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Reservation Policies and Procedures
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GROUP SALES & PRIVATE CHARTER INFORMATION
Reservation Office Hours: MON–FRI, 8AM-5PM
205 N. Presa, Bldg. B Suite 201
San Antonio, TX 78205
210-244-5700 or 1-800-417-4139
Private Charters - Charter Tours, Cocktail, & Dining
CHARTER TOURS (Narrated Passenger Tours)
Chartered tours are similar to the narrated tours sold at the ticket locations with exception that these “chartered” tours are date and time specific for private groups/parties and events. The cruiser is configured to accommodate a passenger load of up to 40 (excluding the ambassador). All chartered cruises are booked in advance through our web request service at www.riosanantonio.com. You may request a date up to one year in advance, month to month.
Clients are urged to book chartered cruises with as much advanced notice as possible and may do so directly with Rio San Antonio Cruises internet service at www.riosanantonio.com, through our Reservations Department at (210) 244-5700 or 1-800-417-4139, or through the business providing catering services on board the chartered cruise. Because the demand for this service is high and not all requests are possible, the reservation agent that handles the request will work with the client to reserve an alternate time or date to accommodate the client’s schedule. Please keep in mind that there is a waiting list generated for all declined or unavailable dates.
At no time may anyone other than a Rio San Antonio Cruises employee conduct any portion of our narrated tour without prior written approval.
CRUISES INVOLVING FOOD AND BEVERAGES
Rio San Antonio Cruises is contracted by the establishments on the River Walk to provide dinner and cocktail boats, but is in no way affiliated with them. The recommended method for reserving all dining events is to first contact the catering establishment of your choice to discuss your needs, and then either have that establishment contact Rio San Antonio Cruises to book the cruiser, or the customer may contact us directly with their needs. A list of licensed caterers can be obtained through our website at www.riosanantonio.com *Restaurants link.* The catering establishment is responsible for collecting all funds associated with the event and will be responsible for paying Rio San Antonio Cruises for our services.
Whenever appropriate and merited, tips offered to our boat drivers should be handled separately from your caterer’s bill. Tables and chairs may not be removed from the cruiser.
Breakfast, Lunch or Dinner Cruises
Breakfast, Brunch, Lunch or Dinner cruises are for groups and/or companies that would like to enjoy a private meal in a relaxed environment. The cruiser will accommodate up to 20 passengers in a dining configuration with (2) 8-foot tables down the center.
Cocktail Cruises
Cocktail cruises are for groups that would like to enjoy light dining or just cocktails in a relaxed environment. The cruiser will accommodate up to 30 passengers in this configuration, with a single 8-foot long table down the center of the boat with seating along the outer walls of the cruiser.
At no time may anyone other than a Rio San Antonio Cruises employee conduct any portion of our narrated tour without prior written approval.
RIO ON DEMAND
Rio On Demand (ROD) is a special taxi service that transports guests from point A to point B at a specific agreed upon time. This is not to be confused with our regular taxi service that runs continuously with no specific schedule, or a chartered event that will include a narrated tour. Please keep in mind that the entire group of guests using the ROD taxi service, must be ready to load by the scheduled pick up time. Due to prearranged scheduled obligations, the ROD taxi can not sit at the dock and wait for any period of time.
TAXES & RATE CALCULATION
All prices quoted in this document include current sales tax. Please contact the Reservations Department for tax exempt pricing information and forms.
Rate calculations are based on the requested ending time for each event. Clients are urged to book sufficient time in their reservation for the catering establishment staff to setup the cruiser in a dining configuration and to remove all catering materials from the cruiser.
PRICING
Non-Peak Rates for Events ending at or before 5:30PM, MON-FRI
First Hour or portion thereof $100.00
Half Hour Increments & Approved
Overtime $50.00
Two Hour Dinner Charter $200.00
Unapproved Overtime* $100.00 per half hour
Peak Rates for Events ending after* or starting at, 5:30PM, MON-FRI;
Including All-day SAT, SUN & HOLIDAYS
First Hour $125.00
Half Hour Increments & Approved
Overtime $62.50
Two Hour Dinner Charter $250.00
Unapproved Overtime** $125.00 per half hour
A scheduled charter that begins during Non-Peak hours, but extends into Peak Hour Rates for any portion, will be billed at the Peak Rates for the entire scheduled charter time.
OVERTIME
For all other situations of overtime where a request is made in advance, Rio San Antonio Cruises Operations Supervisors on duty the day of the event are the only personnel authorized to allow an event to extend into an Approved Overtime condition. If an event is authorized by a supervisor to extend into overtime, the Approved Overtime rates will be billed at the applicable rate the charter was billed for. Please be advised that this option for overtime is not always possible due to that particular day’s events, therefore any anticipation of this request should be mentioned to the driver for immediate follow up. The cruise driver is not authorized to approve or decline a request for overtime.
