Interesting subject which usually attracts a lot of responses.

Not trying to be heavy handed here, but please don't let this subject be cause to closure due to blaming certain members of society for the actions described

Mark

On one of our many holidays we stayed in a 5* hotel and about 3 days before we came home a large, about 16, party of UK guests arrived at the hotel.

The manner in which they spoke to the staff was appalling. We never heard the words please,thankyou or excuse me pass any of their lips.

The staff were reluctant to assist them and no wonder. When this party arrived home they posted a very damning report in the hotel reviews section.

We even apologized for them to the staff.

Courtesy costs nothing and generates so much goodwill, we were absolutely spoiled rotten by the staff, any guesses why?

Patka

March 2007:A great night was being had by all at the Saturday night market in Goa, it was our first time there, the atmosphere was great, relaxed and fun. We were sitting watching all the stage acts and having a fantastic time. A group of around a dozen middle aged British couples, all appearing to be worse the wear for alcohol arrived and sat next to us. They were very noisy and every other word was a swear word, they had no interest in the entertainment at all, just carried on with their own party, spoiling it for everyone else. We were getting really fed up with it, but apart from moving away from them what can you do? If you say anything you know you will likely get into a row. The final straw for me was when the Indian compere was introducung the next act. The loudest man of the group thought it was good fun to imitate the accent of the compere in a very loud voice, causing all his cronies to scream with laughter. I was disgusted at their ignorant behaviour, and was so tempted to tell them so but was stopped by my holiday companions. Several people got up and walked away from this group, having had a good time spoilt. I can honestly say that for the first time in my life i was ashamed to be British! The courtesy of the Goan people we met during our holiday there made me think hard about us as a nation in general.

I quite often find myself with the "I'm ashamed to be British" syndrome is it a complete lack of manners a total lack of self control or just a could not care less attitude,
things that really annoy me are
turning up for dinner in shorts/cut downs & tea shirts especially when the hotel has a dress code and its usually published in the to brochure
shouting Oi or clicking fingers at waiting/bar staff
the total lack of please/thank you/sorry
the use of language not fit for the sewer
shouting the food/drink is lousy [just because they wont try something different
total lack of control over their offspring
even worse control over themselves with bozo

there i have probably described in some facet two thirds of British holiday makers, i make no apologies

wizard

As joeseptuk - I, too, work in retail and the sad thing is that these people behave the same at home as they do on holiday. All classes have their quota of 'undesirables' money, or lack of it, is not the determining factor. Fortunately, or not, because of the job I do it is fairly easy to pick out these people and so I am usually able to avoid them. 50 weeks a year is enough to hear bad manners, foul language and abuse without having it on my holiday.

Sorry, rant over.

Our last holiday was a 2 week cruise round the Med. The food and entertainment was excellent but our holiday was marred by the behaviour of a group of teenagers onboard, in particular a couple of 14 year old ladettes who had their own cabin.

Although the majority of young people were well behaved, there were a few very unruly and aggressive teenagers who went out of their way to flout the ship's rules. This was with regards to under age drinking and other antisocial behaviour. You know the sort..most probably been excluded from school ,known to the police etc.

My two daughters were badly bullied and intimidated for the duration by these two aggressive 14 year old girls who had a cabin 6 away from ours and whose names were known to the cruise Director and who were eventually banned from the Teens club and disco. This verbal harassment became so bad that we were eventually afraid to allow them to go to certain parts of the ship unless we also accompanied them. They were extremely intimidating and foul mouthed and even I was wary.

In addition to this, there were several teenagers who made a habit of disturbing guests by running up and down the corridors late at night making a noise, banging on cabin doors and then running away.

I informed Security but they were unable to resolve the problem which eventually culminated in a friend of my daughters being physically assaulted by one of the girls for no real reason outside the lounge.My eldest had made a friend of a very attractive girl from Birmingham and one of the ladettes was obviously so jealous that she made rude comments every time they passed them.

I understand that the same group of teenagers also burnt a hole in the carpet in a back corner of the ship's lounge. Under age teenagers were also, possibly due to their parent's collusion in ordering drinks for them , able to freely access alcohol and this also inflamed the situation.

For example, there was an incident when some inebriated foul mouthed teenagers took over the Jacuzzi and had a confrontation with the security guards. Two Russian passengers had to step in and get into the jacuzzi . These teenagers were swearing at other passengers. Then they accused the Russians of deliberately kicking them under the water.

One night they closed the disco early because of them and I did hear that this one girl of the two was caught "at it" with a member of the crew.
Internet access is very expensive onboard but I heard they ran up a bill of £400 which the parents refused to pay. They wouldn't let them off the ship on the last day until they paid up. Ha Ha. Just desserts.

Anyway towards the end of the 2 weeks I saw them and a couple of lads walking towards me up the corridor so being brave I said " Right you. I want a word...now...on your own and marched her back towards the lifts. I asked her why she was bullying my girls and she said she didn't know who they were. Quite right said I so why are you doing it? She was all mouthy and squaring up to me. Totally unafraid. Anyway she denied it all. Then her mother and father appeared as I was talking to her but they just stood there listening as I detailed their foul and aggresive behaviour.
Well, the mother said absolutely nothing except to apologise and tell me I should have let her know earlier!!!

Excuse me? Where was she all the time as her daughter and apparently her cousin were roaming the ship like a couple of slappers.

