 Poster: A snowHead
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There have been some interesting posts re. Crystal recently. Personally, I've used them on 3 occasions and have found the trips ranged from awful in Chamonix to very, very average in Canazei. As Crystal are not cheap, why are we still using them in such numbers? Why are we prepared to accept such a mediocre level of service for our skiing holidays?
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Sat 11-04-09 10:52; edited 1 time in total
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Last three of my ski trips have been with Crystal and I have no complaints. They've also been cheapest for me. That's why I have booked for next season...
Admittedly I have had a couple of enthusiastic but clueless reps, but I think that's par for the course. I wouldn't describe any of it as mediocre service. The two reps we had in Courmayeur this season were brilliant...
For me, Crystal offer by far the largest range of single rooms in nice mid-range hotels and the biggest selection of local airport departures...
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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| queen bodecia wrote: |
Last three of my ski trips have been with Crystal and I have no complaints. They've also been cheapest for me. That's why I have booked for next season...
Admittedly I have had a couple of enthusiastic but clueless reps, but I think that's par for the course. I wouldn't describe any of it as mediocre service. The two reps we had in Courmayeur this season were brilliant...
For me, Crystal offer by far the largest range of single rooms in nice mid-range hotels and the biggest selection of local airport departures... |
That's great, i don't mean this question to be demeaning or patronising i promise  , but which other companies have have you used with which to compare Crystal?
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We had a Crystal rep for our First Choice holiday in Andorra, called Ryan.
He was really good, as was his boss Chris. No complaints with them at all.
The hotel was everything we expected and the overall Crystal/First Choice service was good. The price was exceptional.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Mollerski, I haven't used them for long time now, but here are my experiences as I recall them.
1) Self-catering trip to La Plagne:- Missed first days ski school as reps had given us the wrong lift passes. Booked into beginners class instead of level 2. Used them again to book the same apartments the following year,as they were the cheapest, but organised passes and ski school myself.
2) Catered Chalet in La Rosiere. Nice chalet, although the kids bunk room was a cupboard. Food was excellent despite the young ages of the staff, but reps after-midnight behaviour left a lot to be desired. Left stranded at Aime railway station for over an hour on the return trip at 7am in freezing temps and nearly missed our flight.
3) Self-catered Serre Chevalier. Bargain last minute Easter trip. Nice apartment,brand new and we were upgraded to a two bedroom on arrival. Didn't see a rep as he broke his leg. Skis we hired were awful, hubby bought his own in the end.
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I don't think the issues are with the people. These guys are doing their best with limited resources in my view.
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Mollerski, I've been with Neilson, Airtours, VIP Val d'Isère and Skiworld other than Crystal. Other than that it was school and university organised trips. In terms of quality of accommodation, VIP win that award, but they were massively expensive. I've looked at many of the smaller operators brochures but they often only fly from Gatwick or Manchester and like the idea of lumping inconvenient singles into sharing a room with a complete stranger. Neither of which I would consider...
I guess since they are so huge Crystal/TUI are able to offer all things to all people and that really helps. I think most of the TOs employ gap year type students in addition to 'professional' reps. I did a season as a resort manager for a TO during my own gap year. The level of staff training might well have gone down since then though...
Admittedly I have only once stayed in a Crystal chalet, I generally prefer hotels. However, the chalet experience was as expected. The accommodation was basic but clean, the food delicious and the staff very friendly and accommodating. I'd go there again...
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| Mollerski wrote: |
| There have been some interesting posts re. Crystal recently. Personally, I've used them on 3 occasions and have found the trips ranged from awful in Chamonix to very, very average in Canazei. As Crystal are not cheap, why are we still using them in such numbers? Why are we prepared to accept such a mediocre level of service for our skiing holidays? |
Perhaps you should answer your own question before making such sweeping generalisations??
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Currently having a dispute with
Crystal over the very poor food we were
Served up on a recent chalet holiday.
 it was supose to be 4 star more like school
Dinners
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| kitenski wrote: |
| Mollerski wrote: |
| There have been some interesting posts re. Crystal recently. Personally, I've used them on 3 occasions and have found the trips ranged from awful in Chamonix to very, very average in Canazei. As Crystal are not cheap, why are we still using them in such numbers? Why are we prepared to accept such a mediocre level of service for our skiing holidays? |
Perhaps you should answer your own question before making such sweeping generalisations?? |
I gave them 3 attempts at providing me with an enjoyable holiday experience and they didn't manage it. I won't be using them again. Does that answer your/my question?
