Privacy Policy - Luxury Dhow Cruise

At Luxury Dhow Cruise, we respect your privacy and are committed to protecting the personal information you share with us. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect when you visit luxurydhowcruise.ae (the "Website"), book a dhow cruise, or contact us by phone, WhatsApp, live chat or email, and how we use, share and protect that information.

By using our Website or booking with us, you agree to the practices described in this policy. If you do not agree, please do not use the Website or submit your personal information.

01Who We Are

The Website is operated by luxurydhowcruise.ae, trading as Luxury Dhow Cruise ("we", "us" or "our"), a dhow cruise booking provider based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. We offer dinner cruises on Dubai Marina, Dubai Creek, Dubai Water Canal and Al Seef, along with private charters and event cruises.

For the purposes of applicable data protection law, including the UAE Federal Decree-Law No. 45 of 2021 on the Protection of Personal Data, we are the controller of the personal data described in this policy.

02Information We Collect

2.1 Information you give us

We collect information you provide directly when you make a booking, send an enquiry or communicate with us. This may include:

Contact details: first and last name, email address, mobile or WhatsApp number.
Booking details: selected cruise, date and time, number of adults and children, children's ages (for child pricing), seating or package preferences, and the occasion you are celebrating (for example, a birthday or anniversary).
Pickup and transfer details: hotel name, residential or pickup address and room number, if you request our pick-up and drop-off service.
Dietary and accessibility information: food preferences (such as vegetarian meals) or mobility requirements, shared only so we can serve you properly on board.
Payment information: billing name and address. Card details are entered directly with our payment service provider and are not stored on our servers.
Communications: messages and enquiries you send through our contact form, live chat, WhatsApp, phone calls or email, and any feedback or reviews you share.
Group and event details: for private or corporate cruises, the organiser's details, company name and event requirements.

If you book on behalf of other guests, please make sure they are aware of this policy before you share their details with us.

2.2 Information we collect automatically

When you browse the Website, we and our service providers may automatically collect:

IP address, browser type, device type and operating system.
Pages viewed, time spent on pages, links clicked and the website that referred you to us.
Approximate location (country or city) derived from your IP address.
Information collected through cookies and similar technologies (see Section 7).

2.3 Information from third parties

We may receive limited information about you from booking partners, travel agents, hotel concierges or tour platforms that make a reservation with us on your behalf, and from payment providers confirming whether a transaction succeeded.

03How We Use Your Information

We use your personal information to:

Process, confirm and manage your cruise booking, including sending booking confirmations, vouchers and reminders.
Arrange hotel pick-up and drop-off transfers where requested.
Process payments, issue invoices and handle refunds under our Cancellation and Refund Policy.
Respond to your questions through phone, WhatsApp, live chat, email or the contact form.
Meet dietary, accessibility or special-occasion requests on board.
Send you service updates, such as schedule changes, weather-related changes or boarding point information.
Send promotional offers and newsletters, only where you have agreed to receive them or where otherwise permitted by law.
Improve our Website, cruise packages and customer service through analytics and feedback.
Prevent fraud, secure our Website and protect our business and guests.
Comply with legal, tax, maritime and regulatory obligations in the UAE.

04Legal Basis for Processing

We process your personal data only where we have a lawful basis to do so, including:

Performance of a contract: to provide the cruise and services you have booked.
Consent: for marketing communications and non-essential cookies. You may withdraw consent at any time.
Legal obligation: to keep financial records and respond to lawful requests from authorities.
Legitimate interests: to run, secure and improve our business, where these interests are not overridden by your rights.

06International Data Transfers

Some of our service providers (for example, website hosting, email, analytics or messaging services) may store or process data outside the United Arab Emirates. Where this happens, we take reasonable steps to make sure your information receives an adequate level of protection, as required by applicable data protection law.

07Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Our Website uses cookies and similar technologies to make the site work, remember your preferences and understand how visitors use it. These include:

Essential cookies: required for the booking cart, checkout and security features to work.
Analytics cookies: help us understand traffic and improve the Website (for example, Google Analytics).
Marketing cookies: may be used to show you relevant offers on other websites and social media, where you have consented.

You can manage or delete cookies through your browser settings or our cookie banner. Blocking essential cookies may stop parts of the Website, such as online booking, from working properly.

08Data Retention

We keep your personal information only for as long as needed for the purposes described in this policy. Booking and payment records are kept for the period required under UAE commercial and tax laws. Enquiry and chat messages are kept for as long as needed to resolve your request and for a reasonable period afterwards. Marketing data is kept until you unsubscribe or withdraw consent. When information is no longer needed, we delete or anonymise it securely.

09How We Protect Your Information

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal information, including SSL/HTTPS encryption on the Website, secure payment processing through trusted providers, restricted access for staff who need the data to do their job, and regular software updates. No method of transmission over the internet is completely secure, so we cannot guarantee absolute security, but we work to protect your data at all times.

10Your Rights

Subject to applicable law, including the UAE Personal Data Protection Law, you may have the right to:

Request access to the personal information we hold about you.
Ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
Ask us to delete your information, where we are not required to keep it.
Restrict or object to certain types of processing, including direct marketing.
Request a copy of your data in a commonly used format (data portability).
Withdraw your consent at any time, without affecting processing that took place before withdrawal.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us using the details in Section 15. We may need to verify your identity before responding. We will reply within the timeframe required by law. If you are not satisfied with our response, you may lodge a complaint with the UAE Data Office or the data protection authority in your country.

11Marketing Communications

With your consent, we may send you special offers, seasonal promotions (such as New Year's Eve cruises) and news by email, SMS or WhatsApp. You can opt out at any time by clicking the "unsubscribe" link in our emails, replying "STOP" to our messages, or contacting us directly.

12Children's Privacy

Our cruises are family-friendly, but our Website is not intended for children to use on their own. Bookings must be made by an adult aged 18 or over. We collect information about children (such as name and age) only when a parent, guardian or adult booker provides it for pricing, safety and guest-list purposes. If you believe a child has sent us personal information without parental consent, please contact us and we will delete it.

13Third-Party Links

Our Website may contain links to third-party websites, including social media pages (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube), maps and booking platforms. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of those websites. Please review their privacy policies before sharing any information with them.

14Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, technology or legal requirements. The updated version will be posted on this page with a revised "Last updated" date. Where changes are significant, we will take reasonable steps to let you know.