UNAPPROVED OVERTIME
*Rio San Antonio Cruises is authorized to bill overtime when an event extends beyond the original scheduled chartered time without prior approval, due to negligence on behalf of the restaurant, caterer, or client. This Unapproved Overtime is billed at a higher rate, in blocks of 30 minutes or any portion thereof. (For example, if a charter goes over its allotted time due to negligence, by ten minutes, it will be billed a full 30 minute block at the Unapproved Overtime Rate.)
PAYMENT
The following types of payments are accepted: cash, check, money order, online credits, VISA, MasterCard, American Express, or Discover (Purchase orders are not accepted). In the case of check, money order, online credits, or credit cards, the clients name MUST be on the payment transaction.
Full payment must be received within 72 hours after a confirmation number is provided to the customer for events booked more than 30 days prior to the date of the event. In the event a reservation is made 30 days or less prior to the date of event, full payment must be collected prior to booking the reservation.
This full payment is subject to the Cancellation Policy Refunds outlined below. A confirmation number confirms your request for a reservation; if one is not provided at time of booking please call the Reservations Department as soon as possible to receive one.
If full payment and signed Contract for Services is not received within the allotted time, Rio San Antonio Cruises will cancel the reservation without notice.
Upon booking, the client will be faxed a Contract for Services with a confirmation number. It is the client’s responsibility to read the Contract for Services in full before signing and returning. The Reservations Department must be contacted without delay regarding any questions or discrepancies. The signed Contract for Services is a binding contract to hold your reservation, and Rio San Antonio Cruises accepts no responsibilities for clients that fail to understand the contract and notify us immediately.
REFUNDS/CANCELLATIONS
For reservations cancelled for non- inclement weather reasons, the cancellation policy is as follows:
* 60 days or more prior to event - 100% Refund of Total Barge Rental
* 31-59 days prior to event - 50% Refund of Total Barge Rental
* 30 days or less prior to event - No Refund
INCLEMENT WEATHER POLICY
Rio San Antonio Cruises reserves the right to determine if it is necessary to cancel a charter due to inclement weather predictions. If Rio San Antonio Cruises cancels a charter due to inclement weather, and timely contact with the client has been established to advise them, the client is due a full refund under these conditions.
In the event that there is an imminent chance of inclement weather, the Director of Operations will decide whether to offer the option to cancel, to the designated contact person for the event. After consulting with weather information sources, this option to cancel is offered directly through our Reservation Department (210-244-5700) or Dispatch office (210-225-8002) to all chartered events and must be confirmed with a notification time deadline set by the Director of Operations. When offered, this will allow the event to be cancelled with a full refund to the customer. If the notification time deadline is not met by the designated contact person for the event, or the option is refused, the event will attempt to go on as planned. It is important to understand that at any given point after this contact, the charter may still be subject to possible cancellation based on the Director’s updated assessment of weather and safety risks.
WEATHER CONDITIONS:
• Temperatures above one hundred degrees with clear or partly cloudy skies are a normal condition in south Texas and not considered inclement weather.
• Light rain or sprinkles are not considered a reason for cancellation for any event, as many groups have requested that their event continue under these conditions, if we agree.
• Temperatures below forty degrees are considered extreme and may be considered a reason for cancellation if accompanied by other conditions.
• Down pours, heavy rains, lightning and thunderstorms are considered reasons for cancellation.
• High or gusty winds which exceed 25 miles per hour may be considered a reason for cancellation.
DECORATIONS
All decorations and signage added to a cruiser will be at the expense of the client and must be in good taste. Decorations, overall size, and how they are attached to the cruiser, must be approved by Rio San Antonio Cruises beforehand. Signage on the cruiser must be approved by Rio San Antonio Cruises, as well as the City of San Antonio Parks and Recreation Department. When applicable, our reservations staff can supply you with the contact name and phone numbers necessary.
DAMAGE POLICY
Charges assessed for repairs which result from the direct negligence of a customer will be the responsibility of that customer.
STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES FOR PRIVATE CHARTERS
In order to comply and meet with the designated time allowed for the Private Cruise it is imperative that all operators catering and or hosting an event follow our Standard Operating Procedures.
At no time may anyone other than a Rio San Antonio Cruises employee conduct any portion of our narrated tour without prior written approval.
