2024 Sable Island Terms & Conditions
Payment & Due Dates:
When booking your adventure you can choose to pay in full upfront, or you can pay a 50% deposit. With paying with a deposit, the remaining 50% is due 100 days before the start of the tour. A custom invoice will be sent on the due date via Square that reflects any applicable discounts.
Bookings can be completed by credit card via our tour page, or we can create a custom invoice that can be paid via credit card or Canadian bank e-transfer.
If Picture Perfect Tours Cancels The Tour:
Sometimes the most memorable experiences in life are also the most difficult – and this journey is no different. Flight safety and guest experience on the island, are the two most important decisions when determining a final departure decision. Because of these concerns, 20-30% of all helicopter flight attempts to Sable Island are cancelled. Flights to Sable Island National Park Reserve are not guaranteed to go ahead as scheduled.
We have a 2-day travel window (3-days for winter tours) by Parks Canada and guests must be in Halifax and available to depart during that timeframe. If our flight to Sable Island does not take off from Halifax Stanfield International Airport due to weather or logistical reasons, or Picture Perfect Tours cancels the tour prior to take-off, you will be refunded your ticket cost minus the $100 + HST booking fee per seat, or we will work with you to rebook your seats at a later date.
All cancellations whether initiated by the guest(s) or by Picture Perfect Tours and partners are subject to a $100 + HST booking fee to cover the non-refundable credit card fees from the ticket purchase.
If A Guest Cancels & Requests A Refund:
Our helicopter transport partners Vision Air Services have instituted a new cancellation policy in 2024 stating that if Picture Perfect Tours needs to cancel a charter to Sable Island National Park Reserve with 90 days or less notice, then a $3000 + HST penalty will be applied.
If a guest needs to cancel their ticket to Sable Island and request a refund, a cancellation notice by email (info@pictureperfecttours.ca) or by phone (+1 (902) 292-6688) must be received by Picture Perfect Tours in writing at least 100 days prior to the start date of the tour. If cancellation notice is given 99 days or less prior to the tour date then the ticket is non-refundable.
- > 100 days: 100% – $100 cancellation fee per seat
- < 99 days: 0% of payment
However, in such a scenario, we will work to rebook your seat for a later date if possible, or you may transfer or resell the ticket(s) to someone else at full price or at a discount. We will work with you to find someone to take your place but the financial responsibility lies with the purchaser if cancelling with less than 100 days notice.
Refund Processing Times:
Once a refund is initiated by Picture Perfect Tours, it can typically take up to 7-10 business days for the refund amount to appear back on your credit card statement.
Departure Delay From Sable Island:
Dramatic weather changes or logistical delays while on Sable Island are extremely rare – but can happen. If a group is unable to depart Sable Island and is required to stay overnight for any length of time, Parks Canada will charge a fee of $355.00 per day per person for room and board. Picture Perfect Tours is not responsible for these fees, costs for additional transport to leave Sable Island or any other travel-related charges or loss of income as a result of unforeseen circumstances resulting from visiting Sable Island Island National Park Reserve.
Guests are reminded to bring a week’s worth of any essential medications they may need in case of a delayed departure from Sable Island. In the event of a guest’s medical emergency while on Sable Island, Picture Perfect Tours and our partners are not responsible for any additional costs due to a medical emergency and guests are encouraged to purchase supplementary travel insurance.
Travel Insurance:
All our guests must understand that a wide range of events and circumstances outside of your control ranging from; personal illness, airline issues, extreme weather and other events could result in your payment becoming non-refundable or non-transferable.
For this reason, we strongly recommend that you purchase travel insurance that includes coverage for cancellation, including for medical emergencies during the tour. “Cancel For Any Reason” or CFAR coverage is now readily available and we are happy to provide you with suggestions to find a suitable insurance provider from either the United States or Canada.
Our helicopter charter costs have increased by $1500 in 2024, but we have kept our ticket price the same as last year to encourage guests to purchase supplemental CFAR insurance coverage.
Who Should Visit Sable Island:
If this was easy to do and simple to get to, then everyone would have been here. This is one of the wildest and most remote places left in the world, and the reward for making the journey is an incredible experience.
To safely participate you must be able to hike on your own throughout the entire day. Be honest with yourself about your physical abilities. Participants must not have any prior medical conditions that could affect their involvement (ie; heart conditions, breathing difficulties, mobility issues, pregnancy, etc.).
If you need any medications bring at least a week’s worth in the unlikely event we are unable to leave the island. If you have any allergies or dietary restrictions please let us know. Everyone should be in moderate physical shape for a full day of hiking in the sand. Children under 10 years old are not recommended to join unless you speak with Picture Perfect Tours beforehand.
Outside of the physical requirements of the tour, there are specific Transport Canada regulations for infants and toddlers travelling by helicopter that parents/guardians should be aware of before booking.
In the week before your tour, we will provide you with a digital copy of our liability waiver form. Please read our waiver carefully. Risks, dangers and hazards are outlined in our Release of Liability Agreement, which all participants are requested to read and required to sign before departing on our tours.
Is There A Refund If We Don’t Encounter Wildlife:
There is always a risk of not being able to encounter wildlife on Sable Island. We can only venture on foot from where we land and a remote possibility exists that we may not find any of the island’s 500+ wild horses or any of the thousands of seals. However, this has never happened in our 6 years of visiting Sable Island. But in the unlikely event that we do not encounter wildlife on Sable Island while hiking, no refund will be issued by Picture Perfect Tours.
Liability Waiver:
All participants must read and sign our Liability Waiver before departure of the tour – either in person or digitally. You can read the form by clicking the image below:
Contact Us:
If you have any questions, comments, concerns or requests don’t hesitate to get in touch with us at info@pictureperfecttours.ca or call +1-902-292-6688.