Agent & Agency Terms of Service

01Acceptance of Terms

By creating an account, registering an Agency, submitting quotes, or otherwise using the SailMatch platform as an Agent or Agency, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms of Service and our Privacy Policy.

These Agent & Agency Terms govern your use of SailMatch as a travel professional. Travelers' use of the platform is governed by the Traveler Terms of Service.

SailMatch is available only to individuals who are at least 18 years old and capable of forming a binding contract. By using the platform, you represent that you meet these requirements.

If you are using SailMatch on behalf of a company or other legal entity, you represent that you have the authority to bind that entity to these terms.

02Service Description

SailMatch is a marketplace platform that connects cruise travelers ("Travelers") with certified travel agents ("Agents"). Our platform enables Travelers to submit cruise quote requests and receive competing offers from verified travel agents. Agents participate under a travel agency account ("Agency"), as described in the Agent & Agency Terms.

SailMatch does not directly sell cruise vacations, provide travel agent services, or act as a travel agency. We facilitate connections between Travelers and Agents and provide tools for comparing quotes. SailMatch's role ends when a Traveler accepts a quote: the booking itself is arranged directly between the Traveler and the Agent, outside the platform.

03User Accounts

To use certain features of SailMatch, you must create an account. You agree to:

• Provide accurate, current, and complete information during registration, including a working email address and phone number
• Maintain and update your account information as needed
• Keep your password secure and confidential
• Accept responsibility for all activity under your account
• Notify us immediately of any unauthorized use of your account

SailMatch reserves the right to suspend or terminate accounts that violate these terms or engage in fraudulent or harmful activity.

04Anonymity & Pre-Acceptance Questions

Until a Traveler accepts a quote, identities on SailMatch are masked in both directions. Travelers see each quoting Agent as a verified professional with a star rating and match history, not by name, photo, or agency. Agents see the request details, not the Traveler's name or contact information. This is what keeps quotes competing on price, perks, and reputation.

Before accepting, a Traveler may ask up to three clarification questions on each quote, and the Agent may answer each one. To preserve anonymity, every pre-acceptance message in both directions is automatically screened, and contact details (such as email addresses, phone numbers, links, and requests to connect off-platform) are removed before delivery. Attempted workarounds are logged and reviewed.

Whether you are a Traveler or an Agent, you agree not to use pre-acceptance communications to share or solicit contact information, to reveal or uncover the other party's identity, or to move the transaction off SailMatch before a quote is accepted. Violations may result in suspension or removal from the platform and, for Agents, the penalties set out in the Agent Agreement.

05Agent Terms

Travel agents must complete a verification process before accessing the platform. By registering as an Agent, you represent and warrant that:

• You hold valid IATA, CLIA, or equivalent industry credentials
• You are authorized to sell cruise vacations in your jurisdiction
• All quotes you submit are accurate and reflect real, bookable prices
• You will honor each quote you submit, including its price and perks, for as long as it remains live; if availability or pricing changes, you will amend or withdraw the quote on the platform rather than let an unbookable offer stand
• You will respond to traveler inquiries in a timely and professional manner
• You will not charge Travelers any separate agency, service, or convenience fees for bookings facilitated through SailMatch

The Agent Agreement

Before quoting, every Agent must accept the SailMatch Agent Agreement in the agent portal. The Agent Agreement, as accepted and as updated from time to time, is incorporated into and forms part of these Terms for all Agents. If the Agent Agreement and these Terms conflict on a matter of agent conduct, quoting, fees, or penalties, the Agent Agreement controls.

Cruise Line Policy Compliance

Agents agree to comply with the rules, policies, and pricing guidelines of each cruise line when quoting and selling through SailMatch. This includes all policies related to advertised pricing, promotional terms, rebating, and traveler-facing communications. If SailMatch determines, at its sole discretion, that an Agent is knowingly violating cruise line policies, that Agent's account will be suspended immediately.

Booking Reporting & Verification

Agents are required to report bookings on the SailMatch platform as soon as the Traveler pays their deposit to the cruise line, and in any event within seven (7) days of the deposit. Each booking report must include the cruise line's guest invoice, which SailMatch uses to verify the booking and calculate the platform fee on the actual cruise fare. By reporting a booking, you represent that you are permitted to share that documentation with SailMatch.

The platform fee applies to the first cruise booked between the matched Traveler and your Agency within twelve (12) months of the Traveler accepting your quote, even if it is a different sailing, ship, or cruise line than the one quoted. Cabins booked for companions traveling with the Traveler on that same sailing are part of that booking regardless of who pays for them, and the fee is calculated on the combined base cruise fare of the cabins booked. SailMatch charges no fee on subsequent bookings the Traveler makes with your Agency after that first booking. Reporting a nominal or partial booking in order to avoid the fee on a larger booking by the same Traveler is treated as an unreported booking.

You agree that SailMatch may verify conversions, whether reported or not, including by requesting supporting documentation, contacting the matched Traveler directly to confirm whether a booking occurred, and monitoring conversion rates at the Agency level.

