AIBU to be a bit peed off about the new all inclusive drinking rule in Spain?

[Pinkycloud]

Don’t want to come across a raging alcoholic but we’ve booked an all inclusive holiday (costing about £7.5k) for me DH and 4 DC and am peed off to see you can now only have 3 alcoholic drinks with lunch and three with dinner. I know six seems a lot but it’s more about being told when you can have them and how many you can have at a given time. We’ve been to this place before (Majorca) and used to enjoy lazy afternoons sipping a beer or three by the pool. Doesn’t seem like ‘all inclusive’ anymore and we’re paying thousands for the bloody thing!

Yeah that's shit. Wouldn't be going all inclusive there tbh, will be going somewhere else! And I wouldnt be happy if I'd paid all inclusive prices and its no longer all inclusive

I don't particularly like to drink all day but I do like an evening drink after dinner. Sounds like you can only drink with food? And only 3 drinks with dinner? Its the control that's put on your day that would really put me off

To be fair it seems a bit unreasonable to go to a destination that has been so plagued with drunken misbehaving that they have had to introduce this law in the first place.

Will they reduce the prices of the holidays ?
They should

Not if this law was announced in 2020 as PP has stated

It's not free at all.

All inclusive holidays cost a fair bit more than self catering.

That's what people are paying for. All inclusive should mean all inclusive. If there's a limit, they shouldn't advertise as AI and charge AI prices.

I often find the drinks at all inclusive are a bit weaker than normal ones so that makes it even worse

It's only certain resorts in Majorca and Ibiza from my understanding.

It’s not just aimed at Brits. It’s aimed at all the other nations who drink too much on AI inclusive holidays too.
I’d be annoyed too OP. Like you say, it’s not the amount of alcohol (I don’t think I could drink 6 drinks in a day), it’s being told when you can and can’t have them. I think as the rule is being brought in after booking you should be entitled to cancel and get a refund.

We don't go all inclusive and we don't get boozed up, but we might have a pre lunch beer, a couple with lunch, one in the afternoon, one while getting ready for dinner, a couple of beers or wines with dinner and maybe a cocktail or G&T afterwards, so spread out and mostly with food, generally just small cans of San Miguel or similar from the supermarket. So quite easy to exceed the limit without actually getting drunk.

It's not 'free' , people pay a premium in order to have drinks on tap! I like a drink , but I couldn't drink all day long. The beauty of it was you could pick and chose and just have a nice drink when you wanted it , not being policed by the staff who will also have to be vigilant about who is having what as well !
This could be the end of the AI , maybe they police the cakes next ..

Same. Blimey!

I've never been on an all inclusive holiday though. I've heard friends who have complain about them and how some are aggressively keen to start drinking the minute they step off their coach into the hotel complex.

There is a half board option at many Mallorcan hotels. You just buy alcohol separately same as in the UK

It isn’t free, you pay for it as part of your AI price. AI is significantly more expensive than non AI.
The fact is that people have booked, paid, then had the terms significantly changed after booking.

YANBU OP. Disclaimer- I am a recovering alcoholic. It’s the fact you are paying for AI only it isn’t. If the Balearics want to promote themselves as whatever - fine - but don’t call it and charge for it to be AI. As a recovering alcoholic - it wasn’t availability that “made” me drink - it was deep rooted trauma. I would find a way to drink irrespective of the circumstances. I hardly think stags and hens are doing pricey AI.

The ones getting drunk on our Spanish holiday recently were the Spanish and the Germans! It was nice to see people enjoying themselves after years of covid etc.

This. Why on earth would you even need 6.

Is this pints? Singles? Doubles? Bottles? What about cocktails with more than one spirit? It’ll have to be Long Island Iced Tea all round!

Most of the time on AI it’s plastic tumblers that hold less than half a pint. And it’s all really weak/ unbranded.

Bang goes my chance of getting DH back to Majorca if that’s the case - oh and poor DSD and who’s off to Ibiza in June! No booze cruise for her.

I’m no longer a big drinker, but I def have more than 6 a day on holiday. I also like a brandy in my coffee after dinner. There’s got to be more to it, surely.

It's not free alcohol though in all inclusive, Ive paid for it in the price of the holiday. If alcohol is no longer included in the price I'd expect the price to be reduced. Just as if dinner stops being included

It's ridiculous really. It's nice to have a beer in the evening before dinner or a cocktail after. I wouldn't drink my 3 at lunch, and actually probably only want one with dinner? Its the outside mealtimes I want my drinks on holiday!

Also it's going to encourage people to chose more alcohol drinks. Whilst I might chose a single gin and tonic or small beer, if people know there's a limit they're going to purposefully chose more alcohol drinks? You'll get people loading with their 3 drinks at lunch rather than slowly drinking throughout the afternoon.

I didn't mean it was all resorts in the Balearics (I don't know which ones specifically are affected), just that only resorts in the Balearics are affected.

Hopefully you'll be fine!

@Whammyyammy I’m not a big drinker but with cocktails round the pool and carafe of wine (that I had as a spritzer with lemonade) I comfortably drank 8 drinks on some days when on holiday 2 weeks ago. I didn’t even feel tipsy. The drinks in all inclusive are notoriously week. I’m honestly a light weight. My experience of Majorca is that it isn’t the all inclusive ones getting drunk it’s those going down the bar strip pub to pub ordering drinks and getting free shots etc. that said, the rules were announced in 2020 so you can’t be that angry.

Looks like its only certain regions:

The rules - limiting the number of drinks guests are allowed to order without charge at all-inclusive hotels - are in place in areas of the Balearic Islands of Majorca and Ibiza.

The regional government has introduced laws aiming to curb so-called tourism of excesses with areas such as Magaluf and Playa de Palma in Majorca and San Antonio in Ibiza under the spotlight.

I think it's a good thing. AI encourages excess drinking just because it is free
But it isn't free, AI holidays are more expensive. And most people use AI so they can relax and not worry, not to get blind drunk.
AI does not encourage excess drinking to the extent of the problems they are seeing there with drunk tourists. Anyone who goes on holiday to get blind drunk, will do so whether the drinks are AI or not.

Or people chosing small meals at lunch to make the most of their 3 drinks. Then probably more vomiting because they drink 3 drinks all at once with no food!

It's also only very specific areas in the balearics - so it looks like Magaluf, El Arenal, Playa de Palma in Majorca and then Sant Antoni in Ibiza. So if you're not going there, the rules don't apply.

Seems like plenty of alcohol to me.

Well its not there fault if people do not follow the news, it was widely published in 2020.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-51158258