What on Earth to do for a whole WEEK at centre parcs?

[CovidCorvid]

20yo Dd who obviously has more money than sense has booked a week with her bf next spring. They think they got a bargain at £900 as the other weeks were over 1k. 🙄

They had no idea they’re only allowed 4x 2hr slots in the pool and also thought all the other activities were free. They’re now having a panic as they have no money left for activities. Guess that’s their Xmas presents sorted anyway….spending money for activities and the pancake house!

Can anyone recommend what activities are good as they will need quite a few. Also do the huts have WiFi now, they’re just in a basic one. If so and they take a fire stick will they be able to get Netflix?

They’ve paid £1000 to go to a family holiday centre 20 mins from where they live. Why? There’s absolutely fuck all to do there if you’re not entertaining kids. Why are they so bothered about swimming in a wave pool with a couple of kids slides? This is so odd.

Why not stay in a nice but cheap Airbnb near a nice public swimming pool? And do loads of nice cultural things, eat in lovely independent restaurants, go on walks in stunning countryside / by the sea?

Does she know the pool at CP is basically kid soup? not envy. She isn't going to want to get in that 3 or 7 times or whatever it is anyway.

For £900 plus spending money she could go somewhere nice and a bit further from home maybe?

Sorrento - half board £720 for both of them for 7 nights last week in April.

Get kid soup CP cancelled OPs daughter!

Oh, and it's been a while but our fire stick just buffered the whole time so we had to watch badger watch

We paid £820 for a caravan in Caister in August - apart from swimming you had to pay extra for anything else - so I don't think £900 for CP compares badly. The OP didn't ask whether they should cancel and book Sorrento or a cultural visit elsewhere instead so some very odd replies on here. OP, I hope they have a great time.

Spa? We've done things like badminton & table tennis which generally aren't all booked up in advance.

@Billandben444

We paid £820 for a caravan in Caister in August - apart from swimming you had to pay extra for anything else - so I don't think £900 for CP compares badly. The OP didn't ask whether they should cancel and book Sorrento or a cultural visit elsewhere instead so some very odd replies on here. OP, I hope they have a great time.

But that's for the whole family in the school holidays and you couldn't do much else at that time of year, presumably for at least 3 or 4 people.

This is for a couple in term time. They could get so much more than a self catering break on their doorstep for what she's spent so far. The world, or Europe at least, is their oyster.

I went to CP for a few days with my boyfriend in my twenties as I won the trip in a competition so didn't pay. It was OK but quite kiddy if you are not a family and it felt a bit like going for a holiday in a suburban housing estate.

If someone posted 'I've got about £1k to spend on a young couples break next spring, what do you suggest' literally no-one is going to say 'just go to your nearest Center Parcs' are they?

I can't imagine wanting to go to CP as a young adult. It's full of children and absolutely everything costs a fortune.

There is so much they could do instead got £1000. They could go on a similar holiday in the Lake District or Wales. They could go to London for a week.

Wow there are some shitty answers on this thread!

When we went we booked an evening session at the spa, it was amazing. Sitting in the heated outdoor pool in the dark (it actually snowed as well!). That would be my go to gift.

We hardly booked any other activities, swam, cooked most of the time and just chilled out / relaxed and drink wine.

@LaurieFairyCake

She's 20!

Cancel and go to Spain and get pissed...

A FUCK more fun

I would have been totally miserable if somebody made me go to Spain and get pissed. Even at 20. In fact, when I was 20, my parents invited me and my bf on holiday with them... to Center Parcs! I wouldn't choose to go there necessarily but have been with family a few times. As a 20yr old, I went swimming, walked, cycled, went running, played badminton, read my book, watched the wildlife, cooked.

I know quite a few adults who go to CP without children. It's quite normal I think.

The op's DD knows CP and wants to go there. Presumably, if she wanted to get pissed on the Med, she'd have booked that instead.

"The OP didn't ask whether they should cancel and book Sorrento or a cultural visit elsewhere instead so some very odd replies on here."

No, she didn't but she did say this....

"They thought all the other activities were free. They’re now having a panic as they have no money left for activities."

They're panicking because they thought they were getting a bargain (which they weren't, £900 for 2 for a week at CP?) and now they don't have money left to do things. They seem very keen on swimming too. Hence the suggestions of somewhere with a pool they can use limitlessly.

I would have been totally miserable if somebody made me go to Spain and get pissed.

I think the ‘get pissed’ part is a bit tongue in cheek. The point is, £900 is quite a budget for a pair of 20 year olds, they could go on a bit more of an exotic adventure with the money they have available.

At 20, my friends and I would just pick the cheapest flights going to any foreign city and a cheap hotel and go explore.

The thought of spending so much to go swimming and watch Netflix down the road from my house doesn’t do it for me, but presumably they have chosen what suits them best, so who are we to judge?

@Longdistance

Sounds shit. CP for a 20yo? No thank you!

It sounds shit to you. People go on all sorts of holidays that I think sound shit. They’ve chosen this presumably because they think it sounds great and will enjoy it. Why bother commenting when you’ve got nothing useful to add!

