Booking Terms & Conditions

1.1 Making a booking. You can book through our website, by email, or through a travel agent, hotel or booking platform we work with. Your booking is confirmed when we send you written confirmation by email. Until then we have not accepted your booking, even if you have started a payment.

1.2 Booking for other people. You must be 18 or over to make a booking. If you book for other people, you are accepting these terms on their behalf and taking financial responsibility for the whole booking. You are responsible for passing these terms on to everyone travelling with you, and for making sure the details you give us for them are correct.

1.3 Guests under 18. A guest under 18 may travel only where the trip page says that departure accepts younger guests, and only when accompanied throughout by a parent or legal guardian who books on their behalf and accepts these terms for them.

1.4 Crew list. Before boarding, every guest must be registered on the vessel operator's passenger and crew list. We will send you the form. This is a legal and safety requirement of the vessel operator, and we cannot carry anyone who has not completed it.

2.1 The expedition. Our expeditions are small-group Arctic voyages aboard a chartered vessel with our own crew. This is not a luxury cruise. It is a working expedition centred on wildlife, cold-water immersion, weather, and time spent outdoors in a demanding environment. Comfort is not the point of it.

2.2 The itinerary is a plan, not a promise. Everything we publish about an expedition — routes, anchorages, activities, timings — is subject to weather, ice conditions, wildlife movements, and safety. Nothing in these terms or on the trip page promises a specific activity on a specific day. The itinerary is a menu of objectives matched to conditions, and the skipper decides daily what is possible.

2.3 Wildlife and the aurora cannot be guaranteed. Orcas, whales, other wildlife and the northern lights are wild and weather-dependent. We cannot guarantee that any of them will be seen, or that any in-water wildlife encounter will be possible. If you are booking only in the hope of swimming with orcas, this is not the right trip for you. No refund, credit or reduction is available because wildlife did not appear, the aurora did not show, or conditions prevented a planned activity, provided the expedition otherwise ran.

2.4 Vessel and crew. Expeditions are operated aboard a vessel chartered from its owner, with the owner's consent for guided commercial use, and crewed by Magnetic North Expeditions. The vessel, capacity and cabin arrangement for your departure are stated on the trip page. We may substitute a vessel of comparable standard if we have to, and will tell you as soon as we know.

Included

• Full vessel charter with our skipper and chef crew
• All meals and non-alcoholic drinks on board
• All guided activities, expedition leadership and safety oversight
• Specialist expedition equipment (dry suits, masks, snorkels, fins, towels, backup cold-weather gear)
• Airport transfers in Tromsø, to and from the recommended hotel or directly to the vessel
• Ground assistance and local coordination in Tromsø

Not included — your responsibility

• Flights to and from Tromsø, and accommodation before and after the expedition (we recommend arriving one to two nights early)
• Comprehensive personal travel insurance (see §10 — we strongly recommend it)
• Alcoholic drinks (you may bring your own — see §11)
• Personal expenses, gratuities, meals taken off the vessel, and any activity you undertake away from the expedition programme
• Visas, passports and any travel documentation

4.1 Prices. The price shown on the trip page at the time you book is the price you pay. All prices are in Norwegian kroner and include VAT. Any figures we show in other currencies are indicative only and depend on the exchange rate of the day; the kroner amount is the fixed one.

4.2 Payment. Unless the trip page says otherwise, full payment is due within 48 hours of your booking confirmation, using the payment link in it. If we do not receive payment by then, we may release your place.

4.3 Where the money goes. Payment is made to the business account of Magnetic North Expeditions AS. We do not accept payment to any personal account. Your payment secures the vessel charter and contributes to the fixed costs of the expedition. It is held pending confirmation of the departure, or refunded in accordance with §§5–7.

4.4 Bookings through agents. If you booked through a travel agent or platform, you may have paid them rather than us, and their own booking and cancellation terms may also apply to you. Our obligations to you as the operator are as set out here.

5.1 Conditional bookings. Most departures need a minimum number of paying guests to run. Where that applies, the trip page says so and states the minimum, and your booking is conditional until we confirm the departure in writing. Some departures are guaranteed to sail regardless of numbers — again, the trip page will say so, and §5.2 does not apply to those.

5.2 What happens next. For a conditional departure, one of two things will happen:

• We confirm the departure. Once the minimum is reached we send you written confirmation. Your booking is then firm, and §6 applies to any cancellation after that point.
• The minimum is not reached. If we conclude the minimum cannot be met, we cancel the departure and refund 100% of every krone you have paid, with no deductions. We will tell you no later than two weeks before departure.

