AIBU to let my children use all inclusive on a group holiday?

[AIvSC]

Against my better judgement I agreed to a group holiday. Mixture of family and friends all know each other well. All have children ranging from baby-16

My BIL organised it but we all booked separately.

He sent a link to an all inclusive resort and that's what I and half of the group booked.

BIL and the half booked the same hotel but self catering.

It was £600 more for AI- which as we are here for 8 days works out as less than £20 per person per day (four of us)

First night was fine as we all went out for dinner but today has been hell.

We have had a pool day and my kids have been able to get snacks/drinks/etc as they like but to purchase it all is quite expensive.

We've just come back from dinner- which was 'free' for us but not for them and were told it wasn't fair if our kids used the AI.

I asked why they didn't book the AI and they said they didn't like AI- but they were at dinner having the same food as us.

I don't want to be say to our kids that they can't use the AI but equally don't want to fall out. I enquired how much it would cost to upgrade to AI and it was 2200€ per family.

Of course YANBU. What cheek of BIL to even mention that to you! If they are on a SC plan can they not go to the shops and stock up on soft drinks and snacks for their children and then give them those as a treat instead? Absolutely wild though that they’ve even asked or that you’ve felt the need to justify why you booked AI when the options weren’t even discussed before booking.

This is just really so bizarre that they’ve even asked. If you were all paying out of pocket but you had a bigger food budget would they ask you to stop buying drinks for your kids when they asked because they couldn’t afford the same?? So strange!

Let your kids use the AI.

tell your family that you pre-paid so your kids can drink as much as they want. You aren't going to lose money because they didn't want to spend theirs.

It's ridiculous that they didn't pay the extra £600. They will end up spending more then that and not even getting half of what you can get. Their poor planning isn't your problem.

Surely it’s got to be a really bad joke - no one can be that entitled to ask you to not use something you’ve paid for, because he chose not to.

it’s his responsibility to manage his own kids expectations and explain the different packages, but clearly it’s easier to ask you to stop allowing your children to use the AL option you chose (& he didn’t). It’s laughable

I’d be suggesting he upgrades if your children enjoying their holiday is a problem for him. Then carry on enjoying your AL holiday that you paid for.

Do NOT alter your plans because he’s cheeky enough to ask such a ridiculous thing of you. As PP have said, he needs to go to the supermarket and fill his fridge with drinks and snacks.

What an absolute prat he sounds!

I wonder if they are just CF and the plan was all along to get you to subsidise their drinks and snacks throughout the day.
I wouldn't do it as you risk losing your holiday, but I can see how some people would attempt to get away with it. It's easy to get one family member to fill up a couple of bottles with cola, then send another family member to do the same with others. Once in the bottles no one would know that the other kids didn't pay for theirs or that they didn't fill it up in the room.

For those wondering about prices, is this not down to dynamic pricing? If the OP booked hers as part of the holiday package then it might have been lower as the hotel has a set fee for the AI that doesn't change.

It’s a no brainer - your family should take advantage of the all inclusive.
Don’t be tempted to cheat the system for the non all inclusive - the hotel will be watching out for this and charge you/other family or throw you out.

Tell them to do one.

That is a stupid idea and will probably result in getting booted out of the hotel.
The kids might well miss out because their parents made stupid choices, or just needed a self catering somewhere cheaper. BIL and co sound right dicks.
OP you paid for AI you and your family enjoy it. Dickhead and co can sit on the side lines with their Daily Rag sad faces. Their kids missing out is NOT your problem.

We're leaving for an AI vacation un a couple of days. My DS2 said he's most looking forward to all the mocktails he will order and DS1 to all the Coke and ice cream. We try to keep snacks and soda limited at home so they are in for 2 weeks of indulging- teens so we can't keep tabs on them😅. I think half of the enjoyment with the holiday for them is being able to order what they want when they want. Whereas for me who only eat 2 meals a day and only drink water AI is probably not optimal but the children compensate.

Tell him you'll be getting your money's worth!

Thank you 🤩 All of the resorts I’ve gone to are absolutely fine with the odd “gift” to people you get talking to or a kid that’s hungry and wants something from the snack bar.

This never happens. At worst, you’ll get a stern word and a threat and if that happens which I’ve never seen, you stop doing it. It’s hardly stealing in this context and actually happens all the time. I’m not saying give the kids a three course meal, I’m saying have some fries and drinks when they need them.

Sounds like a 'them problem'. They should have booked AI. You enjoy your AI with your family!

What a tight arsed BIL. He wants to penalise you for his shortcomings.

Yep. It is stealing. Bet that will be the next suggestion from bil though.

I expect it could happen though if they wanted to push it. Where we stayed this year had it written onto the information sheet when we arrived.
In reality it's less likely to happen as who is to know.....putting drinks in bottles makes it less obvious, though even a kid taking a couple of drinks in cups back to their family is not likely to be stopped by anyone as there isn't usually that many people watching. Its more likely to be if other guests spot what's going on and query it.
(Still reminded of the time we went to Butlins and paid for VIP so we could get early access to venues and the family in front of us spread themselves across 2 tables and then when everyone was let in beckoned the rest of their group to join them. Thought this was cheeky behaviour as they must have booked early entry for one family and then just saved the table for the other family without it).

They should have sorted this out before they went. Carry on!! Of course you don’t stop because of what they said. Your kids could probably share some snacks etc discreetly to be kind when needed..

They are bonkers and have messed up, you enjoy your slushies and drinks etc.

I put YABU only because you didn't laugh in his face immediately and tell him to jog the fuck on.

This would put me right off these people and I would distance myself from them for duration of holiday. Imagine the mind workings it must take to suggest to others that they stop using what they paid for in order to ease their own pocket.

CF doesn't even cover it in this instance. OP, short shrift from you this morning. Shut him/them down immediately. This would have made me very cross indeed.

What kind of bonkers do you have to be to suggest that someone on a group holiday doesn't make use of something they've paid for, just because you chose not to pay for the same thing?

YANBU OP, enjoy the rest of your holiday.

YANBU. They miscalculated, now he's annoyed at how much it's costing. Just tell him not to be daft.

I think that’s different. Use of a limited resource that some people have paid for and I’d be frustrated by that but it’s just the way it is. Same as saving a place in the aldi queue or slightly shorter Alton towers queues.

the way o see it, if my kids made friends at the pool and I said they needed a drink to keep them hydrated, I’d be getting on for their new friend too because it’s the nice thing to do and hurts no one. And that’s a stranger, not a family member. I’ve always done this and for adults I’ve been sitting with randomly. It’s a nice gesture, they’re happy and the hotel doesn’t care because no one has taken the piss.

Who the actual fuck does your BIL think he is to make that comment / request?! What an arrogant twat. I wonder if he'd have said that to, for example, his boss had his boss been in your shoes?

I would be playing the insanity card i.e. BIL, have you lost your mind?! And how about taking a shit - can we all only do that at the same time, too?

You are not being unreasonable in the slightest. Don't get derailed by this. Let your children carry on and enjoy your break. Your BIL could learn some wisdom, here.

You must be a barrel of laughs at a party 🥳

Just tell him to go to reception this morning and get his Ai wristband and pay for it.