Terms and Conditions of Houseboat Hire | Luxury Houseboats

Terms & Conditions of Hire

Deposit/Booking Fee

A deposit of $2000 (per boat) is required for bookings of two or more houseboats and also for bookings over the Christmas Week, the New Years Week, Easter, Southern 80 and any long weekends.

Security Bonds

A description of your group (ie. number of males and females and the age range of the people in your group) should be discussed with the owners prior to making a booking.   If the group, as described at the time of booking, changes prior to arrival or differs to the group on arrival the company’s right to either nominate an additional security bond to be paid prior to departure or terminate the hire, take possession of the vessel without notice and without reimbursement of any charges or hire fees.

Conditions of Hire

  1. The current prices are subject to change and any increase in hire fees for rebooked/ rescheduled dates will need to be paid where applicable. 
  2. The Hirers must hold or secure travel insurance, covering the dates of their houseboat booking, in order for a booking to be confirmed.
  3. After a reservation deposit is paid the price quoted will not change.
  4. Hirers must agree to our Terms and Conditions of Hire and complete a registration form, either electronically or manually, in order to make a booking.
  5. Once a booking is confirmed with payment the booking is not transferrable.
  6. In the unlikely event of unfavourable river conditions including, but not limited to, a flood or any unforeseen circumstances preventing or hindering our ability to provide you with a houseboat holiday, and you are unable to lodge an insurance claim but not including if you choose not to lodge an insurance claim, we will provide you with a credit voucher to the value of what you have paid. Every effort will be made to give notice in advance if such circumstances arise.

Payments & Security Bonds

  1. A booking is not guaranteed until the full deposit is received and travel insurance details are provided.
  2. The standard deposit for a weekend or midweek hire is $1,500 or $2,000 for a weekly hire.
  3. A deposit of $2,000 (per boat) is required for bookings of two or more houseboats and also for bookings over the Christmas, New Years, Easter, Southern 80 and any long weekends.
  4. We require the balance of the hire fee to be paid 12 weeks prior to arrival.
  5. Hirers will receive a reminder, via email, 7 to 14 days prior to the final payment being due.
  6. If, following the reminder, we do not receive payment of the requested amount by the due date we will take this as a cancellation and the conditions detailed under the “Cancellations” section of these conditions of hire will apply.
  7. A Bond of $1,000 is payable for our Deluxe Houseboats on arrival. This bond is in addition to the hire charge and will be refunded, less fuel charges and any other extras, within 10 days of the boat being returned undamaged and in good clean condition.
  8. A Bond of $1,500 is payable for our Ultimate Houseboats on arrival. This bond is in addition to the hire charge and will be refunded, less fuel charges and any other extras, within 10 days of the boat being returned undamaged and in good clean condition.
  9. A Bond of $1,500 is payable for Icon. This bond is in addition to the hire charge and will be refunded, less fuel charges and any other extras, within 10 days of the boat being returned undamaged and in good clean condition.
  10. A Bond of $1,500 is payable for Infinity, Envy and Absolute. This bond is in addition to the hire charge and will be refunded, less fuel charges and any other extras, within 10 days of the boat being returned undamaged and in good clean condition.
  11. A Bond of $1,500 is payable our Deluxe Houseboats on hires for seven (7) nights or more.
  12. A Bond of $2,000 is payable our Ultimate Houseboats on hires for seven (7) nights or more.
  13. A Bond of $2,000 is payable for Icon on hires for seven (7) nights or more.
  14. A Bond of $2,000 is payable for Infinity, Envy and Absolute on hires for seven (7) nights or more
  15. Security Bonds must be guaranteed by a credit card.
  16. If we reasonably suspect that a hirer’s group is using, or intends to use, a houseboat in a way which poses a risk to the safety of any person or property we will treat your booking as cancelled by you and if your booking has commenced the houseboat must be vacated immediately.
  17. The houseboats are offered for private, quiet accommodation and cruising usage only. Parties, functions, bucks/ hens occasions, end of season sporting trips, end of year break-ups or any similar events are not permitted on the houseboats under any circumstances. Should a breach of this condition of hire occur, or should we reasonably suspect that you intend to breach this condition of hire, we will treat your booking as cancelled by you and if your booking has commenced the houseboat must be vacated immediately.
  18. A 1.5% Merchant Fee applies to all Visa and MasterCard transactions.
  19. We predominantly accept payments via Direct Deposit however if you wish to pay via your credit card account we can facilitate this through our BPAY payment option.   
  20. Cheques will not be accepted.

