Sedona Wine and Vortex Tours - Policies

DRINKING, GETTING SICK, NUMERO UNO 

Pretty please with the fattest, ripest cherry on top... please don't get sick in our tour vehicles. If you or a member of your party "upchuck" in my vehicle, you agree to pay the full cost of cleanup and replacement of whatever is required to return my vehicle to pre-upchuck status, up to $2,000. Fortunately this has never happened, but there have been episodes that were too close for comfort. Just sayin'. Best way to avoid this is to know your drinking limit and stay well within it, or if you're feeling queasy please stay home. If you are doing a wine tour, please do not initiate our tour after already having consumed alcohol. Save yourself for the tour and drink lightly as we move among wine tasting locations. Remember that it is a "wine tasting" tour, and not a "wine guzzling" tour. Get high, but don't get hammered. We are sensitive about this, and if the guest initiates the tour in an inebriated state or over-consumes along the way, the tour may be cancelled without refund. We are very reasonable and want nothing more than for our guests to relax, enjoy, be themselves, and get more than their money's worth out of us. But, for very good reasons based on experience we have to be very forward here and reserve the right to complete compensation in this regard. 

Additionally, please no open containers of alcohol or drinking except bottled water, etc. while inside the tour vehicle. We supply bottled water for our guests, but we like to avoid spills and food residue in order to keep our vehicle nice for all future guests. Please, no snacking in the vehicles. 

TOUR RATES AND PRICING

We are a fully custom, boutique tour company, offering the flexibility to adjust itineraries based on your preferences during the tour. To keep our pricing straightforward for both you and our business, we follow a simple approach:

• Our rates cover guide and transportation services only.
• Guests are responsible for any additional costs they incur during the tour, including food and wine. There are no entry fees at individual establishments.
• Guests can expect to receive tour company discounts at many of the establishments that we visit.

We’ve chosen this pricing model to avoid adding unnecessary overhead and to keep tour rates affordable. The cost of wine and food in our area is typically reasonable, and by allowing you to pay directly, we avoid having to increase the price of our tours.

Facilitation: While we don’t cover these additional costs, we are happy to facilitate your experience at each venue, ensuring everything runs smoothly so you can focus on enjoying your time with friends and loved ones.

CANCELLATIONS/REFUNDS/RESCHEDULING

At our boutique tour company, each reservation is highly valued. As a low-volume provider, cancellations and last-minute changes significantly impact our ability to maintain our schedule and manage revenue. To ensure smooth operations, we have implemented the following policy regarding cancellations, refunds, and rescheduling:

• Refunds are only available for cancellations that comply with our stated policy.
• Any exceptions are granted solely at our discretion.

We publish our policies as a form of public notice, making them readily available for guests who need to review them or claim a policy benefit. However, this is a one man operation, and while we welcome inquiries about our policies and strive to respond as promptly as possible, we are sometimes very busy and not always available to check messages or emails immediately.

It is the guest’s responsibility to visit our website and familiarize themselves with our policies.

• Cancellations (General Tours): To receive a full refund, cancellations must be made at least 48 hours before the scheduled tour.
• Rescheduling (General Tours): Rescheduling requests made within 48 hours of the tour are subject to availability. If no suitable date is found, no refund will be issued. We understand unforeseen circumstances may arise, but availability cannot be guaranteed. Only one rescheduling request is allowed per booking.
• Rescheduled Tours (General Tours): Rescheduled tours are subject to the original 48-hour cancellation policy. If a rescheduled tour is later canceled or if no new date is available, no refund will be provided.
• Group Tours (8-14 People): For group tours requiring more than one vehicle, a pickup location (such as an Airbnb) must be provided prior to the day of the tour. If no pickup location is provided, the tour will be canceled without a refund.
• Exception (Group Tours, 8-14 People): For group tours of 8-14 passengers, a minimum of 72 hours’ notice is required for cancellations or rescheduling. Cancellations within this 72-hour window will receive a 50% refund, and within 48 hours there is no refund.
• Important: Cancellations and rescheduling requests must be made by phone during regular business hours (Mon-Fri 9 AM to 5 PM, Arizona time). You can reach us at 928-295-5275. Please leave a message if no answer, and we will return your call as soon as possible. 

Satisfaction:

While the vast majority of our customers absolutely love our tour services, we do not offer a "satisfaction"  policy. A lot of hard work, planning, and experience goes into each tour that we provide, and we maintain an excellent reputation for quality and consistency. However, if you book a tour with us and we provide the tour service according to our normal high quality standard, no matter how hard we try to please you, we can't guarantee that you will  be thrilled. However, we want to hear what you have to say about it, and in such cases any refund will be at our sole discretion.

We appreciate your understanding and cooperation in helping us provide the best experience for all guests.