@mrsevangelina

It's ridiculous to suggest it's creepy that a mum is helping out her child, who ASKED for her help.

People project their own family issues onto threads, OP, don't take it personally. This kind of chat and research would be completely normal in my family, my mum does this sort of thing for me, and it would be completely normal in most of the families I know!

Literally zero family issues here.

I'm very close to my adult dd and yes, she may ask for advice or tips about holiday destinations etc but I wouldn't dream of going as far as op has, it's just a bit odd and way too intrusive
At 20, I was having a lot of sex on holiday, definitely not something I needed my mum to plan for me!!!

@NigelSlatersXmasTaters

Does she know the pool at CP is basically kid soup? not envy. She isn't going to want to get in that 3 or 7 times or whatever it is anyway.

For £900 plus spending money she could go somewhere nice and a bit further from home maybe?

Kid soup!! 😳😂

@CovidCorvid

And sorry to anyone I’ve offended with the “hut” comment. I love centre parcs, it’s just a bit of a family joke. Dh doesn’t like CP so I used to leave him at home and take Dd. He’d always wave us off and say have a nice time in the hut in the woods. I think the cabins/studios are great.

This made me smile. She's wanting to go back to recreate those happy memories she has. I think it's lovely.

At 20 you are enjoying life by being alive. If they pop in to a supermarket on the way and stock up they will have enough.

Do they own push bikes they could take? Take a rucksack.

Despite the hard sell, centre parks can be less expensive.

The logs they sell for the fire are the low ash pre formed logs you can buy. Although they say to buy theirs, they are the same as the low ash ones in the supermarkets.

Cosy evenings with drinks and a fire. Take board games. I seem to recall the internet wasn't great in the cheaper chalets on the periphery. But the plus is they attract so much more nature.
One morning early it was snowing and deer were looking in! This was 25 years ago so it might have changed.

Days swimming and cycling with some lunches out. Maybe they could afford an activity but it's not essential. Probably need £250 spending on top for a couple, thats with an off site supermarket shop.

At 20, I was having a lot of sex on holiday, definitely not something I needed my mum to plan for me!!!

Sorry at what point was I planning sex for her?

Can anyone recommend what activities are good as they will need quite a few. Also do the huts have WiFi now, they’re just in a basic one. If so and they take a fire stick will they be able to get Netflix?

Was what I asked in the OP. By activities I thought it was fairly obvious I meant the CP organised/paid for activities. Not any extra curricular stuff For the millionth time she asked me to do this.

She's also going to Paris next spring and you'll be glad to know I haven't got involved at all as I haven't been asked to. I can't even tell you if she's staying in a hotel, air bnb.....if she's flying, going by train, whatever.

She went to China by herself when she was 16yo and I let her sort that out as well with no interference. But yeah if she asks me to ask on MN what activities at CP are good I will. And there's been some really useful responses, thanks for those.

Me and DH went to Center Parcs a few times in our 20s, we loved it (We only did a few nights though. I do think a week might be a struggle.)
We also went exploring lots of other countries etc, it's just one holiday. People on here can be so judgemental and desperate to prove how cool they are.

When I was 20, I was happy to be wherever DH was. Still quiet found of him now 😉

@CovidCorvid if your dd does decide it's going to cost too much and wants to cancel, they will receive a full refund if they cancel before 18th April 2022, as per their current cancellation guarantee

[quote MsSquiz]@CovidCorvid if your dd does decide it's going to cost too much and wants to cancel, they will receive a full refund if they cancel before 18th April 2022, as per their current cancellation guarantee[/quote]
Thanks, they seem quite excited about being away for a week so I won't mention it unless they start voicing any regrets.

Ahh I think it's lovely - she obviously has great memories of going there as a child and now wants to share that with her BF! I'm sure they'll have a great time.

They’ve paid £1000 to go to a family holiday centre 20 mins from where they live. Why? There’s absolutely fuck all to do there if you’re not entertaining kids.

I've had plenty of trips in my 20s with just Dp, and with other couples in a bigger group. We've always had a great time, but we factor activities into the cost and go outside of school holidays so it isn't packed with young families. We do:

Field archery
quad biking
segways
pool/snooker
loads of tennis, badminton, and squash, > spa trips
cycling
different restaurants
bowling
swimming...

We went as a four over summer and ended up doing at least three or four activities a day (some all four of us, others in couples), then the rest of the time we just chilled out in the lodge reading or watching films (took our laptops and connected to the tv via HDMI). All perfectly fun adult activities. There's certainly not 'fuck all to do'.

Aqua Sana at sherwood is a great spa... I regularly go to the evening twilight sessions after work. It's not cheap but maybe something to get them for their Christmas present? Pay for a spa day there?

The pedallos on the lake aren't too expensive and the pancake house food next to the lake is yummy!

Card games/jenga/ board games in the evenings

Take food with them... Marks and Spencer Indian ready meals are nicer than any takeaway and cheaper!