Caravan Club 2012 Rates

[Melvin]

 

I'm not at all upset with your view re value for money Melvin.

 

As I said at the outset nobody at the CC has been able to demonstrate what cost cutting/containment has been implemented so I am left to assume that their words are hollow talk. Now, after posting here, nobody on either side of the debate has given me examples of what they've seen to justify the CC claims. (ex Mel)

 

I first raised cost cutting/containment with the CC over a year ago. I gave an example - 2 halogen heaters blazing away all day in an awning in January this year ............and the occupants were out! Response was marketing waffle.

 

So unless and until the CC can demonstrate good management at HO level I can't accept its sites are value for money because they can clearly do better.

 

Again, as I said in my initial post, the wardens are generally very good.............so we agree on that Melvin.

 

Arthur

 

As regards the halogen heaters, a caravaner we know well drys all their washing in the awning, very wastefull and selfish.

 

I would like to see the return of the deposit system and the option to use solar panel instead of EHU or electric meters.

 

Through the actions of the selfish few we are all suffering.

[Mike B.]

Before I get bombarded with 'IT'S A MATTER OF PERSONAL CHOICE' I know it is but personally I struggle to see the justification in CC site prices. From what I can see there is only 1 site with a bar, none that i know of with swimming pool, and nothing that motorhomers need on them

When we are touring, be it on sites, aires, CLs or rallies we always use tha facilities in the van (Isn't that 1 of the reasons we buy them?) so what do you get for the price on a CC site?

Toilets & Showers? -don't need 'em

Bar, Swimming pool, evening BBQ/entertainment? Not as far as I am aware

As the club charge for pitch and per person this implies the more people the more one will use the facilities but what are they?

I must admit I have never been on a club site as we prefer CLs in uk and when I do use a site (rarely) it is usually in Europe where they seem to have loads of things to justify their cost (even if I don't use or want them-my choice/fault) I see commercial sites ie Haven etc around the uk advertising tourer pitches in high season at £50+ per night!-How can anyone afford this?

 

Sorry to go off topic but my question is-with or without the increase: What do you actually get for your money on a CC site?

Mike

[Mike B.]

Mike B. - 2011-11-28 4:54 PM

 

Before I get bombarded with 'IT'S A MATTER OF PERSONAL CHOICE' I know it is but personally I struggle to see the justification in CC site prices. From what I can see there is only 1 site with a bar, none that i know of with swimming pool, and nothing that motorhomers need on them

When we are touring, be it on sites, aires, CLs or rallies we always use tha facilities in the van (Isn't that 1 of the reasons we buy them?) so what do you get for the price on a CC site?

Toilets & Showers? -don't need 'em

Bar, Swimming pool, evening BBQ/entertainment? Not as far as I am aware

As the club charge for pitch and per person this implies the more people the more one will use the facilities but what are they?

I must admit I have never been on a club site as we prefer CLs in uk and when I do use a site (rarely) it is usually in Europe where they seem to have loads of things to justify their cost (even if I don't use or want them-my choice/fault) I see commercial sites ie Haven etc around the uk advertising tourer pitches in high season at £50+ per night!-How can anyone afford this?

 

Sorry to go off topic but my question is-with or without the increase: What do you actually get for your money on a CC site?

Mike

 

 

Forgot to say, We are members of the CC and we do use the CLs. We also book our ferries to Europe with them the savings of which easily pays the cost of membership-I am not knocking the club I just want to know what you get for your money that makes people want to use them (apart from 'personal choice') :-D

[terryW]

Mike B. - 2011-11-28 4:58 PM

 

Mike B. - 2011-11-28 4:54 PM

 

We also book our ferries to Europe with them the savings of which easily pays the cost of membership-I am not knocking the club I just want to know what you get for your money that makes people want to use them (apart from 'personal choice') :-D

 

I think you must be a director of the club if you get a discount on ferry bookings when I looked to take the long ferry crossing to Spain earlier this year the CC price and the direct on line price were identical the only difference was that the CC had recently increased the amendment charge to £20 while an online amendment direct with the ferry operator was free.

