Privacy Policy · MV Vacation

1. Introduction

MV Vacation ("we," "our," "us") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, share, and protect information obtained through our website mvvacation.com, including any subdomains, related social media accounts, YouTube channel, email newsletter, and all other digital properties operating under the MV Vacation brand (collectively, the "Platform").

By accessing or using the Platform, you consent to the collection and use of information as described in this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with this policy, please discontinue use of the Platform immediately. This Privacy Policy is incorporated by reference into our Terms of Service.

2. Information we collect

2.1 Information you provide directly

• Contact and subscription data: When you subscribe to our newsletter, sign up for a reminder, email yourself a trip plan or fill out our contact form, we collect your email address and anything else you choose to type in, such as your name or your message.
• Communications: Records of correspondence if you contact us by email or through our contact form.

2.2 Information collected automatically

• Log data: IP address, browser type and version, operating system, referring URLs, pages visited, time spent on pages, and date/time of visits.
• Device data: Device type, screen resolution, and hardware model.
• Location data: General geographic location inferred from IP address (country/region level only; we do not collect precise GPS location).
• Cookie and tracking data: Data collected through cookies, web beacons, pixels, and similar technologies as described in Section 6 below.

2.3 Information from third parties

• Analytics data from Google Analytics about how users interact with our Platform.
• Advertising and audience data from Mediavine and the advertising partners it works with.
• Email engagement data (open rates, click rates) from MailerLite, our email service provider.
• Affiliate tracking data from affiliate networks we participate in (e.g., GetYourGuide, Stay22 and the booking platforms it partners with such as Booking.com and Expedia, or similar programs).

2.4 Feature by feature

• Island letter and free PDF guides: your email address, stored on our server and with MailerLite, our email provider. The welcome email carries the download links for the PDF guides. We keep your address until you unsubscribe or ask us to delete it.
• Trip Planner email: the address you type and the plan you built. We use them to send the plan once. You join our letter only if you tick the box.
• Sent-mail record: for each email our server sends, we keep the recipient address, the subject and the time, so we can confirm it went out and answer delivery questions.
• Event reminders: your address and the event you picked, used to send one reminder the day before. We delete the entry when you turn the reminder off, or about a week after the event. Sign-ups that are never confirmed are deleted after 7 days.
• WVVY show reminders: your address and the show you picked. MailerLite sends these reminders, so your address is kept in a MailerLite group for that show until you turn the reminders off.
• Contact form and one-to-one email: your name, address and message. Our replies, the welcome email, trip plans and event reminders go out through Zoho Mail, our mailbox provider.
• Photo and video release: if you sign a release for us at mvvacation.com/release, we keep what you typed into the form, your signature, the time you signed, your IP address and device type, and a PDF of the signed release. It is our proof of your permission, so we keep it on our server and in our backups. If you add your email, we may use it to send you a copy and to contact you about the release.
• Cloudflare: every visit passes through Cloudflare, which protects the site and speeds it up. Cloudflare sees your IP address and basic request details and may set a security cookie.
• Maps: the interactive island map and the bus directions map load map tiles from OpenStreetMap's servers, which see your IP address. Google Maps appears only as a link, so nothing loads from Google Maps unless you click one.
• Radio and webcam: when you play the WVVY stream, it loads from the station's server (radio.wvvy.org), and the player may also ask that server what is playing. A partner webcam image loads from that business's server. Both see your IP address.
• Polls: the polls on our polls page are StrawPoll embeds, so your vote and IP address go to StrawPoll.
• GetYourGuide and Stay22: scripts from both load on our pages. Stay22 turns some links to hotels and booking sites into affiliate links, and both may set cookies that show a booking came from us.
• Local storage: your browser keeps a few small preferences for us, such as the radio volume, the last trip plan you built and whether you have already signed up, so we don't ask twice. They stay on your device, and clearing your browser's site data removes them.

