Coronavirus pandemic update – 15th May 2020

Coronavirus pandemic update – 15th May 2020

We are all living in very difficult circumstances at the moment.

We are following government advice and we have closed our premises and chandlery for the foreseeable future.

We have worked tirelessly over the winter taking bookings for this year and we were proud to have a very healthy booking chart.

We are now faced with a serious quandary which is made even more difficult by not knowing when this burden will ease. This is made yet more complicated by the English Government walking out of step with the Scottish Government as we head toward the lock down being eased.

We want to be as fair as possible with all our clients but at the same time we must keep our ‘head above the water’ or, to be blunt – we will not be here to welcome you in 2021. We are a small family business and we do not have the huge reserves of big businesses.  At the time of writing there has been precious little help available for us from the government – in an ideal world we would have support from the government which would allow us to write the 2020 season off all together.

Our plan is to offer everyone who has booked a charter starting in the next four weeks,  first option on moving their booking to a date later in the season.

If you have a charter booked in the next four weeks then please contact us urgently – preferably by email to discuss alternative dates. We are working from home as best we can and the phone lines are all on divert to my mobile so please be patient if the line is engaged.

We will waive the admin charge that we normally apply to bookings that are moved. If you are moving up a season eg from low season to mid season, we will not apply the extra charge. If you are moving down a season eg from high season to mid season we will refund the difference.

As time moves on and more is known about dates when restrictions may be eased or extended then we will take a view on later bookings on a rolling basis – we are reviewing the situation closely and daily.

Some clients have already cancelled their bookings and if you wish to do so we will assist you in any way that we can to claim from your holiday/travel cancellation insurance. We are invoicing as normal ie 6 – 8 weeks in advance as you will need this as evidence for your claim.

This is not a situation that we have ever imagined or planned for and it is a dynamic and fast moving scenario. The above information may change at any time but rather than bury our heads in the sand we are being proactive and doing our very best to provide an enjoyable holiday for you.

All the best and stay well.

David and Julie Banks

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