Officially Book
To officially book and reserve a date for a charter - fishing and/or boating - a 20% non-refundable initial payment and signed liability waivers by all adult guests are required. Adults may include any minors (17 and younger) within their own waiver. Dates are only reserved by completing the entire booking process.
Liability Waivers
All adults (18 and older) are required to sign a liability waiver prior to complete the booking process. Adults can sign "declare" minors on their waiver forms. The liability waivers can be signed online from a computer or smartphone. Please note: waivers are to be signed by the guests themselves only; not by other guests or by outside vendors or hotel employees.
Please click "here" to sign a waiver. The same link can be used by all guests.
20% Initial Payment
The 20% Initial Payment is non-refundable unless the Captain has to cancel the charter due to poor weather or in the event the Captain has an emergency. Initial Payments are not refunded if the Client(s) cancel the charter. Please note: Initial Payment are non-refundable if clients get sick with any illness and/or test positive for Covid prior to the charter; please click "here" to see our Illness Policy for details.
When the booking process is complete, your non-refundable 20% Initial Payment ensures your charter date is reserved, which in turn prevents Early Bird Charters from booking other clients on the same date. The 20% Initial Payment is payment towards all administration work that occurs prior to the charter date.
For clients based in the USA, the 20% Initial Payment can be paid via Zelle (earlybirdcharters@gmail.com). For clients based in Bermuda and outside of the USA, the 20% Initial Payment can be paid via wire transfer (details to be delivered via email).
As a gesture of goodwill - should clients need to cancel and resechedule their charter for any reason, the clients' 20% Initial Payment will be valid for one year since his/her/their first date of inquiry. The clients' 20% Initial Payment may be put towards the exact same charter provided Early Bird Charters is available and the weather good for a safe charter (weather to be determined by the Captain only). Availability for reschudling is not guaranteed, Early Bird Charters is not responsible for bad weather that may prevent future charters from occurring, and pricing for charters is subject to change. Please note: should the clients' second reservation "fall through" for any reason, the 20% Initial Payment is still non-refundable.
FULL - CASH - PAYMENT
The remaining 80% payment can be made on the day of the charter in CASH (only) on the day of the charter by Captain Jim West; both USA and BDA dollars are accepted.
Unlike the 20% Initial Payment - on the day of the charter, we do not accept payment from hotels, wire transfer, via debit or credit card, Zelle, Venmo, PayPal, etc. We kindly ask that all guests arrive to their charter prepared with cash to complete the payment.
TIPPING
With tipping being customary in the boating community, we aim to deliver an awesome experience for our clients. With cash payments, we keep things easy for our clients and include the tip in the invoice. Although, if you had an amazing experience with Captain Jim and want to tip extra, please let Captain Jim know directly.
Cancellation & No Show Policy
If clients need to cancel their charter - for any reason - they are welcome to do so. Please note: the initial 20% payment is non-refundable if the client opts to cancel. Please refer to the "20% Initial Payment" section of this FAQ Page for details.
Clinets who opt to cancel the *day of *a charter will be billed the full amount of the charter price. Clients who do not show up for their scheduled charter will be billed the full amount. Please contact Melanie directly should this occur to arrange payment.
Unpaid invoices due to client cancellation on the day of and/or due to "no shows" are immediately passed on to the Bermuda Credit Association for debt collection.
Illness Policy
As some members of our crew are vulnerable to Airbourne Illnesses, including Covid-19, and because "boat life" occurs within close quarters, Early Bird Charters has strict requirements for coming on board. We appreciate our guests' cooperation and understanding on this matter. Please review our Illness Policy by clicking on the button below. This Policy is updated on a regular basis.
Taxi / Transportation
We personally recommend arranging a taxi ride with Bermuda Island Taxi to take you to/from the dock. (1-441-295-4141) We recommend scheduling via phone and reconfirming the appointment the night before via phone. Please calculate the time it takes to arrive at the dock at Grotto Bay from your accommodation.
Provided On Board
There is a head (bathroom) and cabin on board both Troubadour and Imagine.
Guests will be provided with bottled water and a cooler of ice.
For fishing charters, all fishing gear and bait will be provided.
Guests to Bring & Food Suggestions
Guests are encouraged to come prepared with additional water, food, sunglasses, sunscreen, hats, protective clothing from the sun, your camera, and Early Bird Charters will provide the rest for a full day's adventure!
If you're looking for places to pick up drinks and "grub" - we recommend booking a unique catering experience with our preferred vendor Take Five Catering.
You may also like to check out the following: Lindos (grocery store with deli options), Buzz (fast food; similar to "Sheetz" in the USA), or Miles (grocery store with "to go" options).
Snorkel Gear
For those who have booked a boating charter that includes time to go snorkeling:
To prevent the spread of Covid-19 and other germs, we encourage guests to bring their own snorkel gear.
Guests can also rent snorkel gear from Blue Hole Water Sports, which is located near the dock at Grotto Bay Resort.
Please take note of Blue Hole Water Sports' hours of operation; your charter would be required to return to the dock at Grotto Bay dock on time in order to return the gear. Please click "here" to review their hours of operation.
NO SMOKING POLICY
For the safety of the crew, guests, and the vessel - smoking and vaping of any kind is NOT permitted on board. The Captain maintains the right to cancel the charter and return the boat back to the dock if guests do not comply with this policy.
