Has anyone survived an all-inclusive so far this year?

[Ticksallboxes]

In a couple of weeks time we're due to fly to a lovely Tui resort on a Greek island for a fortnight. We're doing it mainly for our teenage DCs as they've both had a pretty rough year this year. I've bought the insurance and ordered the required testing packages, we're all being super-vigilant about contacts and I was starting to get in the mood.

I then read the entry requirements again on the Government’s Foreign travel advice page for Greece. It seems that, in addition to the test our DCs need to take 48 hours before flying, we all 'may be required' to take an antigen test on arrival. If any or all of us test positive we will have to self-isolate in Greece at a quarantine centre (and not be able to use a pool) and probably miss our holiday.

Tui’s covid cover means they will pay up to £250 per family per night to quarantine, but crucially we won’t get any money back on the holiday we’ll be missing!

Also, if anyone who was on our flight tests positive either at the airport or during their stay, we may also have to then self-isolate at a quarantine centre (and again lose the rest of the money spent on the holiday).

I’m just worried that there’s a chance we may lose everything and is it worth it for such an expensive outlay. I wonder if I’ll be able to relax at the resort wondering if we’re going to get pinged at any minute and we’ll have to leave and waste all that money.

Has anyone recently returned from a holiday similar to this that went smoothly (and I’m hopefully therefore over-reacting)? Or are a lot of you experiencing the kind of disaster I’ve outlined above?

@Ticksallboxes we are currently on a Greek island on an all inclusive TUI holiday as I type, we flew out on 22nd

Tests/vax cert we had to show on arrival
Yes they do antigen random testing on arrival in the airport - on our flight they selected all 12-17 yrs, but speaking to other guests here it was random for everyone who arrived on different days (one was adults, two were all passengers, 1 was kids

Just to add, the teens in our families that were tested were let go immediately and we came to the hotel and received a text (to the contact number on the PLF) to confirm result

I'm surprised buffets are still a thing. Although they are obviously cheaper to run than table service.

Thanks @whattimeisteaready! - that's a nice coincidence!

What worries me most though is that we wouldn't get any money back on the cost of our holiday if we had to quarantine there instead. Tui covid cover only pays for the cost of the quarantine hotel.

Did you have insurance that did refund your holiday if you had to quarantine and miss it instead? And if so, who did you go with?

Hi @Ticksallboxes
I noticed when checking in online they offered a covid ins extra cover (worked out at about £20ish each) which covered hotel, hospital, replacement flights etc. so we bought that cover as after looking at the fine print it was pretty comprehensive even though I had a good annual policy incl. covid cover anyway
Also good was jet2holidays that another of our family have bought at online check in stage - they flew out to a different Greek island (to the one we came to) yesterday
None of the policies covered fully refunding the holiday though, not sure many do that
I was advised not to check in until my teens fit to fly negative test came back so I had the option to change the holiday at short notice still if it was positive
If it’s not negative on arrival then then I assumed you just had to go with it and all quarantine as a family for required amount of days

@whattimeisteaready I'll try and make this my last question so not to keep interrupting your holiday!

You said you were told that if a positive case was detected from the airport testing then you may be required to quarantine.

Do you know if this is ALL passengers or just those sitting nearby to whoever tested positive?

Enjoy the rest of your holiday anyway and thanks for your advice! We're going to Kos by the way.

@whattimeisteaready
The cabin crew said only close contacts as in seat directly behind, in front or next to, that was classed as close contact
So after take off, a lot of passengers moved including us so there was a spare row of seats between families just in case
Not sure if there will be as many spare seats now school hols finished but it’s worth a try if there is
It’s a small chance anyway really as it was something like 0.014 testing positive on arrival from UK so but I felt worth it
Enjoy Kos, that where our other family members have gone! The other 4 families came to Rhodes 😂

We are in a similar boat. I've just wrapped my head around testing I think - we are two double jabbed adults and an 11 year old. Am I right in thinking it is pcr test out there before we fly back and then day 2 test when we get back?

@Wizzbangfizz we bought a test bundle through Tui, which was an antigen test within 48hrs prior to departure for two DCs, PCRs for all of us within 72hrs of return and day 2 and day 8 PCRs for all when back in the UK.

