Club Site Arrival Times
Comments
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The site at Kendal has a 12 noon arrival time. This is because the lane to approach the site is too narrow for caravans to pass each other.
caravans must leave by 11 am so there is no need to pass in the lane. If caravans arrive early there is deadlock as most caravanners cannot reverse their units.
Any arrival time should be adhered to for whatever reason. All members should adhere to them.
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Absolutely correct! If I meet another caravan arriving early on my way out of two sites I frequent we both have big problems. This rule needs to be observed!!
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What a difference of attitude between some wardens who behave like that and actual site owners
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I agree with what you say that members should adhere to the arrival and departure times, but according to the 20/21 Club directory, the arrival time for Kendal is 1.00 pm. I am booked in for next week so checked my booking form to make sure of the times and the arrival time is definitely 1.00 pm and the departure time is up until 12.00 noon.
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When the sites first opened 12th April i was given a choice of times for arrival i chose what suited me ( 10.30 ) when i arrived there was no one else waiting. Went again to the same site arrival time was 12 noon i arrived 12.15 there was ten others queuing before me.
is it not better to give each person a different fixed time for arrival when booking?
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Funny that - I just posted a similar comment on the other thread about "no arrivals after 8.00pm"
Rock up in France between 12.00 & 14.00 - no chance of finding the office open. Adjourn to nearest bar/cafe, where you will doubtless find the warden (or whatever they are called in France).
Roll with the system - it works for the majority.
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is it not better to give each person a different fixed time for arrival when booking?
People would just ignore it.
Its not no chance in France, very often, especially on the smaller sites there is a note saying pitch up and check in later and definitely there is no problem checking in earlier than 12 noon.
peedee
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I don't really think that is an option under normal circumstances as there are too few staff to do all of the jobs that there are to do, prior to people arriving on site. Something else to ponder as well, is that the ones who at the moment think that the rules don't apply to them and usually arrive well before the 12.00 or 1.00 arrival time, would take umbrage if others were given an earlier arrival time than them and would very likely kick up a fuss, as they would think that they were missing out on all of the good pitches.
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Those were exceptional circumstances with huge influxes of arrivals expected and, as it was the first day, site staff could devote all their time to dealing with arrivals as there were no other chores to do.
Despite the allocated times, people still arrived well ahead of schedule and queued at the gates so I’m afraid that is the proof of PD's statement that folk would ignore it.
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You've hit the nail on the head "Too few staff to do all the jobs that there are to do".
Do you know what is the difference between a professional doing a job and an amateur? it is not necessarily the quality of the finished product which might be identical but the time taken. The professional is invariably much quicker.
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And cost the earth for doing it so.
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Missed completely. We all know that these early arrivals who do know better are just trying to win one over us. Wouldn’t turn up early for a doctors or dentist appointment, a restaurant booking, a theatre or cinema or anywhere else that has clearly stipulated arrival times. Some are just selfish or want the world to change to suit them and by goodness are they determined to tread on the feet of others in doing so in some instances. Come on, please don’t tip up knowingly early and blame everyone and everything else for your non compliance.
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In the many years we have be using all manner of sites , ,I can understand on a few occasions how it can be a problem with arrival times on all manner of sites,
Latest for us was yesterday ,the site we were on Sunday had no arrivals, earlier than 12 noon and departures by 1030am we managed to negotiate an 1130 latest dep ,our next site where we are now, is 1300 arrival time and the journey between the two was less than an hour max time,
A site we stay in Norfolk is is 1400 arr time which as it is 45mins from a latest 1200dep site where we stay normally before moving on,
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It might have been said before, (I've not read all 48 posts), but for every caravan entering a site there has to be one leaving to vacate a pitch, especially at weekends when many sites are full. It would be unrealistic to expect people to leave the site even earlier than the 12 noon deadline that is in force just to allow in members who want to arrive early. Are these same early arrivals the ones that leave it until 1 minute to 12 noon to leave (and sometimes later than that) on their day of departure? We can't have it both ways.
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On every site I have ever been on there has been early leavers and last minute leavers. During the week, away from high season, there will invariably be spaces overnight so 10.00 arrivals would not be a problem. The system employed by the CAMC is caused by the inability to change work patterns and ideas that are 25 years out of date.
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In my experience plenty of folk leave well before 12:00, even on a weekend. We are normally on the road by 10:00 at the latest and often before. Occasionally we have left as late as 11:00 and a full site has substantially emptied by then.
