Terms and Conditions

These terms and conditions may be amended from time to time and apply to all of our services.

By accessing, browsing, using and/or completing a reservation through our website you acknowledge and agree to have read, understood and agreed to be legally bound to the terms and conditions set out below. No contract between the customer and The Grumpy Whale shall come into existence until The Grumpy Whale receives full payment and issues a confirmation invoice. The customer making the booking accepts these conditions on behalf of all members of their travel party and is responsible for the entirety of the payment.

The Grumpy Whale is a tour operator, offering a range of adventure tours in Iceland.

Bookings can be made directly through The Grumpy Whale, its sub-brands and/or any other website through which The Grumpy Whale makes their services available. If you are having any problems booking through The Grumpy Whale website thegrumpywhale.com then please contact us.

The Grumpy Whale reserves the right to alter itineraries and/or timetables should it be necessary, due to adverse weather and or other related conditions.  The Grumpy Whale is not responsible for expenses and/or other related costs due to factors outside of its control, such as flight delays, changes and or cancellations, injuries, weather, war, natural disasters etc. and/or other unforeseeable matters. You are responsible for providing The Grumpy Whale with the correct contact information and related details so that we can keep you informed in the event of changes made to the services booked.

1. PRICES

1.1. Please note that all prices for the services provided by The Grumpy Whale and its sub-brands are in Icelandic Krona (ISK). We want to inform you that The Grumpy Whale is not responsible for currency fluctuations and additional fees outside its control that may be applied, such as bank transfer fees and credit card fees.

1.2. All prices shown on our website include value-added tax and are based on current prices. The Grumpy Whale reserves the right to alter or change already published prices on the website without prior notice in case of currency fluctuation, government taxes, or any such cost increases that are beyond The Grumpy Whales‘ control.

1.3. Prices are guaranteed against any surcharge after an invoice has been issued unless the increase is due to government laws or currency changes and amounts to 5% of the tour price or more. In such cases, amounts exceeding 5% will be charged, and clients will be entitled to cancel their booking with a full refund if the surcharge exceeds 10%. Any increase due to changes in government laws, such as tax changes, will be added to the invoice.

2. SPECIAL OFFERS & PROMOTIONAL CODES

2.1. Please note that special offers such as promotional codes cannot be applied to a reservation after a purchase has been made such as in the form of a refund. When offered, promotional codes and/or other special offers, must be entered into the relevant field located on the payment page upon check out at the time of booking in order to be valid and applied.

2.2. Please note that all special offers such as promotional codes only apply to the price of the tour. Extras, transfers and rental gear are not subject to discount.

2. PARTICIPATION

Participants must be in reasonably good health to embark on the tour they have booked. People with conditions such as serious high blood pressure, seizure disorders, pulmonary problems (including severe asthma), coronary disease, muscle-skeletal problems, back/neck/shoulder pain, problems with balance, some psychological (Ex. panic to altitudes) and psychiatric problems should avoid booking and going on our glacier zip line experience.  Also, the Iceland Glacier Zip Line tour is not recommended for persons who are pregnant. 

Furthermore, if at any point during your scheduled tour you choose to not participate in the activity, The Grumpy Whale cannot and will not be held responsible for providing a full or partial refund.  Please also be aware, if you have booked an open / public tour and have decided at any point, that you no longer want to participate, you will be asked to wait at a designated point to wait for the rest of the group to complete the activity.  In booking the tour, it is assumed that you and all parties involved have read and understand the tour description and expectations.  The Grumpy Whale will not be liable for any missed opportunities if you or anyone in your group chooses to not participate in any part of the adventure.

 4. PICK-UP & DROP-OFF SERVICES

4.1. The Grumpy Whale offers pick up and drop-off services on some tours. Please read the tour description very carefully to see if pick-up and drop-off services are included in the price, can be added as extras or the activity in question only offers the option of meeting us on location.

4.2. You as the traveller are responsible for your pick-up, this includes providing The Grumpy Whale with your pick up location in time as well as being ready at the correct time for the pick-up for your tour. The Grumpy Whale will provide you with information about your pick up time on your voucher which is provided upon booking. If you are unsure when to be ready for your scheduled tour then please contact us.

4.3. Please note that missing the pick-up does not entitle you to a refund of the price paid for the services. You are responsible to be ready for pick up at the assigned pick up point from the start of the pick-up time in order to not miss our guides when they arrive to pick you up.

5. MEETING US ON LOCATION

5.1. If you are planning to meet us on location for your tour then please be sure that this can be arranged. For some of The Grumpy Whale tours, it is possible to meet us on location. Please read the tour description of your tour very carefully to see if meeting us on location is possible for the activity in question.  Please note that there are still some tours where this can not be offered. If you are unsure which tours this follows under then please contact us.

