a special welcome reception at the start of each tour for single travellers. This enables you to get to know others travelling alone as well as providing a great opportunity to meet the Tour Escort Team. In addition to your fellow travellers, members of the Tour Escort Team are always available to dine with and chat to, so you should never feel alone on your holiday.

I have previously travelled with The Captain's Choice Tour, am I entitled to any discounts?: » Answer from The Captain's Choice Tour available here; All people who travel on a Captain’s Choice Tour automatically become members of the ‘Captain’s Club’. People who have completed 1-3 tours receive a £100 reduction per person off their next tour. People who have completed 4+ tours receive a £200 per person reduction off their next tour.

What advantage are the personal headsets?: » Answer from The Captain's Choice Tour available here; Personal headsets are provided for use on most sightseeing tours whilst on tour, they are particularly advantageous for walking tours and museum visits. The personal headsets allow you to listen to our guide’s live commentary at your preferred level of sound. The headsets also allow you to move a small distance away from the group to investigate something of interest whilst still hearing the commentary. Personal headsets are provided on all tours listed within our orange coloured 2008 brochure, this covers most tours within our ‘General Tours’ category on the website. Please enquire (PLS MAKE ENQUIRE AN EMAIL LINK info@captainschoice.co.uk) if you would like more details.

What electrical plugs should I take?: » Answer from The Captain's Choice Tour available here; You can purchase electrical voltage adaptors and corresponding plugs for use in other countries from many stores – including department stores, luggage shops and duty free outlets. Refer to the specific Tour Q&As for exact electrical requirements for each tour.

Do I need vaccinations before I travel?: » Answer from The Captain's Choice Tour available here; Prior to departure you will receive a letter from The Captain’s Choice Tour Doctor, outlining recommended vaccinations and medications to take on your holiday. Generally speaking, you will be required to have your tetanus/polio and Hepatitis A/B vaccinations up to date. We strongly advise you talk with your own doctor and consult the Traveller’s Medical & Vaccination Centre (TMVC) in your area about vaccinations and any health concerns you may have. We strongly recommend that you discuss any medical requirements with your GP, or local travel clinic (see Yellow Pages) for the most up to date information.

Why should I take the whole tour package including flights rather than purchasing the Land Only package?: » Answer from The Captain's Choice Tour available here; We have selected the most appropriate flights considering airline’s schedules, airline’s reputation and price according to each itinerary. When you purchase the full package from The Captain’s Choice Tour it includes your travel insurance and your transfers to/from the airport to the hotel – the Land Only price does not include transfers or travel insurance. You will still accrue your frequent flyer points if you are a member of the airline’s frequent flyer program. (On rare occasions some airlines may not allow this. Unfortunately on our private jet tours frequent flyer points cannot be used for flights nor does the airline allow frequent flyer points to be accumulated.) We are ATOL bonded which protects you, the customer, from any financial failure on the part of the airline.

Can I elect to travel on only part of a tour?: » Answer from The Captain's Choice Tour available here; The Captain’s Choice Tours are designed to be experienced in their entirety. However, on occasions, there may be opportunity to take only part of the tour. This varies for each tour, please contact The Captain’s Choice Tour (Citrus – pls make The Captain’s Choice Tour an email link info@captainschoice.co.uk) for further details.

How many people are on each tour?: » Answer from The Captain's Choice Tour available here; The number of guests per tour varies greatly depending on the tour. On average our tours carry a maximum of 40 passengers but our private train and private air charters carry more guests. We do not fill coaches to capacity, for example, for a tour of 40 people we will use two buses, enabling you additional room to relax and view out of the windows. On our large tours, such as the Silk Route, each coach will take a maximum of 30 guests and operate to a different daily itinerary to avoid congestion of 5 buses at the one site. The advantage of travelling in a large group is that we have the convenience of our private train (or aircraft) and we are able to offer a number of spectacular dinners including top quality, privately performed entertainment such as the Merchants’ House Dinner in Samakand and the spectacular Dance Show in the Dogon Country Please refer to the Q&A for each particular tour for specific information on maximum guest numbers.

