Advice for non-covid related holiday cancellation?

samuelmorris

Sure, will do.

lisyloo

Do also make sure that that the COViD restrictions actually allow the grandson to attend the funeral. We had one in April with max 6, it’s probably gone up since then but worth checking.

we just had an outdoor interment on Monday (20/7) and that was still max 6 although they let us have 7.

samuelmorris

I believe there are 30 attendees, which as far as I'm aware is now permitted. Not me organising that so I hadn't thought to question it.

lisyloo

If I was cancelling a holiday for 7 people I’d check I was included on the guest list. 

samuelmorris

My brother is absolutely on the guest list because he's co-organising the funeral! Me personally that booked it, I'm not sure I will be going, but even if I were, I don't expect that'd change the outcome because it wouldn't be the funeral of anyone covered by the 'close relative' definition in Columbus' terms.

Archergirl

Harsh I know but does he absolutely have to go to the funeral? What would his gran say if she was alive? In these times lots of people have been unable to go to a funeral of loved ones and there is rather a lot to say the holiday should go ahead.....

samuelmorris

Not taken as harsh, just not practical I'm afraid - there are other issues on that side of the family that leave relatively few people to sort this out and it's proving difficult enough even with his help. He isn't just an attendee of the funeral but he's one of the main people organising it. Were it otherwise I would totally understand your point on that.

Archergirl

Unfortunate then but if the others do not want to go they will just have to take the hit....

lisyloo

samuelmorris said:

My brother is absolutely on the guest list because he's co-organising the funeral! Me personally that booked it, I'm not sure I will be going, but even if I were, I don't expect that'd change the outcome because it wouldn't be the funeral of anyone covered by the 'close relative' definition in Columbus' terms.

I don’t understand if it was the two of you organising it, why you didn’t just delay the funeral. Was there some religious reason or other reason?
i has so far assumed someone else organised it without knowing about your holiday,

samuelmorris

Not the two of us, I'm not involved in it but my brother is, along with people from his side of the family.

Cancellation notices have now been sent in and cases opened with Columbus. Given we don't receive emails from Columbus as their email system doesn't work properly, we could be in for a fair wait before hearing about our claims - I've sent a separate email from my work address drawing their attention to wanting correspondence to be sent to it, but that has to go to customer services as claims won't talk to me, and they have a 2 week response time. TUI acknowledged my cancellation request and sent a cancellation invoice, radio silence from VillaPlus so far but given they seem to have minimal support staff as they won't even accept queries by email let alone telephone, I imagine we may be waiting some time for that as well.