Booking a specific pitch
Comments
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Some commercial sites that allow pitch booking, also insist you can only arrive on a specific day at peak times of the year and that you stay for a week. I assume this allows them to maximise occupancy. Fortunately the CC lets you book odd days and stay for as long as you like, up to 21days, at any time of the year. Personally I am happy to forgo booking a specific pitch to have this flexibility.
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If you are still around Ian, I have to say again that David is entirely correct in his examples and it is you who have it wrong, and apparently do not understand how the current booking system works.
These sites you have been using lately where you could pre book a specific pitch, were you there at a busy time? Or was it when there was plenty of space on the site?
Do they allow any length of booking for any pitch even in July and August?
I suspect that in summer many of these sites are only booked by families who want a 2 or 3 week stay on one site, rather than by those who tour around stopping only a few days here and there.
Or maybe there are some people who are so desperate to stay on these particular sites that they will accept a shorter than ideal break or be willing to move pitch!
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If you are still around Ian, I have to say again that David is entirely correct in his examples and it is you who have it wrong, and apparently do not understand how the current booking system works.
These sites you have been using lately where you could pre book a specific pitch, were you there at a busy time? Or was it when there was plenty of space on the site?
Do they allow any length of booking for any pitch even in July and August?
I suspect that in summer many of these sites are only booked by families who want a 2 or 3 week stay on one site, rather than by those who tour around stopping only a few days here and there.
Or maybe there are some people who are so desperate to stay on these particular sites that they will accept a shorter than ideal break or be willing to move pitch!
No, we weren't there at a particularly busy time, but yes, they allow to come and go on any day you want and stay as long as you want.
Only slight exception is that Pentewan Sands ask that you book Sat - Sat if you want to book one of their beach-front pitches (but that's probably less than 5% of their total pitches) - the rest you can book for any day.
The pitch booking option is available throughout the year.
People were coming and going on all days of the week and for different lengths of stay.
You do pay a premium at some sites for booking a specific pitch (about £5 or £10) so I guess a lot of people just turn up and find a pitch as normal.
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I'll try to explain again:
Current System
The site is a big field, with a number of pitches marked out on it.
People arrive and chose a pitch.
Everyone is arriving and leaving on different days, so they have to chose one that's available.
Sometimes, the pitch they would have liked is occupied, so they chose another one (and decide whether they can be bothered moving pitches during their stay, when their preferred pitch becomes available).
Despite all these different arrival and departure days and different lengths of stay, everyone somehow has to fit in. There has to be enough 'slack' in the system to cope.
Pre-Booking Pitches option
The site is represented on a computer screen, with pitches represented by boxes.
People log onto the CC web site and chose a pitch.
Everyone is intending to arrive and leave on different days, so they have to chose one that's available.
Sometimes, the pitch they would have liked is occupied, so they chose another one (and decide whether they can be bothered moving pitches during their stay, when their preferred pitch becomes available).
Despite all these different arrival and departure days and different lengths of stay, everyone somehow has to fit in. It isn't necessary to build in any 'slack', because the computer screen tells you that everyone can fit.
Where is the problem?
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Ian, with the NO pre booking of a specific pitch system, there is NO need for any "slack" (though wardens may set aside a few pitches for emergencies/pitch damage). Customers can only book what is available and can only chose on arrival from those pitches that are empty on the day.
Personally, we do not have preferred pitches as we rarely visit the same site twice, and if we do not know a site we would not know before arrival which pitch we preferred.
Sometimes people do move pitches, this is particularly common at Trewithett (?) Farm , for the views, but we would not bother.
As you do not book a specific pitch, the booking system will allow say 50 bookings on a 50 pitches in use site on any night. When all pitches are booked for any night, that night will then show as unavailable. If you look at the calendars you do often see periods when just 1 or 2 nights in a period show as unavailable, particularly weekends.
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With a pre booking of specific pitches system, again you can only book a pitch when one is available, but now you have to take account of the availability of every individual pitch.
As per David's original example, you can therefor get the situation where someone cannot book a stay on the site as, although the site is not fully booked for the period they want, no one pitch is available for the whole length of their planned stay.
This leaves them with the choice to book onto 2 different pitches or alter the period they originally wanted. The site can also alleviate this situation by reserving the right to allocate you a different pitch, either on arrival or beforehand.
