Try to find out or work out what each of the protections actuly provide and see if you can understand it, when you do let us know I don't fully understand how I can protect all our holidays yet.

Insurance is generaly very weak when companies/suppliers have issues.

Credit cards are better at protecting monies so if you use a package deal and make one payment that helps.

ATOL only applies if there are flights see if you can work it out here.
http://www.caa.co.uk/default.aspx?catid=27

Abta not sure what/when they apply or what they cover seems to be a TA club and rather than a full bonding protection for consumers here is their leaflet, see the last section.
http://www.abta.com/filegrab/?ref=16&f=heretohelpyou111208.pdf

What am I trying to protect the holiday and the money, primary is the holiday, I can afford the holiday and have the money inconvenient to lose it but not a disaster.

If you use a single supplier then the best way to protect the money seems to be the credit card.

DIY then you have problems, Insurance does not cover you nor does the CC for all the elements.
Flight problems the CC will refund flights but not the cruise if you miss it, so have alternative flight plans(go a day or two early) or cruise ex UK. The CC won't pay for the exctra costs if new flights are more.
Cruise line goes bust you get the cruise money back from the CC but not the flights so have alternative holidays in mind another ship or land.

If you do a TO package through a TA, then you should be covered as long as the TO is ATOL protected.

Needs more investigations when you do make a bookings.

As an a example checkin365 have

ABTA J9642
http://www.abta.com/find-a-holiday/member-search?member=J9642&list=true
and agent for ATOL 2718
http://www.caa.co.uk/application.aspx?catid=490&pagetype=65&appid=2&mode=detailnosummary&atolNbr=2718

The Travel industry is a tangled web of companies.

tuppence wrote:

now im really confused.
i may just go to butlins. lol

Are Butlins ABTA bonded etc.??!!

Don't get yourself all tied up with this, it will take away the expectation & enjoyment leading up to the holiday!

until i can phone them and get the full itinerary, times, connections etc there isnt much else i can do and i cant do that until i am off on sunday because i leave home before they open and arrive back after they close, cannot use the phone in work and it would bleed my mobile dry if i used that.

if flight was delayed, the first night is in a hotel so that wouldnt be so bad. cruise wont be late back so flight to vegas wouldnt be affected so from that point of view, it should all work.

will this company then use 1 other company for my flights, royal carib for my cruise and another company for my internal US flight?? is that how these combo things work?

i emailed them today but i never even thought about flight times and with having to change at NYC, it will take 20hours.