The Booking Team are here to answer your queries and take your booking, between 8:30am and 6:00pm Mondays to Fridays and between 09:00am and 5:00pm Saturdays, Sundays, and bank holidays except for a few days over Christmas. We will be delighted to help you choose between boats, bases and routes and also give you up to the minute information about boat availability. If you prefer you can look for yourself on our online boat availability checker. Once you have made up your mind, we will take your booking details and then ask you to let us have a completed booking form and deposit within 7 days. We cannot guarantee to hold a boat for you for longer than this.  Information and booking line          0845 126 4098 (from overseas +44 1905 734168) Click here for our booking forms. After receiving your booking form and deposit we will send you a formal confirmation as well as any publications you may have ordered. Once your balance has been paid you will recieve a Holiday Guide and British Waterways Boaters Guide free of charge which will be especially helpful for first time hirers. The final balance of the cost of the holiday should be paid not later than eight weeks before the start date and can be made online here (Online Balance Payment). There is a 2% charge for payments made by credit card. We look forward to welcoming you for an Alvechurch holiday. Click here for our Conditions of Hire. Additional Charges Explained Compulsory Damage Waiver A non-refundable payment of £45 per boat per booking (not per week) will be added to your invoice and covers you in the event of damage, loss or accident to your boat or its inventory during your holiday. It is non-refundable and avoids the requirement for a damage deposit payment of £500 to cover the insurance excess pending any claims. There are certain exclusions:  Any claims arising from excessive speed (the limit is 4mph)  Damage arising from negligence, malicious or intentional damage to the boat, its inventory, third party property, the canal and its structures.  Damage to the rudder, skeg or transmission due to contact with a lock sill.  Return of the boat late and/or in an unclean condition. Exclusions to Damage Waiver scheme Any claims arising from excessive speed (the speed limit is 4 miles per hour on the canal system). Damage arising from negligence or malicious or intentional damage to the boat, its inventory, third party property, the canal and its structures. Damage to the rudder, skeg or transmission due to contact with a lock sill. Return of the boat late and/or in an unclean condition.

Cancellation Protection Plan (Required)

Cancellation Protection Fees

Once a deposit has been paid and a booking confirmed, a contract exists, and you will be liable for the whole of the hire charge even if you are prevented from taking your holiday. 

The Company have arranged a Cancellation Protection Plan (CPP) against this liability in certain circumstances.

The charge for the CPP is calculated at the rate of 4% of the hire charge payable. CPP payments are not refundable.

The fee is automatically added to the initial payment and will only be
waived if:
a) the whole cost of the holiday is paid on booking and written
confirmation is received that you accept the risk of no refund if
cancellation becomes necessary or
b) if you have a cancellation insurance with cover that is comparable or
exceeds our scheme, and can provide documentary evidence of such at
the time of booking the holiday. Payments for the cancellation
protection plan are not refundable.
Where any of the qualifying circumstances are met, all hire monies paid
will be refunded less the CPP subscription fee and you will be absolved
from liability for any balance of hire payment outstanding. The decision
of The Company on all claims will be final.
 CPP only covers complete cancellation prior to the start of the
holiday. It does not give a partial refund in the event of one or
more persons being unable to take their place in the crew.
 Cover is only provided to those people detailed with names
and addresses shown on the booking form.
 Any claim must be supported by suitable documentary evidence.
 Any claim must be made at the earliest opportunity by
telephone and then be confirmed within seven days by
Recorded Delivery Mail.

Qualifying Circumstances
Death, injury, illness, pregnancy complications or confinement
immediately prior to holiday commencement (certified in all cases by a
qualified registered medical practitioner).
Death, injury, illness, pregnancy complications or confinement (certified
in all cases by a qualified registered medical practitioner) of a near
relative (husband, wife, father, mother, parent-in-law, sister, brother or
child) or a close business associate of any named member of the party
immediately prior to holiday commencement.
Jury or witness service (in a court of law), or redundancy (qualifying for
payment under the Redundancy Payment Act 1965).
Fire, storm, flood, subsidence or malicious damage making the hirer’s
home uninhabitable.
Police requiring the hirer’s presence following burglary at home or place
of business.
Cancelled leave orders in respect of the U.K. police and military
personnel.
Unforeseen occupational posting in respect of the hirer’s present
employment immediately prior to holiday commencement.

With the exception of maternity the above circumstances must occur
after the holiday has been booked and the CPP fee paid.

Fuel

As global fuel prices continue to fluctuate it has created a
situation whereby we are unable to forecast fuel prices for 2009
holidays. In addition to this you may be aware that our boats use
red diesel, which has until now carried a low fuel tax charge.
Unfortunately the EU Energy Products Directive is set to change
this on the 1st November 2008. At the time of going to print
Customs & Revenue have not set the 2009 duty levels for marine
fuel . We therefore believe that the fairest system is to request
that you pay for the actual fuel that you use at the end of your
holiday rather than us try to guess. Some of our customers wish
to cruise for longer days and therefore it is only right that they
should pay to do so rather than other customers who only wish to
cruise short days subsidising them.
We do not wish to implement fuel surcharges and therefore
believe the reasonable way to resolve price setting for 2009 is to
hold our 2008 prices and ask you to pay for the fuel that you use.
This of course means that you may also benefit from any
reduction in fuel price that takes place. We hope that you
understand our reasons for implementing this change.
The boat is ready fuelled for your holiday on arrival, but there is a
fuel deposit payable with your holiday booking. This is £85 per
week and £50 per short break as the cost of fuel is not included
in the hire cost. When you return the boat to us the balance is
refundable after deducting fuel used. However if you have
used fuel in excess of the deposit you will be asked to pay
the difference.

Personal Holiday Insurance

Optional Berths

Optional high level berths where available are £50 per week £25
per short break each.

Pets

This really is a holiday the whole family can enjoy together. We charge £25 for each pet.We obviously request that the boat is returned in a clean and tidy condition and reserve the right to refuse pets or charge for any additional cleaning or repairs required as a result of pets being on board during your holiday.

Credit Card Surcharge
Please note that a surcharge of 2% of the payment made will be
applied if a credit card is used. If only part payment is made (eg
deposit) by credit card and the remainder by an alternative method, the
surcharge will only apply to the amount paid by credit card (overseas
debit cards may also incur the 2% surcharge, please check with your
card issuer to verify).