Perhaps I expect too much for my £4.5k for the family or £750 pp in Canazei at NY.
Last edited by Ski the Net with snowHeads  on Sat 11-04-09 11:10; edited 1 time in total
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Another Crystal plus point for me is the free ski guiding. A great way for a solo skier like me to learn the resort and meet other people to ski with. Also booking the lift pass ahead and receiving it on the transfer bus. That seems very convenient to me and this year saved me a lot of money...
In Passo Tonale I went on their day trip to Madonna, which was great but cost €20 and we subsequently found out there was a free bus! However, the Crystal organised bus was certainly more convenient being a door to door service and being part of a guided group was a nice way to spend the day...
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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| kwakazx6r wrote: |
Currently having a dispute with
Crystal over the very poor food we were
Served up on a recent chalet holiday.
it was supose to be 4 star more like school
Dinners |
Don't confuse 4* chalet with 4* hotel, I did and was most disappointed.
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You know it makes sense.
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I have found with skiing you need realistic expectations. A self catering apartment for four, for example, often means four people sleeping the same room. Look at it along the lines of a UK seaside static caravan and your expectations will be exceeded. Look at it along the lines of a luxury self-catering UK cottage break and you will be disappointed...
Personally I don't like sharing personal space so self-catering is not for me...
I think the brochure descriptions are reasonable accurate when you bear in mind the quality of ski resort accommodation is generally below our standards. A 3 star hotel in resort is likely to be clean but basic. A 4 star hotel is more like our 2/3 star hotels but may have better facilities. I think maybe the Brits are just a fussy lot who often aren't happy unless they have something to complain about. I prefer to have a chilled out and relaxed approach to taking a holiday. As long as I have my own room that's clean and I get fed and watered, that's pretty much all I expect from a hotel...
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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| Quote: |
Another Crystal plus point for me is the free ski guiding. A great way for a solo skier like me to learn the resort and meet other people to ski with. Also booking the lift pass ahead and receiving it on the transfer bus. That seems very convenient to me and this year saved me a lot of money...
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It can also cost you money if the exchange rate has improved since you pre-booked. Free ski guiding is available with other companies apart from Crystal too.
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Poster: A snowHead
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I've never been with a TO that didn't have free guiding
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Helen Beaumont, I admit I was lucky this year as I pre-booked the lift pass in October and then the exchange rate plummeted. It's one of those things that would always be a bit of a gamble. But it's preferable to me to receive the lift pass on the transfer bus rather than have to go somewhere in resort and queue up to buy it...
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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| queen bodecia wrote: |
| . I think maybe the Brits are just a fussy lot who often aren't happy unless they have something to complain about. I prefer to have a chilled out and relaxed approach to taking a holiday. As long as I have my own room that's clean and I get fed and watered, that's pretty much all I expect from a hotel... |
Ahh, here we are getting near the point. Is this the attitude that many Brit skiers have, mostly of the old school that Crystal are trading off of?
'It's a skiing holiday, so we shouldn't expect or require comfortable, clean accomodation and plentiful wholesome food. Perhaps those days are now behind us. Budget holidays at premium prices equates to mug punters and smart TO's perhaps? 
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| holidayloverxx wrote: |
| I've never been with a TO that didn't have free guiding |
Ski Beat, Total and Esprit to name 3 that I've used that do provide free guiding.
Last edited by You need to Login to know who's really who. on Sat 11-04-09 11:53; edited 1 time in total
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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That wasn't the point I was making. My point is that people complain about the stupidest things because they expect the same things in Europe that they would get at home. For example, the hotel I stayed in this year was very nice for a 3-star, and I enjoyed the food. However, another guest complained that the pillows were lumpy, there were no duvets, only blankets/sheets, no cooked food at breakfast and pasta for dinner every night. I can only assume she's never been to Europe, and certainly not to Italy. In fact, I even overheard her saying, "You wouldn't get this rubbish in America", to which I felt like saying, "bug off there then and leave the delights of Europe to people that appreciate them"...
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Mollerski, I was with Total this season, and they did guiding
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OK, so all the TOs offer guiding. Fair point and I'm definitely not 'brand loyal' to TUI, I consider all options when planning my annual ski trip, it's just that Crystal more often than not offer what I am looking for at a reasonable price...
