Haven Insurance: Understanding The Fine Print

Haven's terms and conditions are detailed and comprehensive. They outline the rights and responsibilities of both the company and its customers, covering a range of topics such as holiday bookings, cancellations, refunds, guest restrictions, payment methods, and more. Haven also offers insurance products with specific terms and conditions, including life insurance and holiday protection plans. It's important to carefully read and understand these terms before making any purchases or agreements.

Holiday packages

Haven offers two types of holiday packages: Haven package and Haven Hideaway package. The former includes access to swimming pools, leisure facilities, activities, bars, restaurants, takeaways, supermarkets, arcades, and entertainment venues, while the latter only includes access to the supermarket, arcades, restaurants, and takeaways.

If you book a Haven package, you will receive a Play Pass, which gives you access to the facilities mentioned above. Each member of your party included in the booking, including children aged 4 and over, will receive a Play Pass. If you do not have your Play Pass with you, you will not be allowed access. Please note that Play Passes do not grant access to owners-only facilities. Some activities and facilities are subject to a small charge. Haven will send you an email informing you how to book free and paid activities, swimming sessions, restaurant tables, and takeaways closer to your holiday.

If you book a Haven Hideaway package and wish to access the facilities available to Haven package guests, you can purchase a Play Pass on arrival, subject to availability.

If you book through a third party, please check with your agent which package you have booked as this varies by partner. If you do not book directly with Haven but through one of their owners, you will be considered a Haven Hideaway package guest with limited access to facilities. However, you will have the opportunity to purchase a Play Pass on arrival, subject to availability.

Haven Holiday Protection is available for purchase within 48 hours of booking and covers self-catering and touring or camping holidays. It allows for cancellation due to redundancy, sickness, jury service, or death. The cost of Haven Holiday Protection depends on the duration of your holiday and whether you are booking a self-catering or touring/camping holiday. For example, for a self-catering holiday of ten nights or more, the cost is £55, while for a touring or camping holiday of five nights or more, the cost is £10 per pitch.

Planning for your holiday

Who's Coming?

It's important to finalise the list of people coming on the holiday and ensure their names are included on the booking confirmation. This is crucial, as only those listed will be allowed to occupy the accommodation and use the park facilities. The total number of guests must also not exceed the capacity of the caravan holiday home, which is usually 6 or 8 people.

Important Information and Updates

Stay informed by regularly checking your emails and the Haven website for any important updates about your holiday. Providing current contact details and keeping your email address up to date is essential to receiving the latest information. Pre-booking activities is recommended to avoid disappointment.

Bringing Babies or Kids?

If you need a cot or highchair, be sure to request it when booking. A hire charge and a refundable deposit are applicable for these items. Keep in mind that most holiday homes may not accommodate a standard-sized travel cot in the bedroom, so the living room might be a better option.

For kids, there's a range of exciting indoor and outdoor activities at Haven. However, it's important to book these activities in advance to secure spots, as they fill up quickly. Remember that children aged 8 and under must be under full adult supervision at all times, and Haven's services and facilities are not considered childcare facilities.

Guests with Disabilities

Haven aims to cater to a range of access needs. If you or someone in your party has a disability, inform the team at the time of booking so they can advise and accommodate your requirements as best as possible. Accredited guide dogs are welcome in all caravan holiday homes and park areas.

Food Allergies

If you have any food allergies or special dietary requirements, don't worry! Haven's food and beverage team members are trained in food allergen awareness. Discuss your requirements with a team member before ordering, and they will provide information about ingredients and food preparation to help you make an informed decision.

Bringing a Vehicle

Haven will try to provide a parking space next to your caravan, but it cannot be guaranteed. If you plan to bring a vehicle other than a car, such as a lorry, van, or motorbike, check with the park before booking, as some parks have space limitations and may not accommodate certain types of vehicles.

Paying for your holiday

When booking your holiday, you will be required to pay a deposit of at least £25, with the option to spread the cost of your holiday. You can choose weekly or monthly payment options and make payments from as little as £25. The Easy Payment Plan is free and easy to set up—simply tick the option when making your booking.

The remaining balance is due eight weeks before the start of your holiday. If you book within eight weeks of the holiday start date, you will be required to pay the full amount upfront. You can pay the outstanding balance by setting up the Easy Payment Plan or by calling our office to pay any amount of your choice.

Payments can be made by debit or credit card, and there is no additional charge for paying with a credit card. We cannot accept cheques, postal orders, or American Express Cards payments.

Please note that deposits and full payments are non-refundable and non-transferable to alternate dates or accommodation. Deposits will be deducted from the full amount, which is £50 for 7 nights or less and £100 for 8 nights or more.

If you have booked more than eight weeks prior to the arrival date, you will be required to pay a deposit of £50 for 7-night bookings and £100 for bookings of 8 nights or more to secure the unit. The deposit is non-refundable and non-transferable. Should you book less than eight weeks prior to the arrival date, you will be requested to pay the balance in full.

We recommend that you opt into our Cancellation Plan, which covers you and your holiday party if you need to cancel your holiday. Please note that a Cancellation Plan can only be added at the point of booking and cannot be added after the booking has been made. The plan will take effect when the full balance has been paid, and if the booking is cancelled prior to the due date, the deposit and plan fee will not be refunded.

If you choose to cancel your holiday within eight weeks of your arrival date, no refund will be given unless you have purchased the cancellation plan. If you cancel more than eight weeks before your arrival date, you will be charged an admin fee of £50 plus the cancellation plan fee, but any other amount paid will be refunded.

