If you have a question, we are more than happy to answer it in person but you may find your answer below more quickly.
BOOKING PROCESS
Q. How do I book - and what happens next?
Simply complete our online or postal booking form or give us a call on 01892 664242 where you can speak to a real person.
A deposit of £200 per person for all European tours and £300 for Worldwide will be required at the time of booking. Payments by debit card incur no charge but credit card payments for balances will incur a 2% charge.
You must pay for the balance of your holiday at least 10 weeks before departure. Please note: no reminder for balance payments is sent to you and are not receipted unless requested. If you book your holiday within ten weeks of departure, full payment is required at time of booking.
Final joining instructions and documentation will be despatched approximately 10 days before travel.
ABOUT THE TOURS / DAILY EXCURSIONS
Q. Are the daily excursions by coach?
All excursions, once in resort are taken by private coach, and are exclusively for Cricketer Holidays clients. There is no seating plan for the coaches, and seating is left flexible.
Q. Are the daily excursions included in the price?
In almost all cases, yes. If there is ever an excursion excluded in the price it will be clearly marked in the brochure or on the itinerary as optional and payable locally.
Q. On average how many people will be on the trip?
The size of the group varies depending on the tour. All tours will have a maximum of 25 passengers but often operate with a lot less.
TRAVELLING THERE
Q. With flights – can we check in and choose our seats online?
British Airways - unfortunately, as a general rule, due the fact that we book group tickets, online check in is NOT available. This is due to the system that BA operates, and their current policy is to not allow group tickets to have the online facility.
If we have made a booking for you with British Airways as an individual traveler, you CAN book online.
Virgin – online check-in is available
Emirates – online check-in is available
Q. Where does the tour manager meet us?
In most cases the tour manager will travel out with the tour group from the UK. However, this is not always the case and the tour manager may meet you at the destination station / airport. The exact details specific to your tour will be given to you in your final documentation, 10 days prior to departure.
Q. I need to book a train to London to join the Eurostar, when should I arrive?
We advise that you should plan to arrive at the relevant station one hour prior to the departure of the Eurostar.
All timings given are purely an indication and are subject to alteration by airlines and train companies. Full details concerning departure times and pick-up points will be given in your final joining instructions, which will be sent to you 10 days before departure. We would advise you not to book any connecting travel arrangements before receiving your final timings to prevent any financial loss from non-refundable tickets.
Q. Am I able to upgrade my flight or fly from my local airport?
Flight upgrades and connections from local airports are available on a request basis and subject to availability, please contact Cricketer Holidays directly for more information, call 01892 664242 or email info@cricketerholidays.com
Our itineraries use a number of reputable airlines and all our costs are based on economy class unless otherwise stated. All flight times as stated on your confirmation invoice are based on local time. Please note that all flight times are subject to alteration by the airline. Full details concerning departure times and meeting points will be given in your final joining instructions, which will be sent to you 10 days before departure. We would advise you not to book any connecting travel arrangements before receiving your final timings to prevent any loss of non-refundable booking fees.
PASSPORTS, VISAS AND VACCINATIONS
Q. I have less than 6 months left on my passport, is this OK?
A standard 10 year British passport is required for our holidays. This must be valid for at least 3 months beyond your planned date of return travel (Lithuania, Estonia, Czech Republic 6 months). If your passport expires earlier than this, it may still be acceptable but you should contact your local passport office or the consulate or embassy of the country to be visited for detailed advice. It is the individuals responsibility to ensure that their passport is valid and in order. Clients applying for a new passport, or renewing an expired one should allow 8 weeks for the application to be processed and up to 3 months if applying between February and August.
Further information can be found on the following website: www.ukpa.gov.uk.
Passengers of other nationalities should check with the consulate or Embassy of the country you are visiting.
Q. Do I need any Visas or Vaccinations for my holidays?
Visa and vaccination requirements are subject to change. Please check with your local GP about the current Vaccination requirements of the country you are visiting. For Visa enquiries, please contact the Embassy of the country you are visiting. A useful website for travel advice and Embassy listings is www.fco.gov.uk/en/travel-and-living-abroad/travel-advice-by-country. However, please note the Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not process Visa applications directly, please contact the relevant Embassy.
ABOUT YOUR HOLIDAY
Q. Can we extend the duration of the trip?
Yes, subject to availability on the flights or train. An extra cost will be payable and this will depend on availability of seats and the return date. As a guide for Eurostar, there is usually a charge of £50 if traveling Standard class, and £100 if travelling Standard Premier. Any other costs relating to the extra stay are the responsibility of the passengers, not Cricketer Holidays. If you advise us at the time of booking we will be able to look at making the relevant arrangements for you.
We can extend holidays by air subject to availability, there will usually be a supplement payable to extend a flight, please contact us for more details.
Q. How long is the holiday?
The duration of holiday is described in number of days and in all cases includes the day of departure from the UK and the day of arrival back in the UK. On the whole, the number of nights you spend in the hotel is one less than the number of days. For example, a 6 day tour usually includes 5 nights of accommodation and 4 days of sightseeing. This rule will differ when there is overnight travel included either in a sleeping carriage when travelling by rail or on a flight where due to time zones and flight duration, you miss/gain a day.
ABOUT THE HOTEL
Q. On half-board tours – is there a choice of menu?
In order that the service at the hotel is efficient dinner is usually a set 3-course menu. Of course the hotel will endeavour to meet all dietary requirements. Please tell us when you book in order for us to inform the hotel in good time before your arrival.
