The HfP chat thread – Saturday 24th July

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Peter Taysum says:

24 Jul24 July 09:04

Has anyone’s Nectar points posted yet from Avios?
- H says:
  
  24 Jul24 July 12:25
  
  It takes 10 days now sadly
Reney says:

24 Jul24 July 09:19

Cruise insurance – both P&O and RC require insurance for the staycation cruise, for those who have been on one recently, can you tell me what insurance you used? The one recommended the cruise lines is holiday extra but they appear to be taking. break for 9 days. I have no clue how much it would be, found a review that suggests at least £85+pp. Which adds a lot for a 4 day cruise. I was wondering if Amex or HSBC premier would be sufficient instead but no idea how you prove you have the insurance? Thx
- Number9 says:
  
  24 Jul24 July 09:30
  
  Cruise insurance is always expensive, look at more than or stay sure they used to have an add on extra cruise option.
  - xcalx says:
    
    24 Jul24 July 09:51
    
    Nationwide Fexi account annual insurance covers cruises, you can also add extras to it like change of itinerary.
- Peter Taysum says:
  
  24 Jul24 July 09:34
  
  Hi there,
  
  Disclosure: I used to work for Carnival UK (P&O and Cunard) as Ship’s Doctor. My parents found that the Carnival insurance was actually competitive. They had to disclose A LOT.
  
  To go on a cruise with Carnival UK you sign to say you have insurance. This covers for “diverting” the ship which can easily cost £100 000, etc. For staycation; that would be limited I would have thought….
  
  I would check what Carnival are charging. As medical treatment is chargeable; bills can run very high for admission to the medical centre…
  
  Hope you find a good solution. Note the first thing insurance companies do if you make a claim (for medical) is request access to your GP notes; if you haven’t declared anything they will deny your claim; as you’ve failed to disclose…
  
  For AMEX etc you MUST have disclosed but then demonstrating should be easy enough…
- Definitas says:
  
  24 Jul24 July 09:52
  
  Depending on your overall needs, we find the packaged insurance that comes with Nationwide Flex Plus account suits our needs for cruising. The account costs £13 a month bit provides worldwide travel insurance, car breakdown insurance (including when as a passenger) for both account holders if it’s a joint account, plus mobile phone insurance. You also get a fee free debit card for overseas currency withdrawals and a fee free credit card for purchases. There is a cruise add on but it is currently suspended. However, the basic policy cover provides good medical cover for cruising (we have had to claim and it worked well). As with all policies, you have to declare any preexisting conditions but they accept quite a few with no increase. You can call the number given on the nationwide application page and get a quote and check cover suits you. We have used it for years and had to make 3 claims. Uploading documents can be clunky but they paid all 3, one of which was on a cruise. As mentioned further on, they do check your medical record in the event of a claim so you have to be scrupulously accurate with your declared information. I have no links to NW other than as a satisfied customer.
- Andrew says:
  
  24 Jul24 July 10:37
  
  I was supposed to be going on an Alaskan cruise in April 2019 – obviously didn’t.
  
  I had an annual policy with First Direct (Aviva), and called to check that I was fully covered on a cruise beforehand. At the time, their annual policy covered cruises.
- Jody says:
  
  24 Jul24 July 12:15
  
  We’ve bought an annual policy from Cover For You as doing 4 different staycation cruises. Covers all the requirements needed, you can download the staycation letters directly from the website.
  
  Thanks for people’s birthday wishes from yesterday, only just had signal to go back and read the thread from yesterday.
  
  Had dolphins alongside the ship this morning, happened to be out on the balcony just at the right time.
  
  Reney, I saw your question yesterday. We’re enjoying the cruises without getting off in port. Some lines are stopping at ports, you’re only allowed to do excursions through the ship as you have to stay in a bubble. The cruise we’re on now doesn’t have any stops at all.
  - Reney says:
    
    24 Jul24 July 14:30
    
    Thanks everyone, I will look into the various options suggested, one of the travelling party has a lot of pre-existing conditions so buying travel insurance is always a pain.
    
    Jody, glad you are having fun. Happy Birthday!
Asim says:

24 Jul24 July 09:30

How easy is it to get EasyJet to reroute on another airline?