The platform fee is earned in full when the Traveler pays their deposit, because that is the service SailMatch provides: connecting the Agent with a traveler who books. Later changes to the booking, including modifications or cancellation by the Traveler or the cruise line, do not reduce, void, or refund the platform fee, and do not need to be reported to SailMatch. Everything that happens to a booking after the deposit is between the Agent, the Traveler, and the cruise line.

Marketplace Integrity

Agents may not create or use Traveler accounts, submit quote requests, or otherwise pose as Travelers on SailMatch. Agents may not solicit access to another Agent's quote; if a Traveler shares a competing quote with you, you agree to decline to review it and to remind the Traveler that quotes on SailMatch are confidential.

Agent Account Standing

The following may result in immediate suspension or permanent removal from the SailMatch platform:

• Submitting intentionally misleading or unbookable quotes
• Failing to honor quoted prices or advertised perks
• Knowingly violating cruise line pricing or promotional policies
• Failure to report bookings or pay platform fees when due
• Attempting to bypass anonymity or move a Traveler off-platform before acceptance
• Conduct that harms the reputation or integrity of the SailMatch marketplace
• Contacting Travelers outside the platform using information obtained through SailMatch without the Traveler's consent

SailMatch will make reasonable efforts to notify Agents before taking action, except where immediate suspension is warranted to protect Travelers or platform integrity.

06Agency Accounts

Every Agent on SailMatch operates under an Agency account. Independent agents operate as single-agent Agencies. The person who registers an Agency (the "Agency owner") represents that they are authorized to bind the Agency, and each Agent they appoint, to these Terms.

• SailMatch verifies credentials (IATA, CLIA, or equivalent) at the Agency level; appointed Agents operate under the Agency's verified status
• The Agency owner may appoint and remove Agents. Removing an Agent ends that Agent's platform access and withdraws their open quotes
• The Agency is responsible for the conduct of its Agents on the platform and for all platform fees and penalties arising from its Agents' matches. Fees are invoiced to the Agency
• Conversion rates are monitored at the Agency level, as described in the Agent Agreement
• If an Agency owner leaves the Agency or becomes unreachable, SailMatch may work with the Agency to transfer control of the Agency account

07Payments & Fees

SailMatch is free for Travelers. There is no charge to submit quote requests, receive quotes, or compare offers.

Agencies are subject to platform fees on completed bookings as outlined in the Agent Agreement. Fee structures and payment terms are provided during the agent onboarding process. Platform fees are earned when the Traveler pays their deposit to the cruise line and are not contingent on the booking's later status: a modification, cancellation, or refund of the cruise after the deposit does not reduce or refund the fee.

Penalties assessed under the Agent Agreement are invoiced like fees and remain payable even after suspension or removal from the platform. The penalty amounts set out in the Agent Agreement are a genuine pre-estimate of the harm an unreported booking causes SailMatch, including lost fees, verification costs, and damage to marketplace integrity, and are agreed not to be punitive.

All financial transactions for cruise bookings occur directly between the Traveler and the Agent. SailMatch does not process booking payments.

08Acceptable Use

The SailMatch platform is provided for personal, non-commercial use by Travelers seeking cruise quotes and for professional use by verified Agents responding to those requests. You agree not to:

• Use the platform for any unlawful purpose
• Submit false, misleading, or fraudulent information
• Impersonate another person or entity
• Interfere with or disrupt the platform's operation, servers, or networks
• Scrape, crawl, harvest, or otherwise systematically extract data from the platform, whether manually or through automated means including bots, scripts, or AI agents
• Copy, reproduce, distribute, or create derivative works from platform content, user data, or quote information
• Use the platform to send unsolicited communications or spam
• Attempt to access password-protected, restricted, or non-public areas of the platform without authorization
• Use information obtained through SailMatch to build a competing product or service

Unauthorized individuals attempting to access restricted areas of the platform or engaging in prohibited data collection may be subject to account termination and legal action.

09Intellectual Property

The SailMatch name, logo, website design, and all related content (including the organization, layout, and visual design of the platform) are owned by SailMatch LLC and protected by applicable intellectual property laws. You may not use, reproduce, modify, or distribute any SailMatch intellectual property without prior written consent.

Cruise line names, logos, ship names, itineraries, and related catalog content displayed on the platform belong to their respective owners or are licensed to SailMatch by third-party data providers. The display of a cruise line's information on SailMatch does not imply that the cruise line endorses SailMatch, or that SailMatch endorses the cruise line.

Content you submit to the platform (such as quote request details or agent profiles) remains yours, but you grant SailMatch a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to use, display, and reproduce it as necessary to operate and promote the platform.

By submitting feedback, reviews, or ratings, you grant SailMatch a perpetual, irrevocable, worldwide, royalty-free license to use, display, reproduce, and adapt that content on the platform, in marketing materials, and for quality improvement purposes. Reviews may be removed from display upon your written request.

10Disclaimer of Warranties

THE SAILMATCH PLATFORM, INCLUDING ALL CONTENT, QUOTES, AGENT PROFILES, AND RELATED SERVICES, IS PROVIDED ON AN "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" BASIS WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, WHETHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED. SAILMATCH EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, NON-INFRINGEMENT, ACCURACY, RELIABILITY, AND COMPLETENESS.