This allows them to accept more bookings, but what then is the point of allowing specific pitch bookings to start with?
This situation would most likely only arise in high season when the site is very busy, hence my questions regarding your time of stay and site policy in July/August. There are sites which limit booking dates in that period.
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I really don't understand the fuss! The club operates the way it does and the commercials another way. Both work for them and the cliental who use them. Both will also have some users who may prefer the other system but the difference
equals choice! Why change to just one 'same' system? Really can't see it ever changing thankfully!
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BPS
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I really don't understand the fuss! The club operates the way it does and the commercials another way. Both work for them and the cliental who use them. Both will also have some users who may prefer the other system but the difference
equals choice! Why change to just one 'same' system? Really can't see it ever changing thankfully!An excellent summary of the situation - two alternative systems. Folk may choose which one they're happiest using!
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I am happy with the present CC system of drive round on arrival and find one that suits. For us we leave those near childrens play areas for families, those near toilet blocks for folks who can't walk far and we head for those hopelfully with a pleasant view and ideally where I can get a sat dish signal. For these reasons we don't care for commercial sites which allocate specific pitches which invariably seem to be less ideal than other vacant ones!!! I appreciate the suggestion that allowing pre booking might allow you suitable choices but we have enough problems with some popular sites being block booked months in advance. I bought a caravan to have freedom when the whim takes me.
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An additional point, which I don't think has been mentioned before on this thread, is that those commercial sites which have this system invariably require a nonrefundable deposit and payment some time before arrival. (For instance, I just checked out Pentewan
Sands where you have to pay your balance 42 days before arrival - not to mention a £8.50 booking fee and a £6.75 per week charge for cancellation cover - presumably that's optional although it doesn't say so in their T & C.) With folk already claiming CC sites
are too expensive, is that sort of extra cost and payment arrangement going result in increased use age of CC sites? I don't know - I'll leave it for others to guess!0 -
I really don't understand the fuss! The club operates the way it does and the commercials another way. Both work for them and the cliental who use them. Both will also have some users who may prefer the other system but the difference
equals choice! Why change to just one 'same' system? Really can't see it ever changing thankfully!Well there's a statement that I certainly disagree with.
I can see the CC off-loading the sites in the not too distant future, to one or more commercial operators, and sticking to what they seem to prefer doing - selling insurance and expensive European holidays.
Then we will see some serious changes to the way the sites are operated.
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I really don't understand the fuss! The club operates the way it does and the commercials another way. Both work for them and the cliental who use them. Both will also have some users who may prefer the other system but the difference
equals choice! Why change to just one 'same' system? Really can't see it ever changing thankfully!Well there's a statement that I certainly disagree with.
I can see the CC off-loading the sites in the not too distant future, to one or more commercial operators, and sticking to what they seem to prefer doing - selling insurance and expensive European holidays.
Then we will see some serious changes to the way the sites are operated.
Write your comments here...Totaly agree,there will be more AF SITES for sure
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I really don't understand the fuss! The club operates the way it does and the commercials another way. Both work for them and the cliental who use them. Both will also have some users who may prefer the other system but the difference equals choice! Why change to just one 'same' system? Really can't see it ever changing thankfully!
Well there's a statement that I certainly disagree with.
I can see the CC off-loading the sites in the not too distant future, to one or more commercial operators, and sticking to what they seem to prefer doing - selling insurance and expensive European holidays.
Then we will see some serious changes to the way the sites are operated.
but that is exactly the point, keep arrangements exactly as they are now! Why change the way they currently operate! No serious or silly changes needed at all, keep choosing pitch on arrival! Im sure it will remain thus!
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but that is exactly the point, keep arrangements exactly as they are now! Why change the way they currently operate! No serious or silly changes needed at all, keep choosing pitch on arrival! Im sure it will remain thus!
OK, so keep it as it is - but that means no change to being able to book hardstanding or grass as this reduces choice on arrival - as did the change to awning/non awning bookings and the introduction of service pitches whenever they put those in.
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but that is exactly the point, keep arrangements exactly as they are now! Why changgge the way they currently operate! No serious or silly changes needed at all, keep choosing pitch on arrival! Im sure it will remain thus!
