Head Tale

Six Abandoned Caesars

I had the idea for this list after a couple experiences at the Moon Palace last year and in researching it further, I see I’m not the only one with the idea.

So below is a list of my own observations but which overlaps in many ways with some of the articles I’ve found that cover the same topic.

1. Treat the Workers Disrespectfully
   I mean, this applies in Canada as much as Cancun but I think it’s incredibly rude to treat service industry workers as subservient or worse.  Especially in all-inclusives, many employees are often working ten to twelve hours a day, six days a week for much less per hour than people doing comparable work in Canada would earn *plus* they are required to be happy and customer-focused at all times, even when they might want to strangle our fat, entitled faces. 😉
2. Act Like You’re The Only One Who Paid To Be At The Resort
   Obviously a trip to any all-inclusive is going to set you back thousands of dollars.  But that doesn’t give you a right to think your trip is somehow more important than the hundreds of other guests on the resort who’ve paid a similar amount to be there or that you deserve special treatment or privileges just because you’re the star of your own show.  This manifests in numerous ways – from leaving your towel on multiple poolside and oceanfront chairs all day that “just in case” to getting loud or pushy if you have to wait in line for a restaurant to criticizing the smallest inconveniences for not meeting your exacting personal standards.
3. Be The DJ
   Some of these examples are subsets of the “Thinking You’re More Important Than Everyone Else at the Resort” and this one happens to be part of the reason I had the idea for this list.  With the increasing prevalence of waterproof, wireless Bluetooth speakers *and* quality wifi at resorts, I’ve noticed more and more people who think it’s their right to  be the DJ, not just for their own small group but for everyone else in the vicinity.  Luckily, I’m a big music fan and most people tend to play music that I find appropriate for poolside lounging – country, reggae, classic rock – but it can still be frustrating, especially if the music is loud or in an area where you might expect quiet. (Many resorts designate one pool as a quieter/adults only one for instance.)
4. Letting Your Kids Run Wild
   If there’s one thing on this list I’ve been guilty of, this is probably it.  Have my kids done cannonballs dangerously close to the people sitting at the swim-up bar?  Maybe…  Have they stood on the underwater chairs at the swim-up bar dancing?  Maybe…  Have they licked food on the buffet then put it back?  Er, no comment! 😉
5. Hogging the Swim-Up Bar
   Speaking of swim-up bars, most only have a few seats but some people still treat them as not only “first-come, first served” but also “If I plant my butt here, I can stay as long as I want.”  Again, this is a balance thing – I’m not a fan of people getting to sit there for one drink then moving on.  But I’m not a fan of people staying there all day either.
6. Peeing in the Pool
   This relates to the last point and the answer is “just no”!  (The ocean on the other hand…) 😉  And I won’t even get into pooping in the pool which is something I may or may not have had to deal with more than once when Sasha was little! 🙁
7. Disrespect Others’ Space
   Again, this overlaps with the general theme of “thinking it’s all about you” and is another drawn from our experience at Moon Palace.  Shea and I were lounging in chairs that sit on the lip of the pool in a couple inches of water.  Down from us was a large group with a few different couples and their kids.  One mom took a ball and began playing “monkey in the middle” with her kids in the (unoccupied) area between their chairs and ours.  As they continued to play, they kept inching closer and closer to being right in front of us and, because they were playing “Monkey in the Middle” instead of straight catch, the odds that a wayward ball was going to hit us or splash us were much greater.  I was debating asking them to move back in front of their own chairs when the mom threw a ball that did hit Shea in the leg and splashed us both.  (We were *trying* to read so our books got wet as well.)  I would never admit to my lovely wife losing her shit on strangers or threatening to throw their ball in the ocean if they didn’t get back to their own space.  But I will say I was never more nervous than watching the mom and her kids tell her male companions, both bald, heavily muscled and tattooed and clearly UFC fans, what had happened. 😮
8. Wasting Simply Because “I Paid For It”
   Some people take advantage of resorts that are all-inclusive by being incredibly wasteful with regards to food and drink and other services.  Taking mountains of food they can’t possibly eat at the buffet, ordering drinks they only take a sip of.  I’m not even much of a fan of leaving the AC on in your room all day so you get hit with a nice cool blast after a day at the beach.  (Now to be fair, since the resort we’re going to has an all-you-can-eat candy store as one of their “restaurants”, we’ve hatched a plan to empty all of the candy into a suitcase and try to smuggle it home when we leave!!!
9. Not Enjoying The Moment
   This is a problem in our modern society and happens at restaurants, concerts and all-inclusives.  But it feels like more and more people are either taking pictures more with an eye to Instagram and Facebook then to creating their own memories.  Or people are taking detailed narrative videos of the buffet with an eye to monetizing YouTube videos (and as someone addicted to watching YouTube videos about the resort we’re going to plus who has uploaded my own “room walk-through” videos at previous resorts, I’m guilty of this one a bit too!)
10. A Bad Review Is As Much A Reflection Of The Person Writing It As The Resort Being Reviewed
    You’ll sometimes hear people complaining at the resort to a certain degree but my biggest pet peeve is people who write heavily negative reviews when they get home after their trip.  Sometimes these complaints are legitimate but more often, I think it reflects poorly on the person writing it and their unrealistic expectations.  “I had to wait for a drink refill at the bar for FIVE minutes!”  “We slept in late so the maid only cleaned our room in the afternoon but not the morning.”  “It was too rainy while we were there!”  (These are all legitimate complaints I’ve seen in reviews by the way.)  Again, it’s a reflection of the person in so many cases.  I think of myself as an optimist and I feel that’s how I approach our trips – I’ve never really had a bad one (er, knock on wood) and have always found stuff to enjoy and even the things that might be negative turn out to be positive.  (“We got ripped off by a cabbie but oh well, he needs the extra $10 more than I do.” “I had an upset stomach all day?  I shouldn’t have eaten that hot pepper at the buffet last night and luckily science invented Imodium!”)

My son hogging a seat the swim-up bar with his grandma.