All inclusive holiday irritations....

[CupoTeap]

On holiday and in the restaurant......there is a huge block of butter put out each session with a knife to help yourself with.

I am getting more and more irritated by the people who insist on scraping a bit of butter off with this knife and then back to the butter to repeat before putting the knife down.

JUST PUT SOME ON YOUR PLATE.

Anything else I should be looking out for to annoy me

(I'm actually having a fab time and am very relaxed 😎)

Anything that has complete strangers dipping in and out of a sharing pot is best avoided.

This. (not envy)

First AI we went to felt very much like a canteen. Never been to one with shared butter. That sound 😱. Last time went to a 5 doing full board, no AI - managed to get it for cheaper than the 4 canteen place. Much more of a restaurant feel and less like Butlins dining. Cooler, quieter etc.

The DM articles about some of the grimest and rank AI are hilarious - they seem to go with the ones where people fight for sun beds

I wouldn't worry too much if you have booked something already, you do get what you pay for, and AI doesn't equal buffets, even for breakfasts.
Photos on trip advisor are generally a clue.

Some buffets are pretty nice to be fair, I tend to prefer the ones serving brunch in the morning, works better for me.

Don’t do it if your veggie ! We did one new year , everyone else had lobster 🦞 or steak .... we had pasta with tomatoes sauce ! Despite pleading that chips didn’t count as the veggie option !

You are reminding me why I don't book ai

Kids zinged out on drinking Coca Cola all day...because it’s free. Adults boozing from 10 am until last orders, leaving the zinged out kids to run screaming around the resort. And that’s in a 5 star AI. Never again.

I like getting different things and trying them even if they don’t necessarily go together. We don’t do AI anymore as we like to eat in restaurants at night, we don’t drink enough to make it worthwhile and DH has a fear of buffet food. He’s really picky and his dad was emetephobic so he feels there is a massive food poisoning risk like his dad.

I hate seeing people walk away with nothing but beige food. There are dozens of interesting dishes but no, they just choose a plate of chips AND croquet potatoes.

That would be me. I have coeliac disease and numerous other severe food allergies, including pineapple, which makes any kind of fruit salad difficult.
. am the one eating plain boiled rice for breakfast
No way would I risk anything and missing out on any of my holiday.

All that said, I've only been to one AI which had a buffet, all the rest have had table service.

Some buffers are lovely. I went to one in Tenerife that had the best meat I have ever tasted. They had such good seafood too. I particularly remember the roast quail that was on offer and the wonderful grilled hugs pieces of calamari. It was so good and it was an adult only hotel so no children licking the desserts.

Although I LOVE help yourself buffet breakfasts when I'm on holiday,I do find it a proper pain in the arse having to drag myself out of bed at 7.30am in order to get to the restaurant before everyone else has hoovered everything up!

Yep, I hate people who look like they're judging dd with a plate of chips and nothing else. She's vegetarian and has coeliac disease. Seeing as you're told not to eat the salad abroad, we can't trust how any veg is cooked there isn't much else.

Just had 10 days away where she had omelette every breakfast, chips every lunch and vegi fajitas (cooked especially for her) every evening. She was fairly miserable after ten days.

The serving pots are lined up on a long table, so the etiquette is to walk along the line inspecting each pot and to help yourself if you fancy it. You have to wait for the person in front of you to move the next pot, hence the queue.You couldn’t bypass them and move to the next pot, that would be the height of rudeness. —it’s ok if they’re being too slow / choosy

Sounds like hell on earth.
Why would you go abroad to eat cheap food from a buffet which sounds like feeding time at the zoo?
Isn't eating locally one of the best parts of a holiday abroad?

Yes to queue jumpers being a pain.

German Lady (pushes in)
Dh "the back of the queue is that way love"
She retreated

You can go AI if you are a veggie, just do your research. I love meats, but I eat plenty of salads and veg dishes to go with, many places have very specific vegetarian options.

I dunno who decided jelly cubes are a breakfast item but I was all for it.

I've only ever done 5* AI and it's been bloody brilliant. Mornings were had omelettes cooked to order, smoothies made in front of you, freshly cooked meats etc. Lunches have been a choice of a la cart or buffet. Dinner the same, with the yfget offering pasta with sauces cooked to order, steaks done in front of you, crepes the same for pudding. On the beach people.coming round for your order, bringing round freshly cut pineapple.
Never had watered down wine.

Absolutely love it.

Never had to get up at 7.30 either!

"Why would you go abroad to eat cheap food from a buffet which sounds like feeding time at the zoo?
Isn't eating locally one of the best parts of a holiday abroad?"

Only if the restaurants are good. Finding a good one can be a challenge. I tend to do a mixture of both if I'm AI but last time I was the hotel buffet was better than any of the restaurants I tried and offered local specialities.

The AI at our honeymoon hotel in Barbados was just so damn good, I gained 10lbs. At least 9 of those were from pina coladas. They often have weird retro desserts. Blancmange anyone?

@Sally full board is usually the same set out but without the drinks included ime

Imusic87 l went AI in the Caribbean with my (now ex) husband. He put on a stone and a half in two weeks. l couldn't bear to sit opposite him at the dining table. lt was like he hadn't been fed for months. Mortifying.

MadamePompadour
who on earth told you you can't eat salads abroad?

Not every country abroad is 3rd world destination where salad is washed in contaminated river water
Most London restaurants don't use water from the Thames to wash the salads!

I am coeliac, I eat normal meals abroad, I do a lot of research before end and make sure it's catered for. I think one of the worst countries for me so far has just been one of our nearest neighbours: France! And I still had a reasonable choice.

I love AI. Great with picky kids. Does my head in if you take them to a restaurant, they refuse the food, spill their drinks, you shell out a fortune on each! If going AI you don't have that worry. You can knock yourself out!

Actually find it cost effective, and great not having to prepare meals.
Always found the food of a high standard as well!

@thentherewascakes

We were in Mexico and the official advice is don't eat the salad or any fruit which can't be peeled or the tap water. We ignored the advice for the first few days and both got the shits quite badly. So then stopped eating the salad.

Just the thought of AI makes me heave - bleurgh