Caravan Club 2017 Bookings

[Dustydog]

It started early this morning.
I've just tried York Rowntree Park for 14 night(s)
Arrival Date:Saturday, 25 March, 2017
Departure Date:Saturday, 08 April, 2017
And yes you guessedit , unavailable due to every weekend being fully booked hmy:
Never mind plenty more places
Nothing changes does it

 

[pitpony]

Dusty,
We tried to book up for Christmas back in July for CC York and you have guessed it already , it was fully booked, after enquiring at the site office they told me to get in touch just before Christmas and there might be cancellations, more than likely there would be it is just the peevish sods that just abuse the on line booking system,
But the good news is we booked for 10 nights down in Dorset for June/July and paid a fifty pound deposit (non returnable) which should be the case when you book with the CC and that might in some way stop folk booking sites when they might be making bookings at other sites at the same time because it is only 72 hours notice to cancel,

 

[Gabsgrandad]

We've just had 4 nights at Rowntree Park - Monday to Friday, and as you say Dusty can't get in for weekends. How do you get in soon enough to achieve that? When we've tried in past years never got unengaged tone. Somebody must have the secret. By the way it's not just the w/e s that are full, the site was full for each of those nights we were there, folks coming and going each day.. Knew the warden there (from Rosedale earlier in the year) and he was telling me on the Friday that i could have had the w/e as they had had a cancellation that morning.But longer term planning no chance. Ps. We've stayed at Beechwood and it's Ok. But you need transport into the city.

 

[Hutch]

Yes really hacks me off, think they should charge a non refundable deposit, might make people not block book wekends. This happens every year.
Your only hope would be the Black Bull for the weekend then move to Rowntree for a Monday to Friday.

 

[Dustydog]

Already got two weeks at Black Bull in June Hutch.Those pork chops took some beating B)
Never mind .This will be another year my money gets spent outside of York
I reckon these weekenders must be locals perhaps
Apparently the booking service opened at 8.00am this morning.
Out of curiosity I'd love to know how many people have booked multi weekends and as we know cancel last minute.

 

[MeonIan]

As a matter of course each year I enter the foray of CC bookings, maybe I don't go for the popular sites but by 9am this morning I had booked 1 week in May at Minehead, 1 long weekend at Easter in Littlehampton, 1 long weekend at Longleat and 3 weekends (2 of which were bank holidays) at other local southern sites. Like I say maybe these aren't the popular sites but I'm quite happy with the way CC handle this first day. I did the same last year all within the first hour or so, didn't have to cancel any of them for any reason and I think most members behave and don't abuse the system, there will always be a minority but that's the same with any system they choose to run.

 

[Hutch]

Meolan, I can appreciate someone like yourself booking ahead for different sites. I never really use the clubs sites, as we normally us cl/cs sites , I did get hacked off at the CCC site Hertford, last Feburary, we were doing a 4 day end of week with weekend, and the pitches we were offered were a muddyish, hard standing, we realised the good pitches were reserved for the more regular, weekenders, No favoritisms eh.
DD, I remember you reserving the pitch you wanted back at theWoosiefest.

 

[Dustydog]

Meolan, I can appreciate someone like yourself booking ahead for different sites. I never really use the clubs sites, as we normally us cl/cs sites , I did get hacked off at the CCC site Hertford, last Feburary, we were doing a 4 day end of week with weekend, and the pitches we were offered were a muddyish, hard standing, we realised the good pitches were reserved for the more regular, weekenders, No favoritisms eh.
DD, I remember you reserving the pitch you wanted back at theWoosiefest.

Spot on Hutch.
But only because our King Sproket told me where the water tap was
I am also very pleased to say there is NOT ONE free weekend at Rowntree Park throughout the whole of 2017 :woohoo: :evil:

 

[Raywood]

I am afraid the problem is not the clubs fault but the fact that demand is well beyond the capacity of the site. It might be possibly more fair to limit the number of visits you cam book in any one year if there are members booking several weekends but as each weekend would have to be booked separately it would be very difficult to do that before they were all gone.
To be frank we go to York to visit relatives but never use that site as it is cramped and a nightmare to reach through the traffic. For club members I would vote for Beechwood Grange every time a far nicer site with a park and ride into the city and just off the ring road. Otherwise I would suggest Naburn Lock as a well placed site next to the Outlet Shops and with the Park and Ride..

