To want to go to Haven instead of Centerparcs?

[IndiaRose22]

Posting here for traffic really!

Me and DH would like to get away this summer, just to somewhere in the UK. We have a 2 year old who would be coming with us.

I want to go to a Haven site and am looking at Blue Dolphin in Filey. I used to go with my parents to Haven sites, and have been to Blue Dolphin a few times! I like that they have entertainment on and arcades and stuff, although I can't remember exactly what Blue Dolphin is like. Has anyone been recently? I love Scarborough and Whitby so think I am a bit biased to that area too!

DH thinks of Haven as being 'sticky' (we had a bad experience at a soft play center at the weekend which was grim, and if DH thinks somewhere is dirty and grim then it definitely is 🤣 and i think this place has scarred him now) so he would like to go to Centerparcs, specifically the one in the Lake District. Whilst i do not doubt that Centerparcs is an amazing place to go to, I think they are more expensive and more suited to an older child. I am happy to be told I am wrong though and there is plenty to do there - bonus points for examples at the Lake District one to suit a 2 year old. Do they do evening entertainment?

Any other suggestions welcome!

Yes sorry I was trying to put across that there are events like the shindig, music evenings in the village in the summer (which is included in the price), and the shows, but not “kids disco” type of thing. Which totally suits me, and I agree is high standard.

Centre parks don't cater for little kids on the activity side so much but Haven are great. I took my two who were 3 and 6 and they loved it!

Extended family went to Haven in Bognor Regis last year.
Great facilities. Couldn't fault it.

I really do think it boils down to personal preference.

As a family, we prefer CP.

We went to a Butlins for the day once, and it just wasn't for us. Haven doesn't appeal to us either. They aren't places that we would think to book.

I find that there is plenty to do at CP, obviously the pool is the main attraction, but there are also several playgrounds dotted around which have always gone down well with my children, right from being toddlers.

Bluestone all the way here, a lot of free play areas etc

We have been to the Haven in the Lakes, it's called Lakeland it's in the south of the lakes. We LOVED it. It was small, clean and quiet. Lots to do around but you need to be prepared to drive a bit. We went to Wild Duck Haven in Norfolk last year that was like a small centre PARC's would return to that one also as it's a forest park not near the beach like the others.

We went to primrose valley last year with a then 2.5 year old and we had a lovely time. We chose a fairly decent (silver?) caravan with a balcony and paid a little extra to get it in a quieter part of the park and it was 100% worth the little bit extra money. Food onsite was very average but other facilities were really great and enough to do around the towns and villages nearby. There’s a nearby farm that was really lovely. I’d definitely recommend.

Same. Unbelievably overpriced. Virtually nothing is included in the cost except for swimming so we ended up spending a fortune once we were there. Not in a hurry to go back ever. Very popular though amongst our middle class fellow parents around here. Most of whom look down their noses at places like butlins & haven despite never having been.
For a toddler the Butlin's 'just for tots' breaks are great.
We've also stayed at quite a few Haven sites and they've all been clean and well kept.

Love haven. Love butlins. Centre parcs is ok but once you've paid for the accommodation and all the activities, you can have a week abroad in the sun for the same price.

I think the Center Parc offer has declined significantly in terms of value for money over the past few years. Evening entertainment is seriously lacking. As long term CP goers, we found that Butlins was a slightly better option for keeping young children entertained and it feeling like a break for adults too. Haven is also well worth considering. Have you looked at Potters family breaks in Norfolk?

2 year old in the North West - Ribby Hall. Fantastic for that age, accommodation is nicer (and cheaper) than Penrith. Pool, soft plays, play areas, toddler activities and evening entertainment geared towards little ones. Quite sad mine are getting a bit big for it now 😢

Yes love Ribby Hall too, it can be quite pricey though but the pool is fab and has the added bonus of the steam room and sauna. So handy for Blackpool and in a beautiful village. Accommodation is superb, probably why it is pricey.

Sorry to jump in; I have a service user with a very energetic tall 5 yo on benefits. How much would it be for a week all in? I remember that The Sun do Butlins or wherever cheap deals. It'll have to be somewhere closest to Nottingham where they can get public transport to. Can someone offer some advice, please? Thanks 😀

Centre Parcs is rubbish, a rip-off. Haven and Butlins are fantastic if you have young children.

If you go on the websites for any of the mentioned parks, you can search area and dates for the different prices. The sun holidays is the website to look at for the sun deals

Thirded, CP are robbing thieving swines. Massive cost for a damp smelly lodge and everything is extra - and even then the service is crap with too few staff and the pools overcrowded.

We used to go Center Parcs twice a year from when our son was 10 months until he was 7. We only stopped once we got a dog because Center Parcs isn't as dog friendly as they make out. We loved it and now really miss it. We have never been to Haven before but went to Butlins once when our son was 3 and we hated it. Would much rather spend a little more money and go to Center Parcs. I think that since they are so different it just depends on what type of thing you are in to.

I prefer centreparcs for toddlers because there is so much to do in the day, that they just fall asleep in the pram after dinner and we can then do our own things. Even if you don’t pay for activities- you can basically have them swim in the morning, lunch, then run around the woods for a few hours before dinner.

I’ve not done Haven for many years (when my now adult children were tots) but we still love taking our grandchildren to Parkdean. Our favourite is in Wales, nothing pretentious but great family fun. Evening entertainment for all ages from toddlers onward, bar meals, pool, arcades, nature trails, organised activities. Perfect for young families.

i love Brynowen in Borth Wales, a charming seaside village with just enough amenities and a short drive from Aberystwyth as well as some isolated beaches.

You've hit the nail on the head re Haven. They were fantastic prior to covid and even during covid with limited bookings so nice quiet sites and plenty of facilities available to guests. But since covid they have over crowded sites (our caravan at Caister was quite obviously rammed into a patch of grass in-between two roads) and the online booking for facilities is just shit. Like you we tried booking online to see everything fully booked. We went along to swimming pool every day to find it empty so people had booked up all the free slots on the off chance and not turned up. When I complained they miraculously released a load more activity and swimming slots which hadn't been there half an hour earlier. The food on site and service was dreadful, huge waits in empty restaurants for bog standard bought in pub food. I've stopped going to Haven because the vans are so expensive and the facilities are not available to everyone.

Massive cost for a damp smelly lodge and everything is extra - and even then the service is crap with too few staff and the pools overcrowded.

Which location?

I have never had an issues with any of the lodges we've stayed in, they've always been clean and well kept.

Not haven or cp but I’d avoid warmwell lodges unless you can pay for the top notch ones. We stayed on the park dean site and had to have the maintenance team out multiple times and mould cleaning daily in the bathroom as it was so ingrained and was setting of my dh’s and ds’s asthma but they wouldn’t move us. There was holes around some of the windows and everything. Loads of rats running under the lodges too. Gross.

Just incase anyone wanted an update... we went to the Lakeland Haven for the bank holiday weekend for the coronation and it was brilliant. We stayed in a signature lakeside caravan, so our little lad loved waking up to the ducks, and the site was very well kept! Looking at going back in October 🙂

Lakeland is our favourite site, we have been many times. A bit far out from other places but it has so much to do on the park. Glad you had a brilliant time.