Booking a pitch
Comments
-
Steve - on the two sites that we stayed on last year, where it was possible to book a specific pitch, there was no restiction on which day you arrived or departed.
The ability to book a specific pitch was purely optional and there was a small additional charge for it.
I have stayed on other sites in the past where this was the case.
It's simply a matter of moving the pitch selection from arrival day to booking day, so has absolutely no impact on pitch availability.
1 -
no, you're simply not going to club sites where choosing your own pitch and no deposits is the norm. You choose whichever is best for you.
2 -
Don't understand why you think the club is "forging ahead"? To me it's still in the dark ages. We can't book a specific pitch but "sorry you can't have that pitch because a humungous MH or TA is due in". Tough! Should have got there earlier. And don't spout about "pitch management" because it doesn't wash. Until a change is made its first come first served regardless of type of unit or size.
Yes I would like pitch choice and would be prepared to pay a premium for it.
1 -
Maybe that's why you joined C&MC to have choice and not to pay deposits.
AS locations may well differ from the club's norm.
2 -
Free choice of pitch at midday means caravans in a queue blocking the entrance half an hour before that, which distresses many of you. You can't have one without the other. Pre booking pitches or at least type of pitch would solve that problem at a stroke.
0 -
Can't say that I have experienced that at 11.30 ET. Do you get there early?
I aim to arrive about 12.15. Would prefer earlier and not for the need to get a particular pitch but simply to get set up and get on with our day.
I know that some CC members have said that they use C&CC sites at busy tomes for the ability to book hard standing. No way would I wish to book a specific pitch but to be able to select hard standing would be welcome.
0 -
Those who have booked hard standing have a choice of HS and probably the choice to change to grass should they desire. Those who have booked grass would have a choice of grass pitches.
In reality booking HS or Grass on CC sites will not happen anytime soon if ever.
0 -
That's your choice.
I was responding to one particular poster and not stating a view.
0 -
I am sorry but booking specific pitches does cause empty pitches and loss of revenue. This is the reason commercial sites charge extra for the privilidge. The extra charge should cover the revenue lost and they do not have the extra work. We need the pitches available and so booking a specific pitch is juist not on.
It would also mean wardens having to restrict the pitches available to people arriving, causing a fair bit of work identifying them and would cause far too many arguments from people who see an empty pitch and want it. This would be made even worse if someone following them in but booking for a shorter period was able to take the pitch they had wanted.
You would also get people who ask to stay longer only to find they are on a booked pitch and have to move to get another night.
7 -
certainly agree that knowing your preferred pitch type was allocated at the time of booking would (might) prevent a good deal of the 12 o clock queue, especially if the weather has been a bit damp and the squeeze is on for HS pitches.
0 -
The extra charge is typically about £5 to £10 so it certainly isn't intended to cover a lost night's booking. I believe it's just a small extra because they can get away with charging that.
As I said before, it doesn't lead to empty pitches - all it does it move the selection from the time of arrival to the time of booking. So no difference.
If people are not happy when they arrive that they can't have a certain pitch, then surely the answer to them is to book that certain pitch?
It shouldn't be a problem for the wardens to point out available pitches - a simple mark on the site plan that they give new arrivals anyway. Something that a computer could very easily do.
Arrival time would be far less frantic anyway. As others have said, knowing which pitch you've booked means no 12 noon rush - makes life easier for the wardens,
2 -
I don't understand the assumption that the '12 noon rush' is due to people desperately trying to get the best pitch. The site is available form 12 noon. I delay my departure from home or previous site to arrive at 12 noon. If from a previous site I can easily depart at 8.30 but probably kill some time so as to arrive just after 12. Why? Simple - I want to get set up and carry on with the rest of the day. Stroll around a local village, maybe some shopping if weather is poor, or go for a walk before having to prepare an evening meal. I do not wish to twiddle my thumbs so as to arrive an hour later. If arrival time were 11am then I would aim to arrive just after 11am. I do not think that I am unique.
0 -
Totally disagree Ian, it will most certainly lead to lost site nights. However, that apart it will even further disadvantage those that are unable to book early. At the moment they can arrive on site with a 3 day booking and hope to add on extra days or the weekend if there is a cancellation. However, if the pitch you are on is specifically booked this would not be possible, unless you moved. I for one would not bother just for a couple of days and we don't have an awning. For this reason alone the CAMC will loose revenue.
2 -
It might have an affect at some sites that are particularly known for problems. However, the 1 pm sites such as Chatsworth are particularly prone to the rush and it is all hardstanding. As ET says folk want to get set up and spend the afternoon doing something. If arrival is 12 noon we often do not arrive until 1 pm. However on a 1 pm site we aim for 13:01.
0 -
May I ask those who seem to be so much against pre-booking of pitches -
1) If you think it would mean that someone else would 'grab' your favoured pitch at booking time, then couldn't you simply overcome this by booking that pitch?
(It's not that far removed from the concept that those who book early get a pitch on a popular site, thus preventing those who don't book early.......and I keep reading on here that booking early is the answer to getting the booking that you want, when people complain about not being able to book certain sites).
2) If you really are against the idea of pre-booking pitches, then surely you could simply take up the option of.......not pre-booking a pitch?
0 -
Ian what are you on about? People extend there bookings all the time and almost all CAMC bookings are pre booked. Not many turn up on spec.
We have extended our bookings on numerous occasions and we are far from unique. If pre booking of specific pitches was permitted there is every chance you could not extend your stay on the pitch you are on.
0 -
Count me in as well for extending, did it numerous times during those long school holidays, perhaps those with less holidays per year can't but a lot of my teaching colleagues did.
Fantastic feeling when you do it, 'nah, don't feel like packing up and going home tomorrow, shall we stay on? open a bottle of wine!'
1 -
But if your "system" was introduced then it would be, ,because if grotty only those who did not know the site layout would have "requested" it and we would be on a pitch in a prime area,and as we have been on most sites in England and Wales we tend to know from the site map of the area we head for on arrival at about 1200hrs
0 -
When I said that we extend our stay on sites 1.7 times a year I was wrong. I was thinking of the times that I stay later on a site before moving on. (We do sometimes include another site before going home but that is off topic).
What is on topic is that we tour 3 times a year and also have one long stay in December. We often start our holiday several days early than planned though. That happens quite often. This time for example I have put the post on hold from a Saturday when we go on the following Wednesday. We may well go away 3 days earlier and often do. Th post starts 5 days after our planned return. (I can always bring it forwards with a phone call).
0
)