BS: All inclusive holidays

Subject: BS: All inclusive holidays
From: Keith A of Hertford
Date: 30 Jan 16 - 05:32 PM

We have been discussing the merits of these on a recent thread.
I have had some wonderful holidays.
Anyone else tried them?

Some people do not like the idea of wristbands.
Any views?

Subject: RE: BS: All inclusive holidays
From: GUEST,Pete from seven stars link
Date: 30 Jan 16 - 06:54 PM

....I hope you see some great views on your all in holidays ....

Subject: RE: BS: All inclusive holidays
From: GUEST,Triplane
Date: 30 Jan 16 - 07:25 PM

All inclusives are full of daytime drunks, you can tell them by their wristbands, at least in the Canaries u can, obviously not the place for the discerning traveller?
I prefer DB&B , lets me go out at nite looking for good "Songs popular in Ireland" pubs with good craic and music.

Subject: RE: BS: All inclusive holidays
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 30 Jan 16 - 09:30 PM

No all-inclusive for me. I haven't seen one yet that gets even a half-decent review from anyone even suspected of being discerning on Trip Advisor. I'm not going anywhere where I feel I can't have a good look round, eat out and sup in local bars because I've paid dough up front to stay in a quasi-institution for a week. I want to mix it with the locals and get ripped off due to my lack of language. It's brilliant fun, and the gelati and cannoli are lovely.

Subject: RE: BS: All inclusive holidays
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 31 Jan 16 - 01:59 AM

All-inclusive isn't for me and Mrs. Fenswoman - sitting around feeding our faces and pissing it up all day isn't our idea of fun. I don't do alcohol at all, and Mrs. does very little, so unlimited 'free' booze holds no attraction for us. A hotel is just a place to sleep and take a shower as far as we're concerned.

In the past, we've had a number of Mediterranean holidays on B&B basis which we enjoyed (Corfu, Cyprus, Crete a couple of times) and which gave us freedom to please ourselves for food/drink and activities. Our holidays in recent years have been in rented cottages in nice parts of the U.K. (North York Moors, Norfolk, Scotland, Isle of Eigg, Peak District, Lake District, etc.), visiting relatives in Ontario, and fly-drives in Alberta and British Columbia. Lots of mixing with locals, making new acquaintances, eating local, great activities, amazing scenery.

I can't imagine us ever doing all-inclusive - not our 'scene' - but it's each to their own, of course.

Subject: RE: BS: All inclusive holidays
From: Joe Offer
Date: 31 Jan 16 - 02:19 AM

I didn't understand the part about the wristbands. Do they allow you to drink as much as you please?

I don't think Americans do "all-inclusive" holidays as much as Europeans do. My first thought was that an all-inclusive holiday combined Washington/Lincoln/MartinLutherKing with Labor Day.

-Joe-

Subject: RE: BS: All inclusive holidays
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 31 Jan 16 - 03:19 AM

Aren't the wristbands to denote the A-I guests (whose drinks are 'free' by virtue of their all-inclusion) from the 'normal' guests? They were, in the hotel's I've stayed in which had guests on an A-I basis.

Subject: RE: BS: All inclusive holidays
From: Keith A of Hertford
Date: 31 Jan 16 - 03:25 AM

I have met many Americans on such "vacations."
The bands give you free everything. Children get different ones that do no allow alcohol.

Subject: RE: BS: All inclusive holidays
From: Will Fly
Date: 31 Jan 16 - 04:50 AM

I wouldn't go on a package holiday - much less an all-inclusive one - for a big gold clock. I was persuaded, many years ago, to go on a couple, and they were bloody awful.

Off to France again (twice) this year. We go to an apartment in Arcachon, 40km south of Bordeaux in June - with an overnight stop halfway both ways in Tours at a hotel. (It's a long drive from the Chunnel down to the south-west. Le Bassin d'Arcachon is one of the most beautiful parts of a relatively unspoilt coast with fabulous beaches, and great food and wines.

