mikemoss Posted March 29, 2011 Share Posted March 29, 2011 Have just booked, and promptly cancelled, two nights at the CC site in Looe. Nice enough site, but nothing special - certainly not special enough for them to charge getting on for £90 for four people. The Club appears to have decided that April 8 is peak season, and a call to UK bookings asking why elicited the response that it was 'because of Easter and all the Bank Holidays'. Forgive me if I've missed something, but Easter is a couple of weeks later this year and there is absolutely no reason I can think of why the Club should make a unilaterial decision to start a peak season so early in the year. Happy to see it's still low season with the C&CC, as it is with all commercial sites. I will be boycotting all CC sites until they bring their fees back to within reason. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pepe63xnotuse Posted March 29, 2011 Share Posted March 29, 2011 Blimey!..we've just booked Briarfields in Cheltenham for the 9th(..a bit of a trawl to the coast though,admittedly *-) )and I think it was £16 fo MH and 2 adults.. Mind you,it won't have the array of little green signs,telling you to keep off the grass or warning you of rabbits,that the CC has.. (lol) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robinhood Posted March 29, 2011 Share Posted March 29, 2011 I believe it has been mentioned on here before. A good number of Local Authorities' Easter School Holidays start on that date, so there's your answer as to why. (Here, they start a week later ;-) ). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LordThornber Posted March 29, 2011 Share Posted March 29, 2011 A commercial site we enquired about for the 8th and 9th is just the same, peak season. Martyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikemoss Posted March 29, 2011 Author Share Posted March 29, 2011 Well, I don't think we should simply shrug our collective shoulders and give in by calling it peak season. It's of dubious morality for a commercial organisation to bump up its charges just at the time when hard-pressed families can get away for a few days, but for what is ostensibly a membership club to do the same - and to do it earlier than the rest - is a downright disgrace. I've now got prices from every other site in the Looe area, and the dearest of which is still less than half the amount the Caravan Club are asking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 1footinthegrave Posted March 29, 2011 Share Posted March 29, 2011 Just another reason I cancelled my membership, and some of the CL's are now approaching C.C rates. More and more I just head over the channel. As for "club" I think this idea was dumped by them many years ago. :-| Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LordThornber Posted March 29, 2011 Share Posted March 29, 2011 1footinthegrave - 2011-03-29 4:08 PM And some of the CL's are now approaching C.C rates. More and more I just head over the channel. That's ok for those who are near ports but for us that are working and/or just want a weekend or long weekend it's not practical. I've just rang 3 CL's, all were full and 2 of them turned out to be £15 per night too. It's getting harder and harder to find availability and fair value for money - certainly in this neck of the woods :-( I need to buy some land methinks. Martyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nowtelse2do Posted March 29, 2011 Share Posted March 29, 2011 I booked 7nights Low Season from 14th April to 20th AprilVan + 2 adults + EHU £15.10p per night, £3.20p extra a night for granddaughter = £128.10p minus £15 Low Season discount, so total = £113.10p @ Highlands End Nr Bridport, Dorset. I personally love this site, right on the coastal pathway and great views and walks.Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Jones Posted March 29, 2011 Share Posted March 29, 2011 Two quick points: 1) They've obviously "twigged" something that most of the "holiday industry" hasn't - YET: that here in affluent (???) Essex the LEA decided to fix the "Easter" holiday some years ago, and that some others do the same. So this year, here, the Easter holiday ENDS with the Easter weekend. Some years it's been completely separate. I hoped the "trade" wouldn't catch on to this for a few more years! 2) Not only do the CCC keep to more sensible "high seasons," their CS prices are significantly lower than CC CL ones overall. Plus, since they cater for three different kinds of units instead of one-and-a-bit, they're not as obsessed with the needs of Tuggers as the CC are. NOTE Please don't let my post sidetrack the thread into a pro- or anti- tugger debate. Some of my best friends tow caravans (yes, really!), and I quite like them. It's simply that as a motorhomer I don't want to be in a club that's ONLY interested in them! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mel wood Posted March 29, 2011 Share Posted March 29, 2011 Tony Jones - 2011-03-29 6:18 PM NOTE Please don't let my post sidetrack the thread into a pro- or anti- tugger debate. Some of my best friends tow caravans (yes, really!), and I quite like them. It's simply that as a motorhomer I don't want to be in a club that's ONLY interested in them! Tony, without wishing to "fall out"with you or defend the early "High Season" dates of the CC, I would like to state that I've never felt the CC was not interested in me because I am a motorhomer (or ONLY interested in caravanners). We belong to both clubs and find the benefits outweigh the disadvantages/inconveniences in each. We have opportunities to use both Clubs' sites, CLs, CSs, meets, temporary holiday sites and commercial sites dependent on convenience, location,availability and price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
747 Posted March 29, 2011 Share Posted March 29, 2011 My CC membership is due for renewal but I am not renewing. They have the largest number of sites but that is no good if you cannot get booked on them. As has been said, their prices are high and private sites are often cheaper. Last year, on a tour around the South of England, I was able to utilise C&CC Temp. Holiday sites (spoiled for choice) and yet there was not one suitable CC THS. The membership fee has gone up to £40, so much for a sympathetic view of their 'members' in these hard times. They are buying and improving extra sites which they will get cheaply at the moment but will be worth much more in the years ahead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LordThornber Posted March 29, 2011 Share Posted March 29, 2011 Slightly off thread, but I've got us a CL booking in the up coming weeks. We've been before, it's smashing but has gone up in price by 25% :'( Martyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mirage Posted March 29, 2011 Share Posted March 29, 2011 Caravanning has become too popular hence high prices would some of you please give it up! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Jones Posted March 29, 2011 Share Posted March 29, 2011 mel wood - 2011-03-29 7:37 PM Tony Jones - 2011-03-29 6:18 PM NOTE Please don't let my post sidetrack the thread into a pro- or anti- tugger debate. Some of my best friends tow caravans (yes, really!), and I quite like them. It's simply that as a motorhomer I don't want to be in a club that's ONLY interested in them! Tony, without wishing to "fall out"with you or defend the early "High Season" dates of the CC, I would like to state that I've never felt the CC was not interested in me because I am a motorhomer (or ONLY interested in caravanners). We belong to both clubs and find the benefits outweigh the disadvantages/inconveniences in each. We have opportunities to use both Clubs' sites, CLs, CSs, meets, temporary holiday sites and commercial sites dependent on convenience, location,availability and price. Don't worry Mel, I don't do "falling out." If it works for you, that's great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave225 Posted March 29, 2011 Share Posted March 29, 2011 Talking of the CC and price rises, I have been checking for Red Pennant for a single trip and it is now £255. A month ago it was £241 and yes, I should have booked it then, but did not think it would change. I believe Easter et al lasts all April this year at least for school kids. I would hate to be a working parent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Jones Posted March 30, 2011 Share Posted March 30, 2011 No, it's only a fortnight's holiday (in State schools at least - no idea what the better-heeled kids get). It just happens at different times in different places. And I don't think you'll find it starting on 1st anywhere. The only way it gets over a fortnight is if one of the Bank Hols is outside the 2 weeks (as here, where it starts on 8th so it's 2 weeks plus Easter Monday). Slightly off-thread, but it always seems that whenever schools are closed (building work, snow, training days) all everyone talks about is how it affects working parents, rather than children's education. Education and child-minding are not the same thing. Schools are there for the first (and should be criticised when they fail at it), but they're NOT there for the second. Rant over - if anyone wants to continue this aspect of the discussion we should start a fresh thread on Chatterbox. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