3. How we use your information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

• To operate, maintain, and improve the Platform and its content;
• To respond to your inquiries and provide support;
• To send you newsletters, updates, and promotional content you have subscribed to (you may unsubscribe at any time);
• To analyze user behavior and traffic patterns to improve Platform performance and user experience;
• To serve targeted and retargeted advertisements through Mediavine and its advertising partners;
• To track affiliate referrals and commissions in connection with our affiliate marketing programs;
• To detect, prevent, and address technical issues, fraud, or security breaches;
• To comply with applicable legal obligations;
• To enforce our Terms of Service and protect the rights, property, and safety of MV Vacation and its users.

We will not use your information for any purpose materially different from those described above without your prior consent or as otherwise required by law.

4. Governing law and intended audience

MV Vacation is operated from the United States, and this Platform is intended for visitors in the United States and Canada. This Privacy Policy, and any matter arising out of or relating to it, is governed by the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, United States, without regard to its conflict-of-law principles. We collect, use, and disclose personal information as described in this policy and in accordance with applicable United States and Canadian privacy laws.

Where we rely on your consent (for example, to send you our newsletter or to set non-essential cookies), you may withdraw that consent at any time; withdrawal does not affect the lawfulness of any processing carried out before it.

5. Sharing of information

We do not rent or trade your personal information, and we do not give our email list to anyone for their own marketing. Advertising cookies from Mediavine and its partners are the one area that some state laws treat as a sale or sharing of personal data; your choices are described under your rights below. We may share your information only in the following limited circumstances:

• Service providers: Trusted third-party vendors who assist us in operating the Platform (e.g., MailerLite for email delivery, Zoho Mail for one-to-one email, Google for analytics, Mediavine for advertising, Cloudflare for security and delivery, web hosting providers). These parties are contractually obligated to keep your information confidential and use it only for the services they provide to us.
• Affiliate networks: Affiliate tracking information is shared with affiliate networks and partner merchants solely to track referrals and process commissions.
• Advertising partners: Aggregated or pseudonymized data may be shared with advertising partners (including Mediavine and its partners) for the purpose of serving relevant advertisements. We do not share personally identifiable information with advertisers without your consent.
• Legal requirements: We may disclose your information if required by law, regulation, legal process, or governmental request, or to protect the rights, property, or safety of MV Vacation, our users, or the public.
• Business transfer: In the event of a sale, merger, acquisition, reorganization, or transfer of all or substantially all of the MV Vacation business or Brand Assets, your personal information and subscriber data may be transferred to the acquiring entity as a business asset. We will provide notice of any such transfer by updating this Privacy Policy. The acquiring entity will be bound by the obligations of this Privacy Policy with respect to your personal information.

6. Cookies and tracking technologies

We use cookies, web beacons, tracking pixels, and similar technologies to improve your experience, analyze traffic, and serve targeted advertisements. The types of cookies we use include:

By continuing to use the Platform without adjusting your cookie settings, you consent to our use of cookies as described above. You may control or disable cookies through your browser settings at any time; however, disabling certain cookies may affect the functionality of the Platform.

To opt out of Google Analytics, use the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on. To manage Google advertising preferences, visit Google Ad Settings.

7. Third-party services

We currently use the following third-party services that may collect, process, or receive your data:

• Google Analytics: web traffic analytics. Privacy Policy
• MailerLite: email newsletter management. Privacy Policy
• Mediavine: advertising platform and network.
• YouTube: embedded video content (subject to Google's privacy policy). Privacy Policy
• Cloudflare: security and content delivery for every page. Privacy Policy
• Zoho Mail: our mailbox for one-to-one email, the welcome email, trip plans and event reminders. Privacy Policy
• OpenStreetMap: map tiles for the interactive island map and the bus directions map. Privacy Policy
• StrawPoll: the polls on our polls page. Privacy Policy
• Affiliate Networks (including GetYourGuide and Stay22): affiliate link tracking. Refer to each network's individual privacy policy.