5.2. You as the traveller are responsible for arriving at the meeting point in time for your tour.  This includes being ready at the correct time at the correct location in time for your adventure tour. The Grumpy Whale will provide you with information about the meeting point for your tour on your voucher which is provided upon booking. If you are unsure when to arrive for your scheduled tour then please contact us.

5.3. Please note that if you do not arrive in time for your tour and/or are late to the meeting point of the tour, that is to say, you do not arrive to the correct meeting point at the correct time for your adventure tour then you are not entitled to a refund of the price paid for the services.

6. EXTRAS & RENTAL GEAR.

6.1 Extras and rental gear can both be added upon booking your tour as well as afterward as long as it is made no later than 24 hours before your tour departure date. If you have already made a reservation with us and would like to add any extras and/or rental gear to your reservation, then please contact us.

6.2. Please note that all extras and rental gear reservations fall under the same cancellation terms as the tour purchased. This includes single supplements, hiking shoes, waterproof jacket and pants, etc. After the tour departure, the extras become non-refundable.

6.3. Essential safety equipment needed for each tour is provided by The Grumpy Whale and is not classified as rental gear.

7. TRAVEL INSURANCE

7.1. As with any and all world travel, we strongly recommend that you purchase a travel insurance policy in your home country that covers your cost should you have to cancel your travel reservation with short notice. 

8. ICELANDIC WEATHER AND CONDITIONS

8.1. All adventure trips and outdoor activities are dependent on weather and general conditions. The Grumpy Whale reserves the right to alter routes, itineraries, departure times and or cancel your trip without prior notice with your safety in mind, should the necessity arise.

8.2. Please keep in mind that in Iceland the weather changes fast and with it, conditions change. Our guides are specially trained to deal with changing conditions and their number one priority is to make decisions with your safety in mind. Please be aware of this and respect your guide’s authority to do so. This is especially valid for winter travel in Iceland. Our summer trips (excluding high alpine trips), operated from June through August, are rarely adversely affected by harsh weather.

8.3. The Grumpy Whale can not be held responsible for any loss, damage, accident, injury, sickness, schedule change or other factors due to weather, strike, natural disasters or any other cause beyond The Grumpy Whales‘s control. The Grumpy Whale acts in good faith and cannot be held responsible for defaults or delays of organizations that are not a part of the The Grumpy Whale family such as individual agencies, hotels, other tour operators, airlines, guides, restaurants or any other person‘s or company‘s act.

8.4. In the case of any changes to flights (domestic and international), the passenger is responsible for any additional costs incurred as a result of such changes (i.e. additional hotel nights, meals, transfers, etc.), at the time provided. We, therefore, advise all customers to have comprehensive travel insurance to meet all contingencies.

9. CLOTHING

9.1. Appropriate footwear and suitable outdoor clothing must be worn. We reserve the right to refuse participation to customers who are dressed inappropriately or with inappropriate footwear since this will put the client’s well-being and safety at risk. In such cases, full cancellation charges apply.

10. LUGGAGE

10.1. Please note that The Grumpy Whale cannot be held responsible for damaged luggage if it is taken on the tour. 

11. ASSUMED RISK & OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES

11.1. Guests/Clients are advised that all activities are undertaken entirely at their own risk and they must behave in a fit and proper manner at all times in accordance with The Grumpy Whale or its partners’ guidelines and must take proper responsibility for their own safety. All adventure tours and outdoor activities carry inherent risks and The Grumpy Whale or its partners do not assume any responsibility for accidents that are caused by its customers or can be traced to their own actions or are caused by factors outside of human control (Force majeure). With the purchase of your trip you agree to these conditions, understand its implications and accept responsibility for your participation in your trip. Depending on the excursion, you may be requested to sign an additional liability release.

11.2. Our guides reserve the right to refuse participation to any customer who they believe will not be able to complete the tour because of their physical condition, injury or illness. In such cases, full cancellation charges apply.

11.2.1. Guests/ Clients must make The Grumpy Whale guide aware on any medical conditions that might impact their tour/ activity prior to undertaking their tour/ activity. 

11.3. We reserve the right to refuse participation to clients that are being physically or verbally abusive, or if they pose a threat to staff members or fellow travellers in any other way. In such cases, full cancellation charges apply.

12. ALCOHOL AND DRUGS:

12.1. We reserve the right to refuse participation to clients we believe are under the influence of alcohol or drugs, in such circumstances, no refund shall be given. Our guides reserve the right to refuse participation to any customer whose conduct or manner is likely to cause offence, upset or put other passengers in danger. In such cases, full cancellation charges apply.

13. REVIEWS & FEEDBACK

13.1. The Grumpy Whale welcomes all feedback, both positive as well as negative as it helps us improve our overall services, and performance. We would greatly appreciate it if you could share your tour experience with us.

