Booking difficulty for pre covid members

Redzed32 replied on 30/08/2020 10:25

Posted on 30/08/2020 10:25

With the onslaught of the covid virus and the massive restrictions on foreign travel , it appears not only that the existing membership are filling up club sites , but I suspect also a large influx of new members are too . This is great for the campsites , as they have all faced a very difficult season this year . However , I am experiencing that finding pitches now is very difficult , and a great deal of the sites that could be booked a month in advance previously are full to the end of the season . This obviously makes me question whether membership is actually worth it now , as so far this summer after about  6 weekend breaks , I have realised that none of these were possible through the club . 

This is obviously very disheartening , but there is a much bigger concern at play here , and that is next years bookings . No one has a crystal ball regarding the impact of covid , and we cannot predict what will happen next month , far less what will happen next year . We have the possibility of much of next years sites being booked up by people who would normally holiday abroad , and taking advantage of the booking system . If this occurs , and next year we have little or no travel restrictions , we will end up with a situation again where pre covid members cannot get pitches , and the sites will have a whole load of pre-booked vacant pitches . 

Can I ask ; are other members here experiencing this as well ? And Also ; Does the club itself have concerns about the possibility of the above situation occurring , and how to address this ? 

Tinwheeler replied on 04/09/2020 15:07

Posted on 04/09/2020 14:44 by SeasideBill

Doesn’t change the reality. As PD says, if you don’t have a dog, it’s a fair comparison. This is one example. If I could be bothered there are others. However, we could argue all day long about what constitutes a fair comparison between sites.

Posted on 04/09/2020 15:07

But it’s only your personal reality, Seaside. The picture is entirely different for other folk. Open your mind to the broader view and you'll perhaps see things differently. That doesn’t detract from The Old Oaks being a great site, though, if it fits the Bill😆

moulesy replied on 04/09/2020 15:21

Posted on 04/09/2020 15:21

We stayed at The Old Oaks several times years ago. It's an outstanding site and if you want to visit Glastonbury it's a great base, but then there aren't many "full fat" alternatives nearby.

But if we wanted to be based in Cheddar we'd use the club site every time in preference to, say, the neighbouring Cheddar Bridge site or Bucklegrove just down the road even though they might work out cheaper. 

peedee replied on 04/09/2020 15:39

Posted on 04/09/2020 15:06 by moulesy

This discussion, or a very similar one, has been had on CT time and time again over the years. 

To summarise - there are cheaper sites than club sites, there are also dearer ones.

There are better equipped sites than club sites, there are also more, shall we say,  basic ones.

If you have children or dogs or an awning, club sites almost always work out cheaper, if you just have a basic unit they possibly don't.

If you're a single person club sites often work out cheaper than commercials with their "up to 6 adult" offerings.

If you want to be flexible (buzz word for some) the club booking system and lack of deposit (returnable or not) allows you to change at relatively short notice (arguably a good thing).

At the end of the day, all such comparisons are pretty pointless - don't most folk choose where they want to go first and then look at available sites?

To pretend one or the other is always best is too simplistic - it's all down to personal preference.

Posted on 04/09/2020 15:39

Summed up nicely M. As far as I am concerned I get irritated by those whose posts convey that there is nothing out there beyond the Club.

peedee

SeasideBill replied on 04/09/2020 15:48

Posted on 04/09/2020 15:48

Here’s another, both sites near where I live so know them well - both attractive sites.

19-23 October (4 nights)

Heligan Camping & Caravan Park (adjoins Lost Gardens of Heligan) £75.24 hardstanding including 1 dog.

CMC Melrose Farm (further down Roseland Peninsular near St Mawes): Standard pitch £99.20

 

 

 

Tinwheeler replied on 04/09/2020 15:51

Posted on 04/09/2020 15:39 by peedee

Summed up nicely M. As far as I am concerned I get irritated by those whose posts convey that there is nothing out there beyond the Club.

peedee

Posted on 04/09/2020 15:51

Who does that, PD? I think even those who like club sites, of whom I’m one, freely admit alternatives exist whether they choose to use them or not.

moulesy replied on 04/09/2020 15:52

Posted on 04/09/2020 15:39 by peedee

Summed up nicely M. As far as I am concerned I get irritated by those whose posts convey that there is nothing out there beyond the Club.

peedee

Posted on 04/09/2020 15:52

True - but equally irritating are those who try to suggest that nothing about the club is good enough compared to what we all know is the generally inconsistent standard of commercial sites.

Tinwheeler replied on 04/09/2020 16:01

Posted on 04/09/2020 15:48 by SeasideBill

Here’s another, both sites near where I live so know them well - both attractive sites.

19-23 October (4 nights)

Heligan Camping & Caravan Park (adjoins Lost Gardens of Heligan) £75.24 hardstanding including 1 dog.

CMC Melrose Farm (further down Roseland Peninsular near St Mawes): Standard pitch £99.20

 

 

 

Posted on 04/09/2020 16:01

Mmm, people can make up their own minds but see the last two columns. Great for some but not for others.

moulesy replied on 04/09/2020 16:04

Posted on 04/09/2020 15:48 by SeasideBill

Here’s another, both sites near where I live so know them well - both attractive sites.

19-23 October (4 nights)

Heligan Camping & Caravan Park (adjoins Lost Gardens of Heligan) £75.24 hardstanding including 1 dog.

CMC Melrose Farm (further down Roseland Peninsular near St Mawes): Standard pitch £99.20

 

 

 

Posted on 04/09/2020 16:04

But, once again, you're being very selective with your dates there.

So for fairness, how about this in peak season when families are most likely to use the sites - 

Heligan (2020)  - £36.90 for pitch + 2 adults + £4 per child over 3 + £4.90 per dog

Merrose Farm (2021) £29,.80 for pitch + 2 adults + £3 per child (over 12 I believe) + nothing for dogs.

(I couldn't find 2020 price for Merrose but I ssuspect from what folk have said about price rises it was a tad cheaper than that).

We haven’t stayed at either site but have visited both - both good sites, probably chosen for slightly different reasons, but shower/toilet facilities at Merrose a bit more modern.

Folk must make up their own minds but as I said above to pretend one is always better than the other for all folk is simply not credible.

SeasideBill replied on 04/09/2020 16:48

Posted on 04/09/2020 16:48

Yes, but I want to go now, not in the peak season with my kids & dogs. Could it be the Club knows it’s demographic well and realises the potential of maintaining high prices in all seasons?

 

SeasideBill replied on 04/09/2020 16:54

Posted on 04/09/2020 15:52 by moulesy

True - but equally irritating are those who try to suggest that nothing about the club is good enough compared to what we all know is the generally inconsistent standard of commercial sites.

Posted on 04/09/2020 16:54

I think we’ve been discussing prices not standards. I agree Club site standards are generally good. 

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