They didn't sell the day 2 PCR on its own, but I think double vaccinated people don't need two PCRs on return anymore.

I also read that if you do happen to test positive on arrival, they follow it up with PCR test to double check. I also read that your own hotel may have self-isolation facilities if they're 4 or 5 star, and the airport will call them to check if you're positive (I'm going to call ours anyway).

Thanks for all your reassuring information @whattimeisteaready!

@whattimeisteaready

What were queues like at airport?

@Marmitemarinaded the terminal buildings were very empty, in fact more staff than passengers
Maybe slightly busier now schools have finished but family that arrived yesterday said it was pretty empty too
We were exactly 11 minutes from parking car, check in to being sat with a coffee in the terminal

OP you do realise that the Greek government pay for all quarantine costs, don’t you? Odd that TUI are treating thus as some sort of bonus courtesy of them.

I’m currently in Greece in a privately owned house.

In your shoes I’d postpone the AI until next year and book a last minute cheap holiday in a self contained accommodation. No way would I put myself at the mercy of a holiday rep insisting on random temperature checks or LFTs while there, or risk the possibility of an outbreak at the hotel.

For us, the Covid worry ended the moment we stepped out of the airport in Greece. If I was AI I would have continued to worry about the impact of other holiday makers on my trip.

Sorry if that’s not what you want to hear OP but I would be asking TUI if I could change the booking . I’ve heard they have done so after the deadline for making changes.

I was worried sick before coming out here, so do understand.

Good luck OP

Lol, I mean privately rented house. I’m not the owner!

" No way would I put myself at the mercy of a holiday rep insisting on random temperature checks or LFTs while there,"

Where on earth did you hear that?!

A BBC news story. I didn’t intend to cause additional worry- I just wanted to point out the benefits of travelling independently/ making your own decisions at a time like this … but I’m sorry for mentioning it.

BBC news - ok will discount that then based on their record of covering Covid!!!! I expect it was one hotel only - not heard of that at all.

@PlumpCushion I've just mentioned your comment about being regularly tested at our resort to a Tui rep and she laughed her head off, so no, that doesn't happen

We usually rent an Airbnb in Spain but deliberately chose an all-inclusive this year as the Coved tests you need to buy were £220 instead of around £900, and the process was so much easier than organising it ourselves.

We're subject to exactly the same tests as you - all flight passengers have to present a negative test before they leave the UK and then many are randomly tested on arrival in Greece. As mentioned upthread, approximately 0.014% of passengers test positive, so I really don't think we're going to be at risk at our resort.

😂 definitely no random testing at the mercy of any reps throughout our holiday here

Just to add, even the coach transfers were very well thought out, 12-30 max passengers per coach with lots of space in between
Masks required for transfers

Such a shame BBC are peddling misinformation like this - like tourism isn't suffering enough already.

To fly back to the U.K. you only need a lateral flow test. Pcr not officially required but obviously accepted. Our hotel in Rhodes arranges the tests for you for €20 each. Then I just need to add the day 2 pcr for after we return

My 13 yr old also needs a Rapid test before she flies out and 10 yr old just the day 2 pcr when we return.

We need a holiday to get over all the requirements.

This is why we avoided Greece - because of the random airport testing on arrival

I’ve just returned from an all inclusive with tui in Ibiza - all A’s per normal with shared buffet etc

Plane was jam packed as were the buses

Returned from Caribbean a few weeks ago and had no problems. The only problem was the holiday country had a two hour queue between getting off the aeroplane and getting through Covid paperwork/immigration checks.

We had our 2day prior to return test done in the hotel with a result certificate printed off an hour later.

We avoided Greece because of the testing on arrival. Went to Majorca instead. It felt like entering a parallel world where the pandemic didn't exist. Absolute bliss.

If you look on Trip Adviser. there are a lot of posts on this. The consensus is that so far they have not quarantined close contacts from the plane. Last week 11 people tested positive on arrival.

I am actually more worried about what happens if you text positive when you leave. It seems you would be put into a quarantine hotel in Greece but I can't find any concrete information.

Personally for this reason I wouldn't stay in a hotel. I am going to triple mask on the plane and in the taxi but I can't be certain I won't catch it! 10 extra days in what amounts to a prison in Greece at the end of my holiday really would not be good.