FAQs

When booking a tour you need to have the confidence that you are not only working with a reliable, accrediated travel provider, but one with financial security.Defining Moments are a division of House of Travel Whangarei, a fully bonded agency with TAANZ – the Travel Agents’ Association of New Zealand Incorporated since 1991. TAANZ accreditation gives travellers the assurance that your travel provider is held to the highest industry standards. For your peace of mind, TAANZ members are bonded and must meet strict financial standards. For further information, please refer to https://taanz.org.nz/about/

Defining Moments is one of the few TAANZ bonded specialist education travel providers.

We work with you during the quote journey to create the itinerary that will best achieve the desired outcomes of your tour. Our quote is presented with price brackets, showing the estimated tour cost based on the number of students you expect and are willing to take on tour. Once we narrow down the specifics of the tour content and the exact number of students travelling is confirmed by paying the deposit, we will be able to advise the exact and final cost of the tour to each participant. Once deposits are paid and the tour is booked and confirmed the price won’t change unless a student withdraws from the tour, or you request to make changes to the itinerary. An administration fee is also charged for voluntary changes to the itinerary after tour confirmation.

A non-refundable deposit is required at the time of booking. Defining Moments will also work with each school to create an achievable schedule of payments clearly outlining payment amounts and deadlines to each traveler. Funds are paid by students into the school directly which are forwarded on to Defining Moments at the appropriate time.

From the moment your tour is confirmed your dedicated Group Tour Specialist will be your port of call. They will keep you up to date through the entire booking process, upcoming payments and deadlines, and assist with all aspects of your tour from the lead up, through departure and after your return to New Zealand.

Each tour is unique in its construction and built specifically to your needs. We start with including international & domestic airfares, group accommodation, private transfers, and guided activities focused on your curriculum at each destination. Additional things like extra meals, or unique experiences can easily be included, and our sales team will talk you through any specific requests or requirements to find your perfect itinerary.

Our sales team work closely with you during the quote process to create the perfect itinerary for you and your school. Once your unique tour is booked and confirmed we don’t expect things to change, however airline schedules and availability of group bookings may mean accommodation and tour experiences could need to be moved around. Subject to availability, we can make any changes or additions to the tour that you, as the tour leader request at any time up until your final payment is due. Any voluntary changes will impact the total tour price and we do charge an administration fee per change requested.

All payments made to Defining Moments are non-refundable as per the booking terms and conditions agreed to by the school. If a student does need to withdraw from a booked tour, they should speak to their tour leader in the first instance who can contact us to discuss if there are any options. Travel insurance may also be able to help if a student is withdrawing because of an event that is covered under their policy

We only work with suppliers that understand and support the unique requirements of educational group travel. Every organisation Defining Moments works with have signed Service Level Agreements to ensure expected standards of service and safety are met for all school groups entrusted to them. As part of these agreements, all organisations need to provide completed Risk Assessment forms on all accommodation, transportation and activities to be undertaken by the school while on tour. These can be supplied for EOTC or school health and safety paperwork, if required.

With each traveler’s permission, passenger details and travel plans are registered on the New Zealand Government Safe Travel website. This ensures that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Trade can contact the group in an emergency, or provide consular assistance, if needed.

24/7 emergency contact details are provided for immediate assistance on the ground as well as for the team in New Zealand at any time, should it be needed while you are travelling.

All travelers must be covered by a valid travel insurance policy when confirming a tour with Defining Moments, as per our Terms and Conditions signed by the school.

To best cover the group for any unforeseen event we ask that the entire group is covered under a single group policy. We can offer a policy that covers the entire group, but your school may have suitable alternative cover. In that instance we will ask for a disclaimer form be completed that acknowledges you take responsibility for your chosen insurance provider.

Please note: most insurance providers are not currently offering any cover for claims relating to Covid-19

In order to be eligible for the best available negotiated group rates from our air and land suppliers, any tour will need to have at least 12 participants, including teachers.

There is no maximum number on group size and no number is too big to work with.

Pre-departure information on your destination is provided to all travelers with general country information, passport, climate, spending money guidelines, items to pack, tipping information, health and other general information.

You don’t need a passport to register for the tour, though of course you will need one to travel. Because of the many different entry and transit requirements various countries impose, we ask that all travelers have at least 6 months validity on their passport after their intended return to New Zealand.

We work with each school to understand the needs of each traveller and communicate this to our suppliers to ensure everyone is catered to as best as possible. The nature of visiting overseas destinations does mean that some special meals for individual requirements may not always be available. In these cases, we will help create a plan for affected travelers.

Depending on the countries you are travelling to, the group may need to apply for a visa prior to departure. Defining Moments will provide more information at the time of booking and can assist in most visa applications. Additional cost may apply for some visas.

Certain countries do require specific immunisations for entry. Defining Moments will advise of official requirements, but it is important to understand we are not medical experts. We recommended everyone speak to their doctor or medical travel specialist about their personal situation. General health information relating to overseas travel can be found here: https://safetravel.govt.nz/health-and-travel

For destinations where tipping is commonplace, we will endeavor to include tips in the total package price. In cases where this is not possible, we will provide an itemised tipping guide for each destination.

This may be possible in some cases, but the nature of group bookings with our airline partners means that accruing cannot be guaranteed.

Generally, any frequent flyer points or personal airline credits are not eligible for use on group airfares.