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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To consider cancelling Center Parcs break?

46 replies

Jazzybeats · 26/07/2020 07:26

Payment is due on Monday and they haven’t sent information on postponing or cancelling due to Covid. Not paying means I’ll probably loose my deposit of around £400, equally the balance due around £800. Can’t get through on phone to discuss with anyone so mumsnet hive mind, help!

Has anyone been since they’ve re-opened? What was it like? As far as I can see most things are running but with restrictions apart from soft play which is out. My main reason for considering cancelling is that it’s expensive at the best of times but that £800 could pay for a lot of days out and takeaways at home.... equally I’m sure the kids would have a blast if we went even tho swimming is restricted to max 2 2 hour sessions.

So, what would you do?
Aibu- no don’t cancel, you’ll have a great time, go
Yanbu- yes, cancel, spend the money on dominos and trips to the zoo

We’ve booked last week of August so who knows what will happen between now and then.

OP posts:

pussycatinboots · 26/07/2020 07:39

From their website:

"A limited number of guests are allowed at any one time and a maximum number of sessions per break:
Two x 2-hour sessions per three or four-night break
Four x 2-hour sessions per seven-night break"

If you've booked a full week you get 4 x 2hr swimming, not 2.
YANBU - £800 is better spent on the zoo and takeaways

mccavitythethird · 26/07/2020 07:42

We phoned them and moved our booking to the same date next year for no charge.

Unhomme · 26/07/2020 07:43

The money might be better spent on other things, but surely that was a factor before you chose Center Parcs anyway? They've always been overhyped and overpriced!

Xmasbaby11 · 26/07/2020 07:43

I haven't been recently but would love to go again. It is expensive but the dc love it and imo it's relaxing.

So for a week, you can go swimming 4 times. That would be fine for us, and probably v pleasant that it's quieter than usual.

zigzagbetty · 26/07/2020 07:44

I would keep trying to get through and try for cancellation as its not the same holiday you booked. For us the pool is a big part of centre parcs so I don't think I would be going unless I got a hefty discount. We cancelled a holiday to Spain a few weeks back and lost 400 deposit and wish I had tried to argue for a full refund now.

LutherRalph1 · 26/07/2020 07:45

The first lot of
People are saying it's really well
Organized and peaceful. Pools only open next week so will see how that works. The best place to speak with them is on Facebook messenger if you have it

Nearlyhadenough · 26/07/2020 07:45

I've got exactly the same dilemma - really would love to hear from a recent visitor!

Due to go 14th Sept., as a big birthday celebration. I didn't realise about the pool restrictions......that will help with my choice as thats our maim reason for going - along with the spa, which is only open for treatments and not their lovely lazy sessions.

Are you being offered alternative dates? I'd like to change when I go, I think. X

Original poster

Jazzybeats · 26/07/2020 07:46

@Xmasbaby11

I haven't been recently but would love to go again. It is expensive but the dc love it and imo it's relaxing.

So for a week, you can go swimming 4 times. That would be fine for us, and probably v pleasant that it's quieter than usual.

How did you contact them? Every time I phone they are either shut or tell me they are too busy to put me on hold and disconnect me. I’ve emailed them and got a generic reply only.

OP posts:

cansu · 26/07/2020 07:46

Personally I would maybe ask to move the booking to next year. Could you do this and then pay the balance next year? I would not be happy paying that amount and being limited with the swimming. The pool is the main reason people go there!

TimeForLunch · 26/07/2020 07:52

You don't need to contact them (they have indicated not to, in fact) as they will contact you 2 weeks prior to your arrival date. At that point you can either pay the balance, cancel for a full refund or reschedule. We've recently rescheduled (only for the following week, nothing to do with COVID or restrictions) and it was all very easy. They are being very flexible and accommodating under the circumstances.

We decided to still go as most activities and restaurants are open and booking pool slots is actually appealing to us as it won't be rammed like it usually is!

Original poster

Jazzybeats · 26/07/2020 07:55

@TimeForLunch

We decided to still go as most activities and restaurants are open and booking pool slots is actually appealing to us as it won't be rammed like it usually is!

They’ve contacted me to request payment without giving me options - hence my AIBU!

OP posts:

TimeForLunch · 26/07/2020 08:02

Apologies- I did receive the same as you, request for balance. It was emails previous to that one that that said about cancellation for full refund or rescheduling. You can contact them through an online form requesting this which is what we did and they should respond on of before 2 weeks prior to arrival date.