We're celebrating our golden wedding in August by renting a beautiful house in Brittany and having the whole family - son, d-i-l and 3 grandkids share it with us.

We can eat out where and when we like, cook or not, as the inclination takes us, and enjoy meeting and chatting to local people. (I speak French because it was hammered into me for 7 years at school!)

And, yes, Joe, all-inclusive wristband wearers can drink as much as they want...

Subject: RE: BS: All inclusive holidays
From: DMcG
Date: 31 Jan 16 - 05:59 AM

"The bands give you free everything."

I haven't tried all-inclusive holidays myself, because my wife doesn't drink alcohol at all, and I drink very little. The ones I looked fairly recently pretty much limited the 'all' to 'all alcohol'. So for example when we went to Venice a year back they would not have included day/weekly passes on the water buses, except from the specific hotel to St Mark's. So as nominally teetotal they didn't seem good value.

Subject: RE: BS: All inclusive holidays
From: GUEST,Raggytash
Date: 31 Jan 16 - 06:36 AM

Torre Molinos, Torre Molinos!

Subject: RE: BS: All inclusive holidays
From: GUEST,Triplane
Date: 31 Jan 16 - 07:59 AM

Short History of the package holidy

I think this is a reasonable article it appears to describe the people who take "All Inclusive" holidays and those who don't fairly accurately without having axes to grind, score points, sell books or just pontificate.

Subject: RE: BS: All inclusive holidays
From: GUEST,HiLo
Date: 31 Jan 16 - 10:23 AM

We went on a package holiday once, to Mexico for a friends wedding, and yes, we did have wrist bands which indicated which dining hall we were assigned to.
All in all, we hated it, but it did provide a lot of laughs. I felt that we were trapped in a Monty Python type skit. We went to an "authentic" Mexican meal one night, it turned out to be Pasta Alfredo with,.....steamed cactus! On another occasion we attended an evening of "ethnic" music which was a very fat American singing ElPaso ala Marty Robbins. In any case we did manage to get off site and visit some spectacular ruins and we did get to eat in some small and truly authentic local restaurants.
Based on this experience, I would not be too quick to book an all inclusive tour to any where..I really want to eat the local food, walk the side streets, visit the small local museums and try out the local public transport. I do enjoy sitting in a small bar and just talking to people, I have learned so much that way. I know that package tours do very well for the millions who enjoy them, but we are not quite there yet.

Subject: RE: BS: All inclusive holidays
From: Leadfingers
Date: 31 Jan 16 - 11:48 AM

My Ex and I went on a 'Package' to Minorca - No All Inclusive then , just bed and board and a few 'organised' excursions . but we wanted a bit of sun at low price !
The 'all Inclusive' does not appeal at all - I am a 'Fly Drive' man these days

Subject: RE: BS: All inclusive holidays
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 31 Jan 16 - 12:59 PM

When you say package holiday, I suppose you mean plucking a complete deal from a brochure down the travel agency and going along with it hook, line and sinker. Well Mrs Steve and I wouldn't do that, but we do use small travel companies that specialise in particular areas. My favourite is called Sicilian Experience (Italia Nel Mondo). The agents offer you a choice of hotel and you choose the dates, then they fix up flights from the airport of your choice and arrange transfers. The agents all know every one of their hotels. We had a fabulous week in the Aeolian Islands in 2013 and another in Sicily last year, in an hotel between Taormina and Castelmola. No organised trips with tour guides, nothing at all of that nature. One's own thing must be done, even lugging bottles of prosecco up bloody huge great hills in the heat to fill the minibar (which justifies the massive gelato you've just eaten). Good prices too. A happy medium! Long Travel are good too.

Subject: RE: BS: All inclusive holidays
From: DMcG
Date: 31 Jan 16 - 02:04 PM

There's more than one type of tour guide, of course. I anticipate hiring one in the summer to take just my daughter and I on a trek through some forests in a country we don't know. We would miss a lot without one.

