Bank holiday and Xmas bookings!

cazzag5
cazzag5 Forum Participant Posts: 1
edited January 2020 in Caravan & Motorhome Chat #1

Yet again, year after year, there are no available dates for Xmas 2020 at Castleton or Chatsworth and I checked on 03/01/19 (and every day since). As I've mentioned before, Bank Holidays and Xmas bookings should be paid for when booked to make sure the people who just block book through the year for the best dates actually do want to go!

I am aware that I can keep looking for cancellations but when your dates are set you don't want to not end up anywhere.  I find myself booking other places then see slots come available last minute at the place I actually wanted in the first place.

I think if members had to pay up front or even half up front it would make them think about it more!

Just a thought?

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Comments

  • EasyT
    EasyT Forum Participant Posts: 16,194
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    edited January 2020 #2

    Nowt wrong with thinking 

  • Hakinbush
    Hakinbush Forum Participant Posts: 286
    edited January 2020 #3

    Especially when it makes sense..

  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Posts: 23,142 ✭✭✭
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    edited January 2020 #4

    My thought is that if they paid upfront and then had to cancel they simply wouldn’t bother to tell the club with the result that no one else could take advantage of the cancellation.

    Did you not attempt to book at least part of your break when the December 2020 slots were released at the beginning of December? It could have made all the difference.

    I don’t know how long you want to stay for but Chatsworth still has availability until 29 Dec on a non-awning pitch.

  • Cornersteady
    Cornersteady Club Member Posts: 14,427 ✭✭✭
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    edited January 2020 #5

    As indeed happened when the club had deposits. When the deposit system was removed the number of no shows went down.

    The OP has sort of answered his own question, he wants a club site. So do many others, that is the real problem. and the club has said that whatever system is in place that fact remains.

  • Cornersteady
    Cornersteady Club Member Posts: 14,427 ✭✭✭
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    edited January 2020 #6

    make sure the people who just block book through the year for the best dates actually do want to go!

    This block booking has been stated by the club to be a myth, and even if people do book a number of sites what makes you think they do not actually want to go? Do you have any proof of this?

  • davetommo
    davetommo Forum Participant Posts: 1,430
    edited January 2020 #7

    So how do the people who have booked manage it.

    You could always book  2nd or 3rd choice then keep looking for your dates at your 1st choice sites, if your dates become available book and then cancel the other booking.

  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Posts: 23,142 ✭✭✭
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    edited January 2020 #8

    "So how do the people who have booked manage it."

    They probably booked in Dec 2019.

  • davetommo
    davetommo Forum Participant Posts: 1,430
    edited January 2020 #9

    And managed to be the 1st to book the amount of pitches that the site has. Booking these sites on the new system is just the same as the old system. The only change is the 1st day that you can book.

  • MichaelT
    MichaelT Forum Participant Posts: 1,874
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    edited January 2020 #10

    We spent New Year HERE, a great site with better facilities than the club, maybe think outside the box and save a few quid into the bargain!!!wink

  • moulesy
    moulesy Forum Participant Posts: 9,402 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited January 2020 #11

    That site looks really good! We've stayed in the area several times over the years but had never heard of it. Michael, it might be worth mentioning it in the "small private sites" thread - I'm sure many folk would be interested. smile

  • MichaelT
    MichaelT Forum Participant Posts: 1,874
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    edited January 2020 #12

    Done

  • moulesy
    moulesy Forum Participant Posts: 9,402 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited January 2020 #13

    👍

  • harryb
    harryb Forum Participant Posts: 1,536
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    edited January 2020 #14

    Good advice indeed. Nearly £10 less per night than Castleton which is the site the OP was looking at

  • peedee
    peedee Club Member Posts: 9,387 ✭✭✭
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    edited January 2020 #15

    The old perennial.....the Club is not going to change while members are prepared to wait for cancellations. Book elsewhere or just don't bother and save yourself the frustration of trying to get a Club pitch.

