The Center Parcs Experience

Graham

I think you might have already mentioned that

Cyrus

Plumbthedepths wrote: »

Must someone experience something to be allowed have an opinion? As for snobbery, not at all I just feel it is a rip off / poor value when the UK prices and mainland European prices are considerably less.

It's a pretty baseless opinion without experience surely ?

How can you be so sure about something you have no experience of

Dave_The_Sheep

BuboBubo wrote: »

Of all the places to go for a pissup, a children's hoilday camp wouldn't be on my list!

That's the point. It's not just a children's holiday camp.

fits

Dave_The_Sheep wrote:

, given Ireland's general amateur-hour approach to things like this. We shall see.

Genuinely puzzled by this remark. Ireland has some of the best tourism and accommodation standards in the world.

I don’t think centerparcs is the right place for an adult only holiday though.

Dave_The_Sheep

fits wrote: »

I don’t think centerparcs is the right place for an adult only holiday though.

Just as well I really could not care less.

zerosugarbuzz

fits wrote: »

Genuinely puzzled by this remark. Ireland has some of the best tourism and accommodation standards in the world.

I don’t think centerparcs is the right place for an adult only holiday though.

I agree, I would have thought only people with children would be admitted.

sasta le

Wonder will it start getting the rough Irish crowd

Large bottle small glass

As a comparison, currently on a 20 night stay in a 5 star French campsite, beside ocean and staying in a nice lodge.

Family of 3 for 950. Ferry was 480.

It has rained once, well ground was wet one morning!

We are giving up another two days travelling at either end but I'll take that for the 29C until Friday!

fits

Sound lovely but not really a comparison. It’s a completely different holiday. We went last weekend three nights but use of facilities for four days. 530 euro + 100 on restaurant food + 24 on pony rides and 50 on spa. Absolutely zero stress and we were door to door in two hours. We will go to France or Spain for long holidays and keep centerparcs for a long weekend.

Andrewf20

Centre Parcs are getting nailed with insurance premiums apparently, which won't help costs.

Mango Joe

This is one of the funniest things you'll ever read.....

https://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/mumsnet_classics/1385104-Center-Parcs-Anal-sex

pwurple

Quick question for anyone who's been... does the pool need the pointless swimming caps like hotel pools?

I always get a chuckle from seeing the gorilla-like men coated in a veritable pelt of body hair, with a fabric swimming hat perched on the only bald part of his body.

Plopsu

pwurple wrote: »

Quick question for anyone who's been... does the pool need the pointless swimming caps like hotel pools?

I always get a chuckle from seeing the gorilla-like men coated in a veritable pelt of body hair, with a fabric swimming hat perched on the only bald part of his body.

Didn't seem to be compulsory (as in there were lots of people without them).

Supertoucher

pwurple wrote: »

Quick question for anyone who's been... does the pool need the pointless swimming caps like hotel pools?

Nope - not at all.

pwurple

Large bottle small glass wrote: »

As a comparison, currently on a 20 night stay in a 5 star French campsite, beside ocean and staying in a nice lodge.

Family of 3 for 950. Ferry was 480.

It has rained once, well ground was wet one morning!

We are giving up another two days travelling at either end but I'll take that for the 29C until Friday!

In no way is that a comparison.

How are you missing the whole month of September in France with school kids? Or have you a toddler? Most parents can't take that time off-peak. Our trip to France this year during the school holidays, the ferry was 1200, and was a trip I never in my whole life I want to repeat. I will never step foot on that stinking ferry again. 26 hours it took to cross the sea, kids clung to the carpet crying and puking their guts out the whole way. It was hellish to say the least, took us another few days to recover from it and they still get nightmares. I could have gone to australia in that time as well.

Cienciano

BuboBubo wrote: »

Of all the places to go for a pissup, a children's hoilday camp wouldn't be on my list!

I did one in England for a píssup and it was actually great crack. We had 2 tree houses (basically, the biggest fanciest chalets they have) beside each other, so 4 bedrooms each with a group of 16. They had games rooms for pool and music. My mate had a kegs, pumps and coolers set up for draft beer. Tree houses had a BBQ for food. Was actually a brilliant weekend!

Now, I 100% agree with you that it would be a terrible place to go if your plan was to visit the Centre Parcs bars for a píssup weekend.

Plumbthedepths

Mr.S wrote: »

Not sure why you are comparing a city break over run with tourists, to a children focused holiday resort / camp

But yes of course, some people will see a bargain holiday to a cheap city as a much better option.

Personally, there's a lot to be said to go someone 1 hour away that takes all the hassle away.