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queen bodecia, but I can go to Europe and get comfortable beds, duvets and good food. I'd also object to pasta for dinner every night. Perhaps that is why I no longer book with Uk tour ops. One of the best hotels I've stayed in was in Italy, and it also served cooked items at breakfast. It wasn't run by a large UK tour operator. I never queue up in resort for my lift pass either, all bought online, either a recharged electronic pass, or delivered to my home address.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Helen Beaumont, good for you, that's certainly not something I'd expect from a mid-range ski resort hotel...
I think a lot of complaints seem to focus around food. I look at it this way. If you go out for a really nice meal in the UK, what do you expect to pay, say £30-40 per head including wine? Times that by 7 and you have £200+. Out of a £500 holiday, you can't expect 40% of your purchase price to be spent on feeding you. Therefore you need to lower your expectations from restaurant food to something a bit more realistic. Our hotel in Courmayeur this season had a buffet continental breakfast and a three course evening meal with wine included. The first course was a choice of soup or pasta, the second a choice of meat/fish and veg or omelette/cheese dish and veg and dessert was a choice of ice cream, tiramisu, fruit tart, etc. That to me was precisely what I was expecting having paid in the region of £500 for a week's catered hotel holiday including flight and transfer and I was not disappointed. It was also precisely as described in the brochure. Would any of you having booked the same thing been disappointed with that result...?
My other point was about local airport departures. This is quite important to me as it's a considerable cost saving not to have to drive all the way to Gatwick or Manchester. I think Crystal/TUI are the only TO that routinely offer departures from East Midlands, Birmingham, Doncaster, Hull, Coventry, Cardiff, Newcastle, Liverpool, Exeter, etc. For a lot of people, this is a huge convenience factor...
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Umm, but we're not comparing with UK restaurants, we're comparing with other TO's that are simlarly priced.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Quote: |
| Helen Beaumont, good for you, that's certainly not something I'd expect from a mid-range ski resort hotel... |
But it is what I have had in a mid-range resort hotel........
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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| Helen Beaumont wrote: |
| queen bodecia, but I can go to Europe and get comfortable beds, duvets and good food. I'd also object to pasta for dinner every night. Perhaps that is why I no longer book with Uk tour ops. One of the best hotels I've stayed in was in Italy, and it also served cooked items at breakfast. |
Do you actually check whether the hotel has sheets or duvets? People are, on the whole, too fussy in my opinion.
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PJSki, no of course I don't. But queen bodecia's implication was that our expectations should be lower because we are in a ski resort hotel. I was just pointing out that these things are often provided. Had duvets on the beds on our last couple of chalet holidays too.
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You know it makes sense.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Our experience of Crystal has been basic accomodation, but reasonable sometimes really good food, excellent child care and variable transfers. We used to use them becuase the price felt good value but now their prices have gone up too much for the peak time we would go so have moved on to smaller companies which may cost a little more but value increases. If I was not with my girls I would still use them for a last minute bargain and then accept what I got for a really low price
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Poster: A snowHead
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With first choice now part of TUI & Nielsons with Thomas Cook it only leaves Inghams Independent big Ski T.O. I wonder who they think they are fooling by perpetuating the cost of multiple branding This said as I often do solo trips & last minute bargains I usually find myself with Crystal. In Crystals defense, I get great value, especially as I rarely pay brochure price. The quality of their local management, the rep & chalet host is a lottery. Mostly, despite their youth, I am surprised & impressed by the effort and dedication they show. If I was on a gap year, not in my chosen profession I would be out to maximise fun for the ski season. There are exceptions, that is the failing of senior management in allowing local management to let staff get away with things. Many of their resort staff will be doing it for 1 season only & If you go early season some of the staff may still need weeding out. If TUI wasn't there, prices from the other operators would rise. I for one am happy to use them & can thoughly praise the Crystal staff, reps, ski hosts for their effort this year at Chalet Abi, LePraz making it a lovely holiday in context of the £500 cost. I go on holiday to ski & enjoy myself and just need good snow, a lift pass, calories, a clean toilet & bed at the right price. I treat myself occassionally to some luxury & expect to pay 2 or 3 X crystals price.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Lechbob,
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| I go on holiday to ski & enjoy myself and just need good snow, a lift pass, calories, a clean toilet & bed at the right price. |
Me also. I think far too many people want 5* luxury at 2* prices.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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I agree totally that we go to ski, my choice of resort is based solely around this aspect, the accom is secondary. However, if we take an average £500pp brochure price holiday on an average non peak week for a half board chalet holiday, how would Crystal stack-up against some of the smaller companies?