WINERY AND WINE TASTING WAIT TIMES

Please be advised that the wine tasting experience in the Sedona and surrounding areas has become a very popular activity and guests may encounter lengthy wait times. There is nothing that can be done about this, and most tour companies receive no special consideration when bringing guests to wine tasting establishments because the winery gets nothing out of it since their volume is already high. When encountering long wait times at one establishment, we have been mostly successful by deciding on and moving to another establishment that has more availability, so that is an option. But, we strongly recommend that you try to book your wine tour during more typically lower demand weekdays for best access, if possible. Chances are better that if it is a low volume day your experience will be more enjoyable. 

SMOKING/VAPING: 

No smoking or vaping of any kind inside the tour vehicle at any time by any member of the party. Please keep smoking and vaping products stowed away until there is an opportunity to enjoy. We are happy to find a place to pull over and give you such an opportunity upon request. 

BODY SCENTS/PERFUMES

Since your party and your driver/guide will be spending time in the confines of an enclosed SUV, if you wear body scents or perfume products, please try to keep it light. 

COVID-19, PINK EYE, OR WHATEVER - UPDATE

We regard vaccine status a matter of private, personal healthcare information and do not require guests to prove or indicate their vaccine status. And, based on mixed information about transmission and vaccine efficacy, safety, etc., WE DO insist that if you are sick, showing symptoms, have been in contact with anyone who has Covid-19 that you please stay home and get well and be sure of your wellness status before engaging in any contact with others, including our company.

Please stay home if you or any member of your party are sick, or if you think you might be sick. If you're not sick and come on our tour please feel free to wear a mask if you like, but we don't require it. If you are sick or exhibiting ANY symptoms of anything including Covid 19, again... PLEASE STAY HOME, and get well, and please don't transmit any communicable viral pathogens to your guide. Driver does not wear a mask.

WEATHER

Weather in the Sedona and Verde Valley areas can change rapidly, especially during monsoon season (late July to early September) and can on rare occasion have a practical impact on a company's ability to conduct a tour, or certain parts of a tour, such as a vortex experience. Luckily, prohibitive weather days are indeed more on the rare side in this region. Weather cancellations will be determined based on the overall likelihood of sustained bad weather that renders conditions unsafe or unenjoyable, or will put undue wear and tear on our vehicles. If weather conditions present unsafe or unpractical conditions,  the guide may skip certain features of the tour, but will try to make up for it by adding another enjoyable activity to fill the time, such as another wine tasting stop or scenic view location. Thank you for understanding.

PETS

While we have a deep appreciation for pets and understand the joy they bring, we can no longer accommodate pets of any kind on our tours. This policy has been implemented to ensure the comfort, safety, and overall experience of all guests on our tours.

Additionally, if your tour pickup is at a public meet-up area and you bring a pet with no alternative care arrangements, your tour will unfortunately be canceled at the time of pickup, with no refund provided. This is due to our strict commitment to animal welfare, as leaving pets unattended in vehicles for long periods can pose serious health and other risks, regardless of weather conditions.

We appreciate your understanding and cooperation with this policy. We hope that you’ll consider making care arrangements for your pet so you can fully enjoy the unique experiences our tours have to offer, knowing your pet is safe and comfortable. Thank you for your compassion and respect for this matter!

THIRD ROW, IMPORTANT SAFETY CONCERN

Third row guests must be mindful of the extra care required when entering and exiting the third row, and allow the driver/guide to assist entry and exit for safety and practical reasons to minimize wear and tear on the vehicle. Please be patient as the driver/guide is at all times very aware of your presence and will expeditiously move to let you out of the third row as soon as the vehicle is safely parked. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT. Please follow our guidance and wait for our assistance on the third row. 

RESPONSIBILITY

While we maintain a perfect safety record and are constantly monitoring and assessing any given situation for safety problems, the bottom line is that every adult guest is responsible for their own safety and that of their children or anyone they are in charge of. Please follow the guidance and instructions of your driver/guide if a safety concern is raised. Seatbelts are to be worn at all times when the vehicle is in motion or on the roadway.

PARKING FEES/PAYMENT

Guests are responsible for the payment of all entry and parking fees that are charged when entering fee areas such as vista sites, state park areas, etc. Usually these fees are nominal, and sometimes the guide/driver will just pay the fee for mere convenience and expediency, but with larger groups the fees can add up a bit and the driver/guide may ask the guest or group to pony up the fee. Thanks for understanding. 

DINING

Guest are responsible for their own bill and charges incurred at any establishment that we may visit while on tour. The tour's hourly rate applies during the duration of any dining experience as the driver/guide accompanies the guests and continues to be in working and entertaining mode while we are all dining together. The guest is welcome to offer to cover the driver/guides food and beverage and we sincerely appreciate and accept it, but by default we request a separate bill for our own charges. 

MEDICAL CONDITIONS

Please let us know in advance or at the time of pickup if any guest has a medical condition that requires special attention or accommodation. We will do our level best, but cannot guarantee that we can accommodate every situation due to practical limitations and space required for mobility and other devices.