 

[Mel]

As a matter of course each year I enter the foray of CC bookings, maybe I don't go for the popular sites but by 9am this morning I had booked 1 week in May at Minehead, 1 long weekend at Easter in Littlehampton, 1 long weekend at Longleat and 3 weekends (2 of which were bank holidays) at other local southern sites. Like I say maybe these aren't the popular sites but I'm quite happy with the way CC handle this first day. I did the same last year all within the first hour or so, didn't have to cancel any of them for any reason and I think most members behave and don't abuse the system, there will always be a minority but that's the same with any system they choose to run.

l

I am pleased that you got the places you wanted Ian, but the fact you could sit on the Internet at 8am until 9am suggests that you were not in work. Great for you but those of us who do work cannot enter the Melee on a level playing field.

The CC say they penalise those who book then cancel, and the numbers are of members who do this small; but this is ENTIRELY MISSING THE POINT ( shouting intended). The point is that by allowing multiple bookings and not taking a deposit, a resource that we all contribute to through membership is unfairly allocated.

Gosh we haven't had this discussion for a while.
Mel

 

[Raywood]

I do wonder if the CC should limit the number of bookings before a deposit is taken to say six. This would prevent too many multiple bookings without a fairly hefty outlay but be fair to those of us who just book what we need as we need it. If you are having problems the C&CC might be a better bet as with their deposit system they do generally have better availability although there are still a couple of sites that are very difficult to get in.

 

[Paul_5041263]

One suggestion that was made couple of years ago when the debate raged was that only full weeks bookings should be allowed for the first month which would at least give the out of the area member a chance of getting a holiday where a long trip was involved, most weekenders are usually fairly local.
Anyway, we looked at Baltic Wharf Wednesday pm and never mind weekends apart from a few odd days here and there the lot was gone right through to next Xmas!

 

[MeonIan]

Mel, I was actually at work on Wednesday, my job involves being online so easy to flick between a couple of screens. However in previous years when my job has been different I've taken a morning off to deal with the bookings. There will never be a system that suits all but I think the CC has done the best it can.

 

[Dustydog]

Good rant there Mel.
All I can say is STUFF ROWNTREE PARK :evil:

 

[NigelHutson]

We've just had 4 nights at Rowntree Park - Monday to Friday, and as you say Dusty can't get in for weekends. How do you get in soon enough to achieve that? When we've tried in past years never got unengaged tone. Somebody must have the secret. By the way it's not just the w/e s that are full, the site was full for each of those nights we were there, folks coming and going each day.. Knew the warden there (from Rosedale earlier in the year) and he was telling me on the Friday that i could have had the w/e as they had had a cancellation that morning.But longer term planning no chance. Ps. We've stayed at Beechwood and it's Ok. But you need transport into the city.

Did you happen to be at Rowntree Park between 29th November and 5th December by any chance? If so, we were there too!

 

[Gabsgrandad]

28th. Nov, - home 2nd. Dec

 

[KeefySher]

Did join frenzy day to book Baltic Wharf for the Balloon Festival in August. Booked a full week, not just the 4 days of the BF. Checked on Friday before the CC website was down for a re-build and there were vacancies at BW through the year and the week of the BF. As family are in Bristol and fil is rather ill, we are hoping to make it a family event, hence the desire to book on frenzy day.

That will be our 3rd visit to BW. The first in October was booked on the Sunday before arriving on the Friday for the weekend. The next was booked late October for the forthcoming February halt term second weekend.

We got into Chatsworth the first week of the school summer holidays this past July, booked 3 weeks prior to arrival. We had a super serviced pitch that in our row only had 56% occupancy in the school summer holidays. Rest of the site was 80% occupied over the time were were there.

We got into Cheddar for Easter weekend booking 2 days before arriving after we realised it was Easter.

Bladon Chains for the last May BH weekend, booked 2 weeks before arrival.

Whilst we use CC sites, we use CL's and commercial sites more. Found some gems, particularly at peak family holiday times without the need to book on a single day up to a year ahead of arrival. Maybe, like the acceptance of poor quality caravans over decades made from common parts thrown together; the CC membership are indoctrinated into accepting things as they are and not want to change or do something different year after year after year.

As a family tied to school holidays we find the CC to have the highest prices, for less facilities and with the exception of specific family reasons we tend not to use the CC in peak times, as we know we can get into 'better' sites for less cost and at times that suit us without wasting a day on frenzy day.

There is an awful lot of choice out there beyond the CC

 

[Hutch]

I can never even think about forward planning on sites, more than a week or two ahead, but thats because we are now retired, except for the Woosie Meets, even when I was working it was always spur of the moment as to where we went, 20 miles away or 300 miles, even to going over to France, . Anyway touring is always fun.
Hutch.