Subject: RE: BS: All inclusive holidays
From: fat B****rd
Date: 31 Jan 16 - 02:36 PM

I've only been "all inclusive" twice. In 1997 we went to Cuba with a weeks touring the island and a week with wristbands at a hotel resort. The "all inclusive" covered virtually unlimited drinks and bar snacks. I even bought the band a drink and snacks with my magic wristband. A few years later we had a week on Malta, with wristbands, which meant drinks from a separate selection of cheaper brands and a flat refusal from the barman one night when I tried to buy, with cash separately, a beer for a gentleman we were sat with. Every bar had a notice informing us that if anybody broke the "all inclusive" rules and regulations the management would take action!.

Subject: RE: BS: All inclusive holidays
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 31 Jan 16 - 04:05 PM

I have been on two - Antigua and Mexico. Neither had a wristband in sight and this is the first I have ever heard of such a thing. I guess I must lead a very sheltered life :-) On both occasions we were left to our own devices if we wanted to go into town or on excursions and the free food and drink, while an advantage if we just wanted to do nothing, were not at all tying. The cost was pretty much the same as flights to the Caribbean and separate accommodation would be anyway. No hoards of pissed up holidaymakers and, all in all, a very pleasant experience.

The only odd things I saw were, in Antigua, a guy sat at the bar at 9am having his breakfast of half a bottle of Jack Daniels and 20 Marlboro! And, in Mexico, lots of young, upwardly mobile Americans smoking in the swimming pool. Very odd! I am sure there are all inclusive holidays to suit every taste and a broad range of offerings. Maybe I have just been very lucky.

Subject: RE: BS: All inclusive holidays
From: michaelr
Date: 01 Feb 16 - 03:07 AM

Hordes, not hoards, please.

Subject: RE: BS: All inclusive holidays
From: Keith A of Hertford
Date: 01 Feb 16 - 03:19 AM

Some excellent tips here on how to take advantage and beat the wristband system in all inclusive hotels.

http://thetravelingwizard.com/cancun-and-the-wristband-economy/

Subject: RE: BS: All inclusive holidays
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 01 Feb 16 - 06:19 AM

Yea, but these hordes were hoarding all the booze...

Subject: RE: BS: All inclusive holidays
From: Raggytash
Date: 01 Feb 16 - 06:44 AM

The link provided by Keith is basically saying you can defraud an establishment.

Subject: RE: BS: All inclusive holidays
From: Keith A of Hertford
Date: 01 Feb 16 - 07:47 AM

No shit Rag!

Subject: RE: BS: All inclusive holidays
From: GUEST,Raggytash
Date: 01 Feb 16 - 07:53 AM

"Some excellent tips here on how to take advantage and beat the wristband system in all inclusive hotels"

Would it be correct to suggest you approve of using fraud Keith?

Subject: RE: BS: All inclusive holidays
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 01 Feb 16 - 08:01 AM

Please God, Noo-o-o-o!!

Subject: RE: BS: All inclusive holidays
From: GUEST,Musket
Date: 01 Feb 16 - 08:14 AM

He'd call it capitalism, obviously.

Mrs Musket gets almost as much fun planning and booking hols. Right now we are in Tignes /Val D'Isere on our annual ski with friends. We booked separately; the taxi, train to London, Eurostar to Paris, STV to Bourg St Mauris, coach to Le Lac, chalet. One of the first jobs when we get back is booking early for cheaper prices for our Canada jolly in April. (OK, some skiing involved too.)

The first time we came here a few years ago, we were finding we were leaving our friends in the pub in order to make the last sittings at the hotel restaurant (inclusive deal) and walking past some good restaurants to get there.. Since then, we book a chalet. Similarly in Cyprus last September, the hotel was mainly "inclusive" and we booked B&B. We went out to some wonderful restaurants that holiday and couldn't help noticing the cringeworthy "theme" nights in the restaurant people had to put up with. How many ways of serving Thomas Cooke price school dinners?

