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Holiday bookings....bargains and refunds.

(39 Posts)
vampirequeen Mon 11-Jan-21 06:54:40

Sorry GN if this is classed as advertising. I don't mean it to be.

We were never fans of holiday camps because we don't like the idea of being crammed in with hundreds of other people and surrounded by caravans. However last year we discovered Haven special deals. We had 4 nights in Sept for £60. We couldn't have camped in a tent for that price. So we decided to forgo our view for convenience and a bargain. It's even cheaper this year.

Feeling the need to have something to look forward to we decided to book another holiday with them for 2021 so we booked 2 weeks in Norfolk for May. The cost was £350. Since we booked Haven have brought in a new system of charges. You can have Stay and Play which gives you access to the entertainment centre, pool etc. or just Stay which suits us much better. Stay is substantially cheaper than Stay and Play. So last night I checked the cost of our holiday if I were to book it now and found that we were paying far more. I rang them on the off chance and to my very pleasant surprise they changed my holiday to Stay and are refunding the extra cost. We thought we had a bargain at £350 for 2 weeks but now it's only £198. Way to go Haven!

vampirequeen Mon 11-Jan-21 19:12:56

We've been there a few times. It's a great day out.

Chewbacca Mon 11-Jan-21 17:58:42

vampire have you visited Eden Camp near Scarborough? If you haven't, it's well worth a visit.

Maggiemaybe Mon 11-Jan-21 15:30:27

Thank you for the recommendation, vampirequeen. That’s an area I know and love. I wish I could be there right now.

vampirequeen Mon 11-Jan-21 15:18:58

If it happens then great. If not well at least you had the pleasure of looking forward to it and you can always use the money to rebook again.

glammanana Mon 11-Jan-21 15:17:49

I have rebooked my annual holiday to Majorca with my DD this year but honestly cannot see it happening it should have been May last year but we rebooked for June 2021 I can't see this happening at all.

vampirequeen Mon 11-Jan-21 15:04:08

If you go to that area try to visit Falling Foss near Whitby. It's a stunning waterfall with a lovely tea room.

vampirequeen Mon 11-Jan-21 15:02:25

We went to Haven Blue Dolphin last September and have booked to go there again next September. We were in the cheapest caravan possible so didn't have a view but 2 minutes walk and we were on the cliff top Cleveland Way. Lovely 3 mile walk to Filey or a longer walk to Scarborough. Blue Dolphin is perfectly situated for Bridlington, Filey, Scarborough and Whitby. Also for going inland to Pickering and York. Pickering has the North Yorkshire Moors Railway (Harry Potter Hogsmead filmed at Goathland station. Goathland is also Heart Beat's Aidensfield). There's so much to do in the area and the scenery is stunning.

B9exchange Mon 11-Jan-21 14:57:01

Well if Matt Hancock says he has booked his summer holiday in Cornwall already, that should tell you something grin

Tweedle24 Mon 11-Jan-21 14:26:44

My sister organises us a trip to Egypt for Christmas and New Year, booking for the following year when we get back. We cancelled this year back in April with no problem, getting either our deposit back or, rebooking for this year. Optimistically, we might be OK for this December.

leeds22 Mon 11-Jan-21 13:58:29

We are booked to go to the Orkneys mid-June but not convinced we will have had both jabs by then (70-75 group). Of course, the islanders may not want us, I know I haven't been happy with the sloppy behaviour of tourists in my area in 2020.

Chewbacca Mon 11-Jan-21 13:47:17

Slightly different... I go 3 times a year to Portmeirion in North Wales and as we are checking out, we automatically rebook the next short break. I didn't even need to contact them about the last cancellation; they emailed me offering to reschedule or refund.

yellowcanary Mon 11-Jan-21 13:32:29

I haven't used Haven, but we had a holiday booked with Hoseasons last November - paid the balance three weeks before we were going (as per their Covid regs), the following week Wales went into lockdown - email from Hoseasons saying as we were in a lockdown area the holiday was cancelled and we could either rebook or have a refund. The refund was in my bank about 3 days later. We have rebooked for same time this year so fingers and toes crossed. We had planned going on a cruise to celebrate our 60th's this year but that is down the drain for now.

