Booking difficulty for pre covid members

Redzed32 replied on 30/08/2020 10:25

Posted on 30/08/2020 10:25

With the onslaught of the covid virus and the massive restrictions on foreign travel , it appears not only that the existing membership are filling up club sites , but I suspect also a large influx of new members are too . This is great for the campsites , as they have all faced a very difficult season this year . However , I am experiencing that finding pitches now is very difficult , and a great deal of the sites that could be booked a month in advance previously are full to the end of the season . This obviously makes me question whether membership is actually worth it now , as so far this summer after about  6 weekend breaks , I have realised that none of these were possible through the club . 

This is obviously very disheartening , but there is a much bigger concern at play here , and that is next years bookings . No one has a crystal ball regarding the impact of covid , and we cannot predict what will happen next month , far less what will happen next year . We have the possibility of much of next years sites being booked up by people who would normally holiday abroad , and taking advantage of the booking system . If this occurs , and next year we have little or no travel restrictions , we will end up with a situation again where pre covid members cannot get pitches , and the sites will have a whole load of pre-booked vacant pitches . 

Can I ask ; are other members here experiencing this as well ? And Also ; Does the club itself have concerns about the possibility of the above situation occurring , and how to address this ? 

replied on 31/08/2020 18:24

Posted on 31/08/2020 18:15 by SteveL

Even when we were working we used to plan ahead for both weekends and longer holidays. I think most of the reason folk are complaining they can get this or that, with numerous reasons put for the cause, are due to lack of planning. If someone leaves it till the last minute, possibly because they were hoping to go abroad, or perhaps just undecided, they are going to experience difficulties. We should have been in France this September / October. However, back in April we decided that the writing was on the wall and it would be better to abandon France for 2020 and get in early on bookings here. If we hadn't and we're now struggling for sites, I wouldn't blame anyone but myself. Certainly not newly joined members, who have as much right to book as I do.

Posted on 31/08/2020 18:24

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SeasideBill replied on 31/08/2020 19:03

Posted on 31/08/2020 19:03

All depends on whether we get a vaccine in the New Year. If yes, we’ll quickly get back to normal as confidence returns. If not, booking in 2021 will be worse than 2020. Don’t think I’ll bother with CMC membership next year in that scenario, but maybe keep CCC as it’s proven easier and cheaper to book sites this year. Who’d want to pay membership for a club and not be able to use its facilities?

SteveL replied on 31/08/2020 21:20

Posted on 31/08/2020 18:24 by

I booked last night for a trip starting tomorrow. No difficulties. There is more to (camping) life than the CAMC (thank goodness).

Posted on 31/08/2020 21:20

I am sure there are. However the OP was talking about CAMC sites and in our case those were our preference, hence my comments.

replied on 31/08/2020 21:55

Posted on 31/08/2020 21:20 by SteveL

I am sure there are. However the OP was talking about CAMC sites and in our case those were our preference, hence my comments.

Posted on 31/08/2020 21:55

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nelliethehooker replied on 31/08/2020 22:15

Posted on 31/08/2020 22:15

We booked a 10 site,so far, trip over a month ago, starting next month, and got all the sites we wanted, including one CC site, and will be booking more en route. One just had to use a bit of imagination and be flexible if you can't get exactly that you want. There are lengthier alternatives out there if one has the inclination to search for them.

replied on 01/09/2020 07:03

Posted on 31/08/2020 22:15 by nelliethehooker

We booked a 10 site,so far, trip over a month ago, starting next month, and got all the sites we wanted, including one CC site, and will be booking more en route. One just had to use a bit of imagination and be flexible if you can't get exactly that you want. There are lengthier alternatives out there if one has the inclination to search for them.

Posted on 01/09/2020 07:03

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replied on 01/09/2020 08:08

Posted on 01/09/2020 08:08

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Tridenteight replied on 01/09/2020 08:38

Posted on 01/09/2020 08:38

We booked a series of trips this year and when many were cancelled (Due to the sites being closed) we held our nerve and were rewarded with being able to go on a scheduled trip on 5th July. We felt safe and the site was well run with folks being sensible. I know many have cancelled trips abroad, so if you are not going to use dates, amend or cancel as soon as possible. 

As soon as booking became available again, we rebooked cancelled trips and a few later in the year. Again if there are problems or local lockdowns we will review and amend as necessary. 

We have care duties, so book our respite trips in the UK and within a few hours drive. Going abroad will have to wait until we are fully retired and hopefully post Covid. 

 

Good luck and stay safe

Takethedogalong replied on 01/09/2020 08:56

Posted on 01/09/2020 08:56

It is about a degree flexibility or not at the moment for everyone. We are heading off in next couple of days, I checked a site yesterday just to make sure it had pitches, as I know it’s popular. It has, and our name is listed as turning up. No deposit, cancel if we want. That’s stop two on our tour. Stop one isn’t booked, neither is stops three four and five. It is possible still to head off and tour in UK, but not if you want pitch 25, in busy September, on a Club Site. You don’t have to go overseas to tour and drop onto a Site, you just need to mix up your site choices. I think it will be more difficult to get say a couple of weeks on a single Site this year, but again, not impossible. 

This year is certainly unlike anything experienced before. Club has had thousands of new Members, has had to keep some Sites out of use for one reason or another, and there are thousands of regular overseas loving Brits out there making do/still enjoying being away. Small island, hundreds of thousands of folks trying to enjoy a holiday in the safest way possible in middle of a pandemic. 

replied on 01/09/2020 09:26

Posted on 31/08/2020 18:15 by SteveL

Even when we were working we used to plan ahead for both weekends and longer holidays. I think most of the reason folk are complaining they can get this or that, with numerous reasons put for the cause, are due to lack of planning. If someone leaves it till the last minute, possibly because they were hoping to go abroad, or perhaps just undecided, they are going to experience difficulties. We should have been in France this September / October. However, back in April we decided that the writing was on the wall and it would be better to abandon France for 2020 and get in early on bookings here. If we hadn't and we're now struggling for sites, I wouldn't blame anyone but myself. Certainly not newly joined members, who have as much right to book as I do.

Posted on 01/09/2020 09:26

If someone leaves it till the last minute, possibly because they were hoping to go abroad, or perhaps just undecided, they are going to experience difficulties.

Certainly likely to be so in peak season or Easter if you want somewhere particular.

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