Mediavine Programmatic Advertising (Ver 1.1)

The Website works with Mediavine to manage third-party interest-based advertising appearing on the Website. Mediavine serves content and advertisements when you visit the Website, which may use first and third-party cookies. A cookie is a small text file which is sent to your computer or mobile device (referred to in this policy as a "device") by the web server so that a website can remember some information about your browsing activity on the Website.

First party cookies are created by the website that you are visiting. A third-party cookie is frequently used in behavioral advertising and analytics and is created by a domain other than the website you are visiting. Third-party cookies, tags, pixels, beacons and other similar technologies (collectively, "Tags") may be placed on the Website to monitor interaction with advertising content and to target and optimize advertising. Each internet browser has functionality so that you can block both first and third-party cookies and clear your browser's cache. The "help" feature of the menu bar on most browsers will tell you how to stop accepting new cookies, how to receive notification of new cookies, how to disable existing cookies and how to clear your browser's cache. For more information about cookies and how to disable them, you can consult the information at All About Cookies.

Without cookies you may not be able to take full advantage of the Website content and features. Please note that rejecting cookies does not mean that you will no longer see ads when you visit our Site. In the event you opt-out, you will still see non-personalized advertisements on the Website.

The Website collects the following data using a cookie when serving personalized ads:

• IP Address
• Operating System type
• Operating System version
• Device Type
• Language of the website
• Web browser type
• Email (in hashed form)

Mediavine Partners (companies listed below with whom Mediavine shares data) may also use this data to link to other end user information the partner has independently collected to deliver targeted advertisements. Mediavine Partners may also separately collect data about end users from other sources, such as advertising IDs or pixels, and link that data to data collected from Mediavine publishers in order to provide interest-based advertising across your online experience, including devices, browsers and apps. This data includes usage data, cookie information, device information, information about interactions between users and advertisements and websites, geolocation data, traffic data, and information about a visitor's referral source to a particular website. Mediavine Partners may also create unique IDs to create audience segments, which are used to provide targeted advertising.

If you would like more information about this practice and to know your choices to opt-in or opt-out of this data collection, please visit National Advertising Initiative opt out page. You may also visit Digital Advertising Alliance website and Network Advertising Initiative website to learn more information about interest-based advertising. You may download the AppChoices app at Digital Advertising Alliance's AppChoices app to opt out in connection with mobile apps, or use the platform controls on your mobile device to opt out.

For specific information about Mediavine Partners, the data each collects and their data collection and privacy policies, please visit Mediavine Partners.

Each of these services operates under its own privacy policy. We are not responsible for the data practices of these third parties.

8. Third-party links

Our Platform may contain links to third-party websites, businesses, or services. These sites have their own independent privacy policies, and we have no responsibility or liability for their content, data practices, or activities. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party sites you visit before providing any personal information.

9. Data retention

We retain your personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes described in this Privacy Policy, or as required by applicable law. Specifically:

• Email subscribers: Retained until you unsubscribe or request deletion.
• Contact form submissions: Retained for up to 2 years from the date of submission.
• Analytics data: Retained as configured within Google Analytics (Google Analytics 4 keeps event data for two or fourteen months).
• Signed photo and video releases: kept permanently, because they are our proof of permission to use the recordings.
• Log files and server data: Typically retained for up to 12 months.

When personal data is no longer required, we will securely delete or anonymize it. In the event of a business transfer, the acquiring entity assumes all data retention obligations under this policy.

10. Your rights

10.1 All users

• You may opt out of our newsletter at any time by clicking "Unsubscribe" in any email we send.
• You may request access to, correction of, or deletion of personal information we hold about you by contacting us at [email protected].

10.2 Users outside the United States and Canada

This Platform is intended for a United States and Canadian audience and is not directed at the European Economic Area or the United Kingdom. If you access it from another region, you may have rights under your local laws; the baseline rights described in Section 10.1 are available to all users regardless of location. To make any request, contact us at [email protected].