Curiously, the difference in our costs aren't totally different, I reckon.

What I will say is there is a rumour, put out by some travel agents that only full packages are refundable if for any reason you invoke any cancellation insurance. Not true.

Subject: RE: BS: All inclusive holidays
From: Keith A of Hertford
Date: 01 Feb 16 - 11:20 AM

Rag, if such wristbands do not exist is is just harmless fantasy.

Subject: RE: BS: All inclusive holidays
From: GUEST,Raggytash
Date: 01 Feb 16 - 11:31 AM

Oh Keith, you have told us in no uncertain terms that such wristbands DO exist, you have told you have used them on numerous occasions. Now you are condoning the fraudulent use of them. For some reason I'm not very surprised.

Subject: RE: BS: All inclusive holidays
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 01 Feb 16 - 11:43 AM

The fucking wrist-bands DO exist. I've seen them on many occasions being used in hotels in Corfu, Cyprus and Crete to indicate the 'All-Inclusive' guests.

For the fucking love of Mike, why can't you childish pricks stop following one another around, squabbling like big stupid girls?

Subject: RE: BS: All inclusive holidays
From: akenaton
Date: 01 Feb 16 - 01:10 PM

Well said BWM!

Subject: RE: BS: All inclusive holidays
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 01 Feb 16 - 02:01 PM

I've always quite liked big girls, stupid or not. They can follow me round any time. Mmmmmm. :-)

Although I'm not familiar with these hotel wristbands, in spite of having stayed in many hotels, surely you don't have to actually wear them on your wrist. Stuff the bloody thing in your pocket and tell the eejits that you're allergic to rubber.

Subject: RE: BS: All inclusive holidays
From: GUEST,Musket
Date: 01 Feb 16 - 03:07 PM

Mmm.. In hotels, telling big girls you are allergic to rubber...

Living close to the edge eh?

I reckon it's great that Keith is promoting theft. Shows he's human after all. After his accusations when I said about people quite rightly saying they are religious in order to get their kids into schools, or when he reckons Mitch and I are homophobic for the ironic song "Clarence". The bugger should just sit back whilst the rest of us have a bit of fun. A pity his pet worm insists on joining in.

If a hotel tried giving me an armband, I'd stand and stare at it, then walk away saying "fascinating."

Subject: RE: BS: All inclusive holidays
From: Keith A of Hertford
Date: 02 Feb 16 - 04:20 AM

The "yellow stars" thread is still open.
That discussion inspired this thread about holidays, but was not supposed to continue that argument.

We have had some wonderful all inclusive holidays and I was surprised that people were so denigrating of them.

We were both working then and my wife was a carer for her mother so we only had a week at a time. We spoiled ourselves by booking 5* hotels in beautiful beach locations.

When our current rounds of treatment end we are hoping to go again.

It is a shame that I have been pursued here by the pack of people who just want to find fault with me as a person.

Subject: RE: BS: All inclusive holidays
From: Teribus
Date: 02 Feb 16 - 05:25 AM

IIRC these "all inclusive" holidays were originally introduced to:
- Prevent crime as none of the tourists had to walk about the resort with any money;
- Savings on exchange and overcoming currency exchange rules, holidays being paid for in £Sterling in the UK

They have been around for a very long time (70s/80s), first I came across were the beads used in Club Med resorts instead of cash, that obviated the need to take cash down to the beach or poolside. The second were holidays at Sandals Resorts in the Caribbean and that was to prevent beach robberies and muggings in Jamaica.

Well said and well pointed out Backwoodsman - 02 Feb 16 - 04:56 AM

Subject: RE: BS: All inclusive holidays
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 02 Feb 16 - 06:26 AM

Come to Bude for your holidays. Best coastal scenery in Britain all around and you don't need to go all-inclusive as no-one is going to try to rob you of your cash. We're very nice to people here and we want them to come back. No gated "resorts," no living in fear of crime - and no wristbands!