Please note that all complaints must reach The Grumpy Whale within 5 days from the completion of your tour. Otherwise, possible compensation is not valid.

14. TERMS OF PAYMENT

14.1. The Grumpy Whale accepts all major credit and debit cards. The Grumpy Whale requires the full amount at the time of booking.

15. GOVERNING LAW AND JURISDICTION

15.1. This agreement shall be exclusively governed by and construed in accordance with Icelandic law.

15.2. Any disputes arising out or in connection with this agreement shall exclusively be submitted to and dealt with by the district court of Reykjavík.

CANCELLATION POLICY

All cancellation fees held by The Grumpy Whale are only intended to cover our direct cost of amending and/or cancelling your reservation. By accessing, browsing, using and/or completing a reservation through our (mobile) website you acknowledge and agree to have read, understood and agreed to be legally bound to the cancellation policy as set out below. No contract between the customer and The Grumpy Whale shall come into existence until The Grumpy Whale receives full payment and issues a confirmation invoice. The customer making the booking accepts these conditions on behalf of all members of their travel party and is responsible for payment due from the party in entirety.

All communications relating to these terms and conditions (in particular any requests to cancel or amend your tour arrangements) must be from the lead traveller of each reservation and be delivered in writing to [email protected] and sent by the lead traveller. Once delivered the amendment and/or cancellation needs to be confirmed by The Grumpy Whale before further action can be taken. If reimbursement is in order, then it shall be made in accordance with all procedures and processed as quickly as possible, and the stipulated amount will be transferred to the same credit card that was used upon booking. Please note that we can not be responsible for delays of the delivery of the reimbursement to your account once it has been processed on our end. For tours purchased through another vendor please reach out to the vendor directly with your refund and/or cancellation request. The cancellation policy applies to the original booking departure date the tour has been booked for.

16. CANCELLATION OR AMENDMENT FEES & CHARGES

16.0. Changing the number of people in a booking to a smaller number is considered cancellation for the change in number of participants. Such cancellations are subject to cancellation fees as per the below.

 As we start to incur costs from the time the contract is confirmed we will apply cancellation charges as shown below from the time when written notification of the cancellation is received:

16.1. CANCELLATIONS OR AMENDMENTS OF DAY TOURS

For all bookings of day tours operated by The Grumpy Whale (or any of The Grumpy Whale sub-brands), a minimum of 48 hours’ notice of cancellation or amendment prior to your scheduled tour departure is required for a full refund. If a cancellation is made with less than 48 hours’ notice prior to departure no refund is given. For the 48-hour policy to be applicable, cancellations need to be made and delivered to The Grumpy Whale in writing to [email protected] and sent by the lead traveller.

Extras and rental gear, booked as part of a day tour fall under the terms as stated here above. 

Please note that this only applies to tours operated by The Grumpy Whale. Tours operated by trusted partners are subject to the operators‘ cancellation policy. 

 16.2. CANCELLATIONS OR AMENDMENTS OF GROUP TOURS

Cancellations or amendments with more than 14 days’ notice before trip departure:

You will be refunded 100% of the total tour price.

Cancellations or amendments with less than 14 days’ notice before trip departure:

You will be refunded 50% of your total tour price. 50% is non-refundable, as this represents our direct cost of cancelling any arrangements made for your tour.

Cancellations or amendments with less than 48-hours’ notice before trip departure:

No refund will be given if tours are cancelled or if amendments are made with less than 48 hours’ notice, as The Grumpy Whale will be charged for all costs such as guides, transport, etc.

16.3 CANCELLATIONS OR AMENDMENTS OF PRIVATE & CUSTOMISED TOURS

Cancellations or amendments of Private, Group & Customised Day Tours (Individuals and Group Bookings) made with more than 72 hours‘ notice (prior to departure):

You will be refunded 90% of the total tour price. 10% is non-refundable, as this represents our direct cost of booking and preparing your tour.

Cancellations or amendments of Private, Group & Customised Day Tours (Individuals and Group Bookings) made with less than 72 hours’ notice:

No refund will be given if tours are cancelled or if amendments are made with less than 72 hours‘ notice, as The Grumpy Whale will be charged for all costs such as guides, transport, etc.

16.4. CANCELLATIONS OR AMENDMENTS OF PARTNER TOURS:

16.4.1. Tours operated by trusted partners, as marked in the booking process, are subject to the partners‘ cancellation terms. The terms will be stated on the ticket after purchase. Information on the terms can also be provided in writing. Please contact Customer Care for further information. 

16.4.1  In all arrangements involving third parties The Grumpy Whale act only as the agent of the Client and no liability of any kind whatsoever shall be attached to The Grumpy Whale in connection with or arising from such arrangement with a third party. The Grumpy Whale will not be responsible for loss, damage or injury to any person or their property, however caused.