Cancellations

  1. Please see the ‘State and or Federal Government Travel Bans (Lockdowns) or Government Directives’ conditions below regarding what will happen if you are unable to travel because of a government travel ban (ie. lockdown) or any government directive that may prevent our business from operating.
  2. If a cancellation is made more than eight (8) months prior to the commencement of the hire a refund of the deposit will be payable minus a cancellation fee of $500.
  3. If a cancellation is made less than 8 months prior to the commencement of the hire a cancellation fee equivalent to 20% of the total hire fee will apply. A credit voucher for the remainder of the monies paid will be provided only when the same boat has been hired for the same hire period at the same price.
  4. If a cancellation is made less than 8 months prior to the commencement of the hire and we have been unable to hire the boat for the same hire period at the same price then, at 12 weeks prior to the arrival date, the hirer must pay the balance owing as per the agreement or forfeit of all monies paid.
  5. These cancellation conditions are fundamental conditions of this contract. This cancellation policy is not negotiable therefore hirers must hold or secure travel insurance in order to protect yourself in the event of unforeseen circumstances resulting in cancellation.   See Travel Insurance section below.
  6. Requests to change, transfer or re-schedule bookings will be deemed as a cancellation and the terms as set out in these conditions will apply.
  7. These Cancellation conditions do not apply to voucher bookings. Subject to clause 7(a) once a voucher has been redeemed the rescheduled booking dates will be locked in and no further changes to dates can occur which includes cancellation of the booking.
    • a. If at the time of your rescheduled booking a government travel ban (ie. lockdown) prevents you, the hirer, from travelling or any government directive prevents our business from operating, and you are unable to lodge a insurance claim but not including if you choose not to lodge an insurance claim, then we will provide you with a voucher to the value of 80% of the funds held.
    • b. If, for any other unforeseen circumstance, you can not undertake your rescheduled booking then you would forfeit all monies paid.
  8. Any increase in hire fees for any rebooked/ rescheduled dates will need to be paid where applicable.

Travel Insurance

  1. The hirers must hold or secure travel insurance for your houseboat holiday.
  2. The travel insurance must include, but is not limited to, cancellation cover up to the value of the hire fee and coverage if you or someone you are travelling with contracts Covid-19 and are unable to travel or if you or your travel companions area close contact of someone with Covid 19 and unable to travel.
  3. It is the hirers responsibility to ensure that your travel insurance is eligible to cover the cost of rearranging or cancelling your houseboat holiday because of an unforeseen circumstance outside of your, and our, control such as illness, accidents and natural disasters/ extreme weather conditions which must include, but is not limited to, floods and bush fires.

State and or Federal Government Travel Bans (Lockdowns) or Government Directives

  1. If you are not otherwise in breach of the hire agreement and on the date of your arrival a government travel ban (ie. lockdown) prevents you, the hirer, from travelling or any government directive prevents our business from operating, and you are unable to lodge an insurance claim but not including if you choose not to lodge an insurance claim, then:
    • a. You will receive a credit voucher equivalent to 80% of the payment held and the conditions detailed in the ‘Voucher’ section below will apply.
    • b. A fee, which is equivalent to 20% of the total hire fee, will be retained to cover our reasonable costs associated with the loss of your hire due to the government travel ban (ie. lockdown) preventing you from travel or any government directive that may prevent our business from operating.
    • c. The voucher will only be valid for travel booked and undertaken within 18 months from the original departure date.  
    • d. Refunds will not be offered, and no extensions will be offered beyond 18 months.  
    • e. This only applies to bookings where payments have been received in accordance with our payment terms as detailed at the original time of booking.
    • f. This clause does not apply if the hirer is not otherwise in breach of the hire agreement.
    • g. If, for any other unforeseen circumstance, you can not undertake your booking then our standard cancellation conditions would apply as detailed in points 1 to 9 above.

Vouchers

  1. If a voucher is issued to a hirer the voucher will contain the following conditions:
    • a. Bookings are subject to availability and the operational requirements of our business and block out dates may apply for voucher bookings. Block out dates include long weekends, the New Years week and Easter – unless your original booking was over one of these periods.b. Our Cancellation conditions (1-6) do not apply to voucher bookings.c. Our standard Terms and Conditions apply to this voucher with the exception of the Cancellation Conditions (1 – 6).d. The use of the voucher must be disclosed at the commencement of the time of re-booking.
    • e. The voucher, or any part thereof, is not refundable or redeemable for cash
    • f. The voucher is not transferrable.
    • g. The voucher will be for a specific value, it may be for a specific houseboat, and will only be valid for travel booked and undertaken within 18 months from the original departure date.  
    • h. After the expiry date the voucher will not be accepted
    • i. The voucher is single use only.
    • j. Subject to clause 7(a) of our Cancellation conditions once a voucher has been redeemed the rescheduled booking dates will be locked in and no further changes to dates can occur which includes cancellation of the booking.   
    • k. If at the time of your rescheduled booking a government travel ban (ie. lockdown) prevents you, the hirer, from travelling or any government directive prevents our business from operating, and you are unable to lodge an insurance claim but not including if you choose not to lodge an insurance claim, then we will issue you another voucher to the value of 80% of the funds held.
    • l. If, for any other unforeseen circumstance, you can not undertake your rescheduled booking then you would forfeit all monies paid.
    • m. Any increase in hire fees for rebooked/ rescheduled dates will need to be paid where applicable. 

