Spain Tour 2016
Spain Tour 2016 Ajax FC Chicago Club Members, As many of you may have heard, the club is sponsoring a club tour to Spain in July 2016. A trip such as this with team members and friends can assist in building a love for the game, provide lifelong memories and be a learning experience that shapes our young athletes for years to come. The Spain Tour is a chance to share the different soccer cultures of the world. This is a tremendous opportunity for our players and families to take advantage of some of the unique opportunities that soccer can provide. This will be the second tour to Spain for the club in the last 3 years. In 2013 the club sponsored the then U18 boys as they traveled to Barcelona and San Sebastian, Spain to participate in the cultural and soccer experiences that the country can offer. The 2016 tour will follow a similar itinerary as the 2013 event. To that end, the club’s international travel partner, Premier International Tours, has put together a thorough tour package that includes: Airfare (round trip, taxes, and surcharges) Accommodations Meals Transportation Tour guides A tour of Camp Nou, home of Barcelona FC (if interested) A friendly match in Barcelona Participation in the world renowned Donosti Cup in San Sebastian The next steps: Each team manager has been tasked with gathering the names of players and additional travelers (family members) and reporting the interest of each team.
A team will not be booked unless it has a minimum of 12 players who have committed to traveling (*a commitment is made by submitting the $200 fee). Managers need to know what players are committed to going by Feb 15th in order to meet the financial commitments required by the tour company. If a team has the minimum number of players committed, we will begin the booking process for that team. Once that has happened the price is locked in for that group and any additional travelers they would like to add. FAQs How much are the fees? Depending on the number of travelers (players and parents from the whole club, not just singular teams) the prices are as follows: Price per person: 45-49 people traveling - $2,760.00 40-44 people traveling - $2,794.00 35-39 people traveling - $2,850.00 30-34 people traveling - $2,914.00 25-29 people traveling - $3,024.00 20-24 people traveling - $3,143.00
Are the fees refundable? According to the tour company’s booking conditions: “Cancellation and Cancellation costs
The following conditions apply for group cancellations or individual cancellations. Cancellation must be notified in writing, prior to the start of the tour. The day that the notification is received by PIT is the effective cancellation date. It is the responsibility of the group leader to inform all participants of the cancellation policy. If any individual or the entire group cancels their tour any time after booking the following cancellation fees will be charged: 1. Between booking and 20 weeks prior to departure: $ 200.00 per person. 2. Between 20 weeks and 16 weeks prior to departure: $ 350.00 per person. 3. Between 16 weeks and 4 weeks prior to departure: 40% of the participant’s price per person plus added cancellation costs for the different suppliers. 4. Between 4 weeks and 1 week prior to departure: 60% of the participant's price per person plus added cancellation costs for the different suppliers. 5. Within one week of departure: 100% of the participant’s price per person. The group will be responsible for any cancellation fees owed in case of individual cancellations if any individuals have not paid enough to cover their cancellation fees. Please note that individual cancellations within in a group can increase the participant prices for the rest of the group as an individual cancellation will lower the overall number of people in the group and increase the price according to the prices outlined in your trip itinerary proposal.
Suppliers present these regulations to PIT. This policy is in place to protect all members in the group. If your total number of participants changes due to additions/ deletions your participant’s price may be adjusted accordingly.”
How do we pay? The club will be submitting the payments to Premier International Tours prior to each payment deadline rather than paying the company individually. This is a cost saving measure for each of our travelers. Fees will be collected by the club in one of two ways: Option 1 is to submit a check or cash to the club with a notation signifying that the payment is for the Spain Tour. Option 2 is for you to authorize the club to charge your credit card for the fees. A payment schedule has been created to spread the payments over time. That payment schedule is: February 25, 2015 $400 per person due April 25, 2015 $400 per person due June 25, 2015 $400 per person due August 25, 2015 $400 per person due October 25, 2015 $400 per person due December 25, 2016 $400 per person due February 25, 2016 $400 per person due April 25, 2016 Balance due per person
Can I book my own travel and or accommodations? The only situation that this is advisable is if you will be using rewards miles or you have free travel. If you do have either of these situations we will be able to communicate that to the company and the price can be adjusted. If you do not have either of these then you will need to book with the group. If you do not then there is no guarantee that you will be on the same flight as the group, thus creating travel itinerary issues. The Donosti Cup is a play and stay tournament just like most of the tournaments here in the US. If you do not book with the group you will not be able to stay with the group and will not count toward the group travel count.