From an available pitch point of view I can’t see a problem with arrivals from say 10:00. However, there are clearly other logistical problems that would interfere with this. The terms and conditions are clear when we make our bookings. If it’s a problem I can’t understand why folk don’t pick an alternative provider. Perhaps they can’t find one.🤔 Not in the UK anyway.😉
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To say this arrivals situation is unique to the UK is a nonsense. I have seen huge queues at French and Spanish sites particularly late June thru Sept more so on Fridays even though these sites have dedicated reception staff.
Out of season not so much a problem but this is the same in the UK, perhaps not this year as a result of covid, but a couple of weeks ago i was on a commericial site with approx 200 pitches, tent/caravan with only approx 50 vans onsite so arriving departing was not an issue, rock up choose your pitch warden comes round on his buggy to check your ok and reports that you are on pitch Nbr. back to reception on his walkie talkie.
When the Spanish, in particular flock to the coast they arrive in droves either to holiday apartments in huge urbanisations or camping sites, even arriving at 2200 hrs or later setting up the caravan complete with aircon droning on, and bbq accompanied by much drinking and singing until the early hours, never an issue with us it is what the Spanish like to do, get over it
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Work patterns as you call it? have changed beyond all recognition, in the years we have been members
One major change is the working time directive where before that (according to the site staff we know)their contracts were worded "as many hours as is needed to run the site to the standards expected by our members?"
Much work has also as far as site staff are concerned ,,has been made harder with the removal from sites of equipment that could be mounted on the mini tractors three point, , ,and now has to be done by hand tools taking far longer which makes for longer time needed when pitch repairs are required, mostly carried out before the booked arrival times, and of course has not been helped by the latest add cleaning need through the covid pandemic
Also now that a lot of site repairs are outsourced "higher costs" that in the past was possible to be done by the site staff , will also be another reason vacant pitches will appear on site previously showing full
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When the Spanish, in particular flock to the coast they arrive in droves either to holiday apartments in huge urbanisations or camping sites, even arriving at 2200 hrs or later setting up the caravan complete with aircon droning on, and bbq accompanied by much drinking and singing until the early hours, never an issue with us it is what the Spanish like to do, get over it
But the thread is about club site arrival times. Not what the Spanish do when they mass migrate.🤔
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That is where it seems many who post on here about never having to book,and /or queue and are not it seems talking uk sites seem as in the UK to be travelling and staying out of the peak season when the situation over here, if ruining late as advised in the booking pages to ring the site concerned,as it as said so often ""it pays to talk
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So there you go, you are comparing an out of season situation with what is predominately i suspect an in-seasoon problem in the UK, and you have no knowledge of what happens in high season overthere. Personally I very seldom use club sites not that arrival departure times are of particular concern
"If it’s a problem I can’t understand why folk don’t pick an alternative provider. Perhaps they can’t find one.🤔 Not in the UK anyway"
Loads of alternatives in the UK I use them all the time, and as i seldom use club sites for a variety of reasons, but certainly not because of the checking in regime, in fact i will be visiting one next week, where i have already chosen my pitch, the owners have sent me travel instructions and a contact number if i have any problems, so all i need do is rock up.
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I think i agree with you
, however, and i must say i have never checked just how much profit/loss the club makes and am not terribly interested, but i do sometimes wonder how profitable commercial sites are in comparison to club sites, where as a norm they have e.g. permanent reception staff, contract cleaners, a fleet of wardens etc.For sure to combat some of the arrival problems e.g. queuing, permanent reception staff could be a plus but at what cost. Most commercial sites i use which match the facilities provided by CAMC are no more expensive than club sites, ok i use many where a swimming pool is provided but even these can be on a par price wise with the clubs more upmarket sites.
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Yet even if true, despite this inability...and ideas out of date the club continues to attract large numbers of people to go to it's sites, often having full(ish) sites and the proof is people complain about not getting pitches, record numbers of new memberships and then gets them to re-join each year. It is a puzzle isn't it?
Why should it change it's inability to change and out of date ideas when it appears to be so successful? would you if you were in charge of the club? would you risk it? It's no good saying if the club does it will get more people because it's 'full' already?
But as I've said if the club bothers anyone that much with it's practices go to where you'll find an ability to change and up to date ideas. No one if forced to endure the conditions on a club site, but many do. I don't know - perhaps they like it? Wild theory but there you go.
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