Come to think of it, in all my European travels the only hassle I've ever had was from a druggie in Naples underground station but I saw him off. But everyone is forewarned about that! My sister got her purse stolen in Dublin once, but we saw no issues there. No issues in Majorca (though we didn't go to Palma or Magaluf), Cyprus north and south, Sicily (the Mafia shit on petty criminals who hassle tourists), Sorrento, Amalfi Coast, Lipari or in several parts of Spain. I hear Barcelona is a place where you have to watch your pockets. I'm not going on holiday to an area where I have to be kept away from local people for fear of crime. It's that more than the bloody wristbands...

As for currency, get a Caxton (or similar) pre-loaded Mastercard. No ATM fees, you load it with (in my case) euros, you can spend on it anywhere with no exchange rate or any other fees and you get the best rate available when you load it. You can top it up from your bank account by text message. No wads of notes to carry around. And it's free!

Subject: RE: BS: All inclusive holidays
From: akenaton
Date: 02 Feb 16 - 06:33 AM

The last holiday I had was at Pontins in 1980.

Self catering :0(.......how the other half live eh? :0)

Subject: RE: BS: All inclusive holidays
From: Keith A of Hertford
Date: 02 Feb 16 - 07:12 AM

I have numerous family members in Cornwall and visit every year, usually including Bude where I spent my childhood summers at my grandparents' home there.

Subject: RE: BS: All inclusive holidays
From: GUEST,HiLo
Date: 02 Feb 16 - 07:23 AM

I love Corwall, but never in summer, much too crowded. It truly is one of the most beautiful places in England !

Subject: RE: BS: All inclusive holidays
From: GUEST,Triplane
Date: 02 Feb 16 - 07:25 AM

Backwoodsman ... I couldn't have put it better,

Subject: RE: BS: All inclusive holidays
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 02 Feb 16 - 07:27 AM

Bude is only busy during the school summer holiday and at bank holiday weekends. We are not the fleshpots of Newquay, you know!

Subject: RE: BS: All inclusive holidays
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 02 Feb 16 - 07:30 AM

Norfolk and the Ardnamurchan Peninsula for our two holidays this year - both in rented cottages, self-catering (which usually involves dinner in some suitable dog-friendly hostelry), close to beach, hills, lochs, and excellent for walking and other outdoor activities.

Can't wait!

Subject: RE: BS: All inclusive holidays
From: gillymor
Date: 02 Feb 16 - 07:30 AM

Great for a hospital stay. The perfect accessory for those gowns that leave your backside hanging out in the breeze.

Subject: RE: BS: All inclusive holidays
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 02 Feb 16 - 08:25 AM

I could tell you about those hospital gowns, gillymor. Arse out for the world to see, walking crab fashion to protect the little old ladies in the waiting area from a nasty shock. I was once sent for a barium enema and had to put one of those on, undies not allowed. After the indignity of having gallons of liquid pumped up the 'arris, was sent to the toilet block, which was in full sight and sound of the waiting area. Each cubicle had a nine-inch gap at the bottom of its flimsy door. Sat on the bog and let out the liquid, accompanied by a loud and continuous 45-second fart. I just knew that a dozen people could hear the whole thing. Emerged from the cubicle to face stony-faced stares from everyone in the waiting area. I nearly bloody died laughing as I walked out, arse still a-wagging. Good old NHS!

Subject: RE: BS: All inclusive holidays
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 02 Feb 16 - 08:34 AM

Matter of luck where one suffers petty thefts &c. I have been to Barcelona several times -- one of my very favourite cities -- with no trouble whatever. But have fallen victim to pickpockets {over many years -- don't get the idea that it happens to me frequently} in Jerusalem, Paris & Lisbon. Never carry much cash on me anyhow, so they have never got much, and have always phoned double-quick to tell Visa, and insurance has always coughed up with no hassle. So no enormous deal, really. And did have the benefit of bringing me one of the proudest moments of my life, when a real dragon of a French woman police sergeant to whom I was reporting the Paris one congratulated me on my French! As I was waiting for the Visa # to answer, I said I hoped I would be able to speak English, which would obviously be "beaucoup plus facile pour moi". - "Mais malgré ça, Monsieur," she replied, "vous parlez très bien le Français!"

