Arrival time at Ferry Meadows changed to 1pm
Comments
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That would be an admission of turning up early so I doubt you'll see many hands raised.
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I arrived 30 minutes early at Blackpool South a couple years ago and was turned away by the warden. I was fine with it. It was my mistake
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I have just checked my last four bookings with the C&MC just to make sure a previous statement of mine was correct and only one of them, Ferry Meadows, mentions arrival time and that at 12p.m.was incorrect. It does not seem normal practice to point out arrival and departure times on the booking confirmation. I have suggested it should because it would help ensure members do not arrive early.
peedee
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Personally I think the onus is on the individual to check the latest information. However we generally get one of the emails shown below 10 days before we leave. This clearly states the arrival and leaving times. I don’t think having them on the booking that much of an advantage. Many like us book well ahead and things change. Generally after receipt we never look at the booking confirmation again. It just gets filed electronically in the saved reservations file and entered onto our iPad calendar. It’s Always worth checking the web site just before going, there is sometimes something about road works or a local event affecting access.
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If one arrives at a shop before the opening time but you can see staff working inside, do you expect to be let in. No.
If one goes to the hospital or doctors and arrive early for your appointment, do you expect to be seen early as the doctors are almost certainly there? No.
If you arrive at an airport early for your flight do you expect to be put on an earlier flight? No.
So what makes a caravan site any different?
"Manners maketh man".
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FM was changed to 1300. hrs arrival time last year as many other sites on the network to give site staff more time for the additional. cleaning required to help combat the covid pandemic as advised to all members via the covid pages on the clubs website.
Those who know FM has in the last couple of years had to have an add set of barriers installed to deter some others from entering the site
, which has saved employing the 24hr contractor security on the entrance.But because the past it was 1200hrs arrival times many members who have used the site for years seem not to think to check, and are still arriving at 1200 or earlier
, which now blocks Ham Lane as those who like us. now notice a member of the site team are needed to man the first barrier ,and have a list of booked arrivals and will open the First barrier to let early arrivals as far as the booking in area ,,to then wait for other staff to get to open the office after the toilets are finished cleaning, and pitches from the days departures to be "serviced"As posted before although sites may have more than one couple as needed to now cover the hours , other than at busy times normally Friday and Saturday there will not be a full complement as they are now with the WTD not required to all work24/7as some members seem not to understand
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I don’t disagree on club sites. The web site states an earliest arrival and that should be adhered to.
However, with some things like ferries or shuttles there is a must arrive by time. We have arrived early both at the IOW ferry and Eurotunnel and been put on earlier crossings.
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I don't recall seeing an email quite like in your picture but there would be no harm in displaying arrival and departure times on both the booking confirmation and the pre arrival email shot. It would serve to emphasise times even more and if ever penalties were introduced they can be no excuses unless you are a real ludite and don't have email. I wonder how many that would apply to?
peedee
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We have been put on earlier ferries if space permits both in our RVs and when we have been on coach tours
I do not know if it still applies.? Years ago there was a cheap tunnel fare after1800 we have been there at 1600and still been allowed on
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The Club must accept responsiblity for early arrivals for not having a consistant policy across the network and when they have changed the arrival times because of local circumstance, members are being advised incorrectly about the changes. Just had another look at my Ferry Meadows booking made in March for a June arrival and here is what it said:
"There have been reports of cycle thefts in the Peterborough area. If you are taking your bicycles, we advise that you use a high security lock when not in use. Alternatively bike hire is available in Nene Park
We are unable to accommodate arrivals on this site before 12pm."
On all my other bookings this year there is no mention of arrival or departure times. I tend not to take too much notice of pre arrival information emails if I have been to the site before which is probably why I do not recognise the format in the picture posted by SteveL or is this something fairly new? However, booking confirmation emails are scrutinised to check I have actually got the booking right. I would also suggest keep the booking confirmation information to a minimum to avoid clutter and move announcements like the need to keep bicycles secure to the pre arrival information.
peedee
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The big difference between a club site and a ferry terminal is that there is masses of space to park at the terminal but not at a club site. I too have been put on an earlier ferry on a couple of occasions (after a 220 mile drive) but similarly I have been told to wait for the ferry I was booked on. Terminals cater for queuing vehicles, it's part of the system, but caravan sites don't have that luxury.
