General terms and conditions for visitors

General Terms and Conditions for Visitors of Stichting Royal Delft Museum in Delft, the Netherlands

1. General

1.1. These terms and conditions apply to all Visitors to the Museum.

1.2. These terms and conditions also apply to all natural persons and/or legal entities engaged by the Royal Delft Museum for the purpose of its objective.

1.3. Deviations from these terms and conditions are only valid if they are have been agreed expressly and in writing.

2. Definitions

In these terms and conditions, the following definitions apply:

Royal Delft Museum: Stichting Royal Delft Museum, which introduces national and international visitors to its cultural heritage through stories and experiences in the Royal Delft Museum.

Museum: the areas in and around the buildings of the Royal Delft Museum that are open to the public, which includes the courtyard garden and the forecourt.

Visitor: anyone who enters the Museum with or without a valid Admission Ticket, either for a regular visit or for participation in an activity during or outside of regular opening hours.

Entrance Ticket: a ticket that gives the Visitor access to the Museum’s exhibition spaces and part of the factory’s workshop during regular opening hours.

Admission Ticket: an Entrance Ticket (in combination with a discount card or otherwise) or similar evidence (such as a written invitation, voucher, annual pass) that provides access to one or more specified spaces in the Museum.

Goods: all goods, including money, monetary values and valuable papers.

3. Museum Admission

3.1. The Visitor is only entitled to enter the Museum’s exhibition spaces upon presentation of a valid Admission Ticket.

3.2. The Visitor is denied (further) access to the Museum if it turns out that:

a. The Admission Ticket was not issued by the Royal Delft Museum or a body authorised by the Royal Delft Museum;

b. The Visitor is apparently under the influence of alcoholic beverages, narcotics or similar substances;

c. The Visitor apparently disturbs the order or has the intention to disturb the order;

d. The Visitor wishes to enter the Museum with bare feet and/or a bare torso.

3.3. A pre-purchased Entrance Ticket becomes invalid by the mere expiration of the date and/or time stated on the Entrance Ticket.

3.4. The Royal Delft Museum is entitled to adjust the regular opening hours in the event of occasional drills of the company emergency response service (Section 23 of the Working Conditions Act) or to evacuate all or parts of the Museum as deemed necessary by the Royal Delft Museum in the event of an emergency.

3.5. The following items may not be taken into the Museum:

a. rifles, guns and firearms: any object that can be used to fire a projectile or that can cause injury or property damage, or that appears to be capable of doing that;

b. pointed and/or sharp weapons and sharp objects: objects with points or cutting edges that can cause injury or property damage;

c. blunt objects that can be used to cause injury;

d. explosive and flammable substances;

e. chemical and toxic substances;

f. small or large bottles containing liquids.

3.6. If these objects are found during access control, they will be confiscated. If the Visitor does not wish to hand over the goods susceptible to confiscation, they will be denied access to the Museum.

3.7. Objects found during access control and prohibited by law will be handed over to the police. A Visitor in possession of these objects may be arrested and handed over to the police.

3.8. For security reasons, the Visitor must be identifiable. A Visitor whose face is not visible and who refuses to show their face during access control may be denied access to the Museum.

3.9. The Museum is accessible for disabled people. However, mobility scooters are not permitted in the Museum, depending on their size. In this case, the Museum will provide a wheelchair and the museum complex will be free of charge for the accompanying person.

3.10. The use of vehicles as well as the use of skates and skateboards are not permitted in the Museum.

4. Stay in the Museum

4.1. The Visitor’s stay in the Museum is at their own expense and risk.

4.2. The Visitor is obliged to adhere to these General Terms and Conditions for Visitors and the directions and instructions given by employees of the Royal Delft Museum, who are recognisable as such. If, in the opinion of the employees of the Royal Delft Museum, a Visitor acts in any way in breach of these Terms and Conditions for Visitors or directions and instructions given, they may be denied further access to the Museum without the Royal Delft Museum having to pay compensation or refund. If a Visitor repeatedly violates provisions in the General Terms and Conditions for Visitors or directions and instructions given by employees, the Royal Delft Museum may deny them access to the Museum for a specified period. The Visitor will be notified immediately of the decision to deny access, if possible in writing.

