Center Parcs closing for funeral

[ViscountessBridgerton]

Had the email to say Monday arrival delayed until Tuesday, can't get in until 4pm. 30% refund offered. From social media, it looks like people on a 7 night break are actually expected to leave at 10am on the Monday and not come back until Tuesday! People on a weekend break aren't being compensated for having to leave by 10am on the Monday.

AIBU to think wtf?!?!

I bet they do a U turn pretty fast.

Absolutely ridiculous. We are supposed to be going to Haven on Monday and I’m dreading them follow suit. We’re already not sure what to do on our way there as our plan for a national trust visit is out due to closure.

Their twitter feed is still open - the comments on the thread are off the scale.

twitter.com/CenterParcsUK/status/1569631026527309826

Why should the weekend guests like my DS pay 100% for a 75% holiday?

To the PP who said the vast majority want to watch and respect the historic event. That’s not my experience, particularly of younger people who tend to work at CP. It’s sad that a revered old lady has died, but lots of people, including me, have no interest in her funeral - I make no apology if that offends you.

And surely, the CP staff who have now got the day off, will still get paid?

This is insane. They'd never have done this if she died last month.

Literally insane when they open on Christmas Day.

close the restaurants and stop activities for a few hours on Monday afternoon. Much easier.

I don’t think they’ll have a choice but to change their minds. As PP said, the comments on their twitter feed are off the scale. I haven’t seen one comment yet which agrees with them.

Just seen it on twitter, not sure where people are meant to stay on the Monday night!

They can not make people who are currently inhabiting over that time homeless which classes if you are not able to go home, including for travel reasons.

A holiday classes as temporary housing and you are protected from closure (unless its unsafe when provisions should be made to house you elsewhere)
even during lockdown hotels had to make provisions for this if someone was already onsite.

Compensation would also have to be paid to put people up elseswhere.

People are on twitter who have booked Friday to Friday.

Presumably if you have have a Friday - Monday break, Monday - Friday break or a Monday - Monday break you could also have a Friday - Friday break as they are the same thing (weekend + midweek) just the other way round from Mon - Mon (midweek + weekend)

People on Twitter are saying they’re not leaving on the Monday 😂 they’re just going to sit in their lodges and not leave. I hope they actually follow through with it

They changed their tune.

A more proportionate response would be:
Restaurants will be closed at Monday lunch time, but packed lunches for the Monday can be ordered in advance if you don't want to make other arrangements.
Guests can stay on site but there will be no activities (aside from maybe live-streaming the funeral coverage to a big screen). Guests are generally expected to stay in their accommodation as there won't be staff available for anything else.
Anyone due to arrive on the Monday can't check in until 3 or 4 hours later than normal check-in so that cleaning staff aren't having to clean during the ceremony.

Making people pack up and leave for 24 hours in the middle of a holiday is crazy. If they really need the site empty they should cancel all bookings including for the 3 days either side, and return all the money

@DashboardConfessional you can go Friday to Friday a lot of people do. It means arriving, having three nights , packing up, sleeping in your car or something for a night then going back Tuesday.

Butlins? 🤷🏼‍♀️

What a ballache, packing up, finding a place to stay for one night and then back to your accommodation at 4pm the next day? That's disgraceful. That's not just missing a day, that's a ruined holiday.

Absolutely Batshit crazy and will completely put me off staying at Centre Parks in the future. Just close facilities on site between 10-2pm or set up a room for the staff to view the funeral. Completely over the top.

There’s a post to someone who clearly asked about their possessions who was told that they could leave them in the lodg since they would be checking back in on the Tuesday.

What is funny is that it’s ok for premier inn or travel lodge to have their staff working to accomodate those having to leave center parcs but not for center parcs staff to be in?!

People on Facebook are having Friday to Friday breaks at CP and have been asked to leave and come back. I love CP but this treatment of customers will make me think twice before booking with them again, biting the hand that feeds them,
I just looked at Haven as we’re heading there and they are just pausing everything for the funeral and then carrying on as normal. Sensible.

Surely people will just leave and get a refund for the latter half of holiday, nobody will faff around for the day and night then go back there would they

The email is here.