Terms & Conditions
How to book
Please use the Contact Us section of the website or e-mail [email protected] to check availability and we will send you a Booking Form. Once we receive the form and a deposit of £300 payable by bank transfer, we will send out a line-item Confirmation Invoice showing exactly what you have booked. The balance is due 60 days prior to the elective placement start date and must be paid to avoid cancellation. If your booking is less than 8 weeks before departure, the full amount is required with the Booking Form. You must have read, understood and accept these booking terms and conditions before submitting the Booking Form.
Flight Information
The price of your flight is not included in the tour price. Once you have booked your flights please send us a confirmation email and we will arrange to meet you at the airport.
Passports and Visas
You should be in possession of a full current passport with expiry at least 6 months after your return date. You are responsible for ensuring you have a visa, if required.
Vaccinations
You must make sure all UK vaccinations are up to date.
Accommodation
We will let you know details and the address before you start the placement. We allow students to occupy the accommodation two days prior and two days after the elective start and finish date. Accommodation preferences are prioritised based on date of receipt of deposit. Students are not guaranteed their own rooms and, if the main property is full, comparable accommodation is provided.
Disability
Please let us know in advance if you have a disability. We will do our utmost to make the placement accessible to you, but we cannot promise that we will be able to make every case work due to hospital and accommodation accessibility.
Booking Terms and Conditions
Contract
Your contract is with Caribbean Electives Abroad Ltd who are registered in England (Company Number 13835050). When a signed Booking Form has been received by us with the relevant non-returnable deposit, we will issue a Confirmation Invoice to confirm your placement. The invoice acts as confirmation of contract. It is your responsibility to check the details on the Invoice are correct and inform us of any discrepancies immediately. Payment of the deposit and signature on the Booking Form indicates your acceptance of these Terms and Conditions. The contract is governed by English law and you agree to submit to the jurisdiction of the English Courts at all times.
Payments
A deposit of £300 is required to confirm a booking and secure the accommodation for the trip. The remaining balance must be paid eight weeks prior to the departure date. If the balance is not paid by the date given on the Confirmation Invoice, we reserve the right to cancel your booking and keep the deposit. If your booking is less than eight weeks prior to departure date, the full amount is payable on booking. The signatory is responsible for the full cost of the placement.
Price
We reserve the right to amend our prices at any time prior to booking. However, once the Confirmation Invoice has been issued, the price of the placement will not be increased unless required by changes to tax law or other such force majeur situations. This does not apply to invoicing errors or omissions.
Travel Insurance
It is a condition of your booking that you get comprehensive travel insurance
Cancellation Policy
If you wish to cancel, you must advise us in writing by post or email. A cancellation will be effective from the date received and the following cancellation charges will apply
More than 60 days = loss of deposit paid
Within 60 days = 100% of the placement cost.
Alterations
We will try wherever possible, but cannot not guarantee, to be flexible with desired change requests after booking. However, there will be no refund for any unused services (i.e. if you return early or do not use accommodation provided).
If you transfer the booking to another person, you must write before the final payment date with full details of the proposed new placement member and the full final payment. Caribbean Electives Abroad reserves the right to refuse any changes in placement, if not considered a fit and proper person for the placement.
Force Majeure
Caribbean Electives Abroad cannot accept responsibility or pay compensation when we are forced to change, curtail or cancel due to Force Majeure. Force Majeure includes war or threat of war, riot, civil strife, terrorist activity, industrial disputes, unavoidable technical problems with transport, closure of airports, natural and nuclear disasters, fire, adverse weather conditions or similar events beyond our control.
We cannot be held responsible for death, bodily injury, illness, loss or disappointment. In all instances, any compensation shall be limited to the cost of your placement. All flight bookings are subject to the conditions of carriage the air carrier used.
Conditions of participation
Check that Confirmation Invoice is correct and that you know the date the final payment is due.
You must:
- Provide accurate information on the medical form.
- Comply with all entry, immigration, customs and foreign exchange rules. You will respect local attitudes, cultures beliefs and laws of St Vincent.
- Agree to follow the advice of the group leaders at all times and have a duty of care to anyone associated with the placement. Caribbean Electives Abroad reserve the unconditional right to refuse a booking or terminate your place if your behaviour is likely to cause distress, danger, offence or damage to others. Caribbean Elective Abroad’s responsibilities will cease on termination and cannot be responsible for return travel arrangements nor pay compensation, costs or refunds.
- Agree to follow the house rules for communal living, which include not spending the night away and not bringing someone back to the accommodation.
Fitness
You must list all health conditions on the medical form and Caribbean Electives Abroad has the right to decline a booking if we think your fitness is an issue.
Health and Safety
Participation in activities that contain an element of risk of personal injury are solely at your discretion. The risks and responsibility are yours alone. The terms include that you have full medical and travel insurance. You are advised that St Vincent does not supply comprehensive free healthcare services. You accept that the health facilities may be of a lower standard to your home country and may not provide the level of treatment you expect in an emergency and that there may be complications due to the tropical environment.