They’ve cancelled a MLA-LGW flight leaving on 29/8 at 0250 and booked us onto 28/9 at 11am which means we lose a day of our holiday.
Their email offers a refund, booking onto another EZY flight, or departing from another airport.
Are they likely to rebook us onto Air Malta / BA on the evening of 28th/morning of 29th? Or will it be a case of MCOL?
- Bill says:
  
  24 Jul24 July 09:47
  
  I think you would need to book it yourself and submit an expenses claim form on their website
Craig says:

24 Jul24 July 09:31

Trying to book Hilton T5 NCP parking for next year and it’s showing not available? Is it being used for something else?
Chris Heyes says:

24 Jul24 July 09:46

Daughters just had e-mail her holiday Lanzarote 16th Aug cancelled
Anyone got any ideas for cheap Hotels in London with Breakfast for 2 Adults 3 kids 11,7,5 yrs (2 rooms) near kids stuff for around 5/6 days or less
ideally within walking distance if poss
I haven’t a clue cause I avoid London
Thanks
- Tariq says:
  
  24 Jul24 July 09:53
  
  Hampton Waterloo?
  - Rob says:
    
    24 Jul24 July 10:12
    
    …. is very nice. Not the greatest street corner in London but only a few minutes from the South Bank and very close to the tube.
- Craig says:
  
  24 Jul24 July 09:54
  
  Have a look at the Premier Inn Southwark, just priced up 2 rooms including breakfast for £700. I’d say for 5 nights in London in August that’s pretty good value. It’s spitting distance from Borough market, London Bridge tube station and the riverside.
- Anna says:
  
  24 Jul24 July 10:00
  
  Morning Chris – was she hoping it would be cancelled? Which airline was it? If not, prices to Spain are still really low, I’m sure she could re-book the holiday if she wanted.
  I’d agree Hampton or HIE for family friendly hotels with breakfast, though I think London prices are pretty high at the moment with the demand for staycations.
  
  I’ve re-booked my week’s accommodation in Mallorca as the price has dropped by £150 since we first booked. Lovely apartment sleeping 6 overlooking a beautiful little cove.
  - Pablo says:
    
    24 Jul24 July 10:33
    
    I would definitely be rebooking Lanzarote. Flights are plentiful and from all around the UK and tend to get cheaper closer to departure. Booking.com for a flexible hotel reservation.
  - Chris Heyes says:
    
    24 Jul24 July 10:34
    
    Mornin Anna Was TUI rebooked from last Aug she was half hoping cancelled but gutted now it is
    She is not a confident traveller like I am (that’s why she wants to come Dubrovnik with us next Aug 2022)
    £4,000 tied up until refund comes through
    I’ve booked all our staycations up for all Aug and none have room for 2 adults and 3 children.
    Daughters, Daughter coming to Bogner with her lad 5, for a fortnight
    That’s not a prob daughters flat large, it’s where to go without over spending and getting on each others nerves, stuck in flat lol
    Thought at moment is London “for the youngsters” (not with us lol”)
    - Anna says:
      
      24 Jul24 July 11:01
      
      I was reading about Tui doing masses of cancellations to amber countries, I’m not sure why they are doing this!
      But Canaries flights are really cheap compared to normal August prices, she would get a good deal with Ryanair, EJ or Jet2. Loads of accommodation to be had – pay on arrival for a lot of them on hotels dot com.
      Tui should refund her within 7 days.
Dave says:

24 Jul24 July 09:56

Got email to say my BA flight to Munich has been cancelled. They haven’t rebooked me and I’d like a refund l.What’s the easiest/quickest way to do this?
Chat bot says agents are busy. The phone number the cancellation email had says they are too busy to talk calls. Does Twitter DM work? For some reason I can’t do anything in manage my booking about it
- Pete M says:
  
  24 Jul24 July 09:58
  
  Twitter is your easiest bet, although replies are slow.
Michael says:

24 Jul24 July 09:56

TEAT AND TRACE:
I spent 2 weeks in Germany (incidence 10 cimpared to 500 here), then spent 40 minutes in my car in France for transit via Eurotunnel yesterday.
I am fully vaccinated.
I just had a guy showing up at my house from NHS Test and Trace to see I am at home and to check my ID.

What is this sh*t. The government stopped all restrictions and pushed for quarantine free travel, but because I spend 40 minutes in my car in France I need to stay at home for 10 days or 5/6 with test to release.

Whilst over here the government does not give a sh*t about people mass infectiong each other.
There could not be any more hypocrisy to all of that.