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| Quote: |
if we take an average £500pp brochure price holiday on an average non peak week for a half board chalet holiday,
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That is pretty cheap, really. Let's say £150 for flight and transfer, leaving £50 a day for overnight half board accommodation. You get what you pay for, I guess. Would you expect to get half board in a reasonable English hotel for £50 a head?
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| pam w wrote: |
| Quote: |
if we take an average £500pp brochure price holiday on an average non peak week for a half board chalet holiday,
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That is pretty cheap, really. Let's say £150 for flight and transfer, leaving £50 a day for overnight half board accommodation. You get what you pay for, I guess. Would you expect to get half board in a reasonable English hotel for £50 a head? |
£500 was picked as an arbitary figure.
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pam w, that's my point entirely. I generally aim to pay about £500 for my ski holiday and that's including a single room supplement. I don't expect four star luxury for that and so far I've not been disappointed. My one more expensive holiday was the afordmentioned VIP Val D'Isere experience which cost nearer £800 and I had to fly from Gatwick (4-5 hour drive away). Yes it was a lovely chalet but I don't think it quite justified the extra expense. After all, I'm going for the skiing more than anything else...
Like I said above, the biggest problem I find with smaller operators is less choice of flights. I never ever want to have to drive to Gatwick again...
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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£500 may be an aritary figure but it would be cheap! How many were in the family that you spent 4.5K? That does seem expensive for a large middle range operator. I took two chalet holidays this year both in the 3V's. Both were fantastic, excellent food, great hosts etc. Both of them were less than €350 pp, add on flights and transfers about €500 all in. Far better quality than the high street operators. I would not have a hesitation in using either of them again, truth was that they were both late deals but it was nice to have a bit of quality sometimes 
Next time use an independant operator although a little dearer worth the extra. IMO
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I went with Crystal in March this year. I didn't pay anywhere near full price. I don't know if anyone did, all I know is that we got the last room. I think people are disappointed because the brochure is just so inaccurate. What they promise is what you expect and the reality is a nasty shock.
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| Hearty breakfast with regular healthy options and a cooked option on 6 mornings |
Cereal choice was Corn Flakes or Bran Flakes - so I guess that was the healthy option! Most people expected a better selection of cereal. There was a cooked option so no complaints there. Jam and bread were plentiful too. Does that make it "hearty"?
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| Afternoon tea with delicious home-made cakes or biscuits |
Wouldn't quite go with delicious but again, no complaints by me.
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| 3-course evening meals with FREE wine followed by tea or fresh coffee (5 days) |
Very disappointing  .Absolute minimum here spent. Cheap frozen breakfast sausages for sausage and mash is not acceptable. As was a piece of frozen fish accompanied by pasta and a dollop of alioli (sp?) from a jar (no veg that day). What veg we had was mostly frozen and of the lowest possible quality.
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| 4-course farewell dinner with aperitifs and FREE wine |
Ooooh, lasagne - pushing the boat out there  (to be honest it was home made and very good) but only 3 courses and the "aperitif" was the usual boxed red wine warmed up with a herb bag to make "vin chaud"!
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| FREE tea and coffee all day |
Yep!
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| Midweek towel change |
Bit peeved about this. Laundry just "didn't arrive". Suspect cost cutting here - rep looked a bit embarrassed.
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| Daily housekeeping (6 days) |
Or, in reality, no days. Not even to empty bins.
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| Basket of toiletries |
No basket, economy (in size and quality) bottle of liquid soap in bathroom
Can't fault them here, there were some!
Now I expect the miniscule bedrooms with no hanging space as there's nothing in the brochure to say otherwise but I do expect what they tell me I am getting.
But, all in all, chalet couple were cheery and could only work with what they had. They said all the food was delivered and they had no choice in anything. They weren't stingy with the wine, breakfast eggs or anything that they had in quantity. However, the standard really seemed low this year compared to other years. The transfer too was lengthy because we had to go out of our way to drop some people off in an industrial estate in the middle of nowhere so they could catch a minibus.
I'm not sure I'd go with them again. And certainly not at brochure price.
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FAQ
Previous to this they have been great and we couldnt fault them - so have we been lucky before 
