1. Rental — Booking
This booking form must be duly completed, signed and returned to the rental company together with the required payment, before the option expires.
By sending the signed booking form, the renter accepts the rental conditions, including these general terms and the specific conditions set out in the booking form.
The rental becomes final when the rental company confirms the booking to the renter, after receiving the booking form and the required payment.
2. Payment Conditions
A deposit of at least 40% of the total cruise price must be returned with the booking form. The balance is due 6 weeks before departure without any reminder from the rental company.
- If the payment schedule is not respected or the balance is not paid, the rental company reserves the right to cancel the booking.
- Any rental made less than 42 days (6 weeks) before departure requires full payment of the rental price.
- All bank charges are to be borne by the renter.
- Pursuant to article L 221-28 of the French Consumer Code, renters who book by phone or online with Riverly® do not benefit from the right of withdrawal provided for in article L 221-18 of the same code.
3. Boat Model Reserved
The reserved boat model corresponds to a range (Pénichette / Cruiser), a category (Classic, Comfort, Premium or Premium+) and an accommodation capacity. Plans, equipment details and technical information (such as tank capacity, cabin layout, etc.) presented in catalogues, on the website or any other medium are provided as examples only and are not contractually binding.
4. Modification
Any request to modify the booking (date, boat, base or region) made by the renter is subject to the rental company's agreement. All resulting costs will be fully borne by the renter on the same basis as cancellation (see §5), with a minimum handling fee of €150.
5. Cancellation
By the renter — if the renter is forced to cancel, they must notify the rental company in writing. Regardless of the reason for cancellation, the following fees apply:
- More than 12 weeks before departure: 15% of the rental price (minimum €150)
- Between 6 and 12 weeks before departure: 40% of the rental price (minimum €150)
- Less than 6 weeks before departure: 100% of the rental price
The renter may take out cancellation insurance with the insurer of their choice or through the rental company.
By the rental company — if, due to circumstances beyond its control, the rental company cannot make the booked boat available, it undertakes to do everything possible to provide a boat of equivalent comfort and capacity. If this proves impossible within the agreed timeframe, the rental price will be refunded in full, excluding any other compensation or damages.
6. Fitness to Navigate
The skipper must be at least 18 years old (21 years old for cruises in Hungary if the captain on board does not hold a boating licence). The skipper is responsible for the boat, equipment, crew and any person on board.
The boat may only be operated by persons over 16 years of age, under the effective supervision of an adult designated on the pleasure craft certificate as the licence holder or as having completed initial training.
The skipper must be accompanied by at least one person over 16 (or of legal age outside France) who is in good physical condition to assist with navigation and manoeuvres.
The rental company reserves the right to refuse to hand over the boat if the skipper appears unfit, regardless of any references, licences or certificates presented, or if the skipper is not accompanied by at least one person over 16. In such cases, the rental company may: propose a stay at the dock or limit the sailing area; or refuse to hand over the boat and terminate the contract without refunding any amounts paid.
7. Taking Charge of the Boat and Renter's Obligations
The skipper will take possession of the boat after completing the formalities (security deposit, inventory), receiving the administrative documents and being briefed on navigation instructions. Check-in and handover take place between 3pm and 6pm on the first day of rental.
The renter must comply with inland waterway navigation regulations and the instructions of the rental company and waterway authorities. Night navigation, towing, lending and/or subletting the boat are not permitted.
The renter is solely responsible for any proceedings, fines or confiscations imposed by any authority, and must not embark more passengers than the authorised number.
8. Security Deposit
The security deposit must be paid on the day of departure before boarding. It will be returned at the end of the cruise provided the boat and all its equipment are returned in good condition at the agreed time and place, with no damage caused or suffered, and all amounts due have been settled. The deposit amount ranges from €2,500 to €4,500 depending on the size and category of the boat.
The deposit covers:
- Loss, damage or destruction of the boat or its equipment, including refloating costs attributable to the renter and/or passengers
- Replacement cost of any missing or damaged items compared to the initial inventory, including optional equipment (bicycles, barbecue, Wi-Fi box…)
- Late return of the boat (see §16) or costs due to abandonment (see §15)
- Fuel and consumables (see §10)
- Cleaning fees if the boat is not returned in a clean condition and the cleaning package has not been purchased (€200)
The renter expressly authorises the rental company to deduct the above costs from their bank account via the pre-authorisation made in connection with the security deposit.
9. Insurance
The boat's insurance covers accidental damage to the rented boat or damage caused to third parties by the boat. It does not cover: persons on board, their personal belongings or their personal liability; loss or damage to equipment; poor maintenance by the renter; bicycles and other supplementary equipment (barbecue, Wi-Fi…).
In all cases, the renter remains their own insurer up to the amount of the security deposit. They may take out insurance covering cancellation costs and/or the buy-back of the security deposit.