10.3 California users (CCPA / CPRA rights)

If you are a California resident, you have the following rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA):

• Right to Know: Request disclosure of the categories and specific pieces of personal information we have collected about you, the sources, business purposes, and third parties with whom we share it.
• Right to Delete: Request deletion of personal information we have collected, subject to certain exceptions.
• Right to Correct: Request correction of inaccurate personal information.
• Right to Opt Out of Sale or Sharing: Ads on this site may use cookies that California law treats as “sharing” personal information for targeted advertising. You can opt out by turning on Global Privacy Control in your browser, which our ad partner honors, by blocking third-party cookies, or by writing to us at [email protected]. Browsers’ “Do Not Track” signals have no common standard, so the site does not respond to them; Global Privacy Control is the signal our ad partner follows.
• Right to Non-Discrimination: We will not discriminate against you for exercising any CCPA/CPRA rights.

To exercise your California rights, contact us at [email protected] with the subject line "California Privacy Request." We will respond within 45 days as required by law.

10.4 Canadian users (PIPEDA)

If you are located in Canada, you have the right under the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and applicable provincial privacy laws to access the personal information we hold about you, to request corrections to it, and to withdraw your consent to our continued use of it. We collect, use, and disclose personal information only for the purposes described in this policy. To exercise these rights, contact us at [email protected] and we will respond within a reasonable time as required by law.

11. Children's privacy (COPPA)

The Platform is not directed to children under the age of 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you are a parent or guardian and believe that your child has provided us with personal information without your consent, please contact us immediately at [email protected]. Upon receiving such notice, we will take prompt steps to delete the relevant information from our systems in compliance with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), 15 U.S.C. § 6501 et seq.

12. Security

We implement reasonable and appropriate technical and organizational security measures to protect your personal information against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures include SSL/TLS encryption for data in transit, restricted internal access to personal data, and use of reputable third-party service providers with their own established security programs.

However, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security, and any transmission of personal information to us is at your own risk. If you believe your interaction with us has been compromised, please contact us immediately at [email protected].

13. Data breach notification

In the event of a data breach that is likely to result in a risk to the rights and freedoms of individuals, we will notify affected users and relevant data protection authorities without undue delay after we become aware of it, as required by applicable United States and Canadian law. Notification will be provided via email to affected subscribers and/or by a prominent notice on the Platform.

14. Visitors from outside the United States and Canada

MV Vacation is operated in the United States and is intended for a United States and Canadian audience. We do not target the Platform to the European Economic Area or the United Kingdom. If you choose to access the Platform from outside the United States and Canada, you do so on your own initiative and are responsible for compliance with your local laws. Our servers are in the United States, and backup copies may be stored with providers in other countries. By using the Platform, you understand that your information will be processed under United States law, which may differ from the laws of your location.

15. Changes to this Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy at any time at our sole discretion. Material changes will be indicated by updating the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page. Where required by law, we will provide more prominent notice (such as an email notification to subscribers). Your continued use of the Platform after any changes constitutes your acceptance of the revised Privacy Policy. If you do not agree to the updated policy, you must discontinue use of the Platform.

16. Governing law

This Privacy Policy and any disputes arising from it shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, United States of America, without regard to its conflict of law provisions. To the extent any dispute is not subject to arbitration under our Terms of Service, you consent to the exclusive jurisdiction of the state and federal courts located in Dukes County, Massachusetts.

17. Disclaimer

While we take reasonable steps to protect your personal information, we cannot guarantee the absolute security of any information you transmit to us, and you do so at your own risk. By using our Platform, you acknowledge and accept this inherent risk. Nothing in this Privacy Policy creates any warranty not expressly stated herein.

18. Contact us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy, your personal data, or your privacy rights, please contact us:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: mvvacation.com/contact

We are committed to addressing your inquiries promptly and in accordance with applicable law.