Debonda operates as a boutique travel planning agent and intermediary on the island of Hvar. When you book a private tour, transfer, or custom experience through our website, we coordinate and secure your reservation with fully licensed executing suppliers, and each individual service is contracted as a separate, independent arrangement with its supplier. Your booking becomes binding once confirmed in writing and processed via Stripe. We prioritize your safety above all else, meaning maritime schedules may change due to sea conditions. By completing a reservation, you agree to these operational terms, our cancellation rules, and our standard guest conduct guidelines.
1. Introduction and Identity
These Terms and Conditions govern the use of the website debonda.com and the booking of all private travel services, island tours, and transfers presented under the Debonda brand. The website and brand are operated by Island Essence d.o.o., a corporate entity registered at Kranjčevićeva 26, 21000 Split, Croatia, holding personal identification number OIB 64945300604. In these terms, expressions such as we, us, and our refer to Island Essence d.o.o., while expressions such as you, guest, and traveler refer to the contracting party and all individuals participating in the booked services.
2. Intermediary Role and Executing Suppliers
Island Essence d.o.o. operates strictly as a travel intermediary and travel agency coordinating bespoke destination experiences. We arrange, coordinate, and sell private tours, vehicle transfers, vessel crossings, and gastronomic experiences in the name and on behalf of, or as an intermediary for, carefully selected and fully licensed executing suppliers. The final operational execution of vessel operations, road transport, and hospitality services is performed by these independent partner suppliers. Each individual service in your itinerary is sold as a separate, independent contract between you and the relevant executing supplier, with Debonda providing separate intermediation for each individual item. By contracting through us, you enter into a direct operational service relationship with the executing supplier, while our legal responsibility remains limited to the professional coordination, reservation, and management of your booking.
3. Definitions
Service: Any private island tour, chauffeur transfer, speedboat crossing, dining experience, or custom guest logistics package offered on our website.
Executing Supplier: A licensed partner transport company, vessel operator, professional guide, or culinary estate performing the operational service on the ground or sea.
Booking Snapshot: The permanent digital record of the exact terms, prices, and cancellation policies presented to and accepted by the guest at the exact moment of checkout.
4. Contract Formation
Your request or online checkout submission constitutes an offer to purchase a travel arrangement. A binding contract is formed only when our planning desk issues a formal written confirmation email specifying the reserved dates, itineraries, and executing details. At the moment of payment, our system creates a permanent booking snapshot. This snapshot serves as the definitive contractual evidence of the exact terms, inclusions, and policies agreed upon by both parties.
5. Prices, Currency, and Taxes
All prices published on our website are stated in Euros (EUR). The price confirmed at checkout is the final price for the guest. Island Essence d.o.o. is not registered in the Croatian VAT system and VAT is not charged, in accordance with the Croatian Value Added Tax Act. We reserve the right to adjust published prices prior to contract formation, but once a formal confirmation email is issued, the guaranteed fare or tour price will not change unless you voluntarily alter your itinerary.
6. Payment Terms
Full payment is required at the time of booking to secure your reservation. Online payments are processed securely through Stripe using advanced authorization protocols. For comprehensive details regarding card authorization, capture mechanics, and data encryption, please consult our Payment and Security Policy.
7. Changes by the Guest
If you wish to modify your travel dates, departure times, or itinerary details after confirmation, you must notify our Hvar planning desk in writing. We accommodate modification requests without administrative penalty whenever supplier availability allows. For private on-island transfers and chauffeur services, you may add extra passengers or adjust luggage requirements up to 24 hours before the scheduled departure without changing the fixed vehicle fare, provided the legal seating capacity of the vehicle is not exceeded.
8. Changes by Us
We and our executing suppliers reserve the right to adjust itineraries, departure marinas, or route schedules when operational necessities, maritime safety assessments, or unexpected local events require it. If a significant modification is required before departure, we will offer a comparable quality substitution or alternative timing. When sea conditions prevent a speedboat transfer from operating safely, we reserve the right to transfer your journey to our hassle-free road and catamaran arrival package at no extra cost.
9. Cancellations and Refunds
All cancellation requests must be submitted in writing through our official communication channels. Guest cancellations made 30 or more days before the scheduled service are eligible for a full refund minus a 10% administrative fee. Cancellations submitted within 30 days of the service, as well as late arrivals and no-show events, are completely non-refundable. For detailed information regarding weather cancellations and refund processing timelines, please refer to our Cancellation and Refund Policy.
10. Guest Obligations and Conduct
You are responsible for providing accurate contact details, passenger counts, luggage volumes, and flight numbers during booking. You must arrive punctually at designated meeting points or departure marinas. You are required to disclose any relevant health conditions, mobility limitations, or severe food allergies prior to the service. During all maritime and road journeys, guests must strictly obey the safety instructions of the vessel captain, driver, and professional guide. The executing supplier reserves the right to refuse service or terminate a tour without refund if a guest displays disruptive, intoxicated, or hazardous behavior.
11. Children and Minors
All children and minors under the age of eighteen must be accompanied by a responsible adult guardian. Child safety seats for private road transfers are provided upon request. You must disclose the accurate ages and weights of all children during the booking process so the executing supplier can install the appropriate safety equipment before pickup.