At 3.50am in the first week ,I was awoken to the sound of shouting along the corridor. The mother and father were berating this girl for having a boy in the cabin. This went on for 10 whole minutes with the cabin door open. Hbrac decided to go out in her PJ's and see what was going on. How was I to know the door would close behind me . I was knocking to get back in as quietly as I could but the girls were asleep. I had visions of having to go up to reception in my jimjams. Eventually, a sleepy daughter opened the door saying she thought she was dreaming

So that was my holiday. I hope she won't be on the next one. Either that or banged up most likely!

when we were in Mexico a couple of years ago there was a group of about 20 Americans holidaying together at our hotel. From the day they arrived til the day they left only they could be heard. If they were'nt on loungers next to each other they kept shouting at each other all day long. You felt like saying "for God's sake get up and walk over so that you can talk to each other" If someone was at the bar they'd be shouting their drinks orders, shouting at the kids in the pool, shouting at each other to come and play pool, darts, etc. I was glad to see the back of them!!

should give them an IQ test before they get a passport....that at least would stop a lot of these idiots travelling abroad and besmirching the reputation of the rest of us..

I agree totally with you Wizard...well said...

The thing that really annoys me is when people write reveiws and then say of the hotel staff "they dont speak very good/hardly any english"

Why should they?? i bet the staff's english is better than the reviewers spanish/greek/turkish etc etc.

I always make a point of at least learning to say please and thankyou and a few other useful words in the language of the country we are travelling to.

I also think its abit off when people complain about a resort saying "that its full of germans and hardly any english people" as far as im concerned thats a bonus!! the germans we have come across on holiday are usually polite and their children know how to behave!!!

I agree with you Fatcodycat. We have never had an issue of "too many Germans" whilst being on holiday. It is true to say that the Germans expect a better/higher standard of accommodation and resort and in most cases get this. If I choose a resort that is mainly German orientated, I know that I am going to get a better standard of holiday.

One of the worst holidays we had was when we were very young and naive. We went to an "Airtours Exclusive Hotel" which was an all inclusive. It was only British holiday makers and although the children were well behaved, the adults left a lot to be desired. Drinking until all hours, loud and noisy, language that would turn a sailors head, rude to the staff ... need I go on. I vowed we would never go to an "exclusive" resort again.

Unfortunately, it seems that there are a minority of people that ruin it for everyone else. Learning a few pleasantries and/or phrases in the language of your destination goes a long way. It isnt hard to say please and thank you.

Agree that learning a few phrases goes a long way.
A few years ago we went to Majorca and my son who was about 12 at the time was learning spanish each morning he would go tot he bakery and ask for the bread in Spanish - the owner always gave him a smile, my son was really chuffed.
I am looking at learning a few more phrases for our forth coming holiday to Zante.
What really bugs me though is when travellers from the UK ask for something in a loud voice as if it makes them easier to understand
I have always worked with the 'general public' and if someone is rude I will ignore them, may cause a problem or two but maybe the odd one will learn - rant over.
Irene

Why do some English people think that foreigners will understand them better if they shout. I've learned to speak slowly and can usually make myself understood, especially when augmented with hand signals.

Met plenty unruly people in my time but never encountered anything like what I'm gonna post.

Just returned from a fantastic fortnight in Benidorm. The bairn made loads of mates, girls and boys, round the pool. This one particular afternoon they were playing as normal by the pool when I noticed a bloke sitting dangling his feet in the water sooing them away? This happened another four times so I just had to go over and ask him why. His reply, " I'm getting wet!" to which I replied "Well don't sit in the pool and not expect to" He got out in the end but he was not happy. Now, half an hour later, the kids still playing in the pool, a bloke went over and said something to the life guard and pointed at the kids............well i was at boiling point by now. He watched them closely for a while then walked over and told them to move, which they did but after a while they ventured close to them. This same bloke stood up to see the lifeguard so i ran over and asked what was wrong now. "We are trying to get the baby off to sleep" I'll not post my reply but the kids didn't get chased this time!!!!
Now was it just me, or was that just taking the piss. Pools are not for getting babies off to sleep are they? We used to take Tom for walks, didn't we all!!??
There, that's me rant over.

Cazz, that bloke is def taking the !!!

I would have done exactly the same as you if my kids were being told they couldnt play by the pool because "they were trying to get the baby off to sleep"

My youngest just used to go to sleep in her buggy regardless of any noise but if it was disturbing her i would have taken her to the room - not expect other children to stop having fun!!!!

Cazz,
You have just reminded me to when we were in Ibiza at a small apartment block our 2 sons aged 10 and 6 were jumping in with some friends near the deep end of the pool. A lady asked them to move further down to the shallow end - as if you jump in at the shallow end!!! When my husband told them not to as it was dangerous and to go back to the deep end she came over to my husband and said she was trying to teach her sister to swim, my husband said and you want my sons to jump in at the shallow end? She said not to worry as she was a nurse if anything happened!!! My husband who is a lot quieter than me said my sons were to jump in at the deep end if they so wished - she didn't speak to us for the rest of the holiday.
Irene

Glad it isn't just me then.

One of the things I don't like is people who bang doors.
On one holiday there were two young women in the next room to us. We never heard them come and go, but every day an older woman would call on them. She rapped on their door loudly, then she always slammed the door shut. We always knew when she was there.

We went to Normandy with Eurocamp when our older daughter was 21 months and in the tent behind ours was a family with a girl who was exactly the same age as our daughter (to the day) and a younger child of about 4 months. Most nights someone's child wakened crying but neither we nor the other parents got uptight as we were all in the same boat. Once they left a family consisting of a couple, their teenage daughter and grandpa moved in. Loud doesn't begin to describe them and grandpa seemed to be up with the birds every morning talking very loudly.

I remember one year on holiday as a kid, in Italy. Now its afternoon, we go up to our room for some rest, well all we can hear form the next room, through the walls is ah ah ah ah ah oh oh oh, this went on for 20 min, obvousliy my mum took me and my brother out of the room, something we should not be hearing.

My brother asked my mum, whats going on, he got a slap and was told to be quite. Later on in the eve we found out it was a german couple, and all week they were always at it