Unfortunately, so is the second of two terrible storms to hit the UK in two weeks. With roads, planes and ferries all affected, could your school ski trip end before it’s even begun?
Well, that’s where we come in! Unfortunately, this was the situation facing many of our groups last weekend, which also happens to be our biggest departure date of the year!
Did everyone manage to go skiing in the end?
We’re very pleased to report that almost all our groups reached their destinations.
Only one group couldn’t travel in the end, but we have offered to rearrange their ski trip to Easter at no additional cost to them, so they still have the option to enjoy an incredible skiing experience this season!
Unconnected to Storm Dennis, we also had one coach experience a tyre blowout, which can happen at any time. This, unfortunately, left the coach unmoveable. However, we were quickly able to arrange two replacement coaches to ensure the 68 passengers were able to continue on their journey. The Group Leader later sent us this message:
I cannot thank you enough for you and your staff’s much needed support this evening. It is hugely appreciated. This is why we use Halsbury.
Coombe Boys’ School
How did you manage to keep everyone moving?
Our out of hours team did a sterling job back at Halsbury HQ, where they spent the entire weekend (including throughout the night) answering calls and making sure that quick decisions were made to ensure our groups were able to get to where they needed to be.
We also had staff members down in Dover to assist with delayed coaches.
And our reps out in resort were also kept busy liaising with local coach companies and accommodation suppliers.
Are you always able to offer this level of support?
Yes! In fact, it’s situations like this which make it so important to book with a specialist school tour operator like Halsbury.
Our experience and connections mean that very little that we haven’t had to deal with before, and there’s almost always other options we can consider.
In fact, that’s why we were founded by former teacher Keith Sharkey in the first place. Having led many school ski trips himself, he knew that in order for young people to continue to have the opportunity to enjoy the incredible experience of skiing with their school, their teachers needed to be fully supported in providing these trips.
Unfortunately, we can’t control the weather. But we can help to minimise the impact that adverse weather has on your school ski trip.
For any further information or advice, please don’t hesitate to contact us.