Your Resort
Our service
At Thomas Cook, we are proud that our Representatives are the best in the business. They are thoroughly trained in making sure that you have a great holiday, added to which they are local experts and their knowledge is at your disposal.
They make frequent visits to our hotels and apartments at regular times, and will be at most properties for some period every day of the week. Our staff are also trained to know when they are not wanted – so if you want to do your own thing while you’re on holiday they’ll be perfectly happy to leave you alone.
For guests travelling on Thomas Cook Local Flavours holidays - you will be met on arrival and provided with a detailed welcome pack but representatives will only visit your hotel at your request.
It is our Representatives’ all-round dedication to delivering the best holiday ever, that makes Thomas Cook one of the country’s top holiday companies.
Our Representatives are always on hand to help sort out any particular problem whilst on holiday. If you have a complaint they will need to know about it and will do their best to solve the problem on the spot and minimise any inconvenience. This will also help us to improve the holiday experience for all our customers.
There may be times when your Representative is unable to solve a particular problem immediately. While appreciating that this may be upsetting for customers, Thomas Cook does expect them to behave in a reasonable manner towards its staff. Consequently, should any customer act in a threatening or intimidatory manner towards Thomas Cook staff, we shall have no hesitation in taking appropriate legal measures.
Resorts
In low season, resorts can be quiet with some facilities in limited supply, whereas in high season the resort is sure to be full, with facilities in full swing. However, there may be occasions where hoteliers or providers of services withdraw a facility temporarily or otherwise due to lack of demand, especially at the start and end of season.
If you would like to visit particular attractions, we recommend that you check their availability in resort as they may have to close at short notice because of the weather or for routine maintenance
Resort Development
Some of the destinations in this brochure are still being developed and even in more established resorts there is often a possibility of building work taking place. If in our opinion this is likely to affect your booked accommodation, we will tell you at the time of booking or, if you have already booked, you will be contacted before departure if there is time. Please refer to the Booking Conditions, section ‘Circumstances beyond our control’ for more information.
Local Information
Please note that areas surrounding your holiday accommodation do not form part of your package holiday and have not been inspected. These include for example the sea, beaches, roads and mountains. You are responsible for taking reasonable care for your own safety and the safety of your party.
Local events, religious festivities and public holidays are likely to influence the provision of services and facilities within the hotels and around holiday resorts at certain times.
Public holidays in Florida - These are invariably very busy, so we recommend that you book your accommodation well in advance and get to the theme parks early if your holiday coincides with 31st May (Memorial Day), 4th July (Independence Day), 6th September (Labor Day) or 13th October (Columbus Day). – Villa Specific
Alcohol
Florida’s liquor laws are strictly enforced. If you’re under 21, or even look under 21, you cannot buy alcohol. Also, it is against the law to carry alcohol in the passenger area of the car, so always put alcohol in the boot. – Villa Specific
In Muslim countries, dates of religious feasts and festivals are fixed by local sightings of the moon so we cannot work out when they will be beforehand. Ramadan, which is observed for one month each year, is a period of fasting when the pace of life is slower, public areas are busier and there are certain restrictions, such as drinking alcohol, use of restaurant facilities and consuming food in public. Ramadan is expected to run for a month from 10th August 2010. Also, the Muslim New Year is different to the Christian one and during this period many shops and restaurants may be closed. If you are concerned about the possible impact of holidays and events or would like to know more, please contact the appropriate tourist board.
Smoking
Restrictive legislation against smoking in public places is becoming increasingly common in destinations worldwide. You may find your holiday resort operates enforced smoking restrictions in areas including, but not limited to, enclosed public areas such as bars, pubs and restaurants. Fines may be imposed for breaching regulations. To find out more visit the FCO website www.fco.gov.uk
Conditions in Holiday Resorts
If there is a specific problem affecting your accommodation, you should report this to the accommodation staff, and if necessary to our representative, who will do their best to help sort things out. Insects – ants, mosquitoes and cockroaches for example – are common in hot countries. They are usually harmless, and they do not mean your accommodation is dirty or unhygienic, but obviously the sight of such creatures can be off-putting if you are not used to seeing them. If your hotel has an open restaurant, it may attract local birds, some of which might try to share your food though hotels do their best to discourage them. Though frustrating, this is a normal part of local life, and please don’t encourage birds by feeding them. Please also refrain from feeding any other wildlife.
