Honeymoon Nightmare - Please help

Conanius

Conanius

Conanius

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Joined
18 Oct 2002
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I get a call today off our travel operator saying that the island in the Maldives we are due to go to has had its contract terminated with the operator. As a result, we have been told we need to change destination.

At this point I'm disappointed, but I'm sure they will see us right. We'd paid a fair whack back in early August to book this, and I'm sure we will get a like for like booking.

Oh how wrong I was. We had booked a Beach Villa with a Jacuzzi on the outside porch, 10 meters from the sea (short walk over gorgeous white sands) and a small island of under 100 villas, reported 4.5 stars We've been offered a 'superior room' on a 250 odd+ villa island which is 3-4 stars. Looking at reviews it sounds like it needs a real facelift.

I've tried challenging them, but they have said if we want anything else we need to pay the difference. The problem is, now its just NINE DAYS until we fly, everything is either fully booked, or just the most expensive rooms are available. Anything close to like for like which is still available is a good £2000 more.

We've already paid for airport parking and the like, so its a bit of a nightmare situation. Changing dates is going to be very difficult as I'm working away with work at the moment meaning we are unable to be too flexible.

I have absolutely no idea what our rights are here. Even if we get a refund for the holiday we wont get a refund for the cost of airport parking if we fly from somewhere else/on a different day, and with the refund taking 7-10 days to come through, I'll probably have to slap this on the credit card, meaning a 2.5% booking fee.

I can book the holiday elsewhere with another operator, and its a staggering £8000. Not likely to happen.

What should we do... help !!!

Edit - Probably should have mentioned, due to a large ongoing project at work going on holiday next year will be difficult (2 weeks will be impossible) I dont fancy waiting till 2013 !
 
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Keep on at them, and if necessary sod work off for two weeks next year. No offence, but you're not as important as you think you are (no-one is) and surely you don't want to send a message that work is more important than your wife.
 
scorza said:
Keep on at them, and if necessary sod work off for two weeks next year. No offence, but you're not as important as you think you are (no-one is) and surely you don't want to send a message that work is more important than your wife.
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When my whole department has been told 'leave ban, 5 days maximum' I doubt I can just 'sod off' If I worked at Tesco's stacking shelves I'd do it.

The points *slightly* irrelevant anyway, why should we go next year?!

Justin - I want to hold off saying anything too detailed at the moment, but once the dust is settled I'll post details.
 
Conanius said:
When my whole department has been told 'leave ban, 5 days maximum' I doubt I can just 'sod off' If I worked at Tesco's stacking shelves I'd do it.

The points *slightly* irrelevant anyway, why should we go next year?!

Justin - I want to hold off saying anything too detailed at the moment, but once the dust is settled I'll post details.
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You are legally entited to 5.6 weeks annual holiday (including BH) so I would suggest you quietly remind your firm of their statutory legal responsibilites. It is a serious contravention of statutory employment legislation to ban your annual leave or limit it to 5 days.
 
I would read your travel insurance policy if you have one. I would then insist that the travel operator pays the difference since they are the ones that would have cancelled the contract with the operator and why should you suffer for that since you didnt do anything but book the honeymoon you wanted. I would lay it on thick as well saying this is of course the holiday of a lifetime and you are stressing about it already and thats clearly not the idea of a honeymoon since you are stressing about the wedding and everything else this isnt helping. Maybe some dialog opens up with the operator and you can come to some agreement to pay a percentage each or something but if you dont ask the questions and stick to you guns they will walk all over you. When me and my wife arrived for our honeymoon we found out we had single beds. Clearly this wasnt correct and not my mistake so I spoke to the reception of the hotel who were rather quick in sorting it out for me but I also complained to the rep and insisted that we be compensated with a meal out for myself and my new wife by way of appology for there mistake, they actually agreed so its proof that if you dont ask you dont get.
 
I dont want to derail the thread with talking about my leave year at work. Legally you are entitled to holiday (which I will be) but just not a time which we are able to travel. Up until the beginning of April is unrestricted, and then after November is again unrestricted. This is all a bit besides the point though as we are ready to go next week ! is it reasonable that we have to change dates so drastically!?
 
I think he just means 5 days maximum in a row. Also his employer may have got him to sign some sort of waiver, should he contest it maybe he'll end up like Dr David Kelly...

Anyway back on topic sounds like you are getting screwed over a bit but unfortunately I can't see an easy way out. If it was me and I wasn't offered somethign I was genuinely happy with I would get a refund, book a 'lesser' honeymoon and then take another in 2013.
 
HangTime said:
I think he just means 5 days maximum in a row. Also his employer may have got him to sign some sort of waiver, should he contest it maybe he'll end up like Dr David Kelly...

Anyway back on topic sounds like you are getting screwed over a bit but unfortunately I can't see an easy way out. If it was me and I wasn't offered somethign I was genuinely happy with I would get a refund, book a 'lesser' honeymoon and then take another in 2013.
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His employer cannot get him to sign a waiver that limits his statutory rights, this includes holiday entitlement. They can specify when he takes it, but they cannot waive it, even with his agreement.

As for the honeymoon, the alternative should be of the same quality as the original, if it cost more then the additional cost should be borne by the travel company. I would contact ABTA.
 
can I ask who is the oporator and which island?

I have paid nearly £7k for my honeymoon next April and reading this has made me a little nervous.
 
Must be some other Islands available... get a refund if you can and call the Holiday Place, the always have sorted us out on last minute deals... Dubai, Caribbean.
 
I can't really bring anything useful to this thread, but I will say that mid way through reading the OP, 'Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life' came on in my music playlist. :)
 
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