Female Share-with-a-Stranger places at Ceroc weekenders

...do they actually exist?

I was looking around the Ceroc websites on Wednesday night, wondering if bookings had opened for Scorch at Southport.

They hadn't - the ceroc.com/scorch page was there, but the link to the booking page was still disabled.

However (by guessing the URL) I did manage to get to the booking page. As it wasn't officially open I didn't want risk attempting to hand over any money at that point. But I did notice that the Female Share with a Stranger places were already On Hold.

The next morning I checked and for three weekends that had just opened (Scorch/ Viva Las Vegas/ Breeze) these places were all on hold - this was before I'd seen any announcements or Facebook postings about Breeze and no links from the main Escape page, so I think it's pretty unlikely that many women had got there to buy places.

So I believe that the female places start out as On Hold when the sites open, and can only be released if umpteen men all book at once on a day when it's a new moon (or something equally unlikely). I know a couple of people who've found them in the last couple of years but it's very much the exception - it seems much, much easier for men to get these cheap places.

This doesn't seem very fair.

I understand the need to have equal numbers, and I think Ceroc do a pretty good job of that, but it does seem that the 'entry level' prices for women are more than their male equivalents which must be more questionable.

I'd love to know how the average cost of a female place compares to the average cost of a male place, averaged across everyone who attends a weekender...

I've raised this before, probably about 4 years or more ago when I first started going to weekenders. I've never once seen one on sale. I think they are a myth. It does strike me as quite discriminatory. However, maybe Ceroc figure that women are more likely to team up and share a chalet, and that there are more lone males out there with no mates who need to share with a stranger :confused:

What I also noticed, as I was looking at various pricing options for a 2 bed Club chalet was this:

3 women: £163.90
3 men: £163.90
2 female/1 male: £149
2 male/1 female: £149

1 bed Club:
3 women: £141.90
3 men: £141.90
2 female/1 male: £129
2 male/1 female: £141.90

It's the same number in each chalet, so why the price differential? Why do Ceroc want to encourage mixed sex chalets? :eyebrow:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Twirly

I
1 bed Club:
3 women: £141.90
3 men: £141.90
2 female/1 male: £129
2 male/1 female: £141.90

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That's weird. I reckon its a mistake!

The mixed sex discount is because Ceroc adds a premium for unbalanced gender booking - part of their attempts to keep the event balanced. Not sure why the 2 female/1 male is cheaper than 2 male/1 female tho - that seems genuinely odd.

I remember when Ceroc first took over, there seemed to be quite a few girlfriends managed to get that price.

But I have wondered if of late, if someone 'in the know' gets in early and bulk buys the lot, with the aim of selling them off at a profit at a later date, when the female places have sold out?

And btw, do they still have the early bird price scale?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Lory

I remember when Ceroc first took over, there seemed to be quite a few girlfriends managed to get that price.

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:yeah: I remember that too - especially the first "Storm" event in 2006 with its £29 tickets.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Lory

But I have wondered if of late, if someone 'in the know' gets in early and bulk buys the lot, with the aim of selling them off at a profit at a later date, when the female places have sold out?

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I think it's more likely that they were never available in the first place.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Twirly

It's the same number in each chalet, so why the price differential? Why do Ceroc want to encourage mixed sex chalets? :eyebrow:

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Love is in the air :wink:

Seriously, I think it reflects the fact that Ceroc are attempting to get an even mix; the ideal situation for Ceroc is is each chalet has an even mix, so they don't have the hassle of trying to balance the numbers themselves. No sure why the 2/1 vs. 1/2 thing is the same but maybe there are legal reasons (discrimination laws) which mandate equal prices for each gender?

I've said it before, Ceroc take a lot of stick for some things, and rightly so, but I think they deserve credit for their - sometimes heroic - attempts at gender balancing. They'd clearly make vast amounts more money in the short term by just taking any bookings, but they want to ensure that events are balanced (which, of course, will help in the long term).

Quote:

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Originally Posted by DavidY

The next morning I checked and for three weekends that had just opened (Scorch/ Viva Las Vegas/ Breeze) these places were all on hold - this was before I'd seen any announcements or Facebook postings about Breeze and no links from the main Escape page, so I think it's pretty unlikely that many women had got there to buy places.

So I believe that the female places start out as On Hold when the sites open, and can only be released if umpteen men all book at once on a day when it's a new moon (or something equally unlikely). I know a couple of people who've found them in the last couple of years but it's very much the exception - it seems much, much easier for men to get these cheap places.

This doesn't seem very fair.

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I don't believe they start off on hold, but clearly there are a relatively few available.


Not doing gender balancing at all would be fairest option.



Ceroc can make the event more attractive to men by

• A) making it cheaper and/or easier to book

• B) making the event itself more attractive to men.

Given that gender balancing taken as far as Ceroc do isn't going to make the event more attractive to men, making it cheap / easy to book becomes more important.


I don't get the idea that not having it both ways is unfair (given the the ladies having it both ways consign others to having it no ways).

It may be cheaper if there's a mix as they can they have 2 people using the sofa bed. Or use doubles instead of singles in the room.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by David Bailey

No sure why the 2/1 vs. 1/2 thing is the same but maybe there are legal reasons (discrimination laws) which mandate equal prices for each gender?

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Although the prices within a given room type are the same(with the exception that Twirly found, which I agree with Lory is just a mistake), the availability of those places isn't.

I believe this means that women pay, on average, a higher price because they can't get the cheap places that men can.

So if there were equal price laws of that sort, I suspect Ceroc could be challenged.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by DavidY

So if there were equal price laws of that sort, I suspect Ceroc could be challenged.

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That would be nice. I'd like my car insurance to drop in price.

Is it possible that there's more demand for two-woman chalets than two-man ones, with that male demand being for 'share with a stranger' rooms?

I know more than one woman that'll only book if her friend is going. I'm not sure there are many men that'll only book if they can share with their mate.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by frodo

I don't believe they start off on hold, but clearly there are a relatively few available.

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I suspect they do - because I think you're right here:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by frodo

Ceroc can make the event more attractive to men by

• A) making it cheaper and/or easier to book

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I think pricing is part of the equation of what's available.

For example the "1 Female" options don't all go On Hold at the same time - the cheap ones go on hold first. And the women-only options that are currently available for Scorch are all more than £100 a head.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by DavidY

Although the prices within a given room type are the same(with the exception that Twirly found, which I agree with Lory is just a mistake), the availability of those places isn't.

I believe this means that women pay, on average, a higher price because they can't get the cheap places that men can.

So if there were equal price laws of that sort, I suspect Ceroc could be challenged.

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Like when women get in free at a nightclub and men pay etc

That was raised 3/4 yrs ago.

Prices def going up and up , I see single men s*** class accomedation is now £125+ . This again is to be expected

Quote:

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Originally Posted by stewart38

Like when women get in free at a nightclub and men pay etc

That was raised 3/4 yrs ago.

Prices def going up and up , I see single men s*** class accomedation is now £125+ . This again is to be expected

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I would be happy for men to get discounted prices if they booked early and therefore stopped the need for ladies to book on the morning that the tickets go on sale

I have also noticed that when booking for Viva in June that there are now no budget rooms with showers on the list anymore :mad: So now had to book a classic that works out an extra £24 extra.