Thomson A-Z Guide - Information - Thomson Premium Collection February 2012

A-Z Guide Interconnecting Rooms These are two rooms with a lockable connecting door between them. They're available at selected accommodation for a small supplement. If you want to book, interconnecting rooms, you'll need to book and pay for two of these rooms. J Junior Suites When we advertise a Junior Suite, it means you'll get a bedroom with a sitting area and a bath or shower room. K Kids' Clubs No matter which kids' club you're looking at, there are certain things to bear in mind. Children who are ill won't be accepted If your child has a disability or an allergy, please let us know when you sign them into the kids' club for the first time Staff aren't authorised to administer medication or change nappies, so you'll need to return to the club to do this if necessary Staff may provide snacks and drinks during the day but you'll need to bring along a packed lunch for your child You must register your child for all activities, sign them in at the start of the session, and out at the end You must stay within the complex while your child is in the club and also leave details of your whereabouts in case you're needed Activities may have to be cancelled, numbers limited and a rota introduced. This may be for health and safety reasons or at particularly busy times. If a kids' club is an important part of your time away, it's worth checking club availability before you book your holiday Even if you've booked a package holiday with us, you may still need to pay extra for some activities and sessions when you get there. If you haven't booked a package holiday with us, you'll also need to pay for your child to join the club itself. Hotel-run Kids' Clubs Only clubs run by us meet our specification, which include strict staff to child ratios. Standards and facilities at hotel-run clubs vary. You should make sure you're satisfied with the facilities and staff providing the service before enrolling your child. Unfortunately, we're unable to take responsibility or guarantee that standards at hotel-run clubs meet UK standards. Sensatori Children's Clubs The Play House at Sensatori Crete, Tenerife and Sharm El Sheikh is for 3 to 12-year-olds. It's open six days a week and some evenings. At Sensatori Mexico, the children's club is provided by our partners, Azul, and so it different to what you'll find in our other Sensatori hotels. It's also for children aged four and above, rather than three. Mothercare equipment, food and care packs are available to book at all our Sensatori hotels except Sensatori Mexico, but you need to sort this before you go. Prices range from �10 to �25. Thomson Kids' Clubs We split our Thomson Kids' Clubs by age, into Tots, Team, and Tribe, with two hours of daytime activities, five times a week. For evening activities, it's two hours of activities up to three times a week. Sometimes we'll combine ages for activities but it won't affect our strict staff-to-child ratios. We'll have two staff on hand at all times. Our club activities only run from 1st May to 31st October, unless the property description says otherwise. We may need to finish activities before the end of October if there isn't enough demand. We're constantly updating and reviewing our clubs, so things like activities or the names of clubs might be different to what we describe. bag can be more than 23kg. This is for health and safety reasons. If you have booked extra luggage allowance, you still need to make sure each bag is under 23kg, otherwise check-in staff won't accept it. Also, we can only accept luggage if it's packed and secured in suitcases or bags, and we believe it can stand up to reasonable handling. Otherwise, we may ask you to sign a disclaimer before we can take it. This also includes any bags we believe are already damaged. As for hand luggage, you can take one item on your flight. The maximum dimensions are 55x40x20cm. You should be able to lift your hand luggage into the overhead storage compartments yourself. Other bags, such as handbags or laptop bags, must fit in your single item of hand luggage. There are restrictions on what you can carry in your hand luggage so make sure you read the information that comes with your tickets. For example, you should pack valuables in your hand luggage - never your checked-in luggage. This includes money, jewellery, computers and important documents. Your airline won't be liable for loss or damage to valuable or fragile items packed in hold luggage, no matter how it's caused. On Other Airlines If you're not flying with Thomson Airways, you'll need to find out what your luggage allowance is. For example, with Air Europa, you get 20kg, whereas with Lotus Air, your allowance is 15kg and you can only check in one piece of luggage. Some airlines don't give infants their own allowance. Excess Luggage And Sports Equipment There may be a charge for excess luggage and sports equipment. Whether or not we can carry it will depend on capacity on the day. We can't guarantee you'll be able to take bulky sports equipment with you on the coach to your holiday accommodation. You can arrange to take golf clubs, windsurf boards, diving equipment and other sports equipment on your