What if my son or daughter wants to travel, but there are not enough players on their team that want to go? There are two options in this situation. The first is that he or she can play up with the team that is older and will be traveling. If this is not appropriate from a soccer standpoint then there is a second, yet less desirable option to helping this dream trip happen. If there are at least 8 players on a team that would like to go we can ask the tour company to arrange for a similarly situated team from another part of the country to combine with us. This is not a guaranteed solution, but one that we can look into if the need arises.
What happens if we don’t commit prior to Feb 15th? The February 15th deadline is the last day that the above prices are good for. After that date there is an approximate 5% increase on fees. If a group commits with the minimum 12 players by Feb. 15th they and their entire group is locked in for those fees. This means that any additional travelers that get added to that group (players, family members, etc.) get the pre-Feb. 15th price. There is nothing saying that a group cannot go if they don’t commit by the 15th, however. It just means that if a group commits after the deadline, the fees will include the 5% increase.
Do parents and/or siblings pay the same fees as the players? Yes. The price is per traveler so although they are not playing, non-playing travelers still get the discounted fees that the tour offers on the package.
Where will the players be sleeping? What about the parents? The automatic option is for all travelers to stay at a hotel in Barcelona and a school/ dorm setting in San Sebastian. The school is air-conditioned, has restroom and showers, houses bunk-beds, and is secured with a courtyard gate and keyed entrance. There is an accommodation upgrade option that the tour suggests for chaperones/ parents/ additional travelers:
“Supplement per person for a 7 night stay is $370.00 sharing a room for 3 people, $420.00 sharing a room for 2 people and $820.00 for a single room. Breakfast will be served at the hotel, lunches and dinners with your team at the tournament cafeteria. If a team would like to stay in a hotel rather than a school: “Instead of schools we can offer as well accommodation in a three or four star hotel: Three star hotel/Full board - daily breakfast, lunch and dinner. Hotel accommodation located in or maximum 10 miles from, the city center of San Sebastian. Rooms for 1-5 people all with private bathroom. The hotel has a reception area, lobby and breakfast room. Lunches and dinners will be served at the Donosti Cup tournament center. Supplement per person for a 7 night stay is $150.00 sharing a room for 4 and 5 people, $210.00 sharing a room for 3 people, $370.00 sharing a room for 2 people and $ 600.00 for a single room. Four star hotel/Full board - daily breakfast, lunch and dinner. Hotel accommodation located in the center of San Sebastian. Rooms for 1-3 people all with private bathroom. The hotel has a reception area, lobby and breakfast room. Lunches and dinners will be served at the Donosti Cup tournament center. Supplement per person for a 7 night stay is $290.00 sharing a room for 3 people, $490.00 sharing a room for 2 people and $980.00 for a single room.”
Are there any additional costs? On the last tour the players were charged an additional $122 to cover pre-match gifts, group excursions/ tips for drivers and guides, and entrance fees for the Camp Nou in Barcelona. The pre-match gifts are banners that team captains exchange prior to each match to commemorate the occasion. Each player received their own as a souvenir of the tour as well. This pool of money was held by the coach and not part of the tour fees. Of the $122 collected $56 was returned after it was not used.
Twelve players is only one substitute, is that enough? The 12 is the minimum number to consider a group “booked.” It would be best if there were at least 15 players per team. 12 is a starting point and can be supplemented by additional players from the club or guest players from other clubs.
Can I commit now and cancel later? Hopefully you won’t have to, but if you need to then you would be responsible for the cancellation fees previously stated.
