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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

About the All Inclusive holiday

135 replies

teacherandguideleader · 23/08/2013 20:16

DP and I have recently returned from holiday. We chose not to go all inclusive as we like to have the option of getting out and about.

Most of the holidaymakers at our resort were All Inclusive. I have never seen people eat so much in all my life. Breakfast was a buffet and people were coming back with plates piled high with food (and made several trips too). DP and I had a slightly larger breakfast than normal as we were half board and a bigger breakfast meant we didn't want lunch. However, not only did a lot of these people have an enormous breakfast, but by 12 they were gorging into burger and chips from the pool bar, often followed by a mid afternoon 'snack' and an equally enormous dinner.

DP and I did work out that it would have worked out cheaper for us to be A-I, as we stayed in the resort of an evening and after a couple of cocktails it would have paid for itself - we would then have had a smaller breakfast along with lunch rather than just a bigger breakfast.

The one thing that struck me was how many of the people were clearly overweight and by quite a lot. I did start to wonder whether it is somewhat irresponsible of holiday companies to offer All Inclusive holidays which seemed to be 'stuff yourself silly at every opportunity' when as a nation we are struggling so much with the health implications of obesity.

This is probably more of a rant than an AIBU - I was just so shocked by what I saw!

OP posts:
SirChenjin · 23/08/2013 20:58

You sound most indignant there SeaSick

WillYouDoTheFandango · 23/08/2013 20:58

I've definitely seen this behaviour in an AI. I actually saw one man complain that the ice cream bowls weren't big enough as they only held 6 scoops; there were 4 flavours of ice cream and he wanted 2 scoops of each.

It is strange though how much some people over eat just because it's there in front of them.

acer12 · 23/08/2013 20:59

Ha ha cross posted with seasick!

EndoplasmicReticulum · 23/08/2013 21:02

My brother does manage a stone in 2 weeks, as he has a very busy job (chef) and spends so long cooking for other people he forgets to eat himself. Put him on a sunlounger for 2 weeks with unlimited food cooked by other people, plus lots and lots of beer, and yes it's possible.

acer12 · 23/08/2013 21:03

I would have complain too!! I would wznt 6 scoops too!!

I have been know to take a whole French stick back to table to slice and share out, which all ways gets a 'omg youve took a whole fucking french stick' glance of one of food police

Grin
SirChenjin · 23/08/2013 21:05

Wow, get you

LeGavrOrf · 23/08/2013 21:07

I love being a nosy baggage on holiday and watching what other people get up to. Surely that's what mirrored sunglasses were invited for. Watching other people and judging them whilst pretending to read a book from the comfort of a sun lounger. Grin

acer12 · 23/08/2013 21:07

down market resort yep as that's clearly where all the fat greedy working class people go!

I went St kitts and there were some large Americans there ... That certainly wasn't 'down market ' Hmm

Original poster
teacherandguideleader · 23/08/2013 21:10

Seasick - not quite sure where I mentioned about there being legislation. I actually don't think there should be only healthy foods - everything in moderation. I am by no means a health freak but I was shocked by the sheer amount some people piled on their plates.

I get that people indulge on holidays - that is what it is all about - and I am certainly not referring to people who treated themselves to a 3 course meal each evening - this is just about the greed that some of the people exhibited.

I am not jealous of the people who went AI - we had everything we wanted - we chose not to go AI as we weren't sure what to expect. It wasn't a down market resort either - not that that has anything to do with it.

OP posts:
holidaybug · 23/08/2013 21:11

YAB slightly U. We like AI sometimes as it's just easier with a youngish DS. We don't have to worry about where we are eating out and the places where we go AI you wouldn't normally eat out anyway (quieter parts of Egypt for example).

What people eat is their own business IMO but I don't like the idea of waste i.e. overloading the plates so tons ends up in the bin.

sparklingstars · 23/08/2013 21:11

We went AI when we went to Turkey, we had a big breakfast but only went up once except for when getting a coffee after we'd eaten and then no lunch because it was too hot and then an average sized dinner. We had lots of drinks though - iced coffee whenever we wanted during the day and one glass of wine with dinner. Some people seemed to go completely mad and have three cooked meals a day.