SailMatch does not warrant that the platform will be uninterrupted, error-free, or secure. We do not guarantee the accuracy of any quote, the quality of services provided by any Agent, the availability of any specific cruise or sailing, or the outcome of any transaction between a Traveler and an Agent. SailMatch does not endorse, certify, or guarantee any Agent or cruise line featured on the platform.

11Limitation of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, SAILMATCH, ITS OWNERS, OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES, AND AFFILIATES SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF OR IN ANY WAY CONNECTED WITH YOUR USE OF THE PLATFORM, ANY QUOTES RECEIVED, ANY BOOKING MADE THROUGH THE PLATFORM, OR ANY DISPUTE BETWEEN TRAVELERS AND AGENTS, WHETHER BASED ON CONTRACT, TORT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR ANY OTHER LEGAL THEORY, EVEN IF SAILMATCH HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.

SailMatch's total liability to you for any claim arising from your use of the platform shall not exceed the greater of one hundred U.S. dollars ($100) or the amount of fees you have paid to SailMatch in the twelve (12) months preceding the claim. Because some jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion or limitation of certain damages, some of the above limitations may not apply to you.

12Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless SailMatch, its owners, officers, employees, and affiliates from and against any claims, liabilities, damages, losses, costs, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising out of or related to:

• Your violation of these Terms of Service
• Your use or misuse of the SailMatch platform
• Any content or information you submit through the platform
• Any dispute between you and another user of the platform
• Your violation of any applicable law, regulation, or third-party right

This indemnification obligation survives termination of your account and these Terms of Service.

13Termination

You may close your account at any time through your account settings. SailMatch reserves the right to suspend or terminate your account if you violate these terms, with or without notice.

Upon termination, your right to use the platform ceases immediately. Sections relating to Intellectual Property, Disclaimer of Warranties, Limitation of Liability, Indemnification, Governing Law, and General Provisions survive termination of your account and these Terms, together with the payment, penalty, and confidentiality obligations of the Agent Terms and the Agent Agreement. Any platform fees or penalties accrued before termination remain payable notwithstanding suspension, removal, or account closure.

14Governing Law & Dispute Resolution

These Terms and any disputes arising from your use of SailMatch shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, without regard to conflict of law principles.

If you have a dispute with SailMatch, contact us first: most concerns can be resolved informally, and we will try to do so within thirty (30) days. Either party may also bring an individual claim in small claims court instead of arbitrating, so long as the claim qualifies for that court.

Any dispute that is not resolved informally (other than a qualifying small claims action) shall be resolved by binding arbitration administered by the American Arbitration Association under its Consumer Arbitration Rules. The arbitration shall be conducted in Massachusetts or, at your election, by videoconference or telephone. The arbitrator's decision shall be final and binding, and judgment on the award may be entered in any court of competent jurisdiction.

YOU AND SAILMATCH EACH WAIVE THE RIGHT TO A TRIAL BY JURY AND THE RIGHT TO PARTICIPATE IN A CLASS ACTION. ALL CLAIMS MUST BE BROUGHT IN THE PARTIES' INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY, AND NOT AS A PLAINTIFF OR CLASS MEMBER IN ANY PURPORTED CLASS OR REPRESENTATIVE PROCEEDING. THE ARBITRATOR MAY NOT CONSOLIDATE CLAIMS OR PRESIDE OVER ANY FORM OF REPRESENTATIVE PROCEEDING.

You may opt out of this arbitration agreement by emailing contact@sailmatch.com with the subject line "Arbitration Opt-Out" within thirty (30) days of first accepting these Terms. Opting out does not affect any other provision of these Terms. If the class-action waiver is found unenforceable as to a particular claim, that claim (and only that claim) shall proceed in court rather than arbitration.

To the extent permitted by applicable law, any claim or cause of action arising out of or related to your use of the platform or these Terms must be filed within one (1) year after the claim arose, or it shall be permanently barred.

15General Provisions

Notices and electronic communications. SailMatch may provide notices to you by email to the address on your account, and such notice is effective when sent. It is your responsibility to keep your account email current. You consent to receiving agreements, disclosures, and other communications from SailMatch electronically.

Entire agreement. These Terms, together with the Privacy Policy and the Agent Agreement, constitute the entire agreement between you and SailMatch regarding the platform.

Severability. If any provision of these Terms is held invalid or unenforceable, that provision will be enforced to the maximum extent permissible and the remaining provisions will remain in full force and effect.

No waiver. SailMatch's failure to enforce any provision of these Terms is not a waiver of that provision or of any right to enforce it later.

Assignment. You may not assign or transfer these Terms or your account. SailMatch may assign these Terms in connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets.

Force majeure. SailMatch is not liable for any delay or failure to perform caused by events beyond its reasonable control.

16Changes to Terms

We may update these Terms of Service from time to time. When we make significant changes, we will notify you by email or through a notice on the platform. Your continued use of SailMatch after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the updated terms.

17Contact

If you have questions about these Terms of Service, please reach out through our Contact page or email us at contact@sailmatch.com.