Southlands IOW
Lovely site,very clean facilities, wardens helpful especially Ian and Kelly. But it’s the same old story 1pm rule.
I asked caravan club to book the ferry I asked for a10am departure from Lymington to Yarmouth they told me £286.00 return. I asked if she could do it cheaper , she came back 9.00am at £153.00 so I took it.
That was why we turned up early.
On arrival was told to park at disused garden centre.We had already waited at Yarmouth car park for over 2 hours. Which has very limited space for a car and caravan.
Arrived back at 1pm to find they were already letting caravans in.
Wasn’t very impressed.
It was a very hot day to have to have waited around with dogs in the car.
The Caravan Club must either offer cheaper ferry journeys so people arrive at 1pm or they will lose a lot of trade.
Visited another site on the Island with fantastic reviews that offer cheaper crossing prices and will let you on from 11am.
Look forward to your reply.
Moderator Comment - Not sure if this is a Review or asking a question? Doesn't really fit the Story Format. I have moved to discussions as you appear to be asking a question.
Comments
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I suspect the answer is that you are dealing with two elements of the Club operation. The sites side and the ferry bookings which I think comes under the Overseas Touring section. Did you actually ask whether there was a latter crossing? The operative might well have just offered the first crossing of the day that appeared on the screen and waited for you to ask if there was a later one. I imagine arrival times at Southlands is no different to those on the mainland and its up to the member to arrive at those times. As to cost, yes Wightlink are very expensive, it cost us £155 to Yarmouth last year in just a motorhome. Red Funnel from Southampton is usually better value. A lot of independent sites on the Island seem to have an arrangement with Red Funnel where they use discounts based on quieter crossings and for fixed lengths of stay. I am still searching for the perfect site in the IOW with easy, level, access to public transport.
David
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Later being 1400 usually.
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With a motorhome one could go direct from the ferry to Osborne House or Mottistone gardens and park and visit there - then go leisurely and later to a chosen campsite . Both those car parks can accommodate reasonably sized motorhomes - though car and caravan might be more problematical but worth a phone call to ask.
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IOW ferries are usually cheaper later and earlier in the day. It does seem silly not to coordinate a different arrival time to help people out on these very short and very expensive ferry journeys. I would definitely check out other offerings or enquire about CLs and how they operate on the IOW.
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I suppose that Southlands is different to the majority of sites and perhaps there is the option for more leeway. I also recall there is quite a large parking area at the entrance where probably half a dozen units could park up out of the way until reception opens for the new day arrivals? Would it be too much to ask that when someone books a ferry with the specific use of Southlands that the contact team actually mention arrival times? Its not too bad for motorhomes as they could probably park up at Morrisons at Lake or even ASDA at Newport but more difficult with a caravan on the back.
David
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Last time we went to southlands there wasn’t a fixed arrival time the wardens knew and appreciated the situation with ferry travel and they either let you in or helped you park up in entrance waiting area.
Thats what I call good site and member management not all sites are the same last thing you want is to be told to clear off and come back at 1pm then find a mile long queue when you have driven to a port caught your ferry etc.
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If you had read the review David you can see that I asked for a later ferry which was twice the price they offered me so I took the earlier ferry, which most people would have took.
We went 4 times last year to Southlands and always got in earlier that 12.00 with NO problem
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There does seem to be a need for joined up thinking within the various departments of the club, Reed.
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We booked the site and crossing from Portsmouth through the Club and it was very reasonable although we had to juggle pitch types to get the 4 days we wanted. Went to a CL first then turned up at Southlands. Didn’t like the location of the serviced pitches but there was plenty of space despite the site being apparently full when we were trying to book. All rather strange.
Be aware that if you turn up for an earlier return ferry at Fishbourne and there is no space you will be turned away with nowhere to park and wait.
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Peedee
We did stay there many years ago with the boys when it was an affiliated site. I would prefer somewhere over the other side of the Island. We really liked Waverley Park in East Cowes but its just such a drag uphill to the site if you are walking, although you can probably walk through the estate opposite to the Newport road? Last year we hired a car but found that expensive for the use we got out of it.
David
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This one o'clock arrival and not letting anyone in before has become the normal this year. It is causing all sorts of problems and frankly is doing the club no favours. We were told by one set of wardens that the club said it was what members said they wanted, we have been member for nearly 45years and have never been asked what we wanted. It has made us decide that far from being a club designed for touring caravaners it is just out to make money. We never asked for seasonal pitches or cabins on site, neither did we ask to be turned away if arriving ten or fifteen minutes early. We are seriously considering our membership as we think the club has lost the plot.
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13.00 arrival time should mean just that, 13.00 arrival time. Southlands should be an exception because of where it is and the fact that you need to catch a ferry to get to it. There is nothing more annoying that getting to a site at 13.00 or just after to find everyone else who got there before 13.00 has been allowed in..