Will there be any fundraising opportunities? Definitely. The company provides two fundraisers that can go a long way to reducing costs. The first is a raffle. The raffle is for a trip for two to a European or US destination of the winner’s choice. The player will get a packet of 100 tickets to sell for $5 per ticket. 100% of the money collected from tickets sold is given to the player. So in one pack a player can earn $500. By booking now we will be able to sell tickets for the 2015 raffle and also for the 2016 raffle. The second fundraiser provided by the tour company is a donation crowd-funding website. The club will also be announcing fundraisers in the near future.
Who do I contact with additional questions? For any additional questions regarding our Spain Tour please contact (include the player’s name and age group): Nate Terry- [email protected]
A team will not be booked unless it has a minimum of 12 players who have committed to traveling (*a commitment is made by submitting the $200 fee). Managers need to know what players are committed to going by Feb 15th in order to meet the financial commitments required by the tour company. If a team has the minimum number of players committed, we will begin the booking process for that team. Once that has happened the price is locked in for that group and any additional travelers they would like to add. FAQs How much are the fees? Depending on the number of travelers (players and parents from the whole club, not just singular teams) the prices are as follows: Price per person: 45-49 people traveling - $2,760.00 40-44 people traveling - $2,794.00 35-39 people traveling - $2,850.00 30-34 people traveling - $2,914.00 25-29 people traveling - $3,024.00 20-24 people traveling - $3,143.00
Are the fees refundable? According to the tour company’s booking conditions: “Cancellation and Cancellation costs
The following conditions apply for group cancellations or individual cancellations. Cancellation must be notified in writing, prior to the start of the tour. The day that the notification is received by PIT is the effective cancellation date. It is the responsibility of the group leader to inform all participants of the cancellation policy. If any individual or the entire group cancels their tour any time after booking the following cancellation fees will be charged: 1. Between booking and 20 weeks prior to departure: $ 200.00 per person. 2. Between 20 weeks and 16 weeks prior to departure: $ 350.00 per person. 3. Between 16 weeks and 4 weeks prior to departure: 40% of the participant’s price per person plus added cancellation costs for the different suppliers. 4. Between 4 weeks and 1 week prior to departure: 60% of the participant's price per person plus added cancellation costs for the different suppliers. 5. Within one week of departure: 100% of the participant’s price per person. The group will be responsible for any cancellation fees owed in case of individual cancellations if any individuals have not paid enough to cover their cancellation fees. Please note that individual cancellations within in a group can increase the participant prices for the rest of the group as an individual cancellation will lower the overall number of people in the group and increase the price according to the prices outlined in your trip itinerary proposal.
Suppliers present these regulations to PIT. This policy is in place to protect all members in the group. If your total number of participants changes due to additions/ deletions your participant’s price may be adjusted accordingly.”
How do we pay? The club will be submitting the payments to Premier International Tours prior to each payment deadline rather than paying the company individually. This is a cost saving measure for each of our travelers. Fees will be collected by the club in one of two ways: Option 1 is to submit a check or cash to the club with a notation signifying that the payment is for the Spain Tour. Option 2 is for you to authorize the club to charge your credit card for the fees. A payment schedule has been created to spread the payments over time. That payment schedule is: February 25, 2015 $400 per person due April 25, 2015 $400 per person due June 25, 2015 $400 per person due August 25, 2015 $400 per person due October 25, 2015 $400 per person due December 25, 2016 $400 per person due February 25, 2016 $400 per person due April 25, 2016 Balance due per person
Can I book my own travel and or accommodations? The only situation that this is advisable is if you will be using rewards miles or you have free travel. If you do have either of these situations we will be able to communicate that to the company and the price can be adjusted. If you do not have either of these then you will need to book with the group. If you do not then there is no guarantee that you will be on the same flight as the group, thus creating travel itinerary issues. The Donosti Cup is a play and stay tournament just like most of the tournaments here in the US. If you do not book with the group you will not be able to stay with the group and will not count toward the group travel count.
