Birds & Muses Retreat Policies

Limitation of Liability

Please carefully read all the terms and conditions of this contract detailed below before applying for or purchasing any retreat with Birds & Muses Ltd. For the purposes of this agreement (and simplicity's sake), "Birds & Muses Ltd." can be understood to include any and all Birds & Muses agents, associates and representatives, past and future. Please understand that by applying for and/or purchasing and/or participating in any retreat offered by Birds & Muses Ltd, you agree to accept and be bound by the following terms and conditions: 

I acknowledge and agree that Birds & Muses Ltd. acts only as an agent and assumes no responsibility or liability in connection with the services of any hotel proprietor or hotel service. In the event that it becomes necessary or advisable for the comfort or well-being of the participants, or for any reason whatsoever, to alter the itinerary or arrangements, to change times and days of scheduled events or change event venues, such alternatives may be made without liability to Birds & Muses Ltd. Further, Birds & Muses Ltd. accepts no responsibility for loss of tickets, nor for the loss of personal articles or effects, nor for personal accidents, injury, or death, nor for losses or additional expenses due to delays or damages in transportation or other services, quarantine, sickness, strikes, war or warlike conditions, weather, or any other causes or for any of the above arising due to participant’s participation in any of its retreats. Birds & Muses Ltd. shall under no circumstances be liable to any participant for indirect, consequential, accidental, punitive, or special damages, including but not limited to lost profits, even if it has been apprised of the likelihood of such damages occurring.

If Birds & Muses Ltd. cancels a Retreat prior to its starting date, all deposits and application fees will be returned to the enrollee, with the exclusion of any and all travel expenses. This cancellation policy excludes all scenarios described above, wherein the cancellation is beyond the control of Birds & Muses Ltd., such as in the case of war, natural disaster, etc. Accordingly, Retreat participants are strongly encouraged to purchase comprehensive trip insurance to protect their investment.

Sick Policy

Retreats by their very nature involve extremely close contact between all participants, with communal spaces, intensive one-on-ones, and family-style meals. Your health has an immediate and direct impact on your fellow retreat members. When one person gets sick, often everyone gets sick.

In cases of contagious illness, all retreat participants are expected to behave in a responsible manner to avoid spreading infection. If you experience symptoms of a cold, flu, or other contagious condition while on a Retreat—even if you think it's "just a little bug"—please inform Birds & Muses staff as soon as possible, so we can take care of you and advise best practices.

We all learned this stuff in grade school, but that was a long time ago, and it never hurts to review: basic germ containment procedures are absolutely essential. These include thorough hand washing before/after all meals, whenever you cough or sneeze, visit the washroom, or even touch your own face; making sure to cough and sneeze into the elbow and not into the hand; and using spoons, tongs, or other cutlery to access buffet-style food or snacks, such as bowls of nuts or baskets of bread, etc.  

We will do our absolute best to help you get better on retreat, but if your illness is severe, we will expect you to get professional medical assistance as soon as possible. If your illness is contagious, we will counsel containment to your room, where we will bring you food and other supplies. In some extreme cases, it may become necessary that you leave the retreat for both your own health and that of your fellow retreat participants. We applaud the true grit of those who want to push through and stay the course, but that's not always the wisest decision in a group scenario such as a Retreat. Therefore, even if you feel strong enough to continue with the Retreat, we reserve the right to cancel the rest of your stay or your Retreat participation for both the protection of your health and the continued well-being of your fellow writers.

Per the Liability Agreement above, Birds & Muses Ltd. does not offer refunds for cancellations due to health reasons, whatever the cause. It is for this reason that we strongly encourage you to purchase trip and health insurance before attending any of our Retreats.

If you wish to be considered for a spot at one of Birds & Muses' retreats and haven't already signed a Waiver, please do so now by click on the blue Sign Your Waiver tab at the bottom right of this page.