Charter Tour Cruises (Event Time 1 Hour)
Boat arrives at the location specified on the contract, at least 5 minutes prior to the event start time
Guests arrive and board the boat within the first 10 minutes of the scheduled event time
Driver commences the tour (35-40 minute tour)
Driver unloads guests at the location specified on the contract (which should be no more than 10 minutes prior to scheduled event ending time)
Cocktail Cruises (Event Time 1 Hour)
Boat arrives at least 5 minutes prior to the event start time
Boat then is set up by the operator within 10 minutes, max
Guests arrive and board the boat within the first 15 minutes of the scheduled event time
Driver commences the tour (30-35 minute tour)
Driver returns to original location to unload guests and allow the operator time to clean and breakdown their set up (which should be no more than 10 minutes prior to scheduled event ending time)
Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner Cruises (Event Time 2 Hours)
Boat arrives at least 5 minutes prior to the event start time
Boat then is set up by the operator caterer within 20 minutes, max
Guests arrive and board the boat after the set up time is complete but within the first 30 minutes of the scheduled event time
Driver commences the 1st trip with appetizer (15-20 minutes around the horseshoe)
Driver returns for entrée and dessert, then commences the 2nd trip (35-40 minute tour)
Driver returns to original location to unload guests and allow the operator time to clean and breakdown their set up (which should be no more than 30 minutes prior to scheduled event ending time)
It is the responsibility of the restaurant or operator hosting the event to share these practices to their guests so that they have full understanding of how the event will be broken down and the importance of arriving on time.
*Charter Tours and Cocktail Cruises with guests arriving more than 30 minutes late to a scheduled event will be cancelled.
*Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner Cruises with guests arriving more than 30 minutes late to a scheduled event will be required to make the 1st rotation with or without guests aboard.
*It is prohibited for the boat to remain stationary and set up for more than 30 minutes with or without loaded guests.
The following Rules and Regulations apply to all Private Charters:
1. Charter Drivers receive a Charter Slip for each event they perform which monitors the events timed departures and any problems relating to the event, such as late arrivals or boat problems. These slips must be reviewed for completion and signed by the client, owner, or establishment management, NOT by servers.
2. Charter Boats are often scheduled for more than one event, therefore, the boat must be rid of any debris (spilled drinks/food or items like confetti) and returned in the condition it was received, on time.
3. Charter Boats may not be converted into a different configuration without prior approval and a revised contract.
4. All operators must supply a copy of their TABC license on board, if serving alcohol.
5. A protective covering must be placed on the life jacket compartment of the boat, before placing any set up items, so as not to damage the lifejackets held within.
6. Amplified music is NOT allowed on the boats.
The following Safety Rules and Regulations apply to all Private Charters:
1. All guests must remain seated while the boat is in motion.
2. No smoking is allowed.
3. All wait staff, entertainers, musicians or special approved narrators may stand below the deck while the boat is in motion. At no time may anyone other than the driver stand on the deck.
4. No more than four chairs may be placed in the wheelchair area of the boat, side by side, not stacked.
5. It is prohibited to throw items towards, from, or aboard our boats.
General Information
OPEN DAILY: 9AM – 9 PM
(General Admission Locations Accept Cash or Credit Card)
TICKET LOCATIONS
River Level - Rivercenter Mall (underneath the Commerce St. Bridge)
River Level-across from the Hilton Hotel (near the Market St. Bridge)
Ticket Locations carry drinks for your convenience, keepsake Cameras, Rio T-shirts, and Hats to make your experience a memorable one.
TICKET PRICES – Narrated Tour (35-40 min., non-stop)
GENERAL ADMISSION (6 – 59 yrs) $7.75
SENIOR CITIZENS (60 yrs. and over) $5.00
MILITARY (w / valid ID) $5.00
BEXAR COUNTY RESIDENTS (w / proper ID) $5.00
CHILDREN (1-5 yrs old) $2.00
FREE – INFANTS 12 Mo. and under FREE
MATINEES – 9AM-12PM on TUE/WED (except holidays) $5.75
TICKET PRICES – Rio Taxi
ONE WAY $ 4.00 (cash available for purchase on boat)
24 HR PASS $10.00
3 DAY PASS $25.00
One Way and 24 Hour Passes are available for purchase on the boat, while 3 day passes are available at ticket locations only.
These boats are in rotation, therefore they pick up and drop off customers along 39 designated Riverwalk locations and are not at the disposal of any particular customer at any time.
Customer Service Hotlines(s) for Rio Taxi Service:
These hotline phone numbers are a means of directly contacting principal members of the Rio San Antonio Cruise River Operations Staff, during the normal business hours on the river, daily from 9am-9pm. These staff members may give an estimated time of arrival (ETA), once again these boats perform several pick ups and drop offs with no guaranteed time of arrival.
Cruiser Dispatch: Dispatcher on duty 210-225-8002
Operations Staff: Historia 210-244-5727
Clearwater 210-244-5745
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