Maggiemaybe Mon 11-Jan-21 13:26:09

We’re booked with Sykes Cottages, Ginpin, and paid in full last February. Sykes got a bit of stick last Spring for not giving full refunds, but they offered us one. We chose to move the holiday on a year instead, never thinking “all this” wouldn’t be over by now. I think our best outcome would be to move it on again to Easter 2022 if possible, but if they can’t offer us a school holiday week we’ll just have to take the money. sad

petra Mon 11-Jan-21 13:09:17

How lovely to see optimistic people looking ahead ?
I think booking our Spanish family holiday for later this year might be a step too far but I'm looking at canal boats.
Oh won't do the Calidonian canal again because of the midgies and it's too chilly when the little blighters are waiting ( wherever it is they wait) to suck the life blood out of you.
So I'm looking at the Leeds Liverpool.

Soroptimum Mon 11-Jan-21 13:01:03

EllanVannin

My neighbour is still confident that she can fly to Oz in April, stopping at Singapore first before going on to her destination. We'll see.

If she goes, and it’s a big if, will she be able to quarantine for 14 days? My son lives in Sydney, they won’t be relaxing their rules anytime soon.

Teacheranne Mon 11-Jan-21 12:52:32

I’ve got a booking for Crete, moved from July 2020, just the hotel as I reclaimed my airfare. I doubt very much that I will be going even though I think I will lose my deposit - it’s a small family owned hotel and I don’t expect them to move my booking to next year.

I don’t feel ready to fly anywhere right now, I’ve barely left my house since March let alone sit on a plane for four hours! Flights are looking much more expensive to Crete, I would normally be booking mine in January but im holding off this year.

Maybe I’ll go back to Crete in 2022 when hopefully the vaccine programme will be well established and we will be getting back to normal.

win Mon 11-Jan-21 12:43:03

Even thinking about a holiday sounds like sheer madness to me

Nannylovesshopping Mon 11-Jan-21 12:29:35

I love my holidays, but common sense tells me not much chance this year, and I’m a full glass kinda girl ?

EllanVannin Mon 11-Jan-21 12:23:53

My neighbour is still confident that she can fly to Oz in April, stopping at Singapore first before going on to her destination. We'll see.

Ginpin Mon 11-Jan-21 12:20:39

Maggiemaybe

We do have a big family cottage holiday booked for April (a rebooking from last April), but I’m not feeling optimistic that it’ll go ahead. sad

So do we, for a week from 4th April. For 14 of us sad Even if there is no lockdown , the Rule of 6 will still be here.

I am just about to get my money back on a February holiday, a rebooking from last February sad

Which company have you booked with?

Both of our holidays were booked June 2019

I have to pay the balance for the April holiday by the beginning of February, so I had better do so or risk losing everything, the holiday and deposit of £900 !

moobox Mon 11-Jan-21 11:52:51

In 2020 my son booked with Haven and got a refund with no trouble, whereas Hoseasons led people a merry dance for month, flatly refusing cash refunds. I was lucky that the "fat lady was singing", in the form of the regulatory body and Martin Lewis, by the time ours was cancelled. So well done,
Haven.

Maggiemaybe Mon 11-Jan-21 11:28:28

We do have a big family cottage holiday booked for April (a rebooking from last April), but I’m not feeling optimistic that it’ll go ahead. sad

Maggiemaybe Mon 11-Jan-21 11:26:37

Could anyone recommend any particular Haven sites they’ve been happy with? We’ve never been to any, but DS has tried a couple that were a bit disappointing. It’d be good to book something to look forward to.

Happyme Mon 11-Jan-21 11:23:01

Have just booked a UK holiday this morning, a large cottage to share with our two AC and families in late August. Optimistic yes but also sorely need something nice for us all to look forward to. I find the anticipated enjoyment is a big part of the joy of holidays anyway so happy to run the risk of cancellation. Need to have faith there is life to be enjoyed beyond our current situation.

Harris27 Mon 11-Jan-21 10:59:10

Son always books haven as we did years ago and have always been happy with them.