Q. Are there tea and coffee making facilities in the hotel bedrooms?
Tea and coffee making facilities are not provided as standard in hotels outside of the British Isles. Do not assume that a hotel that has been awarded 4-star status will automatically have complimentary tea and coffee in the rooms. If it is important to you, we advise you to take a travel kettle and your own supplies.
Q. Is there a bath or shower in my bedroom?
All rooms have private facilities unless otherwise stated. Most have both a bath and shower but some may have one or the other. If this is important to you, please call our office on 01892 664242 and ask a member of staff about a particular hotel.
Q. What is the tour hotel like?
On all our tours, much of your time is spent touring the local sights with a guide but we appreciate it is always nice to have a pleasant hotel to return to at the end of a busy day. For this reason, we use mainly 3 and 4-star hotels that offer good value for money. The star rating for the hotels used on our tours are as awarded by the relevant authorities, which varies from country to country. All our tours include hotels that have either been visited by a member of staff or recommended by our local agent.
Please note:
Every effort has been made to provide as much information as possible about your holiday, especially regarding accommodation and excursions. All the information has been carefully checked and is correct at the time of publication. Please bear in mind, however, that from time to time certain facilities, excursions and entertainments may be altered or withdrawn due to lack of demand, weather conditions, essential maintenance work or other circumstances beyond our control and that facilities and entertainment may furthermore be restricted both in the hotel and resort, should your holiday take place during early or late season.
Q. I am travelling by myself, can I avoid the single supplement charge?
Generally, single and double rooms carry the same price, which means that single supplements for certain itineraries can seem high. We would be pleased to arrange for clients travelling alone to share with another client, however this is subject to somebody in the same situation booking on the tour. If you would be interested in this option, please let a member of staff know at the time of booking.
Q. I am travelling with two friends, can we all share the same room? Will there be a discount?
Not many hotels have three beds in a room or space to set up a third bed but for those that do, please bear in mind that the third bed placed in the room may be a camp-style bed or sofa bed. Please call us on 01892 664242 to discuss your requirements further. A reduction of 10% is usually applicable for a third full fare paying adult sharing a room.
Q. I am a vegetarian, can you book me vegetarian meals please?
Please advise us at the time of booking, and note it on your booking form. Please note, hotels outside of the British Isles are not as accustomed to providing vegetarian meals and dishes may not be as adventurous as you would find in a British hotel or restaurant. We will pass on all special requests and shall endeavour to meet them, however, this is dependent on our suppliers and we cannot guarantee that your requirements will be met.
YOUR SAFETY AND OUR FINANCIAL GUARANTEE
Q. Are my monies safe with you?
The air holidays operated by Cricketer Holidays, are ATOL protected, since we hold an Air Travel Organiser’s Licence granted by the Civil Aviation Authority. Our ATOL number is 3525. In the unlikely event of our insolvency, the CAA will ensure that you are not stranded abroad and will arrange to refund any money you may have paid to us for an advance booking. We are also members of the ABTA (ABTA No V3120), ensuring both your financial protection for all non air holidays and high standards of professionalism and reliability. Over the past 16 years, our holidays have enjoyed the recommendation of many newspapers and magazines, so you know you are in safe hands. (www.abta.com). We are also members of the Association of Independent Tour Operators (AITO). Please note that Cricketer Holidays is a trading name of Travel Editions Group Ltd.
Q. There have been concerns in the news recently about where I am going, should I cancel my holiday?
Your safety and security is our first consideration. In the event of the Foreign Office advising against travel to a certain country, we would act on this advice and would cancel your holiday. If we believe it is safe, it is up to you as to whether you cancel but you may incur cancellation charges.
Although we take every precaution in looking after you on tour, the responsibility for your personal safety and welfare and the care of your possessions is obviously the same as that which you exercise whilst at home. Extra care should be taken when walking around cities, especially at night and we recommend you stay in well lit, populated areas. It is also unwise to carry valuable items or wear expensive jewellery. Further information can be found on the following website: www.fco.gov.uk
Q. We have heard about holidaymakers being charged extra on top of their original holiday price, how can we be sure this won’t happen if we book a Cricketer holiday?
We can assure you that Cricketer Holidays have a ‘no surcharge’ policy therefore the price of your holiday is fully guaranteed and will not be subject to any surcharges.
Q. How will you use the personal information I have provided?
In order to process your booking and to ensure that your travel arrangements run smoothly and meet your requirements, we need to use the information you provide such as names, address, any special needs/dietary requirements etc.
We take full responsibility for ensuring the proper security measures are in place to protect your information. We must pass the information on to the relevant suppliers of your travel arrangements such as airlines, hotels, transport companies etc.
The information may also be provided to security or credit checking companies, public authorities such as customs/immigration if required by them, or as required by law. Additionally, where your holiday is outside the European Economic Area (EEA), controls on data protection in your destination may not be as strong as the legal requirements in this country.
We will not pass on any information to any person not responsible for part of your travel arrangements or booking process. This applies to any sensitive information that you give to us such as details of any disabilities, or dietary/religious requirements. If we cannot pass this information to relevant suppliers, whether in the EEA or not, we cannot provide your booking.
In making this booking, you consent to this information being passed on to the relevant persons. You are entitled to a copy of your information held by us. If you would like to see this please contact us. We may make a small charge for providing this.