OK, so keep it as it is - but that means no change to being able to book hardstanding or grass as this reduces choice on arrival - as did the change to awning/non awning bookings and the introduction of service pitches whenever they put those in.
No it doesn't, If we go back and read the original post we will find that the poster was quite rightly very specific about the issue they wished discussed, that was the choosing of a pitch of the type booked on arrival on a site or choosing a specific pitch at the point of booking. They were also rightly specific about their preferred alternative system.
It was therefore the choosing of specific pitches (not type) that I referred to!
Incidentally, slightly off topic I know, but I'm all for being able to book types of pitches when sites can accommodate this.
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Apologies I have not been around to respond to the posts in this thread - I've had a chaotic few days with little chance of it easing this next week.
Thanks to Ian for an example of commercial sites that allow the booking of individual pitches. It looks as if Sandy Balls and Pentowan use a similar system/ programme. One thing that strikes me about these sites (and Woolacombe), is that they all have plenty of other opportunities to make money through other means other than 'selling' touring pitches. E. g. 'static accommodation'; bars/ clubhouse type; restaurants/ food; fitness suites/ gym; all sorts of animations/ activities (many which involve extra cost); even supermarket type shops. Sandy Balls (for example) has 40 different 'activities' including clay pigeon shooting; clay modelling; scuba diving etc. I would say that all this has a far reaching impact on the finances (I. e. income) of a site - probably more than having some pitches emplty through allowing individuals to book specific pitches.
I think the Caravan Club sites are very different in nature to these large commercials. The Club relies on leasing pitches as one of its main sources of income - it probably relies more on having to utilise maximum pitch sales than the large commercialsv .
I'm still not convinced that specific pitch booking is the way the Club has to go at this moment in time. After saying that, I know the Club is aware of changes that it might have to make in the future. Amongst other things, I think one of the major things that the industry as a whole need to address is the vogue for car manufacturers to produce lighter, more economical vehicles, many of which are not as suitable as tugs for the some of the caravans that are being produced. Perhaps the Club will need to look at investing in 'static accommodation' (static caravans, log cabins, pods, even accepting more tents etc) in the same way as the larger commercial sites do. I'm sure time will tell, and I'm sure the Club will change in line with the development of these and other ways that society develops.
In the meantime, my vote is to allow booking of grass and hardstanding type pitches, but not to go for booking specific pitches. Even booking grass and hardstanding type pitches will have its impact on the current system (as BoleroBoy explained), but as I have tried to explain, not as great as the impact of booking specific pitches.
My sense is that the Caravan Club (like the Caravan and Camping Club) are somewhat unique organisations, both which provide another option for us as caravanners and campers - something different to the large commercials. Both the Club's provide a need for its members. Let's keep the variety of styles of sites and systems.
Please understand that all my comments are my own and are not an official line - just the situation as I see it and my own thoughts.
On that note, I will need to stand back from this discussion. I have a busy few weeks followed by a long caravanning holiday over the channel - I am unlikely to be able to keep up to date with all the posts.
Thanks for all your comments.
David
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but that is exactly the point, keep arrangements exactly as they are now! Why changgge the way they currently operate! No serious or silly changes needed at all, keep choosing pitch on arrival! Im sure it will remain thus!
OK, so keep it as it is - but that means no change to being able to book hardstanding or grass as this reduces choice on arrival - as did the change to awning/non awning bookings and the introduction of service pitches whenever they put those in.
No it doesn't, If we go back and read the original post we will find that the poster was quite rightly very specific about the issue they wished discussed, that was the choosing of a pitch of the type booked on arrival on a site or choosing a specific pitch
at the point of booking. They were also rightly specific about their preferred alternative system.It was therefore the choosing of specific pitches (not type) that I referred to!
Incidentally, slightly off topic I know, but I'm all for being able to book types of pitches when sites can accommodate this.
but thats just your preference - obvioulsy everyone would say that the changes they favour - eg for you being able to book grass or hardstanding - are positive moves for a brighter club whilst those you dont like shouldnt be followed through in the name
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Pretty much agree with all you said, David. Have a great time when you do eventually get away.
Off topic, I know, so apologies, but any further news on Lizzie?
O.T.
Thanks for asking M. Still poorly, I'm afraid. Not eating well. Off to vets tomorrow - will post update on pets thread. Thanks Moulesy.
Regards
David
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BPS
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BPS2
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