What about laundry facilities whilst on tour?: » Answer from The Captain's Choice Tour available here; On each tour there will be several occasions where there is normally ample time to have your laundry done by the hotel (own cost). If you wish to hand wash small items we recommend that you take a small travel clothesline on which you can dry items overnight in your room. On ships (Silversea, Seabourn and Regent) there is a self service laundry onboard where you can wash and dry your own clothes at no additional charge, alternatively you can have your laundry sent out (own cost).

What forms of payment do you accept?: » Answer from The Captain's Choice Tour available here; The Captain’s Choice Tour accepts all major credit cards (Visa, Mastercard Switch Maestro and other debit cards) and will not charge you a service fee. We also accept personal cheques, bank cheques and direct deposits into our bank account.

What are the luggage restrictions?: » Answer from The Captain's Choice Tour available here; The Captain’s Choice Tour includes porterage of one suitcase size of luggage per person. You should also consider airline’s weight restrictions, normally 20kg in Economy Class and 30kg in Business Class and First Class. There are some tours, where we use smaller regional aircraft, when all guests may be limited to 20kg per person – of course this would be advised prior to travel. Excess luggage charges must be paid by the guest.

What is the benefit of travelling aboard a Private Train?: » Answer from The Captain's Choice Tour available here; Travelling aboard your private train affords you the luxury of direct connections to the destinations you want to visit. Our private train adheres to our schedule and waits for us in each of the destination. We use a private train on the Silk Route and Tibet to Hong Kong and for part of the journey on Cape Town to Cairo. Examples of benefits of private train travel are that you simply relax and watch the scenery go past. Lunch and some dinners are served in the dining cars and you are free to move about – stretching your legs and chatting to fellow travelling companions. Also, there is no need for queuing at road border crossings, which during the peak travel periods can take up to five or more hours. On Silk Route there is a combination of hotel accommodation and overnight travel aboard the train as there are a number of occasions where there simply is no good quality hotel accommodation available! On Tibet to Hong Kong, most of the overnight accommodation is provided aboard the train, enabling you to traverse long distances during the night and in comfort. On Cape Town to Cairo we travel aboard the Rovos Rail luxury train from Cape Town to Pretoria.

What is the benefit of travelling aboard a Private Aircraft?: » Answer from The Captain's Choice Tour available here; Travelling aboard your private aircraft enables you to reach the destinations you wish to visit with ease and speed. It eliminates much of the time you would normally spend waiting at airports as we can often arrange expedited Customs and Immigration arrangements (dependent on local conditions). Private air travel also provides you with direct connections between cities for which no scheduled services fly, often the time (and cost) saved is enormous – giving you more time to spend your holiday relaxing and sightseeing. The camaraderie between guests, Tour Escorts and crew aboard the private air charters makes it a very pleasant way to travel – completely unlike an ordinary flight!

What about photography?: » Answer from The Captain's Choice Tour available here; Taking photos is one of the great joys of travel and you are sure to find many great photographic opportunities on your holiday. Whether you are an aspiring professional or a “click and shoot” photographer we strongly recommend you purchase sufficient film, batteries and memory cards prior to departure as these can sometimes be difficult (and unreliable) to obtain overseas. We also recommend that, particularly when exploring a city independently, that you carry your camera safely in a bag rather than around your neck. When taking photos of people it is always good practice to first ask their permission. Some cultures have a strong aversion to being photographed and others are simply timid about having a foreigner take their photo. If you are using a digital camera you can overcome many barriers by showing them their image on the display; this also provides a great opportunity to interact with the local people. To save you the hassle and stress of always remembering and carrying your camera and to enable you to live in the moment and enjoy the experience rather than peering from behind a camera lense, The Captain’s Choice Tour (from 2008) will provide you with a CD of photos taken aboard your tour. The photos will be taken by a member of your Tour Escort Team, who is not a professional photographer but who is capable of taking some good snaps. The CD of photos will be sent to you with a Tour Certificate and group photograph after you return home from tour.

