General information and Terms of Service
Here you will find the following:
General details about our business, tours, and services.
Reservations, payments, and cancellations.
Insurances and liability.
Visas and other services.
Current as of November 2024. Published in English language only.
-
We are happy that you are thinking about traveling with us. Our tours are open to all, but we find that professionals in the food and cheese industry have taken the most advantage of our tours. We aim to provide fully bi-lingual services (English and Spanish) and to be inclusive, as well as to create a safe environment for our guests and hosts.
Below is some general information about our tours and basic terms of service. Anything not included in this document can be discussed and in case of a dispute we will aim to settle on a good-faith basis.
We have designated “Hosts” all those businesses welcoming us into their facilities, and “Guests” all the travellers joining the tours including drivers, translators, and guides.
Cheese Spelunker Tours is responsible for providing, reserving and arranging all requested services, such as lodging, food and beverage, ground and/or air transportation arrangements, and other activities, in connection with the travel program, as specified in this agreement.
-
Cheese Spelunker Tours is a trademarked brand of Carlos Yescas Angeles Trujano.
Carlos Yescas Angeles Trujano acts as “sole trader/proprietor” in the USA and the UK, and as a “persona física con actividades empresariales” in Mexico.
All services contracted with Cheese Spelunker Tours are the responsibility of Mr. Yescas Angeles Trujano and appropriate taxes and disputes are handled in the US.
-
Tours include pre-arranged visits in defined timeframes. Failure to arrive at facilities of our Hosts on time to initiate visits may result in the cancellation of events. We urge you to be on-time at meeting points.
Some Hosts charge a small fee for their time and access to their facilities. Payment of these fees is handled by Cheese Spelunker Tours and does not constitute a business relationship between the Hosts and the Guests.
Some Hosts may provide samples of their products during our visits. Guests consume these samples at their own risk.
Hosts require registration of guests and may ask you to fill in a health questionnaire with contact information. Cheese Spelunker Tours is not responsible for safeguarding this information. Guests can require in advance the privacy notice of Hosts.
Tours are designed for able-bodied adults (over 21) and include low-risk activities including walking, climbing stairs, and/or low-intensity physical activity.
We visit production plants without access with wheelchairs or crutches. Our Hosts cannot accommodate access for people with mobility disabilities.
Some facilities require PPE to be worn at all times, including face masks. No exceptions are made. Failure to comply will result in removal from the facilities of our Hosts without reimbursements for missed visits.
Guests are expected to be respectful of our Hosts, and follow directions closely and without questions. As we visit industrial facilities it is important to keep in mind that you may be injured if you fail to follow safety protocols. Cheese Spelunkers Tours nor our Hosts will be responsible for injuries arising from failure to comply with information provided during safety briefings, or posted in placards inside facilities.
Guests who cause contamination of our Hosts facilities, ingredients, or final products will be liable for any monetary damages and may face prosecution under Health and Safety laws. We urge all guests to listen and follow all protocols explained to you during our visits.
-
All meals provided as part of the regular activities of the tour are subject to health and safety standards of the businesses providing the services. Cheese Spelunker Tours is not responsible for contamination of food, nor liable for any sickness from consumption of contaminated meals or mishandled allergens.
All accommodations at hotels, hostels, and temporary rentals (airbnbs) contracted by Cheese Spelunker Tours are subject to the health and safety standards of the businesses providing the services.
Transportation provided by Cheese Spelunker Tours is provided using insured companies and trained drivers. On those tours without these services, cars and vans are insured, as well as drivers.
Reservations, Payments, and Cancellations.
-
We understand that our tours are a luxury for many and therefore want to ensure you will have the best experience possible. We aim to provide comfortable accommodations, good meals, and above all little stress when traveling. We choose hotels and restaurants that are mid-range and won’t make a fuss about our muddy shoes. After all, we will be visiting rural facilities and some time we smell like those gorgeous dairy animals we hug in the farms.
We have some guidelines about reservations, payments, and cancellations. The most important thing is that you come on one of our tours, but if for some reason you need to cancel your trip, we hope that we can transfer your deposit or any other payments to a future tour.
-
We require a deposit to hold your reservation. This amount is used to secure hotel room reservations and book transportation.
We require deposits to start tour planning. All tours have minimum numbers of Guests needed to take place. If we do not meet those requirements tours may be canceled up to 45 days prior to the start of the tour.
Deposits are refundable up to 45 days prior to the start of the tour. In case you cancel your tour before the grace period, we will return your deposit in 30 days from the day you informed us of your cancellation in writing.
Deposits cannot be refunded or applied to future trips after the grace period of cancellation is over.
Your deposit does not ensure the trip will take place.
If we cancel the tour prior to the 45 days grace period, you will be entitled to a full refund of your deposit when we announce the cancellation.
