Center Parcs WTAF!

[croyde]

Been loads of times whilst the kids were growing up. Always thought it maybe a tad expensive but decent enough if you cook in most of the time and just enjoy cycling and the water park.

Thought I'd book just now for Easter, just 7 nights.

2 bed woodland lodge is £2200 for the week

Now looking at week in a 3 bed villa with a pool in Mallorca for 5 people including flights, airport parking and car hire...........£1100.

Thing is, it doesn't look like people vote with their feet as closer to any school holiday and Center Parcs is fully booked.

[croyde]

bakerstreet said:

I'm going to call BS on this. Show me your villa in Mallorca for 5 people including flights for £1100 and I'll book that myself now.

Centre Parcs has always been very expensive. Simple solution is don't go.

We did it for our main holiday in June of last year with some friends and we all had a great time. We have considered it again, but my OH doesn't want to spend her evenings cooking for the family which is basically just like being at home and I understand that. Yes, there are restaurants on site, but they are very expensive for what they IMO.

James Villas.

It was possible last week, prices have risen a little. Quite a few for £334pp on the site at the moment for a week at Easter, still with the car hire and airport parking.

So now it's £1670 for 5 but only £1336 for 4 compared to 4 at CP for £2200.

Add in the cost of the Parc Market at CP and the Spanish option is a bloody bargain.

ETA If the CP option had come in at £1200 to £1500, I would have gone for it as it is easy compared to getting to the airport, delays etc plus no guarantee of decent weather in Mallorca at Easter.

Once did Lanzerote at Easter. It was freezing cold and pished down all week. No fun in an unheated apartment with an unheated pool.

My eldest is 19 now and we have been doing Center Parcs almost every year until 3 or 4 years ago. Never thought it too pricey. Did a great break for the extended family over Christmas, a few years back, at Woburn and really enjoyed it.

Just think over 2 grand for their basic lodge is extracting the urine. Still people pay and it gets booked up, so no reason for CP to slash their prices.

Edited by croyde on Friday 18th January 09:53

Edited by croyde on Friday 18th January 09:55

[croyde]

Muncher said:

If you are driving to CP why don't you take a week's worth of food in the car, we always do. I also suspect given where the exchange rate is, food shopping in Spain will be just as expensive.


For balance, we have a 4 bedroom games lodge booked for the first week in May (hot tub, sauna, games room, maid and concierge) which cost £1,549.

I suspect that's not in the school hols

The week before I want to go the same lodge is half the price. Ah well.

[croyde]

Seems CenterParcs website is now a useful place to tell not only when the school holidays are but also when the private schools are off

This half term in October for a little lodge, 2 bedrooms, 4 nights £999, second week when state schools go back but private are still off, £1499, then week when all kids are back at school £499.

Got to hand it to them.

I only looked as my work won't give me half term off but despite being State, my boy's school is doing a 2 week half term in October. Thought I'd be quids in as they'd be the only school off that 2nd week, I forgot about private schools.

[croyde]

True.

Well instead of £1500 at half term at CP, am going for all inclusive with free access to next door water park for also £1500 incl flights and transfers in Majorca.

[croyde]

Out of interest I just looked at the Belgian one, same 2 bed lodge, same week in October half term, 928 Euros compared to £999 in the UK. About the same and you'll have ferries/tunnel costs to add on.

[croyde]

There was definitely a time when I thought CP was worth it.

When the kids were pre school and you went out of season. Drop them off at baby club and the wife went to the spa and I went cycling off site.

Baby sitter in the evening and out for a drink and a nice dinner at the Indian restaurant.

Once the kids got bigger then it was paying for loads of extras and getting ripped off in the school holidays.

Edited by croyde on Monday 9th September 16:16

[croyde]

Welshbeef said:

So you go on holiday with the family but first chance you get into baby sitting so you can go on your push bike and the Mrs can have some me time in the spa - then come the evening sitter again for drinks and a curry.
Did you actually see your kids during the holiday ?

