Payments

The hirer shall pay a security bond/deposit within 7 days of booking unless the hire fee is due. The bond/deposit is at the operators discretion but will be a minimum of $1,500 for Indulgence & Decadence for weekends and midweek hires and $2000 for 7 night packages. A Touch of Opulence and Endeavour will have a minimum bond /deposit of $1200 for weekends and midweek hires& $1500 for 7 night hires. The Britannia and Mayflower will have a minimum bond/deposit of $1000 for weekends and midweeks and $1200 for 7 nights.
The security bond/deposit may vary at the discretion of the owner based on group configuration and time of year.
Once a deposit is paid the rate is honoured regardless of any rate increase.
If a booking is taken in good faith and the configuration has changed substantially without any advice or discussion with the operator then this may result in a higher bond or the hire may be cancelled without reimbursement if the operator believes the boat may be compromised in any way.
Sub-letting of the boat is not permitted nor is changing the group composition unless agreed to by the operator.
No firearms, motorbikes or article that may damage the boat is allowed.
Smoking is not permitted on our houseboats inside or on any carpeted areas to avoid damage and additional cost to the hirer.
The Security Bond will be refunded subject to deductions for fuel and car parking costs and further deductions if the houseboat is returned late or in a damaged or soiled condition, or in breach of any other terms or conditions of hire.

The hire fees for all boats are payable 10 weeks prior to the commencement of the hire. Non payment by this date will be taken as a cancellation, and the conditions detailed under the “Cancellation Fees” section of these conditions of hire, will apply.
Indulgence, Decadence and A Touch of Opulence rates are based on an occupancy of up to 8 people. An additional fee per person is payable where 9 to 12 people wish to board on Indulgence and Decadence. This extra fee for Indulgence or Decadence per person is $300 for midweek or weekend hires, or $500 for full week hires. In winter this fee will reduce to $150 and $250 per person respectively. The fee per extra person on A Touch of Opulence for 9-10 guests is $200 for midweek or weekend hires, or $350 for full week hires. In winter this fee will reduce to $120 and $180 per person.
If at any time that the operator believes that it is in the best interest of the hirer and driver not to drive the boat then we reserve the right to offer a driver for navigation and mooring of the vessel.
There will be no charge for this service if the decision is made by the operator.
The same conditions will apply in the event of high water where a driver will be provided for a reasonable timeframe at the discretion of the owner.

Cancellation Fees

All cancellations will result in a cancellation fee of $250.00 being deducted from the booking amounts paid. Cancellations made 12 months or less prior to the date of hire, will result in no refund of any booking amounts paid unless the boat is rebooked by another party at the same hire fee. Cancellations made less than 10 weeks prior to the commencement of the hire will result in the forfeiture of all monies paid, up to the total hire fees due for that applicable hire. We highly recommend that separate travel insurance is taken to avoid any monetary loss incurred by unforeseen circumstances.
This may include sickness, river closure or border closure.
However, if the travel insurance will not cover river closure or border closure then we will offer a credit for monies paid.
Please note that we provide accommodation on a houseboat on the Murray River between the mouth of the Goulburn River and Torrumbarry Weir. We cannot be held responsible if activities or events are cancelled or moved by corporate or government bodies through unforeseen circumstances.
Therefore the normal cancellation policy will apply if the hirer chooses to cancel.
This will include events such as Southern 80, Blues Festival, AFL Grand Final weekend and any other event that may impact the hire.

Summary of General Conditions

The hire period commences at 3.00 pm for Indulgence, Decadence, A Touch of Opulence and Endeavour and at 2.00 pm for Britannia and Mayflower. The hire period finishes at 10.00 am on the last day of hire. Midweek hires board Monday and depart Friday. Weekend hires board Friday and depart Monday, whist Full Week hires commence on either a Monday or Friday or by arrangement. The number of persons aboard must not exceed the number of berths, under the NSW Maritime Authority. Drivers must be 18 years of age or over and must hold a current car drivers licence (boat licences are not required). We agree to have the boat, motor and accessories in good working order upon your arrival. Murray River Houseboats will not be obligated to compensate for the loss of time due to unforeseen mechanical problems during the hire period.
The boat may only move during daylight hours between the mouth of the Goulburn River and Torrumbarry Weir on the Murray River.
However, the distance you can travel particularly upstream may vary with river heights at your time of holiday and must be at the operators discretion.
We have a fenced secure carpark with security cameras for car storage. However, there will be no responsibility accepted for cars stored in this area.

The hirers are required to read and sign a comprehensive Hirer’s Agreement on arrival.
Hirers will also need to sign and to certify that all guests are aware
of the operators safety management system that will be provided along with the House Rules.

Damage – Any damage, loss or excessive cleaning will be charged at cost. Each boat is insured for accidental damage, but the hirer is responsible for up to the excess of $10,000, where extensive damage is incurred.

A  security bond of between $1,000 and $3,000 is payable prior to arrival via EFT or credit card and will depend upon the boat hired, and the age and composition of the group. The bond is fully refundable less fuel used and any loss or damage incurred during the cruise, and will be refunded within 10 days of the end of hire when the boat is returned on time, in good order & condition. A description of your group (ie. number of males and females and the average age of the people in your group) MUST be discussed with the booking office at the time of booking.

Houseboat Rental Cover provides complete protection against costly damage to your rental houseboat. Get the peace of mind that comes from knowing that a small scrape won’t turn into thousands of dollars of repair costs and fees.

Insurance waiver option. This is an optional fee of $75 per night, which can help you in the case of an insurable incident. For significant damage/loss, you will be liable for the insurance excess of $10,000. The insurance waiver reduces this liability to $1,000 per incident, which will be deducted from your bond.  The office must be notified within 15 mins of an incident and you may be required to return to the marina. Private travel insurance is also highly recommended.

*The nightly insurance waiver fee of $75 per day is non-refundable once the hire has commenced. Once a hire has commenced, requesting to take out the insurance waiver is not allowed and the responsibility to pay $10,000 excess applies.

**If the damage or loss to the houseboat is caused by negligence or prohibited use, you are responsible for the full excess amount and possibly all subsequent legal / recovery fees.  Prohibited use may include but is not limited to: being over 0.05 whilst driving, ignoring NSW Maritime laws, driving the houseboat without a full car driver’s licence, being outside the fencing whilst motors engaged or the houseboat is moving.