Privacy Policy
Whitsunday Escape handles your personal information in line with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs). This policy explains what we collect, why we collect it, who we share it with and how you can access, correct or complain about it.
In this policy, “Whitsunday Escape”, “we”, “us” and “our” means Whitsunday Escape Pty Ltd ABN 13 098 179 152 trading as Whitsunday Escape, a bareboat (skipper yourself) charter business based at Coral Sea Marina, Airlie Beach, Queensland.
This policy applies to everyone who deals with us, including charter guests, skippers and crew, enquirers, newsletter subscribers, website visitors, vessel owners in our charter management program, suppliers and job applicants.
Effective date: 1st November 2026. This version replaces our previous Disclaimer and Privacy Statement.
Personal information we collect
We only collect what we need to quote, book and safely run your charter, and to operate our business. What we collect depends on how you deal with us.
| Who | What we may collect |
|---|---|
| Enquirers and charter guests | Name, email, phone, postal address, country of residence, travel dates, party size, vessel preferences, booking and payment history, correspondence |
| Skippers and nominated crew | Date of birth, sailing and boating experience, licence or qualification details, identification for verification at check-in, emergency contact details |
| All guests on board | Names of everyone on the charter (crew list), any special requirements you tell us about, provisioning or dietary preferences |
| Payments and security bond | Cardholder name, billing details and transaction records. Card numbers are processed by our payment providers, not stored by us (see Security) |
| Website visitors | IP address, device and browser type, pages viewed, referring site, and cookie and analytics data (see Website and cookies) |
| Subscribers and promotion entrants | Name, email and your marketing preferences |
| Vessel owners, suppliers and job applicants | Contact and business details, bank details for payments, employment history and referee details |
| Social media | Your public profile name and content you post to or tag us in |
Sensitive information. Sometimes you may tell us about a health condition relevant to your safety on board (for example, that you need power for a medical device). We only collect this with your consent, use it to prepare for your charter and keep it confidential.
Dealing with us anonymously. You can browse our website and make general enquiries without identifying yourself. We cannot take a booking or release a vessel without knowing who is on board.
Children. Children may be listed on a crew list by the booking adult. We do not knowingly collect personal information directly from children under 16.
How we collect it
We collect most information directly from you, when you:
- request a quote, book online or call, email or visit our office
- complete pre-charter paperwork, briefings and check-in
- subscribe to our newsletter or enter a promotion
- contact us or tag us on social media
- use our website (automatically, through cookies and server logs)
We also receive information from others, such as the person who made a booking on your behalf, travel agents and booking partners, payment providers, and vessel owners or suppliers we work with. If you give us information about other people (for example, your crew), please make sure they know you are sharing it and that this policy applies.
Why we collect, use and disclose it
We use personal information to:
- respond to enquiries, prepare quotes and manage bookings
- assess skipper experience and decide whether additional briefing or support is needed
- meet our safety and regulatory obligations, including vessel briefings, crew lists, radio schedules and incident reporting
- take payments, hold and refund security bonds and manage any damage or loss claims
- provide customer service before, during and after your charter
- send quotes, booking information and, with your consent, marketing (see Marketing)
- run and improve our website, services and fleet
- manage our relationships with vessel owners, suppliers and staff
- comply with the law and respond to lawful requests from authorities
We will not use or disclose your information for any other purpose unless you consent, you would reasonably expect it, or the law allows or requires it.
Who we share it with
Only staff whose role requires it can access your information. We may share it with:
- service providers who help us run the business, such as our online booking system, payment processors, email and newsletter platforms, IT, cloud hosting and website support
- marine operations contacts where needed for your safety, such as marine rescue, Maritime Safety Queensland and other emergency services
- the owner of the vessel you charter, where needed to manage damage, insurance or maintenance
- our insurers, lawyers and professional advisers
- travel agents or booking partners involved in your booking
- government and law enforcement agencies, where required or authorised by law
We require our service providers to protect your information and use it only to provide services to us. We do not sell your personal information.
Overseas disclosure. Some of our service providers store or process data outside Australia. These are likely to include the United States (Storable Rentals, Google Analytics, Google Workspace, Meta, Campaign Monitor). Where we use overseas providers, we take reasonable steps to make sure they handle your information consistently with the APPs.
Website, cookies and analytics
Cookies are small files placed on your device. We use them to keep the website working, remember your preferences, understand how the site is used and show you relevant advertising.
| Type | What it does | Your choice |
|---|---|---|
| Essential | Keeps the site, enquiry forms and booking system working | Required for the site to work |
| Analytics | Google Analytics tells us how visitors find and use the site (pages viewed, visit length, approximate location, device) | Opt out with the Google Analytics opt-out add-on or your browser settings |
| Advertising | Lets us and partners such as [Google and Meta] show our ads to people who have visited our site | Adjust in your browser, Google Ad Settings or your Facebook and Instagram ad preferences |
Cookie data can sometimes be linked to you, for example when combined with details you give us in an enquiry. Where that happens we treat it as personal information under this policy.
Our online booking system at bookings.whitsundayescape.com is operated by [booking provider name], which may set its own cookies. Our website also links to other sites and social media platforms. We are not responsible for their privacy practices, so please read their policies.
Marketing
We send quotes and booking information to the email address you give us. When you give us your email address, we will also add you to our mailing list for newsletters, offers and other marketing, unless you tell us you do not want to receive them.
Every marketing email includes an unsubscribe link. You can also opt out at any time by emailing reception@whitsundayescape.com. Opting out of marketing does not stop messages about an existing booking.
Your photos and posts. If you tag us or use #whitsundayescape, we may share your public post on our website and social media. Our Website Terms of Use explain how this works. Contact us at any time to have your content removed.
Automated decision-making
We do not currently use computer programs to make decisions that could significantly affect your rights or interests without a person being involved. Decisions about bookings, skipper suitability, security bonds and damage claims are made by our staff.
Our website and booking system use automation for routine tasks, such as showing vessel availability and calculating standard prices. If we introduce automated decision-making that could significantly affect you, we will update this policy to explain the kinds of personal information used and the decisions involved.
Security and retention
We hold information in secure cloud systems, our booking system and, for some paperwork, in hard copy at our office. We protect it with access controls, password protection, staff confidentiality obligations and secure storage.
Payments. Card payments are encrypted and handled by our payment providers. We do not store full card numbers on our systems.
Retention. We keep information only as long as we need it for the purposes in this policy, or as long as the law requires (for example, tax and financial records are generally kept for seven years). After that we securely destroy or de-identify it.
Data breaches. If a breach of your information is likely to cause you serious harm, we will notify you and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) as required by the Notifiable Data Breaches scheme.
Access, correction and complaints
Access and correction. You can ask to see the personal information we hold about you, or ask us to correct it. Contact us using the details below. We will respond within 30 days. We may need to verify your identity, and in limited cases the law allows us to refuse access; if so, we will tell you why.
Complaints. If you think we have mishandled your personal information, please contact us first. We will acknowledge your complaint within 5 business days, investigate it and aim to respond in writing within 30 days.
If you are not satisfied with our response, you can complain to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner at www.oaic.gov.au or on 1300 363 992.
Changes to this policy
We review this policy regularly and may update it to reflect changes in our practices or the law. The current version, with its effective date, is always available on this page. You can ask us for a free copy in another format.
Contact us
Privacy Officer, Whitsunday Escape
- Email: reception@whitsundayescape.com
- Phone: +61 7 4946 5222 (8am to 4pm AEST, 7 days)
- Post: PO Box 255, Cannonvale QLD 4802
- In person: Suite 16, Coral Sea Marina, Airlie Beach QLD 4802