FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
About BCT Island Tours
 

WHAT IS YOUR PAYMENT POLICY REGARDING BCT ISLAND TOURS?

Full payment to BCT is required eight weeks before arrival to hold reservations.

A non-refundable deposit of $100 US, per person, is required for guests wishing to hold reservation dates 90-days or more before arrival.

IF TROPICAL ISLAND LAND TOUR RATES ARE CHANGED AFTER I MAKE MY DEPOSIT OR FULL PAYMENT, WILL I HAVE TO PAY THE ADDITIONAL AMOUNT OF INCREASE?

PRICE GUARANTEE:

Bethel Coach Tours reserves the right to increase published rates on tropical island tours.  However, fully paid or deposited guests will be protected from any rate changes on land tours.

WHAT IS YOUR REFUND POLICY IN REGARD TO BCT ISLAND TOURS?

Regardless of the reason (including medical), cancellations involve expenses and turning down brothers who would otherwise book for dates reserved.  So there are NO exceptions to our cancellation policies/fees.

In extreme cases such as a death in the family, a refund will be given.  In the case of severe medical problems, dates may be changed.

Refund policies apply to only Economy, Semi-Inclusive, and All-Inclusive packages, but also to prices for Airport Pickup and Return.

Bethel Coach Tours and/or Tropical Island Bed & Breakfast cannot assume responsibility for any claims, losses, damages, or expenses arising out of causes beyond our control such as last minute airline delays/cancellations/changes affecting scheduled airport pickup, transportation strikes, town power failures, weather, acts of God, or other things beyond our control such as your failure to obtain mandatory documents, passports, and visas.  Also, refunds will not be given for personal changes you make to your itinerary and number of days you have reserved and paid for regarding accommodations and scheduled airport pickup and return - due to last minute airline delays or changes or failure board-connecting flights.  For this reason, we encourage all guests to obtain travel insurance in order to cover such unexpected expenses or losses.

SUMMARY:

• No refunds except those covered by insurance.

• No insurance results in No Refunds.

WOULD YOU EXPLAIN A LITTLE ABOUT TRAVEL INSURANCE & HOW I MAY OBTAIN IT?

For information regarding travel insurance or to have your questions answered, you may contact Diane Nichols who is one of Jehovah's Witnesses, at Bethel Coach Tours.  The travel insurance company that she recommends is a reputable one and very reliable, and in fact, is one of the leaders of travel insurance in the industry.

To process your travel insurance, call Diane at (505) 434-3944 or e-mail her at DNichols@GoGlobalTravel.com  Please make sure that you include the dates of travel and dates of birth in the information that you give.  Also, please mention that you are one of Jehovah's Witnesses and are reserving for a BCT Island tour at Tropical Island Bed & Breakfast in the Dominican Republic.  For more details online, please visit www.BCTislandTours.com/TravelInsurance.htm

HOW MAY PAYMENT BE MADE?

Payment may be made directly to Bethel Coach Tours.  E-mail:  Mail@BethelCoachTours.com or Reservations@BethelCoachTours.com or telephone:  (505) 434-3944.

DO YOU OFFER DISCOUNTS FOR CHILDREN?

Yes and No.  Unfortunately,  where airfares are concerned, airlines & various modes of transportation charge us a set amount regardless of age. However,  for Economy Vacation tours WITHOUT AIRFARE included, children  5 years old and under who sleep in the same room as their parents are free.  Again, this applies ONLY to Economy Vacation and Semi-Inclusive Tours without airfare included.

DO I NEED A PASSPORT TO TRAVEL TO THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC?

Passports are required for entry into the country, and are shown to immigration upon arrival and a Visa is obtained at the same time for around $15 US at airport of entry.

CAN ARRANGEMENTS BE MADE FOR A VISIT TO THE DOMINICAN BRANCH FOR A TOUR OF BETHEL?

Yes, most definitely.  To have a Bethel Tour, you would need to arrive in the country through Santo Domingo International Airport (SDQ) no later than 1:30 p.m. between Monday and Friday.  Then tour can be arranged right after arrival and pickup from the airport.