Anyone else had these visits? How often and at what times, do they come more than once daily?
- Pete M says:
  
  24 Jul24 July 10:01
  
  But remember, you could be bringing a new deadly variant from Germany… hence we need to be super extra careful… And make outside look super dangerous, so home looks idyllic!
  The visits seem to be entirely random – my BF was never visited in person, although they did call every day. And still called every day after he’d left the country, even though this was clearly stated in the PLF.
- Anna says:
  
  24 Jul24 July 10:03
  
  Call 119 and ask them to clarify whether you are required to self-isolate under the circumstances. The authorities might only have a record that you arrived from France, and won’t know you were only there briefly.
  - Rob says:
    
    24 Jul24 July 10:10
    
    My understanding of the rules is that T&T is correct. You spent 40 minutes in France and so must isolate.
    - TGLoyalty says:
      
      24 Jul24 July 10:44
      
      Used to be that if you didn’t get out of the car you didn’t have to.
      - Rob says:
        
        24 Jul24 July 10:50
        
        Can you get onto Eurotunnel without getting out of your car at all? Honest question as never done it.
        
        You are correct otherwise IIRC.
      - Rich says:
        
        24 Jul24 July 11:37
        
        That was the case last year. Eurotunnel OK as long as you transited France without mixing. Ferries not OK (because you were mixing with people ‘in France’ (tied up to the jetty!).
        
        Doesn’t make a lot of sense to quarantine foreign arrivals, given the let it rip strategy and case rate here, but them’s the rules. Like it or not.
      - TGLoyalty says:
        
        24 Jul24 July 15:53
        
        Transit exemption still exists but the private vehicle or coach one has disappeared. Another step backwards by the British government.
- Dave1985 says:
  
  24 Jul24 July 10:08
  
  🤣
  - Dave1985 says:
    
    24 Jul24 July 10:09
    
    Happy freedom weekend!
    - Andrew says:
      
      24 Jul24 July 10:21
      
      Enjoy it while it lasts
      - Nick says:
        
        24 Jul24 July 11:43
        
        You knew the rules when you chose to travel through France. And if for some reason you didn’t, they’re very easy to check… it’s not as if you can possibly not be aware there are travel restrictions at the moment.
        
        @Rob, yes you can do eurotunnel without getting out of your car, there’s really nowhere for you to go unless you need a wee. But the ‘corridor’ thing another poster alluded to was a short-lived thing last year, it’s now considered arrival into the UK from France.
      - meta says:
        
        24 Jul24 July 11:58
        
        On another note. On PLF, there is a question about how you like to be contacted. I put SMS text only and said the reason is that I have my phone on silent almost all the time due to work, so they wouldn’t be able to reach me otherwise. Let’s see how this plays out when I land tomorrow.
- andyT says:
  
  24 Jul24 July 12:12
  
  How often and at what time T & T phone or visit in person is immaterial – quarantine means quarantine.
- Aaron C says:
  
  24 Jul24 July 14:47
  
  Why did you engage with him? I’d have sent him away without saying anything to him other than “please get off my property and don’t return”.
  - David says:
    
    24 Jul24 July 15:24
    
    Oh dear
    - Aaron C says:
      
      24 Jul24 July 15:57
      
      I take it you don’t really believe in the rule of law or civil liberties? They have no legal standing (the government could have provided for it).
      I’m proud to say I’ve not engaged in any form of track and trace. Blocked their number, never had their app.
      - TJones says:
        
        24 Jul24 July 18:45
        
        I think you’ll find the government did provide for it. Regulation 2 of The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (Self-Isolation) (England) Regulations 2020. “I take it you don’t really believe in the rule of law”.
      - A says:
        
        24 Jul24 July 21:17
        
        I think the point you missed was that the government did not provide a requirement that a person speak to T + T when they rock up at your house
  - Mike says:
    
    24 Jul24 July 21:28
    
    Aaron C – if it doubt about how to behave always place others before your self – remember responsibilities before rights
Tom says:

24 Jul24 July 10:07

Referred someone to Amex, got rejected (something to do with address not being on their system), he called up and it got manually approved. I havent had the points, am I likely to get them or what do I have to do? TIA
- Rob says:
  
  24 Jul24 July 10:08
  
  No, you won’t get them. You’ll need to chase it up.
  - Tom says:
    
    24 Jul24 July 10:20
    
    Thanks Rob. Do I need any specific information about who I referred other than I assume his name?
    - Rob says:
      
      24 Jul24 July 10:26
      
      If you can get the card number it will clearly help. Home address would presumably do instead.