Terms & Conditions

Updated 4 October 2026: payment timing and transfers clarified (sections 14.1 and 14.2), and third-party booking wording removed. This applies to new bookings from that date.

Ocean Calling Retreats, operated by Rocío Ruiz
Last updated: 9 September 2026. Applies to bookings made on or after this date. Bookings already paid (including Moorea Aug/Sep 2026) stay on the 25 April 2026 terms.

By booking any retreat with Ocean Calling Retreats, you confirm that you have read, understood, and agreed to these Terms & Conditions in full.

1. About Ocean Calling Retreats

Ocean Calling Retreats is a Swiss-based retreat company operated by Rocío Ruiz. We host small-group ocean retreats — a maximum of six guests — that combine freediving or scuba diving courses with guided ocean experiences, ethical wildlife encounters, curated activities, and accommodation. Every retreat is designed for solo travellers and small groups who want to explore the ocean at their own pace, in the right environment, with the right people.

These Terms & Conditions govern all retreats and services provided. By booking, you confirm you have read and agreed to them in full.

2. Nature of Services

Ocean Calling Retreats hosts small-group retreats built around ocean immersion. Each trip page lists what that trip includes. Depending on the trip, this can be a freediving or scuba course with a licensed instructor, guided ocean experiences, ethical wildlife encounters, activities and accommodation. Courses, certifications and room arrangements are stated on the trip page and confirmed before payment. Group size is capped at six guests to ensure safety, personalised attention, and a calm group dynamic.

Ocean Calling Retreats organises, coordinates, and hosts the overall retreat experience. We do not act as a freediving instructor, scuba instructor, dive professional, medical advisor, or safety supervisor. All in-water instruction, supervision, and certification assessment are carried out exclusively by licensed professionals, who are responsible for safety, training progression, and operational decisions in the water.

Certification completion cannot be guaranteed and depends on participant comfort, safety performance, instructor assessment, and environmental conditions.

3. Third-Party Providers

Retreats involve independent licensed instructors and local operators including dive centres, freediving schools, boat operators, accommodation partners, and transport companies. Each operates under their own licences, policies, and insurance.

Ocean Calling Retreats carefully selects trusted local partners and licensed professionals for each retreat. While we organise and host the overall experience, certain services are delivered by independent third-party providers operating under their own licences, policies, and insurance. For this reason, operational decisions relating to in-water instruction, transport, accommodation, equipment, and local activities remain the responsibility of the relevant provider. Any claims relating specifically to third-party services must be addressed directly with that provider.

4. Participant Eligibility

Participants must be at least 18 years old to book or join any retreat. Minors may participate only with written parental or guardian consent, a signed liability waiver, and proof of guardianship if requested. The accompanying guardian accepts full legal responsibility for the minor.

Participants are responsible for ensuring they are physically and mentally fit to travel and participate in retreat activities.

5. Health & Medical Disclosure

Dive and freediving schools require each participant to complete a health form and a medical questionnaire (for example the current WRSTC Diver Medical Participant Questionnaire) before any dive or freedive. Participants fill them in directly with the dive school, usually the day before the first dive, and may complete them in person at the dive centre. If every answer is No, a physician visit is not required. If any answer is Yes, the participant must obtain a physician evaluation using the WRSTC physician form before entering the water. Pregnancy, or attempting to become pregnant, means no diving.

Ocean Calling Retreats is not a medical advisor and does not collect, see or store this questionnaire. Your local dive or freediving partner collects it directly from you before you enter the water. A physician and the licensed in-water professional decide fitness. We cannot override a refusal.

Participants must disclose honestly to their dive partner. We are not liable for undisclosed conditions. The dive partner keeps and deletes medical files under its own policies and local law.

6. Participant Responsibilities

Participants are expected to follow all instructions given by certified instructors and operators, behave respectfully toward fellow participants, local communities, wildlife, and hosts, and comply with cultural and environmental guidelines throughout the retreat.

Ocean Calling Retreats reserves the right to remove a participant from an activity or an entire retreat — without refund — if their behaviour creates safety risks, disrupts group harmony, disregards professional instruction, or causes distress within the group.

7. Group Retreat Programs

Group retreats follow a fixed program designed to support safety, flow, and group cohesion. The schedule may be adjusted due to weather, safety considerations, or conditions beyond our control. Not all activities are guaranteed every day, and pacing is set to support the group as a whole.

Exploration days may not include structured meals or transport. Program adjustments do not qualify for refunds.

8. Accommodation & Meals

Accommodation, room occupancy (private or shared) and meals are stated on each trip page and confirmed before payment. Common areas are shared. Participants may choose alternative accommodation, and retreat pricing will be adjusted accordingly.

Ocean Calling Retreats is not responsible for power outages, Wi-Fi interruptions, temporary water shortages, or maintenance issues outside our control.

Some meals are included; others are left open. If meals are sold as included, a written menu and diet map exist before arrival. Participants must declare diet, allergy, religious and texture needs on the pre-retreat questionnaire. Night-one dinner is the quality gate: say that night if a plate does not work. We will fix it (adjust, cook, restaurant, or a documented meal credit). Food dissatisfaction is not a ground to cancel the week or to demand a full refund. Leaving early is 14.5.

Images shown on the website are representative of the retreat standard and atmosphere. Due to availability, operational planning, seasonal considerations, or last-minute bookings, the exact accommodation may vary. Any alternative accommodation will always reflect a similar level of comfort, quality, and location aligned with the retreat experience.