Original poster

Jazzybeats · 26/07/2020 08:03

@TimeForLunch

Can you link the form as I might be being a total numpty but can’t find it! Thanks so much!

OP posts:

JustBumblingAlong · 26/07/2020 08:04

I contacted them on Facebook messenger and they replied within a few hours. I moved our November break to next year with no charge.

TimeForLunch · 26/07/2020 08:04

Just out of interest though - did you not receive anything from centerparcs previously saying that the balance isn't payable until 2 weeks before arrival? Maybe they have changed their policy for later bookings as yours isn't until the end of August.

TimeForLunch · 26/07/2020 08:07

This is the address to contact them about changing the booking or as PP said you can use Facebook too:

[email protected]

Pixxie7 · 26/07/2020 08:12

Can you e mail them?

stillfeelingmad · 26/07/2020 08:20

We've got a booking in August and have received loads of emails. Our booking for activities has now opened and we've been able to book the activities and swimming no problem.
Have the emails gone to your spam folder? I think limiting pools numbers of great I hope they keep it! Two hours is plenty long enough!

ParisCactus · 26/07/2020 08:20

A trip to Centreparcs right now sounds like hell on earth to me. The idea of being confined on one site with holidaymakers from all over the country, dining in restaurants and going swimming - none of these are things that remotely appeal right now!
I would be trying to postpone until next year but would probably decide to wave goodbye to my £400 if that's not possible.
The only alternative would be to go, enjoy the cycling around the site but otherwise think of it as (rather expensive) self catering accommodation and take days out to remote locations away from the site where I could largely avoid other people.

PrayingandHoping · 26/07/2020 08:24

We have also been in touch with them via fb messenger and they replied really quickly

All the details about how they are running on site in on their website

octupiwi · 26/07/2020 08:26

Well the zoo and so on are all very nice but personally I don’t think you can beat getting away for a week or so.

Cardboard33 · 26/07/2020 08:28

We are in a similar position. We were due to go the first week of lockdown in March and rearranged to Sept but I don't think we will go as we've got a toddler and were definitely relying on using the pool more than twice, and they've reduced the time you can spend there before/after check in/out. The first time we were due to go I had to phone them as we were meant to be arriving the following day and I ended up waiting on hold for almost an hour whilst people changed their breaks for months time, when I got through they were really helpful and said they should have a priority line for people who really were priority.

Our balance is due next week so I had a look at their Facebook page. It seems you've got to pay it now then 1/2 weeks before your break they will email you with the low down for the dates you're there. At that point you can either go, rearrange or get a full refund. We plan on just getting a refund, assuming they've not extended the pool allowances over the next month.

carringtonm · 26/07/2020 08:32

We went last weekend and they were operating at about 20% capacity and it was really quiet, no crowds at all. The pool wasn't open but everything else was and restaurants are doing delivery to lodges. We ate out once and it was prebook only and we were seated away from other people. They have online ordering too so you can order your meals online and then they are just brought over to you which does minimise contact.

We actually had a great time and it felt safe and very spaced out. It was expensive as Center Parcs is but we just enjoyed a break from our own home for a few nights and it served a purpose for us. We decided to go ahead with our booking as we both had time off and my partner couldn't change his holiday.

However if you want to cancel/postpone then they have their guarantee that you can do that for free up to seven days before (I think). Their website has loads of info on it about this.

Cardboard33 · 26/07/2020 08:33

Also, you should have got emails - some of mine went into spam, so that's maybe what has happened. Their original balance deadlines were 10 weeks then they sent an email saying it was 5 weeks (which is what we are approaching) and that had a link to the FAQs on their website which included the bit about getting an email the week before then being able to say you weren't going.

Have you got a credit card? You could put the balance on that and then hopefully you'll have a refund before you've actually paid it out?

Original poster

Jazzybeats · 26/07/2020 08:39

Ahhh their Facebook page says pretty clearly that you have to pay your balance in full by the time it’s due. And then 2 weeks before your break they will email you a form. A lot of very unhappy people on there trying to get their money back....

Me and DP are veering towards cancelling - the swimming bothers us less but it’s more we feel we wouldn’t have enough adult downtime - no chance of a cheeky G&T whilst the kids are in soft play for example!

OP posts:

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