4.3. Children under the age of 12 are only allowed to visit the Museum when accompanied.

4.4. Use of the cloakroom is not mandatory.

4.5. Bags of a size smaller than or equal to A4 may be taken into the Museum. All other objects may not be taken into the Museum. The Royal Delft Museum reserves the right to refuse to keep objects in the cloakroom. Prams, pushchairs, buggies and wheelchairs and the like may be subject to inspection.

4.6. The Visitor is liable for any damage they cause.

4.7. There is camera surveillance in the Museum. Camera recordings are kept in accordance with the statutory provisions (General Data Protection Regulation) and handed over to the police if necessary.

4.8.The Royal Delft Museum is entitled to deny access to the Museum for a specific period of time to a Visitor who, during one or more previous visits to the Museum or to other museums, has damaged an object through fault, gross negligence and/or wilful misconduct, or if fear of damage by the Visitor is otherwise justified. The Royal Delft Museum can in any case subject this Visitor to the measures referred to in 4.2 during all visits. The Visitor will be notified immediately of the decision to deny access, if possible in writing.

4.9. In emergencies, such as the sudden disappearance of a Museum object, a terrorist attack or violence of a different order, the Royal Delft Museum is entitled to close its doors and subsequently lead Visitors out one by one. In such an event, Visitors may be requested to cooperate with an inspection by or on behalf of the Royal Delft Museum employees of bags and other objects. A Visitor who refuses to cooperate with an inspection will be requested to submit proof of identity before leaving the Museum.

4.10. The Royal Delft Museum regularly has photo and film recordings made in the Museum. This material can be used for publicity purposes on the website, in brochures, etc. By entering the Museum, the Visitor declares to agree to the publication of this material. If the Visitor objects to the disclosure of visual material on which they can be recognised, they can inform the Royal Delft Museum accordingly. The Royal Delft Museum will then endeavour to prevent publication of the material.

5. Internal rules

5.1. Visitors to the Museum must not:

a. touch any objects on display or the wall coverings; Visitors must keep a distance of at least 50 centimetres from the objects on display. Parents or teachers or supervisors must strictly supervise that the objects on display are not touched by the minors, individuals or groups in their company.

b. offer goods of any kind for sale to third parties, or provide them free of charge;

c. hinder other visitors, including – but not limited to – by obstructing their view of exhibited objects for a long time or by causing noise nuisance, for example by using the multimedia tour without earphones;

d. bring pets or other animals, with the exception of assistance dogs;

e. smoke;

f. consume food or drinks, except in the Brasserie and on the forecourt; all this without prejudice to the obligation to have something to eat or drink when visiting the Brasserie; drinks and food as well as bottled drinks may not be taken into the exhibition spaces;

g. make any photographic, video or film recordings that require the use of lamps, flash equipment and/or tripods (including “selfie sticks”) without prior written consent;

h. make drawings or paintings without the prior written consent of the Royal Delft Museum: The Visitor can contact the Service Desk to obtain such consent.

5.2. Parents, teachers and other supervisors are at all times responsible and accountable for the behaviour of minors, individuals or groups in their company.

5.3. For primary schools, at least one supervisor must be present for each group of 15 pupils if a guided tour or museum lesson is taken. For independent group visits, the minimum is 2 supervisors for every 15 pupils. For secondary school groups, there must be at least one supervisor for every group of 15 students. The Royal Delft Museum reserves the right to refuse entry to groups that do not meet these criteria.

5.4. Guided tours have a maximum of 40 people per Museum tour guide.

5.5. Guided tours with a private guide are possible up to a maximum of 20 people per guide. (In that case, the private guide must also have an Entrance Ticket). The participants of the group must adhere to the General Terms and Conditions for Visitors. Separate terms and conditions apply to the external guide.