5.3 Booking flights. If you are booking onto a departure that is not yet confirmed, book flexible or refundable flights. We are not responsible for travel costs you commit to before a departure is confirmed.

6.1 How to cancel. All cancellations must be in writing by email. The cancellation takes effect when we receive your email.

6.2 Before we have confirmed the departure. You receive a full refund of everything you have paid.

6.3 After we have confirmed the departure. Our expeditions carry very few guests and our costs are committed well in advance. They do not fall away when one person withdraws.

• With an approved replacement: full refund, if a replacement guest — found by you or by us — is approved by us in writing and pays in full, at least 7 days before departure.
• Without an approved replacement: 10% refund. We retain 90% so that the departure can still run for everyone else.

6.4 Changing your booking. Requests to change dates, guest names or numbers after confirmation depend on availability and need our written agreement. A significant change may have to be treated as a cancellation and a new booking. Any extra costs, or non-refundable costs already committed to suppliers on your behalf, are yours.

6.5 No-shows and late arrival. If you do not arrive at the stated meeting point at the stated time, or miss the departure, no refund is due. We may delay departure at our discretion; a delayed start does not extend the expedition.

7.1 Our right to cancel or change. Safety comes first, always. We may cancel, delay, reschedule or modify an expedition because of:

• unsafe weather or sea conditions
• technical or mechanical problems with the vessel
• crew illness
• port or authority restrictions
• insufficient bookings (see §5)
• other circumstances beyond our reasonable control

7.2 What we do first. Wherever we can, we will offer you a suitable alternative — a different route, departure time, activity, itinerary or departure date.

7.3 What you get.

• If we cancel for reasons within our responsibility — technical or mechanical failure, crew illness, or other operational reasons — and cannot provide a suitable alternative, you receive a full refund.
• If we cancel because the minimum was not reached, §5.2 applies: a full refund.
• If weather, sea conditions or other circumstances beyond our reasonable control mean the expedition cannot run at all, we will make every reasonable effort to offer an alternative experience or a rescheduled departure. If you do not accept what we can offer, we will refund the portion of the price relating to the services we have not delivered.

7.4 What we do not cover. We are not responsible for other travel costs arising from a change or cancellation — flights, accommodation, transport or missed connections. This is what travel insurance is for.

Weather and sea conditions in the Arctic change quickly, and that is part of what you are booking. The skipper has final authority over the safe operation of the vessel, and conditions may require changes to the route, departure and return times, activities, the order or length of the itinerary, overnight locations, or any other part of the plan.

Changes of this kind do not in themselves entitle you to a refund or a reduction. If a particular activity — snorkelling, a wildlife encounter, reaching a specific place — turns out to be unsafe or impossible, the expedition continues with an alternative and no refund is due. Where the expedition cannot run at all, §7.3 applies.

9.1 The risks are real. These expeditions carry significant inherent risks, including: cold-water immersion in Arctic water of roughly 2–4 °C, and the risk of hypothermia and cold injury; polar night, rapidly changing weather, and remote locations with limited immediate medical access; encounters with wild marine mammals and other wildlife; movement on deck and small-boat transfers in swell; and the physical demands and deliberate discomfort of expedition travel. You accept these risks voluntarily.

9.2 Fitness. You confirm that you are physically and mentally capable of taking part safely. You should be a competent swimmer and comfortable in cold open water if you intend to take part in in-water activities.

9.3 Medical disclosure. Before departure you must tell us in writing about any pre-existing medical condition, recent injury or surgery, current medication, allergy or other health factor that could reasonably affect your safety or ours. We treat this confidentially. We may decline or restrict your participation in the expedition or in a particular activity if we reasonably believe your condition creates an unacceptable risk. If you do not disclose something material, we may end your participation without refund.

9.4 Assumption of risk. Our crew will exercise reasonable care and professional judgement at all times, but no operator can remove the inherent risks of this environment. To the maximum extent permitted by Norwegian law, you release Magnetic North Expeditions AS, its crew, the vessel owner and their agents from liability for injury, illness, death, loss or damage arising from those inherent risks — except where caused by gross negligence or wilful misconduct, and except for any liability that cannot be excluded under Norwegian law.