General Conditions

  1. All occupants of the vessel are required to read and sign a comprehensive hire agreement prior to departure.
  2. All occupants of the vessel are required to be present to sign the hire agreement and receive a safety briefing prior to the houseboat leaving the mooring.
  3. Drivers of the vessel must be under 0.05 at all times.   If our staff suspect that the driver/s of the vessel are not under 0.05 the driver/s may be asked to be breathalysed prior to departure.   If the driver/s refuse to be tested or blow 0.05 or over then the vessel can not leave the mooring until the following morning.
  4. In the event that a representative of the company is required to spend time to give further instruction and/ or a safety briefing, other than at the start of a hire, you will be charged for this service at an hourly rate of $80 in respect thereof with a minimum charge of one hour.
  5. In the event that the group, as described when the houseboat booking was made (ie. number of males and females and age range of the people in your group), changes prior to arrival or differs to the group on arrival the company’s right to either nominate an additional security bond to be paid prior to departure or terminate this agreement and take possession of the vessel without notice and without reimbursement of any charges or hire fees.
  6. Occupants under 18 years of age require the signature of a parent or guardian.
  7. Occupants are not permitted to changeover during a hire period.
  8. Sub-letting of the boat is not permitted
  9. Driving lessons must have commenced by 4.30pm or you may be required to remain at the dock until the following morning.
  10. Outside of daylight savings time driving lessons must have commenced by 4.30pm (or earlier in the middle of winter) or you may be required to remain at the dock until the following morning.
  11. Houseboats are available from 3pm on the first day of hire.
  12. The boat must be vacated by 10am on the final day of hire.
  13. The houseboat must be returned in good clean condition or an extra cleaning charge will apply.
  14. Pets – Whilst we do not usually allow pets on the houseboats we are happy to assess all requests for pets to join you however, unless specifically agreed in writing with the company, pets are not permitted on our houseboats.   Pets, if allowed, are not permitted to be in/ on the carpeted areas of the houseboat and an additional bond may be required if a pet is allowed.
  15. Firearms, trail/ motorbikes and chainsaws are not permitted on board the houseboats.
  16. Smoking is not permitted inside our houseboats as it may affect others who use the boat after you. The odour of cigarette smoke in furnishings is very difficult to remove quickly and a minimum charge of $500.00 will occur if we believe that smoking has occurred inside the houseboat. Further charges may apply if linen, bedding and/ or carpets need to be cleaned/ laundered or replaced.
  17. If arriving after 4pm please phone (03) 54 802444 prior to arrival.
  18. Depending on the river conditions, and/ or based on your capacity to handle the vessel safely, we reserve the right to supply a guide who will assist in the navigation and mooring of the vessel. Within reason this will be at no additional charge to you.
  19. If you are provided with a voucher the conditions as detailed in the ‘Voucher’ section above will apply.
  20. We provide accommodation on a houseboat on the Murray River between the mouth of the Goulburn River and Torrumbarry Weir.  We can not be held responsible if activities and/ or events can not be undertaken on the Murray River or in Echuca/ Moama due to unforeseen circumstances.
  21. We agree to have the boat, motor and accessories in good working order. We will not be obliged to compensate the hirer for loss of time due to unforeseen mechanical problems during the hire period.
  22. We can not guarantee uninterrupted power supply for medical devices. Customers with machines such as a sleep apnea machine are advised to bring a back up power supply.
  23. The boat may only travel between sunrise and 5.30pm between the mouth of the Goulburn River and Torrumbarry Weir on the Murray River. Please note that the distance you can travel upstream of Echuca is not guaranteed and will be determined on the height of the river at the time of your holiday.
  24. Anyone who drives the boat must be over 18 years of age and must hold a full current car drivers licence or boat licence.
  25. The number of people on the boat must not exceed the number of berths allowed for under the NSW Maritime Services Board regulations. A child over the age of 12 months is counted as one person.
  26. A fenced compound is available for car storage. No responsibility is accepted for cars stored in the compound.

Absolute
Infinity
Ultimate
Icon
Envy
Deluxe