Complaints
If you have a complaint during the placement, you must inform local staff immediately to allow them the opportunity to resolve it. If the matter is not resolved to your satisfaction, then a written complaint or email must be received within 7 days of your return. No liability will be accepted for complaints not passed to local staff, nor for those received beyond the stated time limit. We will look into the complaint and respond in writing within 14 working days.
Damages
Students are responsible for any damages they cause and, until paid in full, they will not receive sign off from the programme.
Affiliated Partners
Many of our tours and excursions are operated by affiliated partners. However, these are separate entities and Caribbean Electives Abroad cannot be responsible for any actions or decisions from such partners.
Practical Observation and Engagement & University Requirements
1. Mandatory University Requirements
If your university requires specific clinical milestones for academic credit -such as surgical exposure, operating theatre access, scrubbing in, or other practical experience -you must formally notify us.
Submission: You must submit all official university forms and requirement checklists to us via email at [email protected].
- Deadline: These documents must be received at least 90 days prior to your elective start date.
- Purpose: This lead time is essential for us to coordinate with medical staff and ensure your requirements are satisfied for academic credit.
2. Optional Clinical Exposure
If your university does not mandate specific practical skills , but you would personally like to request exposure(e.g., theater access of specific clinical observations):
- Submission: You must formally inform us of your interest in writing.
- Deadline: Requests must be submitted at least 90 days prior to your elective start date.
3. Practical Limitations and Discretion
- While we strive to facilitate a comprehensive clinical experience, all placement are governed by the following:
- Professional Discretion: All forms of practical exposure and theater access are strictly at the supervising doctor’s discretion.
- Resource Availability: Access is subject to the availability of the doctor’s, patient’s consent and the specific operational capacity of the hospital or clinic at that time.
- Facilitation: We work diligently with our medical partners to facilitate these experiences, but we cannot guarantee specific procedures due to the unpredictable nature of clinical environments.
4. Professional Accountability
While Caribbean Electives Abroad strives to ensure quality clinical placements, students bear the primary responsibility for monitoring their own progress towards clinical requirements. The student is responsible for immediately flagging any environment or scheduling discrepancies that hinders their ability to meet learning objectives. This includes, but is not limited to cancellations by the preceptor, insufficient patient volume, or restricted access to required procedures.
In the event a preceptor(physician, supervisor, hospital or clinic) fails to provide the necessary exposure, cancels sessions or otherwise prevents the student from fulfilling their curriculum requirements, the student must notify the Elective Coordinator via email at [email protected] within 24 hours.
Upon notification, Caribbean Electives Abroad will make all reasonable efforts to rectify the situation; however, the organization cannot guarantee that the adjustments or alternative arrangements can be implemented within the student’s remaining placement window
Failure to report clinical disruptions within this timeframe absolves Caribbean Electives Abroad of any liability or responsibility for the student’s failure to meet curriculum standards and the student waives any claim against the organization regarding resulting academic or professional repercussions.
Trips Policy
1. Scheduling and Logistics
CEA handles all logistics to ensure your experience is seamless. However, due to the nature of maritime activities, scheduling is not fixed:
- Discretionary Scheduling: CEA reserves the right to schedule or reschedule trips based on when weather conditions and logistics permit a comfortable and safe environment for all guests.
- Timing: Final confirmation of departure times will be provided to participants via official communication channels (email/WhatsApp) 24–48 hours prior to the excursion.
2. Safety and Group Welfare
Safety is our non-negotiable priority. To maintain the highest stahdards:
- Operational Authority: CEA and the designated vessel captain reserve the right to make all fianal decisions regarding the safety of the party.
- Route Alterations: If sea conditions, visibility, or mechanical considerations change during a trip, CEA reserves the right to alter the itinerary or return to port early to protect the wellbeing of the group
- Participant Conduct: CEA reserves the right to refuse boarding or remove any individual whose behaviour compromises the safety or comfort of the party.
- Final confirmation of departure times will be provided to participants via official communication channels (email/WhatsApp) 24–48 hours prior to the excursion.
3. Weather Policy
In the event of inclement weather (high winds, heavy swells, or lightning) reported by the national weather service within 12 hours of the trip, CEA will attempt to provide an alternative dateafety and Group Welfare
Note: While we strive to complete every trip, safety-related cancellations made by CEA are final and are enacted to prevent unnecessary risk to students and crew
4. Compensation and Refunds
While CEA strives to deliver the full itinerary for every trip, we acknowledge that nature can be unpredictable. In the even of a disruption:
- Partial refunds: If a trip is shortened or cancelled while in progress due to unforeseen weather conditions that hamper operations or jeopardize the safety of students, CEA may, at its sole discretion, issue a partial refund or credit.
- Assessment: The value of any partial refund will be determined based on the portion of the trip already completed and the non-refundable costs incurred by CEA (such as park fee, catering, and fuel).
- Finality: All decisions regarding compensation are made on a case-by-case basis and are final.
Caribbean Electives Abroad