Why do you say we stay at five star or best available hotels?: » Answer from The Captain's Choice Tour available here; Where there is a five star hotel available and suited to a group The Captain’s Choice Tour will utilise the five star hotel. Because The Captain’s Choice Tour specialises in travel to remote destinations, there are sometimes simply no five star hotels in the area – this is when we stay at the best available hotel (often 3½ or 4 star).

Who will be on the tour with me?: » Answer from The Captain's Choice Tour available here; On each tour we take a Tour Escort Team. The size of the Escort Team depends on the number of guests we have on each tour. On a tour of 20 people we have a Tour Manager and a Tour Doctor. On a tour of 40 people we have a Tour Manager, two Tour Escorts and a Tour Doctor. You will also be in the company of fellow travellers. All of our guests are English Speaking and are made up of Australians, New Zealanders and British. Of course we welcome people from all countries to join our tours.

Do the tours have many early mornings?: » Answer from The Captain's Choice Tour available here; Most of your touring days will begin between 9am-10am. On travelling days the time of departure is dictated by the distance to cover to the next destination. Where possible we avoid having very early mornings however sometimes an early morning is necessitated by an airline’s schedule.

Is there free time on the tours?: » Answer from The Captain's Choice Tour available here; On each tour we do try and incorporate a number of free afternoons (and sometimes mornings) so you have the freedom to “do your own thing” – be that shopping, individual exploration or resting. Please refer to individual itineraries for details.

I have special dietary requirements, what happens on tour?: » Answer from The Captain's Choice Tour available here; Generally speaking we are able to cater for most dietary requirements, e.g. diabetic, vegetarian, celiac. We also make small plastic cards for you to take on tour, providing the translations into the local language about your dietary needs. However it can sometimes be difficult in places, such as China, to provide varied and nutritious meals for people with strict dietary restrictions. We will do our utmost to cater for all dietary needs but if your dietary requirements are strict we suggest you bring some of the essentials from home (bearing in mind customs restrictions of some foods).

When does my Tour Escort Team get selected?: » Answer from The Captain's Choice Tour available here; Your Tour Escort Team will be selected and advised to you one month prior to travel. The details of each Tour Escort will be in the Tour Compendium (sent one month prior to travel).

After I make a booking, what happens?: » Answer from The Captain's Choice Tour available here; When you make your booking and pay your deposit we send you a confirmation letter, booking form (where you complete your essential information) and travel insurance application form. We encourage you to return the travel insurance form at your earliest convenience so that we can take out your insurance and obtain coverage as soon as possible. Three months prior to travel (four for cruises and Silk Route) you will receive a comprehensive letter from us that provides additional information about your tour. At this time we will also send you the visa forms to be completed and returned with your passport. One month prior to travel you will receive some additional information including a comprehensive Tour Compendium, detailing the culture, history, politics, etc of each destination you will visit as well as the day by day activities you can expect whilst on tour. Two weeks prior to travel you will receive your air tickets and travel documents including your passport with the necessary visas inside. Of course your appointed Tour Specialist, or anyone within our office, is always available to answer any questions you may have.

What happens if I pay my deposit but cannot obtain travel insurance for any reason, e.g. pre-existing condition?: » Answer from The Captain's Choice Tour available here; We require a deposit to confirm your place on a tour and then we send insurance forms. If our insurance company decline to cover you for travel insurance and you are unable to find travel insurance through another provider we will refund your deposit. The refunding of your deposit is contingent upon your effort to apply for travel insurance within two weeks of your booking.

Do I have to pay for shore excursions on the ship tours?: » Answer from The Captain's Choice Tour available here; No. The Captain’s Choice Tour includes exclusive, private shore excursions as listed in the itinerary. There is no need to queue and then pay extra whilst on your cruise.