flight. If you don't book, you may still be able to check your own equipment in. But we can't guarantee this and there'll be a charge. Bear in mind, any problems with excess luggage charges need to be sorted out at the airport. Lost And Damaged Luggage Please report any lost luggage or damage to us within seven days. If not, under the terms of the Montreal Convention, we won't be liable. See Montreal Convention for details. If your luggage is damaged on your way back to the UK, you need to complete a Property Irregularity Form (PIF) at the airport and keep a copy of it for insurance purposes. Low Deposit Offer This offer is per passenger. We can change or withdraw this offer at any time. The rest of the deposit will be due within six weeks of you booking your holiday. If you cancel your holiday you still have to pay the full deposit. Low Season You may find that if you're travelling outside of peak holiday periods, like May and October, some facilities - both in your hotel and resort - may not be available and entertainment may be more low-key. Hoteliers may remove facilities at certain times due to low demand. Onboard Facilities Boats offer a laundry service, which you have to pay extra for. The electricity on board is 220V so you'll need to bring a European-style, two-pin adaptor as you can't get one in Egypt. You can store your valuables in a sealed envelope in the boat's main safe. Extra Charges At some sites there's a charge for using a camera and video camera. Also, flash photography isn't allowed at some of the places you'll visit. Tipping is standard practise in Egypt. Onboard we suggest you tip the crew at the end of the cruise, rather than as you go along. Health And Safety Getting on and off the boats may mean walking through other boats. Areas where the boats dock may be uneven. We don't recommend Nile cruises for wheelchair-users or those who have difficulty walking as there aren't any lifts and there are a lot of gangplanks and gangways. All of the boats have a basic first aid kit but it's a good idea to bring a small kit with you, containing basics such as mosquito repellent and stomach upset remedies. Checking-in At Your Hotel After Your Cruise Check-in time in Egypt is 3pm. So, although you may leave your boat before then, your room may not be ready when you get there. We suggest you pack your swimwear and other useful items in your hand luggage so you can relax by the pool while your room is being prepared. Extra Information There are a few other things to bear in mind... Itineraries and excursions may change for reasons beyond our control. There may be delays, particularly at Esna Lock. The exact boat for your cruise may vary from those we show. They're just to give you an idea of the size and type of boats available. In port, cruise boats will dock together, sometimes ten abreast, and this can obscure the view from your cabin. During sailing, you may hear some engine noise in your cabin. You may share your boat with other nationalities. Although we don't accept bookings for children under 12, other companies may do so. Nurseries See Cr�ches. O Official Ratings Each country has its own system for rating properties. We'll always publish any official ratings where they're available, usually as stars. But there are a few things we need to tell you on this front. In Italy, you won't find any official ratings for some properties, like renovated villas and farmhouses. In Greece and Turkey, you'll also find reference to A to C instead of stars, with A being the best. This is based on facilities and ground space. Only from Thomson If you see this on the accommodation pages, it means that, in the UK, you can only book the holiday through one of our TUI group companies. This includes Austravel, Crystal, First Choice, Jetsave, Portland, Simply and Thomson. M Meals On Your Flight Meals are only included on long haul flights. Please let us know when you book if you require any children's meals. Just so you know, we don't provide meals for under-twos so you'll need to bring something with you. Remember to tell us if you have any special dietary requirements. We can't guarantee we'll be able to meet them, but we'll do our best. For group bookings, everyone in your party will need to either book in advance or decline the meal. For all other flights, we offer a range of snacks and drinks to buy onboard. At Your Hotel Meals are usually served in the hotel's main restaurant. The set-up here may change from buffet to waiter service, or vice versa. For � la carte restaurants you may be limited to a certain number of visits per stay and you may need to make a reservation. You may need to pay extra for these, too. Not all of the hotel's restaurants will necessarily be open at the same time. Meals for infants are not included in the price of your holiday so you'll need to make your own arrangements. Full Board Plus includes a Continental breakfast, lunch and dinner with drinks included during mealtimes. Full Board includes a Continental breakfast, lunch and dinner. Half Board includes a Continental breakfast and dinner - or lunch, if you wish - at some hotels. Bed & Breakfast usually means Continental breakfast. Medical Conditions For Your Flight If you have a medical condition, a