9. Ethical Wildlife Encounters

Ocean Calling Retreats follows a strict ethical approach to all wildlife interactions. We never chase, feed, touch, or disturb marine animals. All activities are guided by licensed instructors and boat crews who prioritise safety, respectful distance, and responsible behaviour in the water.

Marine life sightings cannot be guaranteed. All encounters depend on ethical guidelines, prevailing ocean conditions, and operator decisions. Ocean Calling Retreats is not liable for missed encounters or activity adjustments made for ethical or safety reasons.

10. Photography, Media & Consent

Retreats include professional underwater photography. Final images are delivered digitally after the retreat; delivery timelines vary by retreat.

By participating, you consent to being photographed and filmed during retreat activities. These images and videos may be used by Ocean Calling Retreats for website content, social media, marketing materials, and promotional purposes.

If you do not wish to appear in published content, you must notify Ocean Calling Retreats in writing before the retreat begins. We will make reasonable efforts to accommodate your request, though we cannot guarantee exclusion from all group imagery.

Ocean Calling Retreats is not liable for equipment malfunction or inability to complete a photoshoot due to conditions, safety decisions, or participant discomfort.

11. Visas, Flights & Travel Documentation

Ocean Calling Retreats may provide general guidance on visa considerations, passport validity, and routing options. Participants remain solely responsible for obtaining the correct visas, ensuring documentation validity, and meeting all immigration and airline requirements. Failure to meet entry requirements does not qualify for a refund.

12. Insurance

Comprehensive travel insurance is mandatory. Policy number is due 60 days before arrival (with the balance). Cover must include trip cancellation, medical care and emergency evacuation, and the water activities of your trip (for example scuba, freediving or snorkelling) must be covered, either by your own policy or by the dive centre’s insurance, as stated on the trip page. Some trips, such as diving trips, also need hyperbaric treatment cover, as stated on the trip page. Changing your mind, visa denial, fear, airline failure, or leaving early are not Ocean Calling refunds. Whether your own insurance covers them depends on your policy.

13. Personal Belongings

Participants are responsible for their own belongings throughout the retreat. Ocean Calling Retreats is not liable for lost, stolen, or damaged items.

14. Cancellations, Transfers & Refunds

14.1 Payment & Standard Cancellation

• Non-Refundable Deposit: A non-refundable deposit is required at booking to secure your place.
• Balance Due: The balance is due 60 days before arrival.
• Monthly instalments (optional): Where possible, the balance can be paid in monthly instalments agreed with Rocío in writing. The balance must be paid in full no later than 60 days before arrival.
• Refund Schedule: If you cancel more than 60 days before the start date, any payment beyond the deposit is refunded.
• Within 60 days of the start date, no refund is issued as local services and resources are confirmed and paid.

14.2 Participant Transfers

The deposit is non-refundable and cannot be transferred. Participants may request a one-time transfer of any payment made beyond the deposit to another Ocean Calling Retreat within 12 months, subject to availability and the following. The new booking requires its own deposit:

• Notice: Written notice must be received at least 60 days before the original retreat start date.
• Pricing: If the new retreat is of higher value, the participant pays the difference. If it is of lower value, the difference is not refunded.
• Category: Transfers must be within the same retreat category.

14.3 Mandatory Travel Insurance

Comprehensive travel insurance is mandatory to book. Your policy must cover trip cancellation, medical care, emergency evacuation, and the water activities of your trip must be covered either by your own policy or by the dive centre’s insurance, as stated on the trip page.

• Personal decisions—including changing your mind, visa denial, fear of travel, or airline cancellations—are not covered by Ocean Calling Retreats. Whether your own insurance covers them depends on your policy.

14.4 Force Majeure & Geopolitical Disruptions

If a retreat cannot run due to circumstances beyond our control—including war, armed conflict, insurrection, political instability, natural disaster, pandemic, border closures, or government travel advisories—we will work with you in this order:

• Reschedule to the next available retreat date at no extra cost.
• Issue a credit valid for 24 months toward any Ocean Calling Retreats booking.
• Refund whatever our partners are able to refund us, minus the non-refundable deposit and any costs already incurred on your behalf.

14.5 Early Departures & No-Shows

To maintain the integrity of our bookings with local partners:

• No refunds or credits will be issued if a participant arrives late, leaves early, or misses any portion of the retreat (including meals, excursions, or training) for any reason.
• If a participant fails to show up for the retreat without prior written notice, the entire booking fee is forfeited.

15. Complaints, early leave, chargebacks

Please raise any concern as soon as you can, in writing (WhatsApp is enough), so we can help while you are still on the retreat. We record what you told us, what we offered and what you chose.

Chargebacks and platform disputes are answered with the booking, the terms you accepted, the questionnaires, and the same-day notes. Informal side deals stop once a formal dispute is open.

16. Privacy & Data Protection

Personal data is collected solely to deliver services, ensure participant safety, and support retreat operations. Data is stored securely and is never sold or shared with third parties beyond what is necessary for service delivery. Participants may request data removal at any time by contacting hello@oceancallingretreats.com.

17. Governing Law

These Terms & Conditions are governed by the laws of Switzerland. Any disputes arising from services provided by Ocean Calling Retreats shall be resolved under Swiss jurisdiction.

18. Acceptance

By booking any retreat with Ocean Calling Retreats, you confirm that you have read, understood, and agreed to these Terms & Conditions.

For questions, contact: hello@oceancallingretreats.com