If we postpone your tour prior to the 45 days grace period, you will have the choice of applying the deposit to a future tour or a refund.
You may be entitled to a discount if you make an early deposit. This discount cannot be combined with any other discounts announced.
-
Full payments are required 30 days prior to the start of the tour. Late payment may result in a 5% fee on the remaining amount.
Payments can be made in the form of a wire transfer to accounts in Europe, the UK, the US, or Mexico.
Payments are expected in the currency announced in the tour. Payments done in other currencies will incur a 6% fee and are subject to currency exchange rate fluctuations.
Additional services contracted after final payment and all incidentals during the operation of the program are due 10 days after the final invoice is presented.
You may be entitled to a discount if you make an early payment. This discount cannot be combined with any other discounts announced.
-
We offer some payment plans for people living in the Global South and/or members of the LGBTQ+ communities. These payment plans may include monthly payments, fixed exchange rates, and/or no fees on currency exchanges. These provisions are made on a case-by-case basis, but are subject to the following rules:
Payment of 80% of the total cost of the tour must be made 30 days prior to the start of the tour.
Payment of 20% of the total cost of the program must be made 10 days prior to the start of the tour.
Guests must provide proof that airplane tickets to the destination have been bought within 20 days of anticipation of the start of the tour.
Guests needing visas, must prove that they are in the process of application.
We reserve the right to cancel all services in the event that the payment schedule is not met.
There will be no refunds on payment plan payments due to the increased risk of delinquency and financing costs.
-
We understand that circumstances change, however because our tours are small we cannot accommodate last-minute cancellations. This includes cancellations arising from failure to secure travel visas and/or acts of force majeure.
We do not allow for cancellations once the full amount for the tour has been covered. This is normally 30 days prior to the start of the tour. Please check our tour brochure for specific details.
If we cancel the tour once you have fully paid the trip we will return the full amount, minus your deposit.
If we postpone your tour, you will have the choice of applying the payment to a future tour or a refund minus the deposit.
In the event of situations in the destination country including but not limited to acts of God, acts of government or other authorities, civil disorder, war, epidemics, quarantines, strikes, or any other similar condition, which may be deemed as "unsafe" or "unfit" by the host country authorities and/or Guests, neither Cheese Spelunker Tours nor any of its suppliers will be held responsible.
Should Carlos Yescas Angeles Trujano cancel the tour for any of the above reasons we will notify of our decision in writing. We will refund, within 45 days of such written notice, all payments made minus the deposit and other actual expenses incurred.
Insurances and Liability
-
Here is some basic information about our liability and what we recommend you buy. The information here presented is not exhaustive and should only be used as a reference to make your own decisions. In case of damages, we may have limited liability insurance and the terms of services act as guidelines for our coverage.
-
Cheese Spelunker Tours does not provide health insurance coverage for its Hosts or Guests, nor is responsible for health issues that arise from programmed activities, food contamination, or travel diseases.
All Guests are encouraged to buy their own Health Insurance and carry with them relevant information about their coverage.
-
Cheese Spelunker Tours does not provide travel insurance coverage for its Guests in case of trip cancellation or early departure.
Most major airlines provide travellers insurance in case of flight delay or cancellation, and/or lost baggage or delay. We recommend buying insurance with a trusted agent.
-
Cheese Spelunker Tours may secure limited liability insurance. For details about our policy please request it via email.
Insurance only covers activities announced in the itinerary provided to you.
Insurance is limited to tours in the European Union and the UK, and does not cover Guests from Australia, nor minors. We are limited in the number of US citizens able to participate in our tours.
Privacy and Data Protection
We collect limited personal information about our Guests and prospective travellers, including Name, Email, and Phone Number. This information is used only for communication services and won’t be shared with any of our Hosts or other Guests unless expressly requested and with your authorization.
Personal information collected can be erased and eliminated from our database and online communication accounts upon written request.
We don’t sell personal information to third parties, nor do we buy personal information from other tour operators.
We will not disclose your identity online, unless you expressly allow us to do so, including tagging you on social media and/or sharing pictures of you on our website.
Visas and other services
Cheese Spelunker Tours, nor Carlos Yescas Angeles Trujano can act as an agent to request a travel visa to enter host countries. Guests are solely responsible to make travel arrangements, including requesting and securing visas before travel. Failure to secure a visa which may result in cancellation of the tour will be grounds to deny reimbursement of any payments made.
Guests who are denied visas or entry at the border to host countries may request a partial refund of their payments based on the information provided under the cancellation section.
On occasion other services are provided as part of our tours, including private wine tastings, extra walking tours, visits to historical sites, and/or cooking classes. These activities are paid for by the Guests on top of the cost of the Tour. We aim to provide certainty about other service providers, but we are not responsible for issues arising from taking part in extra curricular activities.