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!

I never knew about this. When did this come into action? We were in Majorca at Easter, and it wasn't the case then.

Perhaps if people are limited to six drinks a day that they'll stop watering their spirits down now?

Do you aye

It really isn't 'expensive' for these hotels - they will be benefitting from almost everyone who is booking and paying for the premium of AI. Very few will be out of pocket and making a loss.

It's not like they are just giving the drinks (and food) away - people have already paid for them in their AI premium cost.

They seem to think that the main point of 'all inclusive' is that they can drink themselves senseless without paying any extra money for it

Load of bollocks.
People go AI for lots of reasons. For me it’s so I don’t have to do anything if I don’t want to - no cooking, no cleaning, no shopping. I also don’t have to schelp out of the hotel at night to find a suitable restaurant for the evening meal, possibly getting it ‘wrong’ and wasting money.

Our favourite holidays have been in Egypt. But we’ve also had fun in Majorca, Greece, Mexico, Cuba, Tunisia, Morocco, Dom Rep and Cyprus. We’ve gone AI in all these places, I won’t go otherwise. We’ve done 3, 4 and 5 star, but in every one I’d say the drinks were local and watered down, unless I’ve specifically asked for a branded spirit. In every one I have had many days where I’ve had more than 6 drinks, but I could count on my fingers how many times I’ve actually been drunk on holiday.

Magaluf is notorious for drunken teens on tour - they don’t go AI. As is San An - although a lot of the issues there would be drug related (and you don’t get a side of Charlie with your AI breakfast!)

Sorry, it was aimed at whoever pretended they couldn't think of any reason

I've gone all the way back through the thread and if it's not you, I can't see who it was.

We went 1/2 board and found out to our cost that the drinks (any drink) was huge.
This was probably 25 years ago and it was £5 for a can of Coke.

Everything was a huge price as everything has to be brought to the island and only by smaller boats that won’t damage the coral.

I think that it might have been the tIme of year but everyone each evening left their bungalows looking clean and fresh and arrived at the bar area a few minutes later looking like they had just taken a dip in the sea fully clothed. The humidity was so high that with in minutes you were drenched in sweat and you couldn’t wear make up as it slid off your face because you were sweating so much.

Although Dh likes a drink when away even he was on big bottles of water as that is all any one could drink after a couple of days

Only the new comers would be drinking alcohol and would do a double take at those that had been there a few days who had bottles of water instead of rum and Coke or a beer
Your throat in the end wouldn’t accept anything other than water.

It was one of the most beautiful places I have ever been to.
The sand was white and the sea was crystal clear

In the pool, at kids club, joining in the resort activities, playing on the beach ....what kids usually do 🤷🏼‍♀️
Most parents are capable of having a couple of drinks and supervising their kids.

This thread is like MN bingo. A great opportunity to slag off parents that drink and people who choose AI holidays!!

I wouldn't drink 3 drinks with lunch and 3 with dinner. I might have one with lunch, 2 with dinner then want one before dinner or after dinner at the bar. Making you drink your allowance at meals is going to mean many people drink more than they would otherwise with meals.

Its all so allocated and against what the good side of AI is over full board, being able to be a bit more relaxed about when you eat /drink. Paying a premium in order to be able to just eat and drink when you fancy. Might as well go for cheaper full/half board.

It’s only in about 4 resorts and they’re unlikely to the the ones you’d take a family holiday in. Spain want to widen the appeal of places like Magaluf and not just attract the those who want to drink and party. It’s really not a big deal so don’t know what the fuss is about.

These places attract a certain sort which I’m sure the locals will be glad to see the back of.

People may now be more tempted to take in the culture and scenery (never been so don’t know if there is any) rather than getting drunk and lounging around a pool with young children.

If it was 1 alcoholic drink per hour, or 6 a day, it would make sense...

But two short periods... that doesn't make sense.

I encourage it, AI is killing local businesses!

@worraliberty I think this is the post you are referring to - I'm quoted in it, but I didn't type the bit you were referring to.

It's easy to be confused with this new layout!

7.5k? No, dear! DP and I went to the Canaries on an AI deal just before covid. It was a cheap and cheerful deal, the food was average, as were the drinks, but precisely because it had been such a cheap deal, we ate in the hotel if we wanted but we went out for nicer dinners as well and really didn't feel ripped off.

We paid much less than 2k for the week. We had a whole week off from dangerous and stressful jobs, and difficult family situations, we ate and drank what we wanted to, and we didn't care about being judged by sniffy people. It was great 😊

Ahh yes, sorry@WeCouldBeSpearows

I do still find it confusing!

Oh yes and the food on AI can be crap or very good, like most hotel experiences, some are better quality than others. At the £7.5k mark, im assuming the OP has gone high quality.

We only left our resort once on honeymoon. It wasn't AI though, does that make it OK? 🤣

Yes my initial comment was on the basis it was 6 drinks a day. Splitting it across the day does seem a bit weird as I'd have thought people would want more drinks in the evening or late afternoon than lunchtime/early afternoon.

I am shocked at how much people drink !

‘a couple with lunch , a couple by the pool, a few before dinner, and then some more with dinner ‘..!!!

If the brochure didn’t make it obvious I can see why you’re annoyed. Or maybe it’s a booking rolled over from pre covid.
whether it suits you depends on how much you want to drink I guess. All inc can be quite good value even if you don’t drink as it includes snacks, ice creams, soft drinks. So can still be cheaper than other options even if you choose to leave the hotel for drinks/ meals sometimes. I agree it does kill local businesses though

YABU, very U.

Anything that try and get people to drink less is always fantastic!

I probably wouldn't have more than 6 drinks in a day when I've been AI but I expect to choose when I'm going to have them. I often don't go in to lunch but fancy a g and t about 3.00 with a snack around the pool. I might have another before I go up for a bit of chill time in my room. Would probably have 2 glasses of wine with dinner and maybe another two during the evening after dinner. There are 2 problems I can see for me with this way of doing things. 1. If I don't want lunch do I then lose out on my 3 lunch time drinks? The other issue is that knowing I was limited to 6 drinks would probably make me want another one or two. Psychologically I would probably feel a bit deprived. It seems a bit unreasonable because, although I might drink 6 drinks on a round the pool day, I definitely wouldn't have that many on days I was off site which is fine because going off site would be my choice and the option of a AI drink would have been there if I'd wanted it.

I can’t find anything In the Spanish news. Only something issued by Thomas cook. Just asked a friend that works for an all inclusive in baleares