 

I have to admit I only stay in the club to gain access to one particular member only site we use to visit family otherwise I would vote with my feet, as I did with the CCC when I got fed up with the restrictions of their booking system. That was also the time I discovered that as a member (CCC) the insurance rates I was paying were the same if I wasn't a member and the Travel insurance taken out direct (Europe Assist) was something like 50% cheaper.

 

I also take part in the CC survey and don't pull any punches, so yes it will be interesting to see what, if anything comes out of it!

 

One point I try to get across to the club in these surveys is that a MH facility similar to the French Aire may be very popular. I also point out that their MH waste disposal facility ranks among the worst in Europe for ease of use.

[Rayjsj]

Mike B. - 2011-11-28 4:54 PM

 

Before I get bombarded with 'IT'S A MATTER OF PERSONAL CHOICE' I know it is but personally I struggle to see the justification in CC site prices. From what I can see there is only 1 site with a bar, none that i know of with swimming pool, and nothing that motorhomers need on them

When we are touring, be it on sites, aires, CLs or rallies we always use tha facilities in the van (Isn't that 1 of the reasons we buy them?) so what do you get for the price on a CC site?

Toilets & Showers? -don't need 'em

Bar, Swimming pool, evening BBQ/entertainment? Not as far as I am aware

As the club charge for pitch and per person this implies the more people the more one will use the facilities but what are they?

I must admit I have never been on a club site as we prefer CLs in uk and when I do use a site (rarely) it is usually in Europe where they seem to have loads of things to justify their cost (even if I don't use or want them-my choice/fault) I see commercial sites ie Haven etc around the uk advertising tourer pitches in high season at £50+ per night!-How can anyone afford this?

 

Sorry to go off topic but my question is-with or without the increase: What do you actually get for your money on a CC site?

Mike

 

You are right it IS a matter of choice,- Bar/swimming pool/BBq/entertainment- I would run a mile to get away from them !! I understand that the CC DOES have some sites with these type of facilities,

Hillhead, nr Brixham is certainly one of them, (but i wouldn't know how 'good it is 'cause i dont 'fancy that type of holiday ).

Nice heated toilet blocks, Very clean toilets, New sites purchased and upgraded every year.

You CAN see where the money is spent, although i agree they dont spend it on Bars or swimming pools, very often anyway.

I use the CL's too and enjoy them very much, especially in the School holidays when the main sites are full of Screaming kids (little darlings !!). ;-) Ray

[Mike B.]

Hi Terry

Ha ha-- no I'm not a director of the club just a poor pensioner with rapidly depleting savings! But I do find the CC ferries cheaper-last year I did Plymouth-Roscoff and Cherbourg- Poole return and saved about £200 on direct price + got 7 camping cheques thrown in foc. This year (for 2012) I have taken advantage of the CC/ DFDS offer and got Dover -Dunkirk return for £68 and this includes the toad so I feel a very good price there (Cheapest direct price was £130 ret but with restrictions ie 2.00am whereas the CC crossing is daytime both ways)

As other poster agreed-I would not want all the 'family facilities' either but the price for the CC sites are not that different to the 'family sites' so once again my question is-What do you get for your money on a CC site in a motorhome?

 

Mike

 

 

 

 

terryW - 2011-11-28 9:22 PM

 

Mike B. - 2011-11-28 4:58 PM

 

Mike B. - 2011-11-28 4:54 PM

 

We also book our ferries to Europe with them the savings of which easily pays the cost of membership-I am not knocking the club I just want to know what you get for your money that makes people want to use them (apart from 'personal choice') :-D

 

I think you must be a director of the club if you get a discount on ferry bookings when I looked to take the long ferry crossing to Spain earlier this year the CC price and the direct on line price were identical the only difference was that the CC had recently increased the amendment charge to £20 while an online amendment direct with the ferry operator was free.