12. Health, Safety, and Sea Conditions
Maritime travel and outdoor island exploration carry inherent risks. By participating in our tours and transfers, you acknowledge these risks and confirm that your physical condition allows for safe participation. The vessel captain holds absolute and final authority on all maritime safety matters. The captain may alter navigation routes, return to port, or cancel a crossing at any moment if prevailing winds, waves, or weather forecasts threaten passenger safety.
Valuables and electronic equipment at sea: Speedboat crossings and vessel transfers naturally involve sea spray, waves, and salt exposure. Guests carry professional cameras, drones, mobile devices, luxury watches, jewelry, cash, and personal documents on board exclusively at their own risk. Guests are responsible for using waterproof protective bags and for insuring their own valuables. Neither Debonda nor the executing supplier accepts any financial liability for damage to electronic equipment or valuables caused by sea water, spray, waves, or vessel movement.
13. Liability and Limitation of Liability
As a travel intermediary, Island Essence d.o.o. is liable for the careful selection of executing suppliers and the professional coordination of your booking. We are not liable for personal injury, property damage, luggage loss, or operational delays caused directly by the executing supplier, third-party entities, or the guest. To the fullest extent permitted by Croatian law, our total financial liability for any claim arising from our intermediary services shall be strictly limited to the total amount paid by the guest for the specific disputed service. We exclude all liability for consequential, indirect, or incidental damages.
Supplier insurance and injury claims: All our contracted executing suppliers act as independent legal entities that are required by law to maintain their own mandatory liability insurance and passenger accident insurance. Any claims for damages arising from personal injury during the operational execution of a service are to be addressed directly to the insurance policy of the competent executing supplier. We verify the licensing status of our partners with due professional care when selecting them.
14. Force Majeure
Neither Debonda nor the executing suppliers shall be held liable for failure to perform contractual obligations if such failure results from force majeure events. Force majeure includes, but is not limited to, extreme weather tempests, natural disasters, state-imposed maritime closures, ferry line suspensions, labor strikes, power blackouts, or civil unrest. In such events, we will provide operational assistance to reorganize your itinerary, but financial compensation for missed external connections or third-party expenses is excluded.
15. Travel Insurance Recommendation
We do not sell travel insurance, nor is insurance included in our service fares. We strongly advise all international travelers to purchase comprehensive personal travel insurance before departing their home country. Your policy should cover trip cancellation, maritime transit disruptions, medical emergencies, and personal property loss.
16. Intellectual Property and Guest Photos
All text, photography, brand logos, and digital content on debonda.com are the exclusive intellectual property of Island Essence d.o.o. and are protected by copyright laws. Identifiable photographs of guests may be used for marketing purposes exclusively on the basis of prior written or digital consent, such as a signed consent form or a clearly marked checkbox in an online form. Without such recorded consent, no identifiable likeness of a guest will be published on our digital channels or social media.
17. Complaints Procedure
If you experience any deficiency during a tour or transfer, you must immediately report it to your guide, driver, or our planning desk so we can resolve the issue on the spot. If the matter cannot be resolved locally, you may submit a formal written complaint in accordance with the Croatian Consumer Protection Act. Send your detailed written complaint to our registered office at Kranjčevićeva 26, 21000 Split, Croatia, or via electronic mail to our official contact address. We are legally obligated to acknowledge and reply to your formal complaint in writing within 15 days of receipt.
18. Out-of-Court Dispute Resolution
We strive to resolve all guest grievances amicably through direct mutual negotiation. Should a dispute remain unresolved, you have the right to initiate alternative out-of-court dispute resolution proceedings before competent national institutions in Croatia. You may submit your case to the Court of Honor of the Croatian Chamber of Economy (Sud časti Hrvatske gospodarske komore) or the Mediation Center of the Croatian Chamber of Trades and Crafts (Centar za mirenje). The European Online Dispute Resolution platform was discontinued on 20 July 2025 and is no longer available.
19. Structure of Combined Bookings
Every service in your reservation, including arrival transfers, private tours, and dining experiences, is sold as a separate and independent contract between you and the relevant executing supplier, with Debonda providing separate intermediation for each individual item. The applicable terms of each individual service are recorded in your booking snapshot. Where mandatory provisions of EU Directive 2015/2302 and the Croatian Act on the Provision of Tourism Services qualify a specific combination of services as a package travel arrangement or a linked travel arrangement, we honor all legal obligations prescribed for that arrangement by statutory law.
20. Governing Law and Jurisdiction
These Terms and Conditions and all contractual relationships formed through debonda.com are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Republic of Croatia. Any legal dispute arising from or related to these terms shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the competent courts in Split, Croatia. This choice of law and jurisdiction applies without prejudice to mandatory consumer protection rights guaranteed by the law of the country where the international guest maintains habitual residence.
21. Language Prevalence
These Terms and Conditions are published in both English and Croatian to ensure absolute transparency for our international clientele. In the event of any discrepancy, ambiguity, or conflict of legal interpretation between the English and Croatian texts, the Croatian language version shall legally prevail.
22. Changes and Versioning
We reserve the right to amend these Terms and Conditions at any time to reflect operational enhancements or statutory changes. Your contract is governed strictly by the version active at the exact timestamp of your confirmed booking. Our website automatically displays the current version number and active publishing date.