SeaSickSal · 23/08/2013 21:14

Acer I was going to comment on exactly the same quote! I think the whole subtext of this entire thread is that fat greedy working class people go on holiday and stay in their resorts not going to see anything cultural or local.

They probably even paid for their holidays with their benefits. It's tax payers cash paying for them to stuff their faces. Disgraceful.

Incidentally I spent this summer on the Loire. I wonder if the OP would have got quite as worked up over the middle class pensioners I saw out there swilling back vats of wine and fatty food every night?

I suppose that's okay because their food was swimming in Lardons and not Lard.

SirChenjin · 23/08/2013 21:15

I don't see anyone getting worked up on this thread apart from you SeaSick

Original poster
teacherandguideleader · 23/08/2013 21:19

Actually, the resort was mostly made up of middle class pensioners. This has nothing to do with class - I don't give a flying fig how much money people do or don't have.

OP posts:
mirry2 · 23/08/2013 21:21

yes, seasicksal, I agree with you.

Jan49 · 23/08/2013 21:22

I actually notice this in the UK in B & B's when we're on holiday. I wonder how people who probably have a quick bowl of cereal or slice of toast on a normal day suddenly manage to eat cereal, toast and a 'cooked' breakfast and more when they're on holiday. We always say no to the cooked breakfast but it feels like we're the odd ones out.

acer12 · 23/08/2013 21:22

Teacher there just seemed to be a underlying tone to your post. Maybe it's because I'm one of those two week greedy girls!!

I can't help it! It's the pastry stations.. they do me in!

WorraLiberty · 23/08/2013 21:23

I did start to wonder whether it is somewhat irresponsible of holiday companies to offer All Inclusive holidays which seemed to be 'stuff yourself silly at every opportunity' when as a nation we are struggling so much with the health implications of obesity.

No. It's irresponsible of the holiday makers to stuff their own bodies silly and to allow their kids to do the same.

You can't blame a holiday company for how much people choose to eat, any more than you can blame a supermarket.

If me, DH and our 2 DC went on an all inclusive holiday, we would doubtless save money when you take everything into consideration.

But none of us would be stuffing ourselves silly.

SirChenjin · 23/08/2013 21:25

I don't see any underlying tone at all

Original poster
teacherandguideleader · 23/08/2013 21:29

You're right, it isn't really the holiday company's responsibility, but I still think there may be a link between things such as this and the issues some people have with food. Maybe just to do with a culture of doing things to excess.

I've also never taken children on holiday so have no idea how it works out with children (our resort didn't allow children so wasn't something I wash thinking about).

OP posts:
Justforlaughs · 23/08/2013 21:30

I've wondered about going AI but as we don't drink alcohol (or very little anyway) and tend to go HB and just miss lunch, I'm not sure whether it would be worth it.

FondantNancy · 23/08/2013 21:31

"It's not so much the piled high greed that got me. It was the piled high waste left on the plates. Like 6 hard boiled eggs left, or a plate with 6 pastries, and piles of fruit abandoned."

Shock That stuns me. How stupid are these people? I don't give a shit what other people eat on holiday but that is disgraceful!

WorraLiberty · 23/08/2013 21:32

To be honest I don't know if there is a link

If these people were overweight then it's quite probable that they regularly eat too much.

Unless they go on more holidays than Judith Chalmers

insummeritrains · 23/08/2013 21:35

Seasick, I think you doth protest too much! Some people think it's ok to pile and pile your plate till you're fit to burst and other's think it's piggy behaviour. Get over it.

NotAsTired · 23/08/2013 21:37

Just came back from A-I holiday. First time. It was great. I was one of those that had 3 good meals a day inc double helpings of pudding. Yes, people's plates were piled high but also a lot of people were in the pool or in the sea all day, burning up the calories and quite a few were in the gym everyday. There were only a few people who were really obese.

Out of us four adults that travelled together, one lost weight, I maintained and two others put on 2 lbs only. This is despite eating more than usual.