10.1 What the vessel's insurance is, and what it is not. The vessel carries the passenger insurance required of it under the Norwegian Maritime Code. That is liability cover: it responds where the carrier is legally liable for injury or loss suffered by a passenger on board, up to the limits set by that law and subject to its exclusions. It is not personal accident, medical, evacuation or cancellation cover for you, and it is not a substitute for your own policy.

In particular, it does not cover:

• anything that happens away from the vessel — hikes, overnight stays ashore, and any activity you undertake on your own
• in-water activity, where the extent of any cover is limited and you should assume you are relying on your own policy
• your medical treatment, emergency evacuation or repatriation costs
• your flights, accommodation, missed connections or other travel costs
• cancellation or curtailment for personal reasons
• your personal belongings, beyond any limited liability under the Maritime Code

10.2 Your travel insurance. We strongly recommend that every guest travels with comprehensive personal travel insurance, in force before departure. It should cover: medical expenses and emergency evacuation or repatriation from a remote Arctic location; trip cancellation and curtailment; personal liability; and the specific activities on your expedition, including cold-water snorkelling and freediving where these are part of the programme. Many standard policies exclude these — check the wording rather than assuming. Cancellation for illness, travel disruption or other personal circumstances remains subject to our cancellation terms in §6, so insurance is the only thing that will cover you in those situations. If you travel without adequate insurance you do so at your own risk and cost.

10.3 Insurance claims. If you need to claim, we will provide the booking and cancellation documentation you need, wherever we reasonably can.

11.1 The skipper's authority is final. All instructions from the skipper and crew — about wildlife, weather, safety equipment, movement on deck and participation in activities — must be followed. The skipper has the final say on all safety, operational, itinerary and conduct matters, and those decisions are binding.

11.2 Alcohol. You may bring and drink your own alcohol in moderation. The skipper has absolute authority to restrict it where safety requires.

11.3 Prohibited on board. No illegal drugs. No firearms or weapons. No pets or animals. Smoking and vaping only in designated outdoor areas, at the skipper's discretion. Footwear with black soles or stiletto heels cannot be worn on board.

11.4 Respect. Respect for fellow guests, crew, wildlife and the Arctic environment is not negotiable. We operate a strict leave-no-trace policy.

11.5 Conduct. If your behaviour endangers or seriously disrupts others, the crew or the vessel, the skipper may end your participation and put you ashore at the nearest practical point. No refund is due, and any resulting travel costs are yours.

11.6 Damage. You are responsible for loss or damage you cause to the vessel or its equipment through negligence or a deliberate act, and we may recover that cost from you.

12.1 Our licence. You grant Magnetic North Expeditions AS a non-exclusive, royalty-free, perpetual, worldwide licence to use, reproduce, edit and publish photographs, video footage and testimonials created during or about the expedition, for promotional purposes.

12.2 Your own material. You keep full personal rights in your own images and footage.

12.3 Identifiable images. We will not publish clearly identifiable images of you without your prior written consent, and you may withdraw that consent at any time by emailing us — we will stop using the material in new publications, though we cannot always recall material already distributed. We never publish identifiable images of a guest under 18 without separate written parental consent.

12.4 Departures with a filming programme. Some departures carry photographers, filmmakers or content creators, and filming may take place throughout the week, including in shared living areas on board. Where that applies, the trip page says so before you book. If you would rather travel on a departure without one, tell us and we will point you to an alternative date.

If something is wrong, tell the skipper at the time. Most problems can be fixed on the spot, and we cannot put right something we do not know about. If it is not resolved, email us within 30 days of disembarkation with the details and we will respond in writing.

We collect the personal and health information we need to run the expedition safely and to meet legal requirements. Passenger details are shared with the vessel operator for the crew list and with authorities where required. Health information is used only for safety and is shared only with the crew who need it. See our privacy policy for the full picture and for your rights.

15.1 Governing law. These terms are governed by Norwegian law, and any dispute is subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Tromsø, Norway.

15.2 Your contract. Your contract with us consists of these terms, the trip page for your expedition as it appeared when you booked, and your booking confirmation. Where they conflict, the booking confirmation prevails, then the trip page, then these terms.

15.3 Statutory rights. Nothing in these terms limits any right you have under mandatory Norwegian law. Where your booking is a package under the Norwegian Package Travel Act, your rights under that Act apply in addition to these terms and prevail over them where they conflict.

15.4 Changes to these terms. We may update these terms. The version in force when you book governs your booking. The version number and date at the top of this page tell you which one that is.

15.5 Severability. If any provision is held invalid, the rest continues in force.

15.6 Language. These terms are written in English, and the English version governs.