No, it's not. I agree with you Cider Monster.

Even the classiest cruise ships in the world will have people snaffling sunbeds with towels, it's NOT a class issue

Now there lies a story
click here

sanjiiiiiiiiiiiiii

**Pulls up chair and waits for new thread..... **

Well I'm just glad I'm off to a private apartment, with it's own balcony over looking the beach in a very small resort. And woe betide the person who nicks the last seat in one of 2 pubs

yep, private apartments all the way for us, we have to pay for the sunbeds at the place we go to, so no bother about the towels, must admit, we have been cheeky and strolled down to the pool late afternoon, and spied someone just leaving the beds they've paid for and jumped on them for a coupla hours !

Just returned from a gorgeous apartment in the Northern Costa Blanca. Huge 7 metre long terrace looking down the hillside to the sea. Complete with very comfortable sun loungers!! There were even fold up loungers to take to the beautiful infinity pool just minutes away. This beats the hunting round the hotel poolside for a sunbed any day.

We don't do package holidays nowadays although we do have a hotel based holiday once a year but this is normally in January to palces like Majorca, Algarve and Malta. Because the weather is cooler and there are less people in the hotel there is never a problem getting a sunbed should you want one. One thing we have noticed over the years is that the British are most certainly as bad as other nations at the early morning sunbed grabbing. I suppose it is a case of if you can't beat then join them!

For a proper sunbathing holiday it is most certainly a private apartment with terrace and its own sunbeds for us.

Pippa

There is no doubt that I have overstepped the mark. This I regret and I never meant it to be a class issue. The people who continue hogging sunbeds etc come from all sections of life. It is the same with the football shirt wearing people. However, I refuse to accept that their behaviours are acceptable.

Hotels/Apartments change their policies from time to time and what might be on a review of mine for a particular fortnight's holiday might not obtain a month later. There are changes of staff continuously also. I have seen a large bed and breakfast concern (in the UK) die because of an unfavourable review and the owners were not allowed respond.

I think everything has been said on the subject (and am glad to know that I am a member of the Silent Majority who can do without the hassle). We continue to keep our mouths zipped, turn the other cheek, but we don't go back there. I have got to confess, if I use a Travel Agent for any holiday it would have to be a knock-down cheapie. For our main holidays I book privately owned apartments directly from the owners.

To show I have no hard feelings (I'm softening up again) here are some tips:-
If you are booking a holiday privately through an apartment owner ask the following:-
1. How many apartments/duplexes/houses on the complex - if more than 60 don't book - could be overcrowding in pool.
2. Ensure, Airconditioning, Television, Electricity, Community, Water, Refuse charges are included in the price.
3. Ensure the complex is low rise.
4. Ask about the solarium/roof terrace and the number of sunbeds provided.
5. How near is the local serious supermarket (not the inhouse overcharging one).
6. Is the resort functional at the time of your visit (Some resorts are functional during July and August and become ghost towns from September).
7. Ask about gardens on the complex.
8. Ask for pictures from inside and outside the apartment. Most owners will volunteer pictures anyway. Failure to provide pictures can mean somebody's hiding something.
9. Book well in advance.
10. Play Low Cost Airlines Roulette early (remembering it can sometimes be cheaper to book individually rather than as a group). If your eyebrows are raised here, some airlines give low prices for particular numbers booked and increase prices as bookings proceed. If there are two 'cheap/sale' seats left their computer does not recognise 'three people booking' and will charge the dearer fees to each of the three. It sounds complicated, but this is the case.
11. Ask how near is the beach, restaurants etc

These are my last words (this year) on the people who do their utmost to ruin and offend the Silent Majority. I'm going back to the leper colony for some time to ponder (as in thinking) life and its meanings.

Well I must say we've enjoyed every holiday we've ever had, be it good, bad or ugly. Hey, what would we talk about when we got home?
It would be a terrible world if everyone was the same.
I sincerely hope everyone enjoys their holidays this year (and the nexttttttttt)
even Joe Ugly deserves a break, and I don't think they go away to deliberately spoil anyone's holiday, it just happens they do...sometimes

Leprosy....I'm off out now but with a smile on my face. Thanks for that

Yeah I agree

Nice one Leprosy!

To avoid the sun bed hassle I have just booked a holiday for next week in the Austian Alps

However, I refuse to accept that their behaviours are acceptable.

No one was saying it is, my friend

I remember waiting to disembark from a vaporetto coming back from Venice once, got up nice and early (as i wanted to get a seat on the bus back into town) and stood at the area where we would be leaving from. As soon as we were moored and the door opened, in comes some german speaking person from the right.

As someone who happily shoulder charged him out of the way for his rudeness, i can agree with a lot of things you say Leprosy!!