WHAT IS A SUN FUN TOUR?
A Sun Fun Tour is a preplanned vacation to many exciting destinations in North America. It is the combination planning of accommodation, transportation and superb service. It is a policy of treating you as an individual while at the same time treating all members equally and impartially. It’s a happy group of travelers who in the next few days will contribute much as individuals to the success of this tour. It’s you – – and we’re delighted to have you aboard.
PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT TO REVIEW THIS INFORMATION. IT WILL ANSWER A NUMBER OF YOUR QUESTIONS IN ADVANCE.
NICE TO MEET YOU
Stop for a minute – and think. The people around you are probably much like you. They like to be treated as individuals, they are interested in making new acquaintances. Although your tour director or driver will introduce you, there is no substitute for introducing yourself to the other tour members early in the trip. We guarantee the sooner you know each other the more fun you’ll have. Try having lunch with different people each day and feel free to chat with everyone on board. As you rotate seats, exchange greetings with your new neighbors.
Only one exception…we would appreciate your attention when the tour director or driver is describing something of interest or giving information about upcoming stops.
AIR CONDITIONING AND HEATING
Motorcoach air conditioning and heating is good but not perfect. It is not possible to produce an even degree of cool or hot air at each seat because individual controls have not yet been perfected. The unequal distribution of cool or hot air is caused by the tremendous amount of glass on the coach, especially in front, and the distance the cool or hot air must travel to some seats. The longer the distance, the warmer or cooler the air. Your tour director and driver will do their best to operate the air conditioning and the heat at its most comfortable level.
SEAT ROTATION
Your seats on the coach are assigned by the order in which your booking was made; the earlier you book, the closer you are to the front of the coach on Day 1. Your tour director or driver will explain the posted seat assignment on every traveling day. Variations in heat and air conditioning and the different visual positions are just a few reasons why we use this system including eliminating the need to rush back to the coach for a “better seat”. You will eventually sit in almost every area of the coach. We feel this is the most fair, efficient and impartial way to operate. We are not able to make exceptions for a physical disability or ailment, although it is perfectly permissible for two persons, by their own arrangements, to voluntarily exchange seats. Any unoccupied seats are available to everyone with the exception of the seat behind the driver when reserved for your tour director.
DISEMBARKING THE COACH
In order to provide easy movement when disembarking the motor coach, we use a system of alternating seats from side to side starting at the front and working to the back. As you rotate around the coach, everyone has equal opportunity to disembark first. You may find it easier to remain seated until the person in front of you has risen and begun to move forward to the front of the coach.
PROMPTNESS
Our tours do not run on rigid schedules: however it is necessary to announce a departure time at each stop. Observe these departure times. You will have a much smoother tour and in the long run gain earlier arrivals at your overnight destinations.
MOTORCOACH RESTROOMS
Our motor coaches are restroom equipped, however, this facility has its advantages and disadvantages. It’s nice to know it’s there when absolutely needed, but if used on tours as a primary restroom facility, it will develop an odor that becomes offensive and uncomfortable for those sitting nearby. Motorcoach washrooms were designed for city-to-city bus transportation where terminals include equipment for proper servicing and regular cleaning of bus restrooms. For such regular-route transportation, the restroom eliminated the need for time consuming rest stops, thus, shortening the schedule. Tour transportation is different. Itineraries cover remote areas & tour buses can travel for days without being in a location where restroom servicing facilities are available. Because of this we encourage you to use the washrooms at our designated stops.
A WORD ABOUT SMOKING
We have adopted a policy of “no smoking” on motor coaches. To make it easier on everyone, we schedule frequent stops that allow the smoker to smoke, and an opportunity for everyone to stretch their legs.
GRATUITIES
Gratuities are earned as a reward for having done a job well and are considered commonplace in the hospitality & service industry. The following is meant as a guideline only and is at the client’s discretion:
Tour Director & Motorcoach Driver: $2 – $5 per day to each and should be offered on a voluntary and individual basis depending on the quality of service.
Meals: 12% – 15% of the pre-tax bill.
Chambermaid: $1 per person per night
Baggage Handlers: $2 per bag. Please note where luggage handling has been included on our tours, a gratuity has been pre-paid.
Local guides: $2- $3 per person for every 3 hours of service.
Transfer driver: $2 – $5 per person.
SHOPPING
It is difficult to satisfy everyone’s taste in regard to shopping. Therefore, when selecting stops for lunch and coffee, shopping is not taken into consideration.
Sun Fun Tours will provide you with a prepared statement with regard to your duty free allowances on tours that enter the United States. This statement will be given to you on the first day of your tour. Please feel free to ask your tour director or driver for further information. As well, your duty free allowances will be discussed verbally several times during your tour.