Noise
Some resorts are within built-up areas or other places where noise is common. Noise may be audible from road traffic or aircraft (if you are near a flight path). Noise is also often caused by birds and local wildlife, and by local activity such as speedboats, calls to prayer and customs (for example, festivals and religious celebrations), and is often part of the travel experience.
Driving
Laws, licensing requirements and age limits vary throughout the world. We recommend you check with your travel agent, or the relevant embassy or consulate.
Nile Cruises
Important Information - Due to the number of cruise boats on the Nile, two or more boats may be moored side by side and you may need to walk through other boats to reach the bank. Extra care should be taken when crossing gangplanks as certain areas may be uneven. Nile cruise boats are on several levels and are therefore unsuitable for anyone with walking difficulties. For sightseeing it advisable to take plenty of bottled water and sensible footwear as the ground can be uneven at many sites, a torch for darker tombs and binoculars will also be useful. At some sites there may be charge for photography or the use of a video camera while flash photography is often prohibited altogether to protect the monuments. You should also note that our Nile cruise itineraries involve long days with early starts in order to fit in all the important sights.
Occasionally there may be changes made to your itinerary and excursions depending on local conditions such as the level of the Nile or cruise boat traffic. It may sometimes be necessary to substitute your chosen cruise ship with one of a similar standard of facilities.
A tab system operates on board where all extras are billed to your cabin and settled at the end of the cruise. Payment of your bill and for any optional excursions can be made in Sterling pounds or American Dollars.
Tipping (baksheesh) is an accepted custom in Egypt and while not compulsory, you will be asked to tip for almost every service and the cost can mount up. Expect to budget approx. £20 for tipping. Tips onboard your cruise boat can be left at the end of the cruise.
Where prices are based on lower deck cabins this means the bottom deck of the boat, which is always above the water line. All decks above the bottom deck (including reception level) are classed as upper decks.
Please note that some of our Nile cruisers are shared with guests of our European sister company Thomas Cook AG and children aged 6 and under are not permitted on the Nile cruise boats featured on this website.
Weather Hazards
Sun
The sun should be treated with respect – the more so the closer you get to the tropics, and especially in the winter, when your skin’s completely unprepared. Make sure you take enough sun lotion with you – it can be hard to find locally – use it, and go easy on the sunbathing, particularly in the first few days. Watch out for signs of burning, heat exhaustion or sunstroke (reddening skin, sleepy, dizziness, headaches) and make sure you drink lots of (non-alcoholic) fluids to avoid dehydration.
Weather & Natural Disasters
Destinations featured in this brochure may be affected by weather patterns such as tropical storms, monsoons, hurricanes, cyclones, typhoons, flooding and also seismic activity causing earthquakes and tidal waves. An example of which is the ‘hurricane ‘season, which affects the Atlantic, Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico and is generally considered to be between June and November. This is just one example and different weather patterns occur at different times of the year, their impact on destinations can and does vary. Its not possible for us to publish detailed information on weather patterns for each destination in our brochure, and weather advice can frequently change, we recommend you check the latest FCO Travel Advice for your destination. Visit www.fco.gov.uk/travel for information.
When a storm or natural disaster occurs, travel and accommodation arrangements may be significantly disrupted. It is extremely difficult to predict with accuracy the actual path, duration or effect severe weather patterns and seismic activity may have and the effects of actual or threatened bad weather and natural disasters are beyond our control (please refer to our booking conditions, section “Circumstances Beyond Our Control" for details of our responsibility to you in these circumstances).
If a storm or natural disaster is forecast to affect one of our destinations, we work with local and international authorities, our Health and Safety / resort teams and local agents to try to minimise disruption and keep you well informed. It may be that an evacuation of your resort, or a delay or cancellation of your flight to or from the resort may be necessary. In the event of changes to your holiday due to actual or threatened bad weather, we are not able to
offer any compensation.
Climate Information
In some of our resort pages in our brochures, we include general climate information. Where this is shown this is usually based on information from the Met Office for a major city or airport in the area, but this can be some distance from specific cities and resorts we feature. The information is subject to change and you should monitor the latest local and international weather updates issued by the Met Office and available on their website - www.metoffice.gov.uk
