ONe hopes all this pressure will make sure they sort it out!

We have also asked our travel agent (first choice) to pressure for an answer for what its worth. Guess we will be taken the dettox, hand gel, loads of bog rolls and drinking lots of bottled water!

Hope all that are going have a good holiday.

Hi I to have had the same responses as Steve.

They are not going to back down on this and we are going to have to travel and keep our fingers crossed.

If I or any of my part get ill you will be hearing me from the roof tops.

Lawyers await my call.

We have been promised an update by Tuesday, via our travel agent contacting the resort and FIrst CHoice pre-departures team so we will see. I am also awaiting an email from the management team in resort.

There is apparently a report of the health situation due on MOnday or TUesday so we will see

I've already posted on this site, apologies if I bore anyone.
The illness did not come from the drinks machine in relax pool. The machine was out of order thur 15th, people who went home on Wed 14th have been ill.
For what its worth I think the water supply to the apartments is to blame. The same supply is used for the drinks machine. This machine was replaced by cans/bottles when the illness started.
No amount of hand wash or drinking bottled water will spare you. I'm very particular (my son was very ill age 2 with this type of illness. Docs suspected cancer, cf etc.) Given my experience of dealing with this type of illness I wouldn't go to hv Rhodes just now, but I recognise I'm a bit overkill.
Last Saturday we left our apartment (very ill) at 7.30pm. I begged fc not to put another family in our room right away but was told fc had no choice as the family were due to arrive.
Those due to travel would probably be best to request a room in the activity side of the resort.
It can take 7-10 days to get results from samples. I'm hoping to have an answer from fc before Tue. Only then will I consider their most recent compensation offer.

Hi,

Thanks for the email addresses so I can contact FC (which I've just done), so I will let people know if/when I get a response. I've phoned both our local FC travel shop and various head office / call centres today - neither of which were helpful in the slightest. The travel shop girl said "I'm sure it will be fine - have a nice trip" and then hung up on me ! I really don't care what FC come back with now - holiday is spoilt before I've even got there. Going to try and see if we can get it changed with incurring any fees - although I don't hold out much hope !

Have a look at Simpson Millar Solicitor's website. They've been reporting the problem since last week.

Does anyone know what has caused the bug? :

Frankiec's suggested e-mails sounds worthwhile but I doubt they will acknowledge them and I'm 99.99999% sure they will not give a written assurance. Nevertheless it is a good idea to document your attempts to get clarification.

I feel sorry for those who are now aware of this situation and are booked to go in the short term. You are now caught between a rock and a hard place. Do you risk your family's health and safety or do you lose your money and hope to re-coup it later through a compensation claim.

I think you also have to consider whether you will weaken any future case by going and perhaps providing them with the opportunity to say you went knowingly. It isn't about what someone has assured you of on a phone, it's about how lawyers will present your actions when/if you end up in court.

The fact that a law firm is already offering, 'no win, no fee' representation and a 250 pound guarantee even if they lose, seems to indicate they certainly have no lack of confidence that FC is going to have to pay out on this. Anyone who has already been affected should certainly be signing up. It is not just a case of whether you want compensation or not, it is a question of sending a clear message to FC that the consumer is not stupid and will not let them get away with this kind of behaviour.

Regarding their 'independent' hygienist, I'm at a loss to understand that at all. First, how can someone they brought in be 'independent'? Second, why is the Public Health Department of Greece not sending their people in? I can't help but think this is still being swept under the carpet. Bear in mind that any member of the public can contact the Health Services to report an issue like this.

The biggest question in my mind still remains, Why hasn't this hotel been closed by Public Health until the source of the outbreak has been found and all necessary steps taken to insure it has ended, before another guest is allowed to check in.

I was given very strong antibiotics in the hospital. My doc here says they are the type that would only be given when they know the cause of the illness. That, and the fact I've already been offered considerable compensation (last Tue) makes me think FC know more than they're admitting...

LHF, I would speak to a lawyer before accepting any offer of compensation.

I know what you mean Steve and must admit am nervous about all the Holiday villages as this may start to be a pattern! we are now thinking of avoiding them next year, I do think its bad press for FC even if they aren't willing to accept it, it is definitely putting me off and I am sure it would put SOME others off too, I realise you have the real true fans which belong to Facebook who absolutely love FC and would go to the HV whatever the illness be but for some of us its starting to sour the whole HV experience!

Rodosron you want to look at a web site called 'on holiday claims'. there is an article in the june news section about independent hygiene experts erts

The website on-holiday-claims.co.uk is a website of Simpson Millar solicitors who are of course in the claims compensation business and therefore as biased as the tour companies. Having said that, facts are facts and their comments re 'hygiene inspectors' bought and paid for by the tour companies come as no surpise and make absolute sense.

What I did find interesting although again not surprising is the sheer quantity of instances of this kind of outbreak. It appears the one in Turkey last year affected over 700 people!

Any time a large group of people are in a semi-closed environment like this, illness often occurs. Senior centres, cruise ships, all-inclusive holiday resorts, all share this in common. Given that is the case, there is a point at which I have do ask, don't people ever learn?

I still find myself asking, where is the GOVERNMENT health inspector in all of this? Why are they not on site? Has anyone attempted to make them aware of this situation?

Why dont you start the ball rolling ?
The story is in todays Sunday Mirror

Think Ron might be right with the FC will not put anything in writing comment. I asked today for confirmation everything was under control at the HV and they said it was. I then asked could they e-mail me with details of the date the last person reported sickness and clarification there were no new cases.
They said they would send it but it didn't arrive today. They will be getting another call in the morning.

Hi

Was out yesterday and did not get a chance to get the Sunday Mirror can anyone give me the general gist of the report.

Still can't get First choice to email me any details.

Has anyone heard of new cases over the weekend???

Am going to bit the bullet and pack today. I should be excited that we are going on holiday waiting over year now, but not just very worried for what may happen. Have not told any of the children so at least they are happy.

On hold with FC as we speak, Beanies. Will update asap. I suggest a trip to the chemist and stock up on diacalm and dioralyte as a further precaution.

Frankie I can't believe we are doing all this to GO on holiday.

First Choice should be ashamed with themselves for putting families through this, not just for the people that are travelling very soon but the ones they have since sent out to rooms where people have been very ill.

Going to Boots later and will buy everything I can that may help , but after looking up the name of the illness that could be causing it there does not seem to be a lot that may help it has to run its course and in some can take weeks or if not months to get over.

They must have result back from labs by now to narrow things down.

Beanies48 perhaps taking a bottle of detox type stuff is worthwhile? At this stage this what i am intending to do and blitz the room with the stuff when we arrive.

We go in 3 weeks so hope all will be well but not sure, if the Turkish experience a couple of years ago is anything to go by when it was on Watchdog.

Hope your family have a great holiday. Be glad to hear how you get on.

With the turkish one, did they close it down in the end for a few months to get rid of "the bug"?