To be a bit pissed off about our holiday even before we get there?

[Titsywoo]

We have never been able to afford a proper family holiday but have done really well in the last couple of years and have been able to afford one this year. Booked to go to the Holiday Village in Rhodes for half term. Splashed out a bit extra to go to their deluxe section with a swim up room.

Joined their unofficial FB page and over the last few weeks more and more people have been saying how their family members have been getting sick while there. Now the hotel have come on saying yes unfortunately there is a breakout of a vomiting bug. They seem to be trying their best to deal with it but with people feeling a bit better then going back in pools/to dinner before 48 hours infection free period it doesn't look like it will be abating any time soon. We can't cancel at this stage without losing all our money. So we have to go away with the high chance that we are going to get ill.

Oh and accuweather says there will be rain and thunderstorms 4 out of the 7 days we are there.

Great.

don't use their pool, there are tons of lovely beaches on rhodes!

and even if rain it will still be hot

I suppose. But we paid for an all inclusive so we could relax and do fuck all most of the time. And the swim up bit will be kind of wasted. The kids will be very disappointed :(

we had this in HV Menorca - kids where fine - we where careful - I got awfully ill (5 days without eating) and no swimming for the rest of the holiday (48 hr rule) but it was okay

HV's are pretty good at controlling it - take lots of meds with you - I didn't and meds are bloody expensive!

How were you careful? And what sort of meds?

Doesn't your travel insurance cover this?

Take Imodium and diorralyte with you just in case. And alcohol hand wash, baby wipes etc. And avoid the pool and try to be first to each meal to avoid buffet contamination. But I really would try your holiday insurance just in case.

I don't think the HV in Rhodes is that near the beach though, only done a HV holiday once

Did you book with a travel agent? If so, go and have a chat with them about what other resorts are available locally and whether you can move.

If not, the hotel may have a sister hotel nearby, always worth checking and asking.

Can you not change hotel? Looks grim-children vomiting in restaurant and pooing in the pools. Doesn't sound like much of a holiday.

There's still time for the infections to clear before you go. Don't panic. And I'd be packing Imodium and rehydration sachets as "just in case" treatment, together with son probiotics from a health food shop to take every day as a preventative.

Just be aware that this vomiting outbreak might not be as bad as people are saying!
We were in a similar situation when we went AI to Turkey a couple of years ago, the trip advisor reviews were terrible and talked about this awful bug with people bring confined to their rooms for days on end, we stocked up on immodium and I took some anti-emetics, we got there and had the best week ever, no sign of any illness

I'm sure you'll be ok....

Some, not son!

Doesn't your travel insurance cover this?

What for? It might cover the medical bills but it won't compensate for a miserable ruined holiday.

I would speak to the company you booked through and ask to go elsewhere instead.

It does look as if the resort has been quite unlucky in terms of bugs/poor hygiene etc.

Can you contact your holiday provider and ask for their feedback and advice? There's clearly something going round (as per a brief Google search) but as others have said, there's still a couple of weeks until you go.

Don't take immodium for a vomiting bug.

The whole point of the d&v is to get rid of the bug as quickly as possible. Take drugs to stop that and the bug will stay in your body longer, multiplying away...

Thats terrible, they shouldn't send people there when they know there's a bug there.

DH and I went to Gran Canaria a couple of weeks ago. We didn't know about a bug, but there was one. I got stomach pains on the Saturday, 48 hours in, and the pharmacist gave me some meds.

2 days later I got diarrhoea. I stayed in the room for 48 hours, didn't eat, didn't use the pool the whole time we were there and seemed better when we flew home last Thursday,

Friday I woke up with horrendous stomach pains and have had diarrhoea ever since. I can't eat anything without it going straight through me, I feel dreadful. I should go to the doctors but I don't want to pass it on. Since I've been home I've noticed loads of people have said on TripAdvisor that they have been ill.

Saying all that DH has been as right as rain and ate all sorts of stuff like seafood, paella, rare meat and used the pool!

You might be lucky.

If you are ill make sure you tell the rep and get them to write it down. Keep any evidence of doctors visits there or in this country because you can ask for compensation.

I hope you have a nice time.

Not I don't think travel insurance covers getting sick from other people - it's not a dirty hotel. the bug seems to come over with British travellers (it's all people from England in this resort).

Apparently several hotels in the area have the same issue so not much point moving. And the kids are so excited they'd be really upset if we moved. Especially DS who is autistic and will not cope well with a change like that.

Hey ho will have to load up on the drugs suggested and keep our fingers crossed! We already spent the whole beginning of the summer holidays with a stomach bug after catching it from a friends dd on a camping trip.

I'm not going to keep them out of the pool. I can't take them somewhere and say "you can look but not touch". Would ruin the holiday and they could still easily catch it in a kids club or whatever.

Ha anyway hopefully it will pass. Sorry I have been one of those annoying people who ask for ideas then reject them all

Just wanted to rant I guess.

To be fair lots of people on the group are saying they have just got back and were fine/didn't notice anyone else was ill. So maybe it's a vocal minority.

Couldn't you ask to move to another holiday village in a different location? Another greek island or one of the canaries perhaps?

I went to HV Rhodes in April/May this year and it was fab.

Do not be put of by this. The place is immaculate and the staff are incredibly friendly and the children love the entertainment.

We also paid extra for the swim up room but the pool was so bloody cold as it was early in the season we only went in once.

Beach is a good walk away and depends on how old the kiddies are as to how long it will take you.

If you want any further info on the place let me know.

Also my little boy had a rash whilst we were there and it didn't disappear with pressure from a glass and we had a doctor within 30 mins of speaking to reception and he was thoroughly checked over and given a full bill of health. Who new mossie bites on babies looked like meningitis!! The consultation cost less than £100 and was covered in our travel insurance so even if the worse did happen and you got really sick the hotel will deal with it amazingly.

I wonder if there is something we can take to make our stomachs tough before we leave. I don't think such a thing exists

I am on that Facebook page plus a few other HVs. There is lots of scaremongering on there and it's often exaggerated.

It really is the most amazing resort, we had a swim up and it was fantastic, it's immaculately clean. One of our best holidays. I hope you have an amazing time!

Actually if it is norovirus maybe it's the same one we had in August - in which case we would be immune (apparently you have immunity from it for 14 weeks).