Under guidance from the CDC, the decision to cancel the trips was made based on the rapidly evolving nature of the Coronavirus outbreak and with overall concern for the health and safety of our students and staff. In addition to the risk of exposure during the trip, student travelers could become unexpectedly subject to additional travel restrictions while away from home and the possibility of remaining quarantined after returning from the trip.
At Creston, the following out-of-state trips are canceled:
- Washington DC (8th grade), March 18
- Chicago (7th grade), May 8
- Cincinnati (6th grade), May 26
- Louisville (5th grade), May 15
The timing of the decision was made to allow for the greatest amount of refund for families in relation to the scheduled departure of the trips. Working closely with the partnering touring company, Appian Tours, refund rates for canceled trips will be as follows:
- The Washington DC trip will be refunded in full, less the $50 non-refundable deposit used for non-recoverable expenses, by canceling more than 7 days in advance of the trip. The refund rate would have dropped to 50% if cancellation occurred within a week of the trip.
- The trips to Chicago, Cincinnati, and Louisville will be refunded in full, less the $25 that was used for unrecoverable expenses.
- A statement from Appian Tours is shared to provide greater explanation of the unrecoverable fees.
The refund process originally communicated for the Washington DC trip has been updated due to the closure of school, such that families may receive refund money in a more timely fashion. Refunds for ALL out-of-state trips will be issued by Appian Tours using the following process:
1. All Washington DC payments and payments that were made by cash, check, or credit card (older than 3 months) for the trips to Chicago, Cincinnati, and Louisville will be refunded for the amount paid and to the person(s) who made payments. Payments made within the last three months via credit card toward the Chicago, Cincinnati, and Louisville trips will be refunded directly to the card used for payment.
2. The non-refundable fee ($50, Washington; $25 Chicago, Cincinnati, and Louisville) will come from the initial payment that was made at sign-up.
3. Refund checks will be mailed directly from Appian Tours to persons making payments.
4. Students that purchased trip insurance will receive a 100% refund for the canceled trip. Appian Tours will assist in the process of obtaining a portion of the refund coming from the insurance company.
Thank you for your understanding of the circumstances that contributed to the difficult decision to cancel the trips and to this change in the refund process to help families recover money sooner. Please contact Appian Tours at Info@appiantours.com with questions regarding the refund process.
