Terms & Conditions

1. Booking & Reservations

All bookings submitted through this website are requests, not confirmed reservations. We review every request against availability and respond to you directly. If we approve your request, we send you a link to pay the booking deposit; your reservation is confirmed only once that deposit is paid. The remaining balance is charged automatically 7 days before departure. We reserve the right to decline any booking request at our discretion.

2. Pricing & Deposits

Captained Charters are billed at $125 per hour. Bareboat Charters, when available, are billed at $150 per hour. A flat booking deposit is due once we approve your request and is applied toward your total; the remaining balance, including any add-ons, is charged automatically 7 days before departure. A security deposit of $200 (Captained) or $500 (Bareboat) is never collected or authorized upfront — we keep your card on file and charge it only if damage is found at the post-trip inspection. Add-on pricing is listed on our booking form.

3. Card on File & Payment Authorization

When you pay your booking deposit, the card you use is saved with our payment processor and retained on file for the remainder of your reservation. By paying the deposit you authorize us to charge that card for the remaining balance of your charter, automatically, 7 days before departure, and for any damage found at the post-trip inspection, up to the security deposit amount for your charter type ($200 Captained, $500 Bareboat). We will not charge your card for anything else. You are emailed a receipt for every charge. Card details are handled by Stripe and are never stored on our servers. Charges appear on your statement as “Cruise Planners”.

4. Card Processing Fee & Fee-Free Payment

Card payments may carry a processing fee, which never exceeds 4% and never exceeds our actual cost of accepting the card. When a fee applies it is disclosed before you pay, shown as a separate line item at checkout, and itemized on your receipt — it is never folded into the quoted trip price. The fee applies to each card payment separately, so if a fee applies to your deposit it also applies to the balance charged 7 days before departure.

The fee does not apply to debit or prepaid cards. Because a card's type can only be determined once it has been charged, any fee taken on a debit or prepaid card is refunded to you automatically.

You can avoid the fee entirely by paying via Zelle or Cash App instead. Choose that option on the payment page and we will email you the details. Paying this way means no card is kept on file for your booking, so the balance is not charged automatically — we will collect it from you the same way before your trip.

5. Cancellation Policy

Cancellations made 7 or more days before the scheduled departure receive a 100% refund of everything you have paid. Cancellations made within 7 days of departure are not refundable. No-shows are not refundable: if you do not arrive at the departure point at your booked start time and have not cancelled, the full amount paid is forfeited. The security deposit is never charged unless damage is found, so there is nothing to refund. If we cancel your trip, you receive a full refund regardless of timing.

6. Weather & Safety

Safety is our top priority. If weather conditions are deemed unsafe by the captain or operator, we reschedule your trip to another available date at no additional cost, and everything you have paid carries over to that date. If we cannot find an alternative date that works for you, we issue a full refund. The captain has final authority on all weather-related decisions.

7. Guest Conduct

Guests must follow all safety instructions provided by the captain or in pre-departure materials. The maximum capacity is 8 passengers. Guests are responsible for any damage to the vessel caused by negligence, misuse, or reckless behavior. The captain reserves the right to end a charter early if guest conduct poses a safety risk; no refund will be issued in such cases.

8. Age & Identification

The primary renter must be at least 18 years old. For Bareboat Charters, the operator must meet all Texas boater education and licensing requirements. Valid government-issued photo ID is required at check-in.

9. Limitation of Liability

Waldo World Travel, LLC dba Cruise Planners shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, or consequential damages arising from the use of this website or participation in any charter. Total liability is limited to the amount paid for the charter. See our Liability Waivers page for full details.

10. Modifications

We reserve the right to update these terms at any time. Continued use of the site or services after changes constitutes acceptance of the revised terms.