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The Club must accept responsiblity for early arrivals
Might be just me PD but I think that folk should take on some of the responsibility themselves. It’s hardly difficult or onerous for most to check the web site for any recent changes. Both time and access problems. OK there will be a few on tour without any means of checking the internet but that number is getting fewer and fewer. I agree they could be more consistent in how they communicate and mistakes do happen. Which is why it’s important to check.Would you set off for a ferry you had booked a year or several months before without glancing at the companies web site for any variations that might not have been communicated to you? I know we don’t.
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I think on all our bookings for FM ,it states on the booking page when you are expected to arrive and I think on most if not all it states the times , I have not noted that any I have booked it is earlier than 1200-1400 and FM is 1300-1500
All our bookings are accessed via the my bookings on your my profile page
two copies of which is printed off and one kept in the site directory and the other in OHs hand bag ,0 -
Would you set off for a ferry you had booked a year or several months before without glancing at the companies web site for any variations that might not have been communicated to you? I know we don’t.
Probably, I would tend to rely on the travel company keeping me informed. I certainly cannot recall ever doing this but I haven't used the ferries for years and web would have been in its infancy at the time. I certainly don't check on tunnel, cruise or flight departures, of more concern is likely to be traffic conditions to the place of departure.
peedee
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I have had the emails that Steve illustrated for each booking I have made. I have just checked my next site booking email and it clearly says arrival 12-14.00. So it seems the Club does make it perfectly clear when you should arrive. I suppose someone booking by phone whilst already on a tour could miss out on arrival information but I would have thought that type of booking is in the minority?
David
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John, i dont disagree with your post but in the case of CC sites, there is an 'incentive' for folk to arrive early...the perception of getting 'the best pitch'.
not dissimilar to going to a concert where there are no specific place tickets, folk will queue really early in order to sprint to an area near the stage for 'the best view'.
in a theatre with pre booked seats, this doesnt happen as customers know where they will be and that their seat is guaranteed.
similarly, with a pre booked pitch at (say) a commercial site, the customer knows that this selected pitch is waiting for them, so again, no need to rush to the 'venue'.
by employing a system of 'first come first served' (free for all?) some CC customers will want to be 'first served' and so need to be 'first come'....
these are the ones queuing well before 'opening time'.
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Yes I've also received emails like that in the past from the club.
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Over the years I've checked my average mph on long journeys which probably take in motorways, dual carriageways and A roads. The number of times the average has come out at 44mph makes it possible to judge reasonably well how long it will take travelling and we know, again through experience, how long we usually stop for breaks. The leaving time from home can then be adjusted accordingly for the journey ahead. Yes, we might get hold-ups but that will not make us early at a site.
If we want an early start to avoid known traffic black-spots we will factor in a longer refreshment stop about an hour from our eventual destination. Simple planning means that we don't arrive early at a site. Getting to a site dead on the earliest arrival time might give us an extra hour on site but then again we may have to queue at reception behind all those others that have arrived early or dead on time. Life is not too short to worry about losing an hour of the holiday - even at our age.
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That is the problem these days no one it seems is able or sensible enough to do things for themselves , and it is not in human nature in any scenario to not make a mistake when collating in formation, to others
Even with modern technology whe the push of a button is at times all that is needed, at some point the information has had to have human intervention
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Good post, my personal average speed that I've used for almost as many years as I've been caravanning is 40 mph and just like you that makes it very easy to work out arrivals times. I usually throw in one hour extra for any unexpected events if it's an late afternoon/evening arrival. I like to arrive after one if it's a 'midday' arrival.
Also sat nav and/or google maps now will pin point any traffic holdups.
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We were glad we did once many years ago, before the internet, so the checking was by phone. It was at a time of lots of problems with the French blockading the ports. Phoned up BF the day before our night crossing only to be told it was cancelled. However, if you can get here for tonight we have a space. We just made it.😀 It was at a time when we only went for two weeks, so wouldn’t have wanted to have lost any of it.
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As I said in my post technology still relies in the most part for fallible. human input ,(CT is a prime example) it is and I expect. It to be still in the future , to always if important to give the "we are experiancing an exceptionally busy call rate today) under manned call centres a ring
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