CANADA CUSTOMS
Canada Customs requires that you complete the E 311 form. This form is to be filled out by every individual crossing the border into Canada, even if you do not make any purchases. Only 1 form per family is required.
COMPANY POLICY REGARDING SMUGGLING
It is the company’s policy, that any individual who is detained at customs for smuggling goods into Canada, will not be allowed back onto the Coach and will have to find their own transportation home.
OVERHEAD LUGGAGE COMPARTMENTS
Most motorcoaches are equipped with overhead storage compartments with doors. These doors operate similarly to those on airplanes. Please push the button up to open the door. To close push the button up and close gently. Please ensure they are securely closed after each use.
HOW TO GET THE BEST SERVICE
Avoid peak dining hours in overnight hotels. At luncheon stops, the entire group will be dining at one time. In order to enjoy your lunch to the fullest, it will help if you order entrees that are ready cooked or quickly cooked to allow more time for relaxing. Save the cook-to-order or slowly cooked items for evening meals at hotels where the entire group will not be entering the dining room at one time. And remember, the service at your table at any meal, is determined by the one order that takes the longest to prepare.
SLOW SERVICE
It is a rare occurrence but it can happen – and it will rarely be the waiter’s fault. If it should happen, please mention it to your tour director, or on the questionnaire that we ask you to fill in at the end of your tour. Please be assured that wherever we find that a particular management has let down and service is constantly poor, we change that restaurant or hotel. At the same time, we try to be tolerant when exceptions occur, and hope you will be too.
SINGLE TRAVELERS
In almost every situation you will be required to sit beside a fellow passenger. Your fare entitles you to one single seat on the motor coach. Single travelers must pay a supplement due to hotel charges. However this does not imply that single travelers will necessarily be assigned a guest room as large as those assigned to two people sharing.
HOW WE ASSIGN ROOMS
If you’ve stayed overnight in various hotels on different occasions you’ll probably know what we mean when we say that hotel rooms vary. And with this in mind, we make every effort to fill your requests and to have rooms assigned in the fairest possible manner. Our efforts started ten days before you left on this tour when a rooming list was sent to each hotel with instructions to reserve the best rooms that will become available on the day that this tour arrives. The assigning of them is obviously impartial as the hotel management has never met you and works only from our list of tour members. The hotels usually put room keys in individual personalized envelopes before your arrival to assure you that the selection has been both fair and impartial. Because we realize that hotel accommodations vary regarding location, size, and furnishings, we feel that this random assignment of rooms is the fairest possible solution. Of course, your tour director or driver is available to review a room that you might consider totally undesirable. Please advise your tour director or driver as soon as possible so that any problems can be corrected. The next day is too late and a problem becomes a complaint. (A problem is a difficulty that can be corrected if given a chance. A complaint is a problem that we learn about too late to correct.)
ABILITY TO TRAVEL
Sun Fun Tours reserves the right to decline any passenger as a member of our tours at any time for any reason at our sole discretion. Travelers should be in good physical condition. Those who require more than minor assistance must be accompanied by a partner who is capable and totally responsible for providing this assistance.
INCIDENTAL CHARGES
Incidentals are miscellaneous personal charges on hotel bills not included in the tour cost. Typical are valet, liquor, phone, room service, etc. These charges must be paid by you to the hotel cashier. Your tour director or driver checks out of the hotel early on the morning of departure, therefore, all incidentals must be paid before breakfast on that day or, to make it easier all around, the night before. Upon payment, please request and retain a receipt.
BAGGAGE HANDLING
Like a piece of clothing or a pair of shoes, your luggage eventually shows wear, whether it be sprung catches, dents or scratches. On this trip your baggage will be constantly handled, packed and stowed. Many different people will be responsible for moving your luggage and although they will do it as carefully and safely as possible, we cannot be responsible or accept claims for luggage damaged or pilfered while in the custody of a hotel or bus company or transfer company. The motor coach companies do not have insurance covering your luggage. Insurance is available through Sun Fun Tours.
LOST ARTICLES
If you leave anything behind at a hotel or luncheon stop, your tour director or driver will assist you in contacting the proprietor, but it is your responsibility to identify the article and have it sent directly to your home address. Do not request that it be sent to Sun Fun Tours or that it be picked up by a following tour because too many people become involved and we would not want to see something go astray a second time.
YOUR TOUR DIRECTOR OR DRIVER
Should you have any further questions about any phase of the tour please ask your tour director or driver. Should you find anything unsatisfactory, please see or call your tour director or driver immediately. Give them a chance to solve your problem – don’t try to do it yourself. If they don’t know what’s wrong, they can’t help you and the last thing in the world they want is an unhappy passenger.
