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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to think that Centerparcs is a waste of money at the moment

84 replies

quirkyquails · 30/12/2020 13:04

They have just emailed us to encourage us to book a break but if you are staying for four nights you can only go swimming twice and only for two hours.

For us swimming has always been the main attraction as we all love swimming.

OP posts:

Oysterbabe · 30/12/2020 13:45

@stayathomer

CenterParcs has always been a huge waste of money. I've never been but I've always heard it's more like a holiday of a lifetime so you're willing to spend for it because it's something you won't be able to do very often so kind of like Disneyland or something like that. Everyone I've ever known who's gone say it was one of their best holidays

I've been loads and it's really, REALLY not. It's a more upmarket Butlins. The spa is nice but going mainly for the swimming seems like a huge waste of money.

Itsnotlikethiswithotherpeople · 30/12/2020 13:47

YANBU - it’s pricy at the best of times but we have been and enjoyed it. That involved spending every day swimming for a large chunk of the day. I would only 25% of normal price in the circumstances you describe. It’s just a cabin otherwise.

Scarlettpixie · 30/12/2020 13:49

You have kind of answered your own question. If it won’t work for you that’s fine but you are being unreasonable if you think it should be the same for all. Lots of people think centre parcs is to expensive at any time. Personally I like CP. I have never paid more than £400 for a 4 night break because there is just ne and DS and we have stayed in a hotel/apartment for 2. I think the swimming dome would be nicer with limited numbers and we only swim 3 times for 2 hours or so when we go so wouldn’t be put off by only being able to go twice. However the idea of public swimming is quite off putting to me at present so that and covid generally would put me off going.

AndcalloffChristmas · 30/12/2020 13:50

We go to Bluestone in Wales quite often an have been really gutted that we couldn’t go any of the times it was open this year.

I tried booking a Center parcs trip just recently but sadly that was cancelled too!

2020isalmosthindsight · 30/12/2020 13:57

Agree 100%. My children live in the pools; it's the only reason we go. Complete waste of money for us to go and not have that.

HmmSureJan · 30/12/2020 14:02

We love to swim but never more than a couple of hours at a time. This would suit us fine with specially with it being so quiet in the pools due to reduced numbers. I'd go and just went to have a look at the site to see availability, but being realistic, we are in a Tier 4 area which doesn't look it will coming out any time soon so I really don't want to commit the money.

HmmSureJan · 30/12/2020 14:04

@Tal45

I could never understand the appeal of Centreparcs especially after seeing the price in the school holidays.

I'd never pay school holiday prices. We go for the weekend only. Leave straight after school on the Friday and return home on the Sunday evening. We miss a night but we'd only be sleeping anyway.

lyinginthegutterstaringatstars · 30/12/2020 14:05

Hasn't it always been rubbish? I haven't been but people I know who have been have not been impressed.

PinkSpring · 30/12/2020 14:06

We usually go once a year but won't be going back until they remove the restrictions on the swimming pool.

We use the pool a lot so if we are limited to a couple of visits, it's not worth it for us

NoProblem123 · 30/12/2020 14:10

I love centreparcs but the swimming is the best (read ‘free’) bit.

Do the prices now reflect your limited access ?

Only you can decide if it’s still worth it.

Satwatchinganotherswimlesson · 30/12/2020 14:10

We’ve just been. We thought the same with swimming however we were wrong. Firstly we got an extra session as under subscribed, so three in total. Site is running at such reduced capacity that there are no queues for any of the slides. We also booked ours in to aqua jetting so in the pool four times in total. Two hours was more than enough because of reduced queues. All the activities had great availability, the site was quiet, the staff were amazing and we had the best time. Yes centre parcs is expensive but the accommodation and park reflects this. We save money by taking all food with us and not eating out.

Didyousaynutella · 30/12/2020 14:11

We enjoyed a weekend there in October. The swimming sessions were nice, not too many people, got shown to our changing room. A change from the usual changing room hell.
We went swimming on the Friday evening and on sat afternoon. The sat morning and Sunday we spent doing lots activities with the kids. They loved it and the change did us all good. I actually found the more rigid itinerary. ( pre booked everything including all our meals out) made me relax more as I didn’t have to think. And to be honest another pool session might have been too much as find it stressful with little kids.