    peedee

  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
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    edited January 2020 #16

    You cannot book another site until you have cancelled your present booking,  it has taken 3 seperate bookings to get our Xmas and New year 2020/21

    And it I think was available to book from the first Wed in Dec 2019

  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
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    edited January 2020 #17

    And your point is ?except it is the first Wed on each month for the next year's pitch 

  • DavidKlyne
    DavidKlyne Club Member Posts: 13,860 ✭✭✭
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    edited January 2020 #18

    There always seems to be an assumption made that if we had to pay deposits, or indeed, as the OP suggests pay in full then suddenly everyone would get what site they wanted for the dates they wanted. GIven that Castleton and Chatsworth have only 212 pitches available between them over that period on any one day and people tend to stay longer over Christmas there are not a lot of pitches to go round. So even with what the OP suggests it still might be difficult to get into these sites and you could still end up disappointed?

    David

  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
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    edited January 2020 #19

    Just that min two night/three nights at times and deposit plus earliest are time 1300 hour all the things that the nay sayers about the club "comment"aboutwink

  • MichaelT
    MichaelT Forum Participant Posts: 1,874
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    edited January 2020 #20

    As the OP is saying that people should pay up front then a small deposit would not be a problem to themwink  Also as most people will satay longer than 1 night t Christmas then the minimum booking period should also not be an issuesmile.

    13:00 arrival no different to Chatsworth is it?

  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
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    edited January 2020 #21

    Just pointing out some of the points that many , you included are constantly banging on about when the cc in mentioned as if as some say ,the club is out of touch with what "most want"arrival times one of the most mentioned and Chatsworth is part of the club model that seems to satisfy a large portion undecided

  • MichaelT
    MichaelT Forum Participant Posts: 1,874
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    edited January 2020 #22

    Not me banging on must be the wrong Mr Tundecided

  • Goldie146
    Goldie146 Club Member Posts: 2,448 ✭✭✭
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    edited January 2020 #23

    Just out of interest (and being nosey), why do you particularly want to go to Chatsworth? What’s it got that other sites don’t have? 

     

  • davetommo
    davetommo Forum Participant Posts: 1,430
    edited January 2020 #24

    My point is that the 1st ones that manage to get through online or by phone get the pitches. 

  • davetommo
    davetommo Forum Participant Posts: 1,430
    edited January 2020 #25

    Didn’t know that. Could you do by amending your booking.

  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Posts: 23,142 ✭✭✭
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    edited January 2020 #26

    What would be the point of amending the booking to different dates which you don't want, booking another site for the dates you do want and then cancelling the amended booking for the first site?🤔

  • Freddy55
    Freddy55 Club Member Posts: 1,810 ✭
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    edited January 2020 #27

    “What’s it got that other sites don’t have? ”

    Chatsworth House next door  smile

  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
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    edited January 2020 #28

    It is possible to make it into one booking and I would do so, but not going to chance it as i would say there are several looking for a pitch at the site concerned all the time and if i canceeled to take am end into one booking the cancellation would be snapped up before I could combine it I no my other bookings, so it will stay as three and be combined on arrivalsurprised

  • davetommo
    davetommo Forum Participant Posts: 1,430
    edited January 2020 #29

    I meant amend it to a different site.

  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Posts: 23,142 ✭✭✭
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    edited January 2020 #30

    Which is why I posted the above.

    You can only amend an existing booking in terms of dates, pitch type, people etc.  What you suggest would be a separate booking for another site so, no, it is not possible. That’s certainly the case online but I don’t know whether the call centre could do it.

  • MichaelT
    MichaelT Forum Participant Posts: 1,874
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    edited January 2020 #31

     Wouldn't that be worse than the supposed "block booking" where someone could book several sites for the same dates then choose which one to take based on say weather, full week availability etc.  I think limiting to one booking a date has clear logic.  

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