AIBU to ask what all inclusive means to you?

[Polkapjs]

I’m in Italy. Not been on a package in years. Style and beauty would fall over in horror at the dinner outfits but I’m trying to keep the style stakes up by wearing eyeliner....
But- i wasn’t expecting to drink out of plastic cups. Is this normal? Can only get a drink at one bar or in the restaurant and outside of the restaurant it is plastic tumblers like I’m camping. V weird. Or is it?

Quite common, I think. It's to avoid the risk of broken glass around the pool where people will be in bare feet. Makes sense?

Not my experience of AI no, but you have to pay a lot of money to get high quality AI in high season. Most places which are family friendly will have plastic glasses during the day but definitely not at night!

Um no. Just back from 2 weeks AI in Mexico and it meant glass glasses in the bars/restaurants, plastic round the pool (which is fine by me), a la carte for dinner, all inclusive spa, golf and day trips .

I did once do AI in Turkey however and that was much as you describe - I’ve not been back......

It's for safety. So no glass smashes where there are bare feet..

As other say - it is to avoid broken glass going in to bare feet.
Not really rocket science.

Yes, it’s to do with glass, especially falling into the pool.

We do lots if AI, so plastic tumblers are used a lot in AI.

All inclusive to me means the hotel will attract a lower level clientele who will eat and particularly drink to excess so I avoid like the plague.

senior rather unnecessary don't you think? Doesn't really add to the debate.

log it with 101

I think in my experience you graduate from plastic to glass when you go from 3 to 4.
I have to say though that I love AI, but I wouldn’t do it in a country with an abundance of reasonably-priced restaurants and known great food. They come into their own where eating out options are limited or extortionate or both, but I wouldn’t put Italy in that category.

owlina - read the question - that what it means to me, don’t see a debate here

Hello, I am lower level clientele who eats and drinks to excess.

Actually, I'm not, but I do enjoy an AI holiday because of the convenience for ny family. No, we don't stay around the resort all day every day drinking beer morning, noon and night. Yes, we do go and visit other places, even if that means eating outside of the resort for a few meals. However, the benefits of AI such as easy access to soft drinks, ice creams etc for my DD and general convenience is still worth paying for IMO.

And, to answer the OP, yes, plastic tumblers are usual in many cases especially near the pool or in family areas.

Just back from our first AI in Greece. Small plastic tumblers and paper for hot drinks. Plastic cutlery and plates at the snack bar.

Glasses in the main restaurant canteen.

I don't think we'll do it again.

Whatever, I think your comment was rude.

We've been to lots of AI in various countries, all either 4 or 5 star. I would say all of the pool bars served drinks in plastic cups, some places were those party type cups, some were very sturdy reusable tumblers.

All of the other bars and restaurants used normal glasses though. If there was ever a beach bar/shack they probably used plastic too.

Oh and senior none of my family group drink to excess at all. In fact on a 2 week break DH and I might have 1 night of getting drunk, the rest of it I could count on one hand how many alcoholic drinks we will have. I'd be lying if I said my DH didn't eat to excess though but to be fair he does that at home too 😂

Just back from all inclusive and all drinks were served in those thin plastic cups you get in a pack of 50 from Asda. It wasn't a highlight of the holiday

Our honeymoon was an adults only AI on a Greek island 5* and we had (nice) plastic glasses by the pool. It's just common sense with all those bare feet around the pool!

It's been a while since we had an AI thread for holiday snobs to sneer at

We've just come back from AI in Greece. Ate and drank well, bags of water sports for everyone and no bloody food shopping for a fortnight. I love it!

All the ones I've done have had what I call garden or picnic plastic glasses and proper glasses in the evening. I think it does depend on the star rating , best AI I've ever had was in Mauritius which had branded Champagne and amazing restaurants plus spa treatments included. Would love to go back but the price has more than doubled

We are at at 4* AI at the moment in Majorca, it’s plastic tumblers round the pool and glass in the bars and restaurants. The lifeguards are pretty hot about telling you off if you bring glass around the pool areas.
I’m quite impressed at this hotel actually, they only have paper straws, compostable paper cups, compostable bin liners in all the bins and the toiletries in the rooms are refillable bottles rather than individual little packets.

I've never had plastic glasses in an AI. Normally A La Carte dining in the evening at various restaurants, own sunbeds on the beach and beside the pool, spa treatments and massages included, 24 hour room service and drinks of your choice in the mini bar.

Oooh sounds lovely @bellsbuss! If you don't mind me asking what was your hotel called?

Oh, forgot to mention - plastic glasses/tumblers are fairly standard in the pool area more like picnic plastic glasses than disposable ones). Was able to get food and drink from all restaurant/bar locations, everything apart from a few pricier spirits and champagne. Have done one in mainland Spain, one in Mallorca and one in Mexico.

Only done one AI holiday, last year in Turkey. It was bloody marvellous, we want to go back.

Glass and crockery for drinking out of except by the pool when it was good quality thick plastic.

Loads of things included, but we had to pay for trips out, which I expected.

I think that in Europe you need to be pretty high up the star ratings for a really decent AI tbh and I think in general Italian hotels in smaller resorts can be fairly basic or quirky and are more likely to be independent or family type rather than the type you get on the bigger package holiday companies holidays. I don't mind that in the least as there are lots of places to eat out and food is generally of decent quality. even HB in Italian hotels cane be, well, unusual.

The best AI in my personal opinion, tends to be in the types of places where there is less ability to eat out. My best ones have been in Turkey (the big beach resorts around Antalya - but my favourite place in Turkey doesn't do AI and we do eat out) and in Mexico (pacific coast). I also did what was near enough AI in Goa back when AI wasn't really a thing and everything was included (even laundry and a couple of hairdo's!) except drinks but you could just charge those to the room and for 3 weeks for 2 people I think I was about £80!