Or:  if departure out of Santo Domingo International Airport (SDQ) is no earlier than 3:00 p.m., Bethel Tour can be arranged on way to airport that day.

Reason why:  The Branch Office is located about 25 minutes from the airport in Santo Domingo.  Location can be seen at www.BCTislandTours.com/Maps2.htm  Other airports are too far from Bethel, and arranging the trip for a different day from arrival or departure would be at an additional cost for traveling the 10-hours round-trip to Bethel and back to Samana.

IS IT POSSIBLE TO RENT A CAR OR A MOTORBIKE OR SCOOTER WHILE IN SAMANA?

Yes, it is.  Car rental is approximately $70 US a day at car rentals.  Brothers rent a jeep for $55.  Foreign licenses are accepted.  Motorbikes are available for rent.  Average cost is $25 to $30 US per day.  For private chauffeuring to all activities, in place of renting a vehicle.  Please see BCT Semi-Inclusive plans.

ARE THERE ATM MACHINES? CAN I USE VISA or MASTERCARD?

Yes there are ATM Machines to use major credit cards.  Also money may be withdrawn on debit or credit cards at many of the banks The country has WESTERN UNION OFFICES in many places where money can be wired.

IS THERE CABLE TV?

Yes. Tropical Island B & B. provides each room with a TV and VCR.  English channels:  CNN NEWS, several sports stations, USA, TNT, TBS, Discovery Channel, Cine Channel, WON Chicago, etc.  There are French, Italian, German, and Spanish channels as well.

WHAT IS THE BEST MONTH OF THE YEAR TO GO TO THE ISLAND, WEATHER-WISE?

This is a difficult question to answer as the Dominican Republic is a TROPICAL island and so the weather is warm and sunny all year round! The weather is beautiful whether you come in January or August!   However, just as  in other places, weather is unpredictable as far as rain or storms.  There is no "rainy season" per se.  Very seldom do hurricanes directly hit the Peninsula of Samana as it is protected by the Sierras Mountain Range.

WILL THERE BE A PROBLEM DURING MY STAY SINCE I DO NOT KNOW THE LANGUAGE?

No.  All of the brothers overseeing your island tour speak fluent English and in fact are needgreaters or self-supporting missionaries from the United States.

I WOULD LIKE TO GO IN FIELD SERVICE DURING MY STAY.  HOWEVER, I DO NOT SPEAK SPANISH.  WHAT CAN I DO?

No problem.  There are many many self supporting missionaries who speak both English and Spanish, who would love to have you accompany them. There is a meeting for field service every morning 8:45 am Tuesday through Sunday.

I UNDERSTAND AMERICAN DOLLARS ARE NOT USED IN THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC. 
HOW DO I OBTAIN PESOS?

There are several money changing banks in each town as well as at the airport.  Changing US dollars to Dominican pesos is not a problem

SHOULD I BRING MY LAP TOP?  CAN I CONNECT IT TO THE INTERNET?

If you have one, bring it.  Your host bed and breakfast has an internet line for guests to use.

WHAT KIND OF CLOTHING SHOULD I BRING?

The best clothing to bring is clothing of perma-press or no-iron material.  Lightweight.

IS THERE HOT WATER ?

In most places, NO, due to low voltage in the country.  However, a cool shower can be quite refreshing after a hot day on the beach.  For those who prefer a hot shower, Tropical Island Bed & Breakfast does have hot water (There are, however, occasional times when the water pressure is too low in the town for the pilot on our gas heaters to turn on).

FOR RESERVATIONS, call (505) 434-3944 

reservations@BethelCoachTours.com
mail@BethelCoachTours.com  
 

 Departs: Major airport near you
Airfares can be arranged by BCT

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ABOUT BETHEL COACH TOURS:

BCT is an independently owned and operated travel agency that has been organizing tours to branches of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society worldwide for Jehovah’s Witnesses since 1988. Our goal is to offer trips to our brothers and sisters that are spiritually encouraging, fun, safe, and affordable. We are not sponsored by the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society.