Changing or cancelling your plans

We understand that plans can change, so we offer the option to change your booking. There is a minimum £20 administration fee for any changes, and the price may increase or decrease depending on the changes made and market demand. It may be possible to add more guests or change a name on the booking, but this will be subject to certain identification checks and a £20 administration charge.

If you need to change your package, please call us and this will be subject to availability and an administration charge. When we make the change, the booking will be repriced to reflect current prices and offers.

Please note that any changes made within 56 days of the start date of your holiday may be considered a cancellation. We will, where possible, try to accommodate changes to your accommodation, package or holiday dates but this may incur additional costs.

If the changes you require are not possible and you do not wish to continue with your original booking, or you are unhappy with the additional charges, this will be classified as a cancellation.

Cancelling Your Booking with Haven Holiday Protection

If you need to cancel your booking, please call us as soon as possible or, if you booked through an agent, contact them. We will cancel your holiday and if you require a refund, we may ask for written proof of the reason for your cancellation, such as a doctor's note. We may then get in touch regarding your refund, which may take up to 35 days to process.

The amount of your refund depends on how far in advance you cancel and whether you are cancelling due to sickness, redundancy, jury service or bereavement. If you cancel 48 hours or more before your holiday, you will receive a full refund minus any amount paid for Haven Holiday Protection. If you cancel less than 48 hours before your holiday, you will receive a 30% refund minus any amount paid for Haven Holiday Protection.

Cancelling Your Booking without Haven Holiday Protection

If you need to cancel your booking but do not have Haven Holiday Protection, please call us as soon as possible or contact your booking agent. Unfortunately, we will not issue a refund, and you will need to claim the costs back through your holiday insurance provider.

On-holiday rules

• Checking in and checking out: You will receive your arrival information via email/SMS prior to your arrival at the park. Please keep an eye out for arrival information updates. Your arrival slot will be sent by email 7 days prior to your arrival day. Please bring your booking confirmation reference number, which can be quoted instead of showing the full document. Your payment card must be presented, along with a form of photo identification, before accommodation keys can be issued at check-in. Check-out time is 10 am, and we reserve the right to remove any items remaining in your accommodation after this time.
• Activities: You can pre-book and pay for activities via haven.com/experience using a debit or credit card. All activities are subject to availability. Activities are not transferable to other parks and are valid within the current season only. Activity bookings will not appear on your booking confirmation or on your 'My Account'. You can cancel your activity via haven.com/experience up to 48 hours prior to the activity start time.
• Keeping you safe and healthy: We do everything we can to keep you and your party safe. That could mean offering different activities or even, in the worst-case scenario, closing our facilities at short notice. We'll always try to tell you as soon as we know. It's important that you always follow our advice for staying safe while you're with us. We don't put lots of silly rules in place just for the sake of it, but we do have a few important ones designed to keep you safe. For example, if you're under 8 (or you can't swim) and want to use our swimming pools, you must always be in the water with a responsible adult. One adult can be responsible for up to two children under 8 and must make sure that non-swimmers or beginners don't go out of their depth.
• Personal belongings: We take all reasonable steps to safeguard our premises and hope you will have no cause for concern during your holiday, but guests remain responsible for looking after their own belongings. Please remember to secure any vehicles or bicycles and try not to leave any valuable items on display. If you are bringing anything valuable on holiday, you should check it is adequately covered by your insurance. We cannot accept any liability for loss or damage to your belongings unless it is due to our negligence.
• Filming and photography: Please be aware that you're not allowed to film or take photographs in our swimming pools and changing areas. Due to the popularity of Haven, we get requests from TV and other companies to film/photograph on the parks, many of which we accommodate. We also take our own Haven promotional films and photographs on the parks throughout the year. They could be shooting anywhere in the park, but where we cannot close the area to guests, we'll always try to make sure the filming doesn't affect your holiday. In most cases, we'll attempt to ensure images or footage obtained does not identify anybody directly, but please avoid the shooting area if you would rather not be caught on camera. If you are identifiable in the content captured, we will ask for your consent. Should you wish to withdraw your consent at any time, you can request this, and we will remove it from our library.
• Smoking, drugs and offensive weapons: There's no smoking of vaporisers, e-cigarettes and tobacco in any of our public buildings or accommodation, and we do our best to make sure guests do not smoke in these areas. We do have outdoor smoking areas, which are clearly signposted. We have a zero-tolerance policy on illegal drugs, firearms and offensive weapons. If you take illegal drugs or any other illegal substance or are in possession of a firearm or offensive weapon, we will ask you to leave the park, without a refund.
• Illness and contagious diseases: Let us know if you come down with something that you think will affect any of our other guests. If we become aware, or have reasonable grounds to suspect, that you have contracted a contagious disease or illness that has the potential to infect many people quickly, you and your party may be asked to go home. If this is not possible, restrictions will be placed upon your activities and movements to prevent the disease or illness from being transmitted to other guests.
• Damage to accommodation: We hope you don't have any mishaps while you're with us. But if your accommodation is damaged by you or someone in your party during your stay, we have the right to recover the cost of this from you, including any extra cleaning costs. We may also go into your caravan holiday home at a reasonable time (and on reasonable notice) during your holiday to check the state of things. Any damage to your accommodation could result in your booking being cancelled, with no refund. If there's an emergency, we can come into your accommodation without warning.
• If you leave something behind: Let us know as soon as you realise you've left something behind. We'll do all we can to find it, although we're not liable if this isn't possible or if it's damaged. If we find it, we'll return it to you, but you will have to cover the postage costs.

Frequently asked questions