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!

Plenty of Spaniards and other nationalities on my last AI. Checked with DH - neither of us saw anyone drunk or on the one before.
Honestly, don't knock what you haven't tried. My AI's restaurants and bars have been an oasis of calm in a busy resort.

Just a thought- if you have 6 units per day (hitting the new limit) for one week that’s 42 units of alcohol. Now I freely admit I’m not much of a drinker, and I don’t give a hoot what anyone else chooses to do if it doesn’t affect me, but surely that’s excessive in anyone’s book when the weekly guideline is 14 units. Even someone who regularly drinks 14 units per week is going to struggle suddenly jumping to 42 units in a week?

Drunken Brits abroad as been a social problem for these holidsy destinations for years, and only now these countries are cracking down. I appreciate that no one on mumsnet gets drunk on a AI holiday apparently, but alot of us seem too and cause mayhem, even if it's loud arguments with your better half that staff have to deal with. The rule of drinking with meals is generally how the Europeans do it anyway,.hence why they have far less of an alcohol problem than we do.
I think they've been forced to step in with a. Rule like this, because we couldn't keep ourselves in check.
And the posters saying. I'm not a raging alcoholic but I like a few drinks before lunch, with lunch, in the afternoon, pre-dinner, with dinner, after dinner. Maybe you need to re-think some things...

Us too. Though we sometimes even spend the first week of our main holiday in non-AI hotel(s) where we are very busy, and then a more relaxing second week in a AI hotel.

Or is it just me goes on holiday to recharge and relax after spreading myself thin (and DH too, not just me) with full time work, children and just generally having a life?

Erm, bit assumptive there. I find activities relaxing. You can get out of your own head.

Yes so much snobbery on here
My next AI has its own organic vegetable garden and a Michelin star chef devised menu with local produce.
But yes obvs, it's all lazy gluttons drunk all day

We have similar taste in holidays...

Plenty of included activities in hotel if you want them.
Last AI I walked an average of 13km a day, went to a local gym and didn't sit by pool once

I'm pleased , I hope holidays get cheaper again and go back to half board because I only eat twice a day and don't drink .
Must be annoying for people who booked ages ago though!

No, but it could - if they changed their minds. My point was the aim is to be happy or at least context with something like this if you can't change it. Otherwise, that really is money wasted. Look at it as an opportunity to change things up and enjoy some different things.

Wow. How unbelievably patronising.

If I book an AI holiday I expect it to be AI and I will pay for that privilege. I wouldn't book somewhere with a 6 drink limit and I'd be pretty pissed off if the rules changed after I'd booked. Does that mean I want to spend the holiday getting pissed? No. It does mean I'd like the option of getting a drink when i feel like it rather than having it dictated to me.

There are a number of reasons why people like AI holidays - many of which have been explained on this thread. These are valid reasons which you just seem to be dismissing with your comments about being happier if they just changed things and tried something different.

I do try different things and different types of holidays but I book an AI holiday for a reason and those reasons are valid and make me happy.

Well that was a much ruder reply than was called for!

I'm not a big drinker, the times I can imagine wanting to drink on holiday would be two glasses of something nice in the evening (ie after dinner).
I wouldn't be able to do that on this holiday (well I could, but would be paying extra).
maybe there's a market for a "all the soft drinks you can handle" AI to stop me buying expensive drinks for the dc.

Erm, bit assumptive there. I find activities relaxing. You can get out of your own head.

That works for you! Not everyone!! Why is that so difficult to understand.... it's like having a conversation with a toddler. Even my 7 year old can grasp this concept.

I suspect it is because people get rat-arsed and cause a scene - probably British people!

I do feel you though. £7000 for Spain!? I'd go to Costa Rica, China, Indonesia, Australia or the US but thats just me!

And people seem obsessed about money/snobbery. I've been told I can't afford it. ?🤷‍♀️

The stuff I like currently is pretty basic. No apologies for that. A lot of museums are free. Hiking is free or pretty low cost. Running - just need to pay for kit. Can read a book or two anywhere. I'm quite easily (and cheaply) pleased.

The gym at our AI hotel was mega busy every day! The children had a kids club with activities daily in the pool etc there was a lovely long walk up to the town and I'm sure you could find other activities if you wanted outside the hotel too and they had coach trips available too.
I saw people jogging every morning and they even did a daily Pilates work outside round the pool. the food was mostly healthy and lots of fish to eat too and lots of tea/ different teas and soft drinks and fresh orange amongst the alcohol on offer too
It was a real mix and not everyone drinks.
Not for everyone , I agree , but it's not all about the alcohol on holiday , but limiting it on an AI holiday won't solve the problems around it the rest of the year for one week abroad either.
Until the day alcohol is banned forever then there will always be different social problems around it , sadly.

Do you think people who go AI holidays don't like those things too?

It's like you're saying that if everyone did what you did then everyone would be happier.... most people do those things but also like a AI beach holiday every now and then!!

I am not convinced that a AI drink is a unit of alcohol - in most cases they are small/watered down. You seem focused on everyone wanting to drink their 3 drinks with dinner and lunch every day. I wouldn't want to do that at all.

I might want one drink some afternoons, and one whilst watching the show in the evening - a lot less than '14' though isn't included.

It's like you're saying that if everyone did what you did then everyone would be happier.... most people do those things but also like a AI beach holiday every now and then

Great, but then why complain about a small change?

I'm not anti drinking by the way ( I like a drunk on holiday ) I was Just pointing out that an AI holiday isn't always just about alcohol.

Struggle with what? I don't understand.

In a normal week, I probably drink less than 14 units as I have a couple of G&Ts on Friday and Saturday nights, or might open a bottle of wine on Friday night and finish it on Saturday (cava, 10 units before the 'some bottles of wine are 15 units' comments start) and yes on holiday I probably drink 40/50/60 units in a week but this is little and often, mostly with food so it isn't a particular challenge to drink, who doesn't like a cold lager or two on a hot day, or a cocktail or a G&T while getting ready to go out to dinner?

Plus if it's spread out over a 10/12 hour period, it doesn't make you drunk, loud, tired, emotional or argumentative, because your body gets rid of the alcohol just as fast as you consume it. You just spend the week in a nice steady state of relaxation.

Drink ! Not drunk

Just to reiterate, problem in Arenal Majorca is GERMANS not Brits

OP has 4 kids, can you go to any of those places with 4 kids for less than 7k?

Sounds like a joy - with 4 children on a weeks holiday with a 24 hour flight either end 😂