Refunds and cancellations
Last reviewed: September 12, 2026
The short version: a direct booking is paid in two parts. A deposit comes to us and confirms the booking. The balance goes to the crew who runs your day, in person or ahead of time, and never passes through this site. So when something changes, the only money we can refund is the deposit, and we say so plainly rather than implying we hold more than we do.
Who holds what, per offer
The deposit is our fee, taken out of the crew’s own published price rather than added on top, so your total is the price the crew charges.
| Offer | Total | Deposit, to us | Balance, to the crew | How and when the balance is paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parasailing | $70 per person | $20 per person | $50 per person | in person at the beach, on the day, before you fly, to the parasail crew |
| Private Boat Charter | $900 per boat | $180 flat, for the whole boat | $720 for the whole boat | cash at the dock, on the day, before the boat leaves, to the captain |
| Sunrise Natural Pool Hike | $60 per person | $12 per person | $48 per person | Zelle the day before, or in person at the meeting point if Zelle does not work for you, the day before, or at 6:00 AM on the morning itself, to your guide |
| Beach Yoga with Sound Bath | $30 per person | $6 per person | $24 per person | Zelle the day before, or in person on the sand if Zelle does not work for you, the day before, or at the beach just before the session starts, to your instructor |
| Sound Healing & Meditation | $40 per person | $8 per person | $32 per person | Zelle the day before, or in person on the sand if Zelle does not work for you, the day before, or at the beach just before the session starts, to your instructor |
Zelle only works when both the sender and the recipient hold a United States bank account. If that is not you, say so in the booking form and you settle with the crew in person on the day instead.
What happens in each case
| Situation | The deposit | The balance | Who settles it |
|---|---|---|---|
| You have reserved but not paid the deposit yet | Nothing has been charged. Nothing to cancel. | Not due yet. | Nobody holds your money. |
| You cancel 48 hours or more before the activity | Back in full, no questions. | Not due, or returned by the crew if it was sent ahead. | We refund the deposit. The crew returns anything sent ahead to them. |
| You cancel inside 48 hours | Not refunded. We will move the date, or transfer the booking to someone else in your group, wherever the crew can take it. | Not due if you had not paid it. Anything sent ahead is the crew to return or to carry over to the new date. | The deposit stays with Aruba Playbook. The crew decides on money already sent to them. |
| The crew cancels for weather or sea conditions | Back in full, always. Or the next good day, your choice. | Never taken, or returned by the crew if it was sent ahead. | We refund the deposit. The crew returns anything sent ahead to them. |
| The departure does not reach its minimum group size | Back in full, or we move you to the next date that runs. | Not due, or returned by the crew if it was sent ahead. | We refund the deposit. The crew returns anything sent ahead to them. |
| You need a different date | Carries over to the new date at no cost, as long as the crew has the slot. | Follows your new date. | We move it with the crew. Write to us and nothing is paid twice. |
| No-show, or you arrive after the crew has left | Not refunded. The slot was held and other guests were turned away. | Not due if you had not paid it. Anything sent ahead is the crew to decide on. | The deposit stays with Aruba Playbook. |
All cut-off times are Aruba time (AST, UTC minus 4, the island keeps the same clock all year).
The same terms, in plain words
- Reserving is free. Until you pay the deposit there is nothing to cancel and nothing to lose.
- Cancel 48 hours or more before your activity: full deposit back, no questions.
- The crew cancels for weather, or a departure does not reach its minimum: full deposit back, always, or we rebook you first if you prefer.
- Inside 48 hours: the deposit is not refunded, but we can move your date or transfer the booking to someone else in your group, the same options the crew offers on the beach.
- No-show, or arriving after the crew has left: the deposit stays with us, because the slot was held and other guests were turned away. Tell us as early as you can and we will try to move the date instead.
- The balance never passes through this site, so a cancellation never involves a balance refund from us. Where the balance is sent ahead to the crew, that money sits with the crew and comes back from the crew; we chase it with you.
- Deposit refunds go back to the card you used on the payment page. We send it within one business day of agreeing it. When it lands on your statement is your bank timing, not ours.
How a refund reaches you
Deposits are taken on a Revolut payment page and go back to the same card. We send the refund within one business day of agreeing it and tell you when it has gone. How long it takes to appear on your statement is set by your own bank, not by us, so we never promise a date for that. If it has not shown up a week later, write to us and we will send you the reference to give your bank.
To cancel or move a date, reply to your confirmation email or write to info@arubaplaybook.com with your booking code. A person answers, and the clock stops at the time your email arrives.
Jeep rental is different
The Jeep crew runs its own booking and payment platform, which opens in a window over our page. Nothing is charged on this site and we hold no deposit, so there is nothing for us to refund. Their terms are their own: free cancellation more than 24 hours before pick-up, and inside 24 hours one day of rental plus tax is charged, with no refunds for early returns. A 15 percent tax and fee is applied after booking, separate from the base rate, and a $500 security deposit is held on a credit card at pick-up and released after the Jeep comes back. Read their terms in the booking window before you pay. The Jeep rental page sets out the full picture.
Tours booked through a platform
Most tours on this site are booked on Viator or another partner, not with us. Those bookings carry the operator’s own cancellation terms, shown on the booking page before you pay, and any refund comes from that platform. Our terms of service explain the difference between a referral, a direct booking and a paid planning service.
Paid trip planning
Concierge planning is refundable in full until we start building your plan. Once work has started the fee covers the time already spent. The services page states this beside the price, and it is repeated in our terms.
Questions about a specific booking travel faster with your booking code: info@arubaplaybook.com.