What if my son or daughter wants to travel, but there are not enough players on their team that want to go? There are two options in this situation. The first is that he or she can play up with the team that is older and will be traveling. If this is not appropriate from a soccer standpoint then there is a second, yet less desirable option to helping this dream trip happen. If there are at least 8 players on a team that would like to go we can ask the tour company to arrange for a similarly situated team from another part of the country to combine with us. This is not a guaranteed solution, but one that we can look into if the need arises.
What happens if we don’t commit prior to Feb 15th? The February 15th deadline is the last day that the above prices are good for. After that date there is an approximate 5% increase on fees. If a group commits with the minimum 12 players by Feb. 15th they and their entire group is locked in for those fees. This means that any additional travelers that get added to that group (players, family members, etc.) get the pre-Feb. 15th price. There is nothing saying that a group cannot go if they don’t commit by the 15th, however. It just means that if a group commits after the deadline, the fees will include the 5% increase.
Do parents and/or siblings pay the same fees as the players? Yes. The price is per traveler so although they are not playing, non-playing travelers still get the discounted fees that the tour offers on the package.
Where will the players be sleeping? What about the parents? The automatic option is for all travelers to stay at a hotel in Barcelona and a school/ dorm setting in San Sebastian. The school is air-conditioned, has restroom and showers, houses bunk-beds, and is secured with a courtyard gate and keyed entrance. There is an accommodation upgrade option that the tour suggests for chaperones/ parents/ additional travelers:
“Supplement per person for a 7 night stay is $370.00 sharing a room for 3 people, $420.00 sharing a room for 2 people and $820.00 for a single room. Breakfast will be served at the hotel, lunches and dinners with your team at the tournament cafeteria. If a team would like to stay in a hotel rather than a school: “Instead of schools we can offer as well accommodation in a three or four star hotel: Three star hotel/Full board - daily breakfast, lunch and dinner. Hotel accommodation located in or maximum 10 miles from, the city center of San Sebastian. Rooms for 1-5 people all with private bathroom. The hotel has a reception area, lobby and breakfast room. Lunches and dinners will be served at the Donosti Cup tournament center. Supplement per person for a 7 night stay is $150.00 sharing a room for 4 and 5 people, $210.00 sharing a room for 3 people, $370.00 sharing a room for 2 people and $ 600.00 for a single room. Four star hotel/Full board - daily breakfast, lunch and dinner. Hotel accommodation located in the center of San Sebastian. Rooms for 1-3 people all with private bathroom. The hotel has a reception area, lobby and breakfast room. Lunches and dinners will be served at the Donosti Cup tournament center. Supplement per person for a 7 night stay is $290.00 sharing a room for 3 people, $490.00 sharing a room for 2 people and $980.00 for a single room.”
Are there any additional costs? On the last tour the players were charged an additional $122 to cover pre-match gifts, group excursions/ tips for drivers and guides, and entrance fees for the Camp Nou in Barcelona. The pre-match gifts are banners that team captains exchange prior to each match to commemorate the occasion. Each player received their own as a souvenir of the tour as well. This pool of money was held by the coach and not part of the tour fees. Of the $122 collected $56 was returned after it was not used.
Twelve players is only one substitute, is that enough? The 12 is the minimum number to consider a group “booked.” It would be best if there were at least 15 players per team. 12 is a starting point and can be supplemented by additional players from the club or guest players from other clubs.
Can I commit now and cancel later? Hopefully you won’t have to, but if you need to then you would be responsible for the cancellation fees previously stated.
Will there be any fundraising opportunities? Definitely. The company provides two fundraisers that can go a long way to reducing costs. The first is a raffle. The raffle is for a trip for two to a European or US destination of the winner’s choice. The player will get a packet of 100 tickets to sell for $5 per ticket. 100% of the money collected from tickets sold is given to the player. So in one pack a player can earn $500. By booking now we will be able to sell tickets for the 2015 raffle and also for the 2016 raffle. The second fundraiser provided by the tour company is a donation crowd-funding website. The club will also be announcing fundraisers in the near future.
Who do I contact with additional questions? For any additional questions regarding our Spain Tour please contact (include the player’s name and age group): Nate Terry- [email protected]