Sorry if it came over rude but if it was the way you described it it sounds like you simply wanted a holiday sans your own kids...
Say no more.

When you go skiing do you leave the kids at home with grandparents for the week ?

I just knew, being PH, that someone would jump down my throat

Of course I also rented a bike buggy and took the little ones out, went walking with them and lots of time in the pool.

Baby club/kids club in the morning as the toddlers loved it. Lunch together, afternoon together and babysitter once, sometimes twice in the week.

Because in the evenings little ones sleep.

My boys are hulking sulking teens these days yet I still take them out for dinner, cinema, canoeing, trips abroad despite it costing a fortune.

Check out the holiday threads as I'm desperately trying to find somewhere reasonable yet warm for their October half term.

Honestly, PH! where having a dig matters.

PS. Despite working, I was their main carer when they were young, for quite a few years due to their mum suffering from breast cancer. I also gave up my life in the country with my girlfriend to come back to London to look after them. So you can see, I put them first.

This is a thread about the cost of going to Center Parcs so do add your thoughts if you have any experiences. Don't read the threads and start nit picking about people's lives, especially when you know nothing about them.

Edited by croyde on Tuesday 10th September 07:58

Edited by croyde on Tuesday 10th September 08:05

[croyde]

I used to work the summers on Nickelodeon road shows at Butlins and Haven.

Quite often we'd be stuck with youngsters as we were clearing up and derigging.

Parents were normally found getting sluiced in the bar.

One young lad's parents had left the site and gone on a day trip.

[croyde]

£10 grand for a week at CP. Wow!

Surely that would easily cover a family at a Mark Warner in Greece or Sardinia with water sports all included

[croyde]

My lot went to kids clubs at Mark Warner's. There was a morning, afternoon and evening session.

They could go if they wanted to and most of the time they did. They learned to sail and windsurf. Met and made new friends.

If they didn't want to they would either hang around with their mum at the pool or come with me and go sailing.

Kids do have their own minds too.

[croyde]

ClaphamGT3 said:

Each to their own but that to me just sounds really sad. The joy that I - and they - had from teaching them to sail was immeasurable - I’d have hated to have left it to some disinterested gap-year adolescent to teach them

If you want adult time whilst on holiday, either leave the children at home or take the nanny/au pair to look after them

But I can't do the proper RYA courses as I'm not an instructor. They came away with proper knowledge and experience that helped when I took them sailing or they went with their schools.

Again their choice. One of them in later visits decided she would rather spend time with me. Which was lovely. As long as they have a good holiday.

I'm about to take my boys away to an all inclusive with waterpark somewhere hot. Not really my cup of tea but it's about them.

Not sure why random posters keep piling and saying kids clubs are bad. Sure some are but many are not.

[croyde]

gregs656 said:

I'd like to see a cross reference of adults who post lamenting the 'loss' of childhood summers like they had: outside, bikes, friends, turning up just in time for dinner etc who also post they can't imagine their kids going out and actually enjoying themselves with kids their own age, or even worse, suggesting parents who give their kids a bit of freedom are uncaring or unloving.

Some people should take a serious look at them selves. Ideally in the rear view mirror of the Porsche they didn't buy.

Good post

Completely agree

[croyde]

Well I looked at the second week of half term, when the private schools are still off, but my lot's State school is doing a 2 week half term this year, and a 2 bed at CP is £1500.

I'm now looking at all inclusives in the Canaries including flights at £2000, or a week at a beautiful villa with a pool in Kefalonia for £1500 incl flights and a company I have used before for the car, £130 for the week with completely FULL CDW. Throw a brick through the window when you pick it up and it won't cost any extra.

OK it's a risk with the weather but it does make you wonder how CP gets away with it, but at a quoted 97% booking rate, why would they ever drop their prices?

They would be mad to do so, plus people are just mad enough to pay it.