What's Included: » Answer from The Captain's Choice Tour available here; 5-star accommodation (best available in remote places). All meals, including regional banquets and entertainment A welcome drink at all group dinners. All sightseeing with English speaking guides. All tipping, taxes and travel insurance included Personalised attention through a high ratio of Tour Escorts to passengers A doctor accompanies you throughout the tour. Special luggage handling to ensure the safe delivery of your luggage from room to room between destinations. Bottled or purified water each day whilst sightseeing and with all meals

Wheelchairs: » Answer from The Captain's Choice Tour available here; Our means of transport (Trains, Airplanes or Cruise Vessels) have not been designed nor adapted for passengers in wheelchairs. If you intend to travel on one of our coaches you must satisfy yourself as to its suitability before boarding. When travelling on any of our means of transport, if you use a wheelchair you must bring enough helpers to enable you to make your journey safely including getting on board the mode of transport and disembarking it at your destination. Under no circumstances must wheelchairs obstruct any access to safety equipment, gangways, stairs or passageways.

Passports: » Answer from The Captain's Choice Tour available here; The passports of all persons travelling on the tour need to be valid for 6 months after the return. Given that some countries require a longer passport validity it is advisable that you contact one our Tour Specialists to make sure. A copy of the passport photo required at the time of booking.

Advanced Booking: » Answer from The Captain's Choice Tour available here; Some of popular tours have several departures and feature year after year. We take advance bookings on these tours before the brochure becomes available. To make an advance booking we require a fully refundable deposit of £100 to secure your place. This advance booking gives you priority over other passengers. With advance bookings we are not able to guarantee the price or date of any of the tours, however as soon as we receive details of the itineraries we will forward them to you. Once you receive this information you have 14 days to decide to continue with a booking or cancel and have your deposit fully refunded. After this 14 day period the deposit becomes non-refundable.

Waitlist: » Answer from The Captain's Choice Tour available here; Certain tours are extremely popular and quickly become full. We currently operate a first come first served waitlist system for all full tours. If we receive a cancellation then the customer at the top of the waitlist will automatically receive the booking. A deposit of £100 for the tour is required as a guarantee of customer commitment; however this deposit is fully refundable.

Departure: » Answer from The Captain's Choice Tour available here; We currently operate a meet and greet service at London Heathrow for passengers on the flight inclusive tours. This service is not available for passengers who choose the Land Only Tour Option or for those connecting from a domestic flight from elsewhere in the UK.

Seminars and Appointments: » Answer from The Captain's Choice Tour available here; We hold a session of complimentary seminars on a regular basis at which we cover in depth a selection of our tours and demonstrate the benefits of luxury travel. With our team on hand to answer any queries, these seminars are a great opportunity to find out more about our experiences. If our seminars do not cover a tour you wish to discover more about, then do not hesitate to call one of Tour Specialists to book an individual appointment with us.

What level of fitness am I required to have to get the most of out these tours?: » Answer from The Captain's Choice Tour available here; Our tours travel to remote and exotic destinations but do not entail high degrees of physical activity. However, to ensure the enjoyment of the tour for all guests we do have a minimum fitness level requirement, according to basic fitness criteria, for all of our journeys. The criteria have been established with your best interests in mind and in consideration of your fellow travellers. If you are not of a certain level of fitness it may result in spending less time at places of interest, which can detract enjoyment from the tour for your fellow passengers. These 5 Criteria are in the form of a 'Fitness Agreement' which will need to be completed and signed before we finalise your booking. · Walk 2 kilometres (with stops) comfortably (in hot, humid conditions) · Walk up 2 flights of stairs comfortably and unaided · Walk comfortably along uneven and loose surfaces · Embark/disembark boats, trains and buses unaided · Carry your own hand luggage If you are unable to fulfill all activities listed above it may mean that The Captain's Choice Tour is not suited to your needs. We encourage you to talk to your personal GP or contact our office to receive further advice about the level of activity on a specific tour. The Fitness Agreement must be completed, signed and forwarded to our office within 7 days of your booking confirmation. The Fitness Agreement can be downloaded from the Terms & Conditions page (see bottom of page).