≈M≈

Subject: RE: BS: All inclusive holidays
From: GUEST,HiLo
Date: 02 Feb 16 - 09:01 AM

I totally agree with Backwoodsman on this one.

Subject: RE: BS: All inclusive holidays
From: GUEST,MikeL2
Date: 02 Feb 16 - 02:48 PM

Hi Raggy

<" There are I suspect a good number of people, myself included, who despair at the antics of a small number of vociferous posters who make every thread a challenge, who try to score points or "win" a discussion.">

I couldn't agree more with your comment. I for one usually stay away from that kind of thread.

However to try to get back to the actual thread; I have never been on an all-in-one holiday. I have on occasions been on a package holiday.

I was lucky enough to be on one when we found a place we love on Menorca. We liked it for it's peacefulness and it's friendship to holiday visitors.
We decided that we would buy a property there while the prices were low.

We naturally meet many holiday makers there - mainly Brits and Germans so we get to know what is going on.

All the time we spent on Menorca as far as I know there were no all-in-one holiday centres. Then a few years ago they did turn one resort into all-in-one. Never saw or heard of wrist-bands. However it did effect a beautiful spot by it becoming very noisy and the couple of excellent restaurants there became no more than coffee bars packed to the hilt.

I must point out that this was very unusual and did not really impact on the Island a a whole.
I am not complaining about this; each to his own. There are plenty of other places to go to. After three years the resort returned to it's former state.

We have not been there for a few years now because of health problems that make travelling difficult for us.

We still own the property. We have a large family of sons,grandchildren and great-grandchildren, plus nephews and nieces so it gets well used.

We made many Menorcan friends there and remember the many days and nights we spent singing and playing lots of Spanish music together with the locals.

Regards

Mike

Subject: RE: BS: All inclusive holidays
From: Keith A of Hertford
Date: 02 Feb 16 - 03:00 PM

DtG,
I suspect that Keith will strongly deny this but his comment in the opening post, "Some people do not like the idea of wristbands" clearly refers to the earlier altercation.

Completely false Dave!
I mentioned on the Yellow Stars thread (which is NOT closed BTW) that wristbands were used by AI hotels.
That led to a discussion where such holidays were slated, and the wristbands were one of the arguments given against them.

I have had many excellent such holidays and fail to see any objection to the bands.
That is the discussion I sought to continue, but it would have been out of place on the other thread just as immigration issues are out of place on this one.

Subject: RE: BS: All inclusive holidays
From: Keith A of Hertford
Date: 02 Feb 16 - 03:08 PM

Steve,
The path the thread was going to take was inevitable and the original poster knew it.

Can you justify that claim about me?
No. It is just based on prejudice, and is untrue.
I could have continued the discussion on the original thread had I wanted that. IT NEVER CLOSED!

I wanted to continue the holiday discussion that began there.

Subject: RE: BS: All inclusive holidays
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 02 Feb 16 - 03:15 PM

I have no further comment to make re the bickering here. I've said all I have to say, as I indicated hours ago. I was just about to say, to all those people are so irritated, that you do not have to read anything here if you don't want to, but Mike just beat me to it. I'm blowed if I want to let a Man U fan have the last word, but what can I do!

Subject: RE: BS: All inclusive holidays
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 02 Feb 16 - 03:21 PM

"How do package holidays to Lourdes work, anyway?"

Keep the cost down. A one-way ticket will suffice.

My dad has always said that he'll believe in the miracles of Lourdes once a one-legged man has been there then comes back with two legs. :-)