For 31 years Mountain & River Adventures has been sharing the delight of meaningful, life-enriching whitewater rafting and camping vacations. We’ve been through a number of difficult times and recognize that the current situation with the Coronavirus is unsettling. We extend our heartfelt sympathy to anyone who has been impacted.
We want to reassure you that our first priority is the health and well-being of our guests, our employees, and our greater travel community. As a family-owned and operated company, we are doing our best to make sound decisions that are fair, and in the best interest of everyone. As we make decisions, we consider the advice of official government channels, constant situational fluidity, and past lessons learned.
At this point in time, we plan to run all our trips as scheduled from the end of April through the summer. All of our river tours take place in nature, where open space and fresh air work in our favor. As a family-owned and operated, small business, we rely heavily on early reservations and deposits for ‘start-up’ costs each year, and our early reservations help us forecast the number of employees we need to secure for each season. We understand that many need to cut back in these unprecedented times and we urge you to consider postponing your trip over canceling all together if at all possible.
If you have any questions about your upcoming travels, we welcome you to contact us. We thank you for navigating these difficult times with us. Thank you for valuing travel and the positive changes it provides the world.
“I will love the light for it shows me the way, yet I will endure the darkness for it shows me the stars.” – Og Mandino
FAQ’s Specific to the Current Coronavirus Situation (subject to change as the Covid situation develops) Are you still operating your rafting and camping adventures? Yes. Unless local conditions prevent operations, we are running trips as scheduled. For our 2020 rafting season in the Sequoia National Forest, there is currently no indication that the public lands on which we operate will be closed. We plan to operate our trips as we always have, with added precautions as explained below. What happens if I cancel my reservation now? All reservations are subject to our reservation cancellation policy which you will find at the bottom of all quotes and all confirmations. Will travel insurance protect my vacation investment? It’s best to get information directly from the travel insurance companies. We continue to recommend the purchase of travel insurance, and you can learn more about coverage as it relates to the Coronavirus here. With the current Coronavirus situation, you may want to consider the “cancel for any reason” (CFAR) coverage. This is more expensive than regular coverage and, covers only 75% of the nonrefundable portion of your trip, but may the right choice for you. This coverage must be purchased within 21 days of paying your initial deposit. Have you changed the balance due date for trips due to COVID-19? Yes. In order to provide you more flexibility, your final balance for trips are as follows: Final balances are now due 20 days prior to departure rather than 30 days. What screening and preventative measures is MRA taking? We reserve the right to decline service to a guest if we have reason to believe that you have been in close contact with a person known to have COVID-19 within the 14 days prior to your scheduled trip or, if you develop flu-like symptoms (a fever, cough, and shortness of breath) during the 14 days prior to your scheduled trip. We will remove any scheduled staff member if we have reason to believe that they have been in close contact with a person known to have COVID-19 within the 14 days prior to a scheduled trip or, if they develop flu-like symptoms (a fever, cough, and shortness of breath) during the 14 days prior to a scheduled trip. In addition to the above, if a staff member or guest develops symptoms that suggest any possibility of COVID-19, we will isolate that person, take precautionary sanitary measures and explore the possibility of evacuation of that person. Since our knowledge of the Coronavirus and COVID-19 are evolving constantly, we will update protocols as necessary. What if my itinerary is adjusted? MRA has always reserved the right to alter your scheduled itinerary to deliver a secure and fulfilling experience. We always do our best to deliver the river tour itinerary you planned for and purchased. However, events such as forest fires, floods, extreme low or high water, or local regulations sometimes require us to raft a different section of the Kern River. We appreciate your understanding that sometimes we have to make changes. What if MRA cancels my trip? If we choose to cancel a trip due to closure by a federal, state or local authority, governmental intervention, our own decision or any other reason, and we do not provide an alternate trip*, we offer you the following option: A full refund, or a credit equal to 100% of the price you paid for the actual tour (not including services provided by other companies such as air carriers, hotels, etc.) This credit can be used for another trip through 2021. Once an alternate trip is booked, it is subject to standard cancellation policies. * We reserve the right to offer an alternate trip or itinerary that matches the date of the original trip. Should you choose not to participate, this is treated as a cancellation. (Example: A forest fire prevents us from operating our August 23 Upper Kern river trip. We provide an alternative trip on the Lower Kern on that same date. If you choose not to go on this alternative trip, you are choosing to cancel and our cancellation policy applies.) If I cancel or change my departure, or MRA cancels my trip, will MRA cover my costs for pre or post-trip expenses? In the event of any cancellation or rescheduled trip, you are responsible for cancellation or change fees related to pre or post-trip expenses. What should I do if I’m booked on a trip but health concerns make me wonder if I should travel? If you are unsure whether to travel due to health concerns, we recommend you consult with your physician. We also highly recommend purchasing CFAR (Cancel for any Reason) insurance. Please email your Adventure Concierge, or give us a call at: 1-800-861-6553 if you have any questions about the policies specific to your trip. Ultimately, if we do not cancel a trip, the decision to travel is up to you. Please understand that because the COVID-19 situation is changing daily and unpredictable, we reserve the right to change these policies without prior notice. However, the terms and conditions that were in place at the time of your reservation will apply. What if I am unable to travel at the time of my trip departure due to a travel ban, or restrictions imposed by federal, state or local government authorities? If an official travel ban has been issued that does not allow you to travel to or from your point of origin, MRA will allow you to use the full value of your non-refundable payments as a credit for a future trip. You may apply this credit to any of our trips for any available departure through 2021. Once an alternate trip is booked, it is subject to standard cancellation policies. no refunds for any unused portion of credit will be given. Where Can I Find Trusted Information About Coronavirus? We believe it’s important to stay well-informed from trusted sources and to read beyond headlines in order to have a more complete understanding regarding this global health risk. Some sources we use, with accurate and measured information, include the following: The U.S. Center for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) who advise the country on public health. The World Health Organization (WHO) also maintains an excellent website filled with accurate and useful information, including a page dedicated to Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) travel advice. The U.S. Department of State Johns Hopkins University has a visual and statistical interactive map of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) cases worldwide. What is my responsibility as a traveler? Since governmental rules and regulations relating to travel are changing almost daily due to the COVID-19 situation, it is your responsibility to: Be aware of any health advice specific to COVID-19 issued by your Government before you leave home. Check with your travel insurance provider that your Government travel advice does not invalidate your travel insurance. Cancel your travel plans if you have been in close contact with a person known to have COVID-19 within the 14 days prior to your scheduled trip or, if you develop flu-like symptoms (a fever, cough, and shortness of breath) during the 14 days prior to your scheduled trip. In such unprecedented times, we urge you to consider postponing your outdoor adventures, instead of cancelling all together. Thank you for your compassion and understanding. From our family to yours, stay safe, stay calm, and adventure on. We can get through this together! Thank you, The Stallone Family