Insurance will not cover liability or damages resulting from, for example: wilful or inexcusable misconduct, deliberate breach of safety or navigation rules, navigation at night or outside authorised zones, towing, operating under the influence of alcohol or substances affecting consciousness, exceeding the authorised number of passengers, false declarations, or malicious acts committed with the complicity of any person on board.
10. Fuel, Consumables and Mooring
Fuel, lubricants, cooking fuel and all consumables required for the proper running and maintenance of the boat throughout the rental period are at the renter's expense, at rates set by the rental company and subject to market fluctuations.
Any mooring taxes or parking fees are also at the renter's expense and depend on the stopovers chosen.
11. One-Way Trip
Even when accepted by the rental company, this service is never guaranteed due to circumstances that may affect it. The direction of one-way trips and the embarkation point within the same region may therefore be changed. Likewise, a one-way cruise may need to be converted into a return trip for reasons beyond the rental company's control — in which case only the additional one-way costs will be refunded.
It is essential to call 48 hours before the day of departure to confirm the one-way trip and the direction of navigation. Such changes cannot give rise to a cancellation or compensation.
12. Interruption or Restriction of Navigation
Only the embarkation and return locations are contractually guaranteed (except as provided in §11); the itinerary is not guaranteed. The rental company cannot be held liable for interruptions or restrictions to navigation for reasons beyond its control: works, floods, drought and other weather events, strikes, administrative directives, lock breakdowns or closures, etc.
If such events make the cruise impossible, the rental company may modify the departure and return dates and locations, providing an equivalent or superior boat; or amounts paid may be carried forward to a later trip to be agreed between the parties. Otherwise, they will be retained by the rental company.
If such events occur during the cruise causing a total halt to navigation and the loss of one or more days, amounts paid may be carried forward to a later trip, on the same basis and in the same season only. Otherwise, the rental company is not required to make a refund and the amounts paid will be retained.
13. Breakdowns
The rental company provides an assistance service in the event of a breakdown or damage; it will respond as quickly as possible from the time the breakdown is reported, during working hours, 7 days a week. This service is free of charge unless the breakdown is due to the renter's fault.
In all cases, the renter must refrain from any action not required by the urgent need to ensure the safety of the vessel and/or crew.
- Breakdowns not attributable to the renter: if the vessel is immobilised for more than 24 hours, the rental company will refund the renter on a pro-rata basis for the unused rental period, excluding any other compensation. The immobilisation period runs from the moment the renter notifies the rental company of the breakdown.
- Breakdowns attributable to the renter: no compensation will be due for loss of enjoyment of the boat. The rental company reserves the right to retain the security deposit to cover repair costs.
14. Damage / Accidents
The renter must immediately report any accident by telephone to the rental company, which will advise on the procedure to follow. The renter must not carry out or have carried out any repairs without the rental company's prior agreement. The renter undertakes to complete an accident report and have it signed by the third parties involved and any witnesses.
Any incident not attributable to the rental company cannot give rise to a claim or compensation in favour of the renter, whether they are the cause or victim of the accident, should their cruise be affected or interrupted as a result.
15. Abandonment of the Boat
In the event of abandonment of the boat, except in cases of sudden and prolonged impassability of the waterway, the rental company will charge the renter for the cost of returning the boat to its base, at a daily rate of €200, plus fuel and cleaning costs.
16. Return of the Boat
The boat must be returned at the contractually agreed location, date and time (between 8am and 9am). The skipper must allow sufficient time to ensure the return deadline is met. The boat must be returned in the condition in which it was handed over, as evidenced by the initial inventory, and in a clean state.
If the cleaning package has been purchased, the renter must nonetheless: take out the rubbish, wash and put away the dishes, and remove bed linen. The renter will be liable for all costs resulting from a delay of their making: each started day of delay will give rise to compensation equivalent to the daily rental price plus any costs the rental company may have to pay to the following renter.
17. Claims — Consumer Mediator
If the renter requires assistance during their cruise, they must immediately contact the nautical base so that a solution can be found. If the issue cannot be resolved, a written complaint may be submitted to the reservations department within a maximum of 60 days from the end of the cruise, quoting the reservation number and any useful information. Only complaints whose cause was reported to the nautical base at the time of occurrence will be processed.
In the event of a dispute, after contacting our customer service and in the absence of a satisfactory response within 60 days, the customer may contact the Consumer Mediator CM2C: cm2c.net/comment-nous-saisir.php
18. Jurisdiction — Applicable Law
The rental agreement is governed by French law. Given the nature of the single service provided, the rental company is not subject to the provisions of EU Directive 2015/2302 of 25 November 2015 on package travel. The legal relationship between the rental company and each affiliate relates solely to the rental agreement itself. In any event, the rental company cannot intervene in the performance of the rental contract, as each affiliate is an independent rental operator.
19. Personal Data Protection
In accordance with the French Data Protection Act no. 78-17 of 16 January 1978 and the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) 2016/679 of 26 April 2016, you have the right to access, rectify, restrict and delete your personal data. The rental company's privacy policy is available on its website and can be provided upon request.