The only problems a 13.00 arrival time causes is for the people who get there before the time! I don't have a problem with it and, if you do there is a simple answer - don't get there before the stated arrival time!
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As previously stated, the wardens had the arrivals down to a tee.
Southland is situated on a narrow road which is also a bus route so queues naturally cause a problem. We have paid £161 for an 11am crossing on a Saturday with a return on a Wednesday at 9.30am with Red Funnel. This means we will need to travel the long way round via Ryde to use up the time until after 1pm costing more for fuel. The booking was made many months ago so I phoned the site to find out what the situation is and was told that a 1pm arrival is mandatory now.
The CAMC is advising people to park up in a coach park in Newport....where they obviously haven't been, as it is the worst lay out for traffic and if you don't know your way around in a car, never mind towing, it's a nightmare.
We have been going to Southland for 11 years but will seriously re-think for next summer.
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I somehow doubt that anyone has been asked directly whether they want 1.00pm arrivals, like you I certainly haven't. It seems to me that the Club does a lot of "silent" listening to what members say. So imagine a situation where people complain in reviews or on social media about people arriving early and the imagined impact that has on someone arriving later not having the choice of pitches. So when people complain about such things they need to be careful what they wish for. If I were a cynical person (
) sometimes these changes in policy also suit the Club in its management of sites. So you can imagine a situation where the Club want a certain arrival time but find it easier to justify to members by pointing out that many members complain about people arriving early. All clever stuff!I tend to agree with mbee1 about Southlands as I think it has special circumstances that most sites don't have. I very much doubt people turn up at that site on spec so the site have a clear idea of how many people are arriving on any one day. There are difficulties of finding suitable parking places in which to wait, especially for caravanners. I keep a regular eye on what is posted on Club Members Facebook pages and the situation at Southlands is causing a great deal of upset to say the least. Lets hope the Club is doing some silent listening!
David
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We've stayed there with our small motorhome so no problems finding a car park en route. For caravanners this is too much to ask. Ferries can only take a limited amount of vans on each trip (and there is a big demand for other sites too) so it can't be expected that vans can all arrive straight from the ferry at a set time. I think it's one of those sites where flexibility is needed, rather like the Scottish Island sites which adapt to customer needs.
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As I said previously we've been going to Southlands for the past 11 years we know the site and the Island very well. It has worked well with arrival times up till now, just a trickle throughout the day no major issues. A lot of people leave early on departure days to catch the early Ferries. Now introducing this arrival time on Southland you will end up with queues pushing back several Vans to later Ferries from Midday onwards
I have no issues with arrival times on other sites so if you're running early you can easily pull over and lose time that's not so simple when you have to catch a Ferry on time.
As for finding a parking space with a caravan on the Island.....good luck !!
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That's ok arriving at 1.00 or soon after until you get to sites like Stover with limited parking and you find that you are along with 5 others arriving at 1.00 and you are having to park on a main road a matter of 50yards or so from a roundabout. These situations are an accident waiting to happen besides road rage and complaints from the "locals". We were in a situation in April where we could not leave the site solo on a Sunday waiting from 12.55.until 1.05. Even then as we got through the gate another van arrived filling the site entrance once more. After going to this site since 1985 we have decided we will not be going again. In fact it's C L S only for us in the future.
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Evening
There are thousands, yes thousands of complaints to the club every year regarding members arriving before the earliest time and being admitted to site. There are also thousands of surveys to the members every year gathering information.
Irrespective if the time is 12.00 or as now 13.00. The talk of queueing out the gate at 13.00 has no bearing at all, what's the difference if it was 12.00? A lot of sites have adopted the "fast track" approach whereby an arrival is met by the gate and ticked off the list and allowed onsite to return later, that's not really a new thing, we first started doing it in 2013. It's easy to get in a 100 arrivals in short time using that method.
When the new system is in members will have already paid for their stay the day before arrival so the getting to a pitch will be even quicker, but definitely NOT before 13.00
I can't speak of Southlands as I've never been or have a desire to. I do know the site staff though
JK
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But there’s no ferry needed to get to Stover so anyone arriving early has no excuse at all as they could have waited in a layby on the A38 or gone to Trago.
However, if several units arrive at 1300, then there is maybe need for the wardens on this one couple site to fast track arrivals as JK described although, as I recall, there is quite a lot of parking space twixt gate and office.
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Yes, that's the problem being talked about on here, not 1pm on other sites and CAMC are actually involved in booking ferry packages for members so this compounds the issue. If they are genuinely concerned about early arrivals they really shouldn't book people onto early ferries!
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We also stayed there many years ago, must have been early 90s. Checking out the buses, the number 7 is an hourly service, 15 minutes into Newport which is a main transport hub for the island. With the right connects, you should be able to get to anywhere on the island in one to two hours? All for free with a bus pass.
peedee
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