I compared value.

Sofiztikated

Plumbthedepths wrote: »

I compared value.

To be fair, you're comparing cost, not value.

But hey, you do you.

Plumbthedepths

Sofiztikated wrote: »

To be fair, you're comparing cost, not value.

But hey, you do you.

No in my opinion I compared value. A break in a cosmopolitan European city versus a weekend in a forest in Longford at 2 . 5 times the cost.
"But hey, you do you" no idea what type of nonsense this is.

Allinall

Plumbthedepths wrote: »

No in my opinion I compared value. A break in a cosmopolitan European city versus a weekend in a forest in Longford at 2 . 5 times the cost.
"But hey, you do you" no idea what type of nonsense this is.

You’ve no idea of the value in Centre Parks, so how can you compare it to anything?

PhoenixParker

There wasn't even a comparison since the cost of Centerparcs for the same time period wasn't mentioned.

5 days in Prague costs E320 for the Christmas markets for a couple.
4 nights (5 days) in Centerparcs in early December costs E399. There isn't a vast difference.
Find another couple to share with in centerparcs and the cost for all 4 is E479 or E240 per couple.

For all the complaints about the price of the place it's not as crazy as people seem to believe.

Were I going as one half of a childless couple I'd choose Prague every time.
As the heavily pregnant parent of a nearly 3 year old, it'll be centerparcs this time.

NIMAN

Andrewf20 wrote: »

Centre Parcs are getting nailed with insurance premiums apparently, which won't help costs.

Have they a pile of claims in already!

Plumbthedepths

Allinall wrote: »

You’ve no idea of the value in Centre Parks, so how can you compare it to anything?

I'm aware of the cost to stay both peak and off peak , I'm aware of the base cost of activities and lastly I'm aware of the dining costs. So don't persume to tell me I do and don't know. I base my opinion on what I perceive to be value based on my knowledge.

Allinall

Plumbthedepths wrote: »

I'm aware of the cost to stay both peak and off peak , I'm aware of the base cost of activities and lastly I'm aware of the dining costs. So don't persume to tell me I do and don't know. I base my opinion on what I perceive to be value based on my knowledge.

Cost isn’t value.

How do you know what value you would get in “a forest in Longford” versus “ a dodgy rip off city in Eastern Europe “?

Darc19

Plumbthedepths wrote: »

No in my opinion I compared value. A break in a cosmopolitan European city versus a weekend in a forest in Longford at 2 . 5 times the cost.
"But hey, you do you" no idea what type of nonsense this is.

4 nights in center parcs in Nov is available for €329

No airport parking costs, not two hour Airport waits, no three hours squashed in a small airline seat, no additional journey after arrival to get to lodge.

See, we can all find negatives to every holiday.

November in a freezing (and it can get bloody cold there) Prague is not my idea of a holiday.

But it seems to be yours, so enjoy it.

Sofiztikated

NIMAN wrote: »

Have they a pile of claims in already!

No, cost of insurance compared to their UK sites is supposed to be 50% more.

jam_mac_jam

The spa looks amazing. I think I will go for a day in January to cheer myself up. Strange that you can't book accommodation for one night. I would have no interest in more then one day. But they have loads of things in the spa area, looks lovely and good reviews.

pwurple

jam_mac_jam wrote: »

The spa looks amazing. I think I will go for a day in January to cheer myself up. Strange that you can't book accommodation for one night. I would have no interest in more then one day. But they have loads of things in the spa area, looks lovely and good reviews.

I think it's because of the housekeeping involved. To turn over a whole house for one night is a bit much. It's similar on any of those imagine Ireland holiday homes, it's a 7 night minimum with them.

jam_mac_jam

pwurple wrote: »

I think it's because of the housekeeping involved. To turn over a whole house for one night is a bit much. It's similar on any of those imagine Ireland holiday homes, it's a 7 night minimum with them.

Ah ok, makes sense. They have apartments so was hoping that you could one of them for the night. I wouldn't be going with kids so I don't think I would like three nights, I would be bored by then. The spa does look amazing though, you can get a day pass so I think I will do that.

Supertoucher

pwurple wrote: »

I think it's because of the housekeeping involved. To turn over a whole house for one night is a bit much. It's similar on any of those imagine Ireland holiday homes, it's a 7 night minimum with them.

It's also to do with traffic. If you could check in and out on any day, imagine all the cars in and around the place. It would be horrible and less safe for the cyclists/pedestrians. Part of the charm is being in a quiet, gated precinct for the majority of the week.