serious illness, or you've recently had surgery or an accident, you'll need to be cleared for travel by the airline. You may also need a `Fitness to Fly' certificate from your GP. Conditions that need medical clearance include respiratory, coronary or infectious illness. You'll need to give your request for medical clearance to the airline at least four working days before you're due to fly. The risk of deep vein thrombosis while flying is extremely low but is still a serious medical condition. DVT is when a blood clot forms, usually in the lower leg, sometimes because of sitting still for a long time. It needs treatment with blood-thinning drugs to prevent clots breaking off and travelling to the lungs. You can take precautions to reduce the risk. People most at risk include those with a history of bronchial or circulatory problems, thrombosis, those recently hospitalised, smokers, the obese, those with congestive heart failure, a malignant disease, pregnant women or women taking the contraceptive pill. To reduce the risk, exercise your legs from time to time, or walk around if possible. Elastic stockings may be helpful. Drink plenty of non-alcoholic liquids to prevent dehydration. See your doctor if you think you may be particularly prone to DVT. If you think you might need to ask for therapeutic oxygen during your flight, please contact your airline for details at least one month before your departure date. Thomson Airways does not charge for this, but you must request it in advance so we can confirm that it'll be available for you. Alternatively, you may be able to bring your own. Contact our Customer Welfare team for more information - their number is at the end of this guide. See Special Requests for more details. Money Exchange At Your Hotel If you want to change money when you get there, check the property descriptions to find out if you can do this at your hotel. Mothercare Baby Equipment If you're travelling to a Sensatori Resort, not including Mexico, you can book Mothercare equipment, including cots, strollers, highchairs and sterilisers. These must be booked in the UK and prices range from �10 to �20. P Passports The name in your passport must match the name on your ticket otherwise you may not be able to travel and your insurance could be invalid. If someone in your group changes their name after you have booked, tell us and we'll issue the ticket in the new name. If you've already received the ticket, return it and we'll send one with the correct name. There may be a fee for this change. If you're a British citizen, you need a full, ten-year British passport and it must be valid for six months from the date of your return to the UK. If your passport has an Israeli stamp, you may be refused entry to some countries. For more information, visit the Passport Service website at www.ips.gov.uk. If you don't have a UK passport, you should always check with your own embassy, high commission or consulate before you book. Pet-sitting If you book pet-sitting services through Animals At Home, your contract will be with them rather than us. Play House, Sensatori See Kids' Clubs. Playgrounds You need to supervise your children on all play equipment. Bear in mind, we can't guarantee standards of equipment. Pool Views If you book a room with a pool view, you'll look directly onto or have a side view of the pool. Pregnancy You can travel with us up to the 28th week. If you're more than 28 weeks at the time of your flight home, you'll need a medical certificate from your GP. It must state there are no complications and give the dates of your pregnancy. If you're more than 36 weeks at the time of your flight home, they'll refuse to take you. If you're expecting twins or more, you must return by the 32nd week. Please check your insurance policy for any restrictions that apply. Many policies only cover up to the 28th week. Premium Collection Benefits You'll get the advertised benefits as long as you're flying with Thomson Airways. Premium Upgrades The Premium upgrade is available to book on long haul flights. If you upgrade to Premium your luggage allowance will be 23kg in the hold and 7kg as hand luggage. Priority check-in for Premium passengers is subject to availability. We'll always do our best to seat your group together but can't guarantee this. Prices Our brochure prices are accurate at the time of publication, but you should only use them as a guide. The price we give is the lowest for that particular date range and will depend on when you're travelling. Prices may go up and down throughout the season. We charge based on the number of people who can sleep in the room. So if there are fewer people than beds in your group - for example three people in a room that sleeps four - your invoice will show what we call an under-occupancy charge. Please also see Special Offers. We worked out the price of your holiday in this brochure using the following exchange rates. These were quoted in the Financial Times Guide to World Currencies on 03/11/2011... Bulgaria - Lev 2.2709, Croatia - Kuna 8.6993, Egypt - Pound 9.5250, Europe - Euro 1.1612, India - Rupees 78.4232, Maldives - Rufiya 24.5609, Mexico - Peso 21.4347, Morocco - Dirham 13.0339, Tunisia - Dinar 2.2870, Turkey - Lira 2.8151, United States - Dollar 1.5958. What's Included The basic cost of your holiday includes the following... Return flight from the UK Air passenger duty at the standard economy rate - �12 per person for short haul, �60 for mid haul and �75 for long haul. Charges may change. Transfers between the airport and your accommodation. This is usually by coach. Where we provide a taxi, the price we quote is for each person and based on three adults sharing a return taxi transfer. Car hire on selected holidays - check when you book The accommodation and meals as advertised or confirmed on your invoice Luggage allowance as confirmed on your ticket L Language Courses If you buy anything from Linguaphone, your contract will be with them rather than us. Late Bookings If you book your holiday within 84 days of departure there may be extra charges for coach transfers and you may have a reduced checked-in luggage allowance. Please check for details when you book. And if you book your holiday within 15 days of departure, you'll also need to pay at least �20 per person to cover the costs of sorting things quickly for you. Late Check-out Rooms See Check Out. Lifts Some of our hotels don't have a lift. If stairs are a problem for you, ask us for more details before you book so we can suggest a suitable property. See Special Assistance for more details. Local Laws Sometimes local laws, religious customs or events mean facilities aren't available. For example, in all Muslim countries during the month of Ramadan, bars and restaurants - including hotel restaurants - change their opening hours. You may not be allowed to eat, drink or smoke in public areas during daylight hours either. Drinking and gambling ages vary by destination. For the most up-to-date information, check http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/travel-and-living-abroad/travel-advice-by-country/. Lost Property If you leave something behind on the plane during your flight out, you'll need to contact the overseas airport and ask them to check their lost property. If it's on your flight home, let us know and we'll do our best to track down the item for you. If you leave what we class as a `valuable item' at your hotel, like a camera, a laptop or a wallet, we'll do our best to find it for you. However, there is a charge for this and you'll need to pay return delivery costs. If we can't find your item, we'll send you a statement to support your travel insurance claim. For help with lost property, contact After Travel Customer Support - you'll find their details in the Getting In Touch section. Luggage This section explains how much you can take, what you can pack, and how to keep your valuables safe. Please make sure you know your limits so your trip can get off to a smooth start. Luggage allowances vary, and could change, so please check when you book. On Thomson Airways Your checked-in allowance will vary between 15kg and 23kg depending on your holiday so make sure you check when you book. Just as a guide, if you've upgraded your flight or your holiday is part of the Thomson Premium Collection, your allowance is set at 20kg for checked-in luggage and 7kg for hand luggage as opposed to the standard 5kg. If you've booked one of our wedding packages as a couple, you'll qualify for an extra 5kg of luggage allowance each for your wedding attire. This is in addition to the standard baggage allowance applicable to your holiday type. This extra allowance will be added to your holiday booking when you book your wedding package. One thing to bear in mind - if your flights change to another airline we won't be able to offer this allowance. As for late bookings, if you arrange your holiday within 84 days of departure, you may have a reduced allowance. Also, if you're booking a tour or twin centre, remember to check your allowance. Reason being, your allowance during the tour or twin centre may be less than for your international flights. On all flights, under twos get a 10kg luggage allowance, and we won't charge you to take your folding pushchairs either. You can share your allowance with others on your booking, but no single N Nile Cruises Dress Code When visiting mosques or churches, you need to keep knees and shoulders covered. In the evening, smart casual dress is fine for dinner on the boat, but men will need to wear long trousers. Meals The dining set-up is Full Board and meals are usually buffet breakfast and lunch, with a set menu with waiter service for evening meals. Some boats serve an Egyptian buffet once a week, offering local specialities and some also offer afternoon tea and biscuits. The food served tends to be European in style. Unfortunately there isn't a wide choice for vegetarians or vegans. In terms of drinks, there's a selection of soft drinks, together with tea, coffee and bottled mineral water. As Egypt is a Muslim country, the majority of alcohol is imported and therefore more expensive than in the UK. Egypt produces its own wine and beer for a slightly cheaper price. Money We use a tab system where you bill things to your cabin and settle up at the end. You can use any major credit cards but you may find there's commission of 5%. 250

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