5.6. Without prejudice to the provisions of 5.1g, photos, video and/or film recordings made in the Museum are only allowed to be used for commercial purposes after explicit written consent.

6. Refund

6.1. The Royal Delft Museum is not obliged to reimburse the costs of an unused Entrance Ticket.

6.2. The following circumstances never lead to any obligation to refund money paid or other compensation by the Royal Delft Museum to the Visitor:

a. objects from the Museum’s permanent collection not being visible;

b. the partial closure of the Museum, including but not limited to partial closure as a result of setting up or taking down exhibits;

c. an adjustment of the regular opening hours in connection with drills of the company emergency response service or, in the event of an emergency, the complete or partial evacuation of the Museum as deemed necessary by the Royal Delft Museum;

d. nuisance or inconvenience caused by other visitors, including but not limited to noise nuisance, inappropriate behaviour (including harassment), theft;

e. damage caused by other visitors;

f. nuisance or inconvenience caused by maintenance work, including but not limited to renovation, design or refurbishment of rooms;

g. nuisance or inconvenience caused by facilities in the Museum not functioning properly;

h. denial of access to the Museum;

i. loss of the Admission Ticket/Entrance Ticket;

j. late arrival of a Visitor when time slots apply.

7. Liability

7.1. The Royal Delft Museum is only liable for damage suffered by the Visitor that is a direct result of gross negligence or intent on the part of the Royal Delft Museum. Liability is in any case limited to the lower of the following two amounts:

a. the amount paid out by the Museum’s insurance company to the Royal Delft Museum for that individual loss event; or

b. the compensation paid by a third party to the Royal Delft Museum for that individual loss event.

c. In the event of damage due to death or injury, the total liability of the Royal Delft Museum will never be more than the arrangement for compensation set out in 7.1a or b.

7.2. Liability of the Royal Delft Museum for indirect damage, including consequential damage, lost profit or wages, missed savings, etc., is excluded at all times.

8. Force Majeure

8.1. Force majeure for the Royal Delft Museum, which means that any shortcoming caused as a result cannot be attributed to the Royal Delft Museum, comprises any foreseeable or unforeseeable circumstance that makes the performance of the agreement by the Royal Delft Museum temporarily or permanently impossible or difficult.

8.2. Such circumstances also include circumstances at persons and/or services and/or institutions that the Royal Delft Museum wishes to make use of in the performance of the visiting agreement, as well as everything that constitutes force majeure or a suspensive or resolutive condition for the aforementioned, as well as attributable shortcoming of the aforementioned.

9. Lost and Found

9.1. Objects found by a Visitor in the Museum can be returned to either an employee or the reception of the Royal Delft Museum.

9.2. The Royal Delft Museum will take found objects into custody and, in the case of valuable objects, hand them over to the Delft municipality. In the event that the alleged owner of a found object reports to the Museum, they have the choice to collect the object themselves or to have it shipped COD. In either case, the owner must provide appropriate proof of identity. In case of doubt on the part of the Royal Delft Museum about the status of the alleged owner, the Royal Delft Museum is entitled to request proof of ownership.

9.3. The Royal Delft Museum reserves the right to destroy found objects that have not been collected after three months.

10. Complaints procedure

Visitors can submit any complaint by sending an email to info@royaldelftmuseum.com or reporting it to reception.

11. Other terms and conditions and applicable law.

The applicability of these General Terms and Conditions for Visitors does not affect any applicability of other contractual conditions and/or regulations of the Royal Delft Museum, as published from time to time on www.royaldelftmuseum.com.

These General Terms and Conditions for Visitors and the agreement between the Visitor and the Royal Delft Museum are governed by Dutch law.

These General Terms and Conditions for Visitors have been adopted by the Management Board.

Stichting Royal Delft Museum

Management Board

January 2021