 

I have to admit I only stay in the club to gain access to one particular member only site we use to visit family otherwise I would vote with my feet, as I did with the CCC when I got fed up with the restrictions of their booking system. That was also the time I discovered that as a member (CCC) the insurance rates I was paying were the same if I wasn't a member and the Travel insurance taken out direct (Europe Assist) was something like 50% cheaper.

 

I also take part in the CC survey and don't pull any punches, so yes it will be interesting to see what, if anything comes out of it!

 

One point I try to get across to the club in these surveys is that a MH facility similar to the French Aire may be very popular. I also point out that their MH waste disposal facility ranks among the worst in Europe for ease of use.

[BrianBW]

How can they justify £1.00 an hour for WiFi, when in France the majority of sites are FREE.

[rupert123]

BrianBW - 2011-12-02 4:15 PM

 

How can they justify £1.00 an hour for WiFi, when in France the majority of sites are FREE.

 

They do not have to justify this, that is the price and you have a choice. I agree some sites in France are FOC for WiFi but far from all of them. One thing is for sure though I have never been on a French site that is as well run or as good as a CC one.

[rupert123]

Just booked into CC site at Rowntree Park next week for a couple of days. £16.60 a night for a city centre site, fantastic value and people still moan about the price, beats me.

[bolero boy]

We've just had 3 nights at Cirencester Park, a lovely site within walking distance of a beautiful Roman town and just £12.75 a night for 2 people. That is good value for a top Club site.

[Keith T]

We've just had 6 nights at Baltic Wharf Bristol, total cost £99.

Why is it that some folk get so steamed up about the CC and similar organisations - the choice is theirs to join or not!

 

Personally, and from experience, we would much rather stay at a CC site than the majority of commercial ones, which we find are mostly more expensive and offer inferior facilities...and very often much smaller pitches.

 

We tend not to use CLs as so far have not really looked too far into these..we like to be somewhere where there is reasonable public transport within say a mile or so, which rules many of these out, and also especially over winter months prefer hard standing and electrics.

 

Why should the club not charge non-members a premium? Surely thats why we pay an annualfee, which in itself is not at an unrealistic level. Yes, booking in advance is a pain, but at least there is a good level of flexibility in the system, and often you can get a pitch by calling the sites direct at the last minute.

 

As far as EHU prices are concerned, we would always need /prefer electircs so that isn't an issue - and yes, we do feel that as motorhomers we get less benefit than tuggers, and certainly agree with the point raised above about people heating awnings. That should./could be something monitored by the club, and formally disallowed, I think.

 

However,in pure terms of the cost of EHUs, we spend a lot of time in France - the cost of EHU there is VERY high, and for a far lower amperage than from the CC sites! One site where we stay (low season) has an excellent discount on teh emplacement fees (in September 7night =10%, 14=20% and 21=30% discounts) but the price for EHU was €5.80 this year.....and no discount. Still we did have a total of 21 nights there for €310, which means the average nightly charge inc electrics was under €15 or around £13 at teh then very low rates of exchange....so we were not complaining..esepcially as the temepratures were mid 20c or higher most of the time!

[Colin Leake]

rupert123 - 2011-12-02 4:40 PM

 

Just booked into CC site at Rowntree Park next week for a couple of days. £16.60 a night for a city centre site, fantastic value and people still moan about the price, beats me.

 

You did well to get in there at short notice. Don't try and take a short cut or follow you sat nav under the bridge. I've seen the results of someone who did!

[rupert123]

Colin Leake - 2011-12-05 5:23 PM

 

rupert123 - 2011-12-02 4:40 PM

 

Just booked into CC site at Rowntree Park next week for a couple of days. £16.60 a night for a city centre site, fantastic value and people still moan about the price, beats me.

 

You did well to get in there at short notice. Don't try and take a short cut or follow you sat nav under the bridge. I've seen the results of someone who did!

 

I have got in for the last three years Colin by telephoning the site direct a few days before we go, sometimes a bit of flexibility is needed, wife likes doing her Xmas shopping in York. For anyone who may be thinking of going they are closing the site next year, from January to August for a refurb.