FlingingFlangingHardToOpen · 30/12/2020 14:12

Center Parcs is one of the most divisive things on Mumsnet 😂

We like it personally, it’s an easy break with pre school kids during term time. Can’t imagine us going so much once they’re school age but as a self catering holiday with easy walks, playgrounds, swimming etc within easy reach it ticks lots of boxes for us. Swimming twice is actually enough for us as well but appreciate if you’re heavy pool users you’re going to think twice.

badpuma · 30/12/2020 14:12

Center parcs in Europe is brilliant - exactly the same and it costs the same for a full half term week as a Friday to Monday in Woburn (including costs for euro tunnel and petrol) so I wouldn't bother going again in the UK anyway. Especially not if the swimming is limited.

eternalopt · 30/12/2020 14:20

Same here. Love centre park breaks, but for us, swimming every day is the main attraction. Hope they don't try any make limiting it a permanent change

Roundtoedshoes · 30/12/2020 14:23

We enjoyed it back in August - not too busy on site and the pool was not over crowded. We did however only end up using one of our sessions as the second one didn’t work out time wise with a toddler. So whilst I’m happy with less people, it means you have to be organised when the slots come out. Many people do go for the pool, so I can see it’s not worth it to them, but it wouldn’t put us off.

ChristmasAlone · 30/12/2020 14:28

Is it not always a waste of time?

unmarkedbythat · 30/12/2020 14:29

"At the moment"? Honestly, I think it's a waste of money all the time.

westenddweller · 30/12/2020 14:36

@Apollo3

Centre parcs is always a waste of money, because its shit.

I completely agree with this. It's overpriced for what it is. If you want to stay in the woods just go camping or get a glamping pod at a campsite if you're not that earthy. And if you like swimming just go to a pool when they open again or swim in the sea.

middleager · 30/12/2020 14:42

Two hours is long enough.

I've been to two different Centre Parcs, but only when both DC were under 4 and only in February term time. The only way we could afford it, and this was a decade ago.

We preferred Butlins and went every year for a long time when the kids were smaller, staying in either the hotel at Bognor or the Gold apartments in Minehead with the full dining plan (wasn't as keen on the Skegness site but I think the pools have been revamped since).

ktp100 · 30/12/2020 14:45

The kicker for me at the moment is that they haven't had the good grace to offer percentage price reductions that reflect the reduced services they're running at the moment.

We can't wait to get back to CP but we won't be going until things are much closer to 'normal'.

If the company is struggling I think they'll find much more customer loyalty arises when they play fairer with what is, let's face it, an already fairly astronomically priced service.

Hoppinggreen · 30/12/2020 14:48

It’s always a waste of money, I hate it
However, I wouldn’t have an issue with the restricted swimming, it would probably make it less awful than usual

ktp100 · 30/12/2020 14:50

I've never been but I've always heard it's more like a holiday of a lifetime so you're willing to spend for it because it's something you won't be able to do very often so kind of like Disneyland or something like that. Everyone I've ever known who's gone say it was one of their best holidays

We go twice a year (not a stealth brag - our county half terms fall outside of the norm so we get to go much cheaper than others) and although we love it it really isn't anything like a 'once in a lifetime' trip or comparable with Disneyland in the slightest.

As I said, we're big fans and have really missed going this year but, well, it kind of is just an upmarket Butlins with a hefty pricetag that's designed to keep the 'riff-raff' out - think Waitrose in a forest with a water park!!

Porcupineintherough · 30/12/2020 14:50

It's all relative isnt it? Not as good as usual but maybe better than the home/work/school/local walks regime so many of us are in. I mean, I personally wouldnt pay but I can see why someone might.

wizzbangfizz · 30/12/2020 14:56

I'm a fan even though it is overpriced but I wouldn't go without the unlimited access to swimming - waste of time.

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