josie gibblebucket Posted March 30, 2011 Share Posted March 30, 2011 We've managed to book three nights over Easter at a nice commercial site for £14 per night inc EHU. I thought that was pretty good value. Thing is this year, with the Royal Wedding, many people will take the opportunity to have 11 days off work, whilst only using up 3 days of their holiday entitlement, because there are two long weekends in a row. I suspect it will be difficult to get on a site anywhere during that fortnight. *-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pepe63xnotuse Posted March 30, 2011 Share Posted March 30, 2011 Continuing off topic :$ ..What is it with Easter that it has to move around all the time anyway?? ..Christmas tends to stay put! ;-) (..although it "starts" earlier each year,we know.. :-S ) Back on topic...now I'm not quoting from the CC handbook (..and this may just be my impression or down to the sites we've used)but it always seems as if the difference between their low and high season prices,is greater than with the commercial sites we've used... (..we've stayed on CC sites,low season for around a tenner,when high season they've wanted £20+,whereas the commercial sites that we've used,have only really varied by a few quid). :-S Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikemoss Posted March 30, 2011 Author Share Posted March 30, 2011 pepe63 - 2011-03-30 9:24 AM Continuing off topic :$ ..What is it with Easter that it has to move around all the time anyway?? ..Christmas tends to stay put! ;-) (..although it "starts" earlier each year,we know.. :-S ) Back on topic...now I'm not quoting from the CC handbook (..and this may just be my impression or down to the sites we've used)but it always seems as if the difference between their low and high season prices,is greater than with the commercial sites we've used... (..we've stayed on CC sites,low season for around a tenner,when high season they've wanted £20+,whereas the commercial sites that we've used,have only really varied by a few quid). :-S Quite agree. If we'd wanted to stay on April 7th the cost would have been £29 per night for a standard pitch, the follow day - lo and behold - it's £43 for exactly the same thing. That, to me, is just plain and simple too much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aultymer Posted March 30, 2011 Share Posted March 30, 2011 Apologies to the OP, but I don't see the problem. It is high season - schools are out=high season - just what do you expect? The CC and C&CC sites are of a uniformly high standard, generally, and their prices are published for all to see. 'Camping' is not a cheapo holiday when using high amenity sites and prices are part based, as they should be, on the number of people in a unit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelly58 Posted March 30, 2011 Share Posted March 30, 2011 I have two " Free " over night camping vouchers for the CC thanks to Which Motorhome Magazine and upon enquiring about using them later this year , but because I am not a CC member I will have to pay £8 p/n to use them , so not as " Free " as you think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pepe63xnotuse Posted March 30, 2011 Share Posted March 30, 2011 aultymer - 2011-03-30 11:18 AM Apologies to the OP, but I don't see the problem. It is high season - schools are out=high season - just what do you expect? But,I don't think it's just a matter of whether its low or high season..it's why is there such a big differential anyway..? Mike states it's £29 first night(I assume Low)and £43 the following night(again,I assume High)..?! Now that is some sort of mark up! :-S Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aultymer Posted March 30, 2011 Share Posted March 30, 2011 There is a big difference because they can get it. Normal business practice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Jones Posted March 30, 2011 Share Posted March 30, 2011 pepe63 - 2011-03-30 9:24 AM Continuing off topic :$ ..What is it with Easter that it has to move around all the time anyway?? As a practising Christian, I entirely agree. For some reason it was decided centuries ago (by human beings, not by God!) that it should be linked with the phases of the moon. How heathen can you get? What that near-astrological mumbo-jumbo has to do with celebrating Christ's resurrection I've really no idea! Now let's get back on topic before we get put on the naughty step! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikemoss Posted March 30, 2011 Author Share Posted March 30, 2011 aultymer - 2011-03-30 11:18 AM Apologies to the OP, but I don't see the problem. It is high season - schools are out=high season - just what do you expect? The CC and C&CC sites are of a uniformly high standard, generally, and their prices are published for all to see. 'Camping' is not a cheapo holiday when using high amenity sites and prices are part based, as they should be, on the number of people in a unit. No offence taken Aultymer, but what I expect is to not be asked to pay £43 to park on a small piece of grass/gravel for one night. My own offspring are way beyound school age now, but I pity the parents with children who face this sudden leap in charges at the only times they can go on holidays. It might be seen by some as 'good business' but to me its a pretty shabby practice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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