Can the rental company unilaterally change the terms of my reservation or cancel it?
Updated on: 26/05/2025Yes, in rare (but possible) cases, the rental company may need to unilaterally change the terms of your reservation. For you, this could mean:
- Great news: an upgrade! The rental company provides you with a higher-category boat at no extra cost. You will be notified by email, and your reservation will be updated in your customer account.
- Neutral news: a change to a boat of an equivalent category, a change in the departure port and/or arrival port within the same region (more common on rivers). You will be notified by email of the change and its reason, and your reservation will be updated in your customer account.
- Bad news: a change to a lower-category boat with a refund of the price difference, a change to a different type of boat (e.g., monohull → catamaran), or a transfer of your rental to another region. In these cases, we will send you an email and call you to notify you. If the proposed change does not suit you, you can opt for a refund of the rental fee. If we cannot find a solution, you will be refunded.
What factors might lead to these unilateral changes? To understand this, you need to be aware of the specific characteristics of a boat rental compared to renting a property on land. When you book a hotel room or vacation rental, it is extremely rare for an unforeseen event to render the rented property unusable. A boat, however, is a mobile, fragile asset with significant technical complexities. Several situations—fortunately rare—can render the reserved boat unavailable on the day of the cruise, forcing the charter company to place you on another boat. For example:
- An accident during a rental preceding yours (grounding, striking a rock, serious damage to the rigging) rendering the boat unusable or unsafe for navigation.
- A delay at the shipyard, if you book a boat that is not yet completed. It may then be delivered later than expected, and perhaps after your cruise dates.
- On inland waterways, the closure of a waterway by official order, due to drought, lock maintenance, etc. In this case, the departure port for your charter may be changed, usually by a few kilometers. If you booked a one-way trip, the rental company may require you to take a round-trip (in which case the one-way fee will not be charged). Conversely, if you booked a round-trip, you may be asked to take a one-way trip with a complimentary return taxi.
- A boat being removed from the rental company’s fleet. This may be a decision by the rental company itself, or by the boat’s actual owner (if the boat is managed by the rental company but not owned by the local rental company).
In short: booking a boat does not guarantee that you will sail on it. It guarantees that if anyone sails on it, it will be you.
