It has been a few years since I took my first and last 18 - 30 holiday (well actually more than a few years) but after reminiscing with my old travel companion, all sorts of memories that I just have to pass on have been rekindled, and many more that I absolutely, positively will not.
I guess the first question is why a blue eyed angle such as my self would go on an 18 - 30 holiday. Well I was studying Leisure and Tourism at college and thought it was about time I took some of the theory and put it into practice, being a student I couldn’t afford to.
My friend and I hit the travel agents and looked at anything that would get us away. The cheapest holiday we could find was with Club 18 - 30 to Costa Brava. I think the holiday came to £180 for a week on bed and breakfast (dad paid which I thought was very nice).
Now don’t get me wrong we liked to party and hard in those days so we were quiet happy to go on a cheap and nasty holiday and ready to enjoy it.
Everything went relatively smooth I was 17 so the Travel Agent booked the holiday and told me I would need a letter from my parents to say I could go, I had left home a year before so I didn’t bother and they never chased me.
The flight was fine, your average charter affair, delayed and cramped. Who cares when you’re a student with time on your hands and a bit vertically challenged. Besides there is always the airport bar (have you seen the prices of booze there)?
On arrival we were met by many, many smiley reps directing us with ease to our relevant coach. It
was like a military operation, it would be impossible for any new arrival to have missed them. I was impressed and parents sending their children on a first holiday would be too.
The transfer was good, nice coach, everyone seemed friendly and up for a god laugh. The rep lost no time in starting the festivities. Most people got off the transfer and hit the bars, we hit our beds.
Next morning we were invited to the welcome meeting for our free sangria. The reps put on a hell of a show detailing the coming week’s events. I wasn’t to keen as I am more than capable of getting myself drunk but my friend really wanted to get involved so we paid just about as much, if not more than the holiday to be entertained during our stay.
We then head up to our room and our rep appeared for a chat with free T-shirts. I wasn’t sure if she was hiding out or genuinely interested but it came across well. In fact all through the week the reps were great but were also very hard sell and lets be honest so would you be on their pay.
The accommodation was terrible but liveable. The sink was hanging off the wall but it did work. The cleaners did come round but the reps taught you how to say go away in Spanish so you could sleep.
As for the breakfast I only made it once and that’s because I didn’t go to sleep the night before but I seem to remember everyone moaning and the butter being out of date. To be honest I just needed a shower, a mirror and a bed.
Night One.
As you can imagine our week started with a pub crawl which seemed to consist of a go on a bucking bronco and lots of watered down shots but the reps kept us entertained with lots of dancing, downing and poems and they moved us along as soon as we started to get bored.
Day Two.
A trip to the beach with lots of games, with the highlight being Mr Endurance (which I think is now band). Once we had all been loosened up with a touch of sangria the games started. Things like pass the balloon between your knees or orange with your mouth. You get the idea.
Then comes Mr Endurance, now let me set the scene we are on a very hot beach in the middle of the day. A number of plastic egg crates appear for our willing gentleman travel companions to stand on. These susceptible youths are then coated in oil and left to stand or should I say cook.
After a while they are fed dog food, followed before and after by downing a drink. Then I think came peppers and I seem to remember crisps. Ah, yes now I remember the crisps they ate and then the reps applied then to their already very hot bodies for itchiness.
All this is going on while they are still being forced to down drinks in the midday sun. Then they race along the beach and round the broom. This for those who haven’t tried it put your head on the end of a broom and run round it in a circle, now try it drunk. Needless to say, this resulted in some very sorry looking blokes.
Then a just as sorry looking BBQ was served up with another sangria for the rest of us. I ended up very burnt and hungry but I must admit although I think it is very stupid I did enjoy Mr Endurance.
Night two.
The men had to dress up as women and I think we women dressed up with no taste. Then in order to win the competition all sorts of interesting positions had to be performed with each other. We then went on the pub crawl again.
Night Three.
We were taken by coach to a fantastic but very dead nightclub out in the sticks. One of those places where the hotelsswimming pool is the wall, but then a dead nightclub is not so bad when you bring along an 18 – 30 crowd.
They then took us to two great and busy clubs in town, again one free watered down drink in each club and then off for the pub crawl. It would have been great if we could have stayed in the clubs longer but then that wasn’t part of the deal.
Night Four.
The rocky horror show, tonight we were taken by coach to a chato in the hills with a sangria fountain and given a show by the reps. Great fun, if a little cheap. This was your chance to get a professional photo at a professional price.
I enjoyed the evening and the food we were served wasn’t too bad, if only the evening and wine had lasted longer. Alas, we were then taken back to town for the same pub crawl...
Night Five.
We escaped because I’d had enough and wanted to have some real fun. This turned out to be the best night of the week, well the bit I can remember before the first 10 tequila. Apparently, I became fluent at German and it all turned terribly ugly but has proven to provide great story’s for years. That’s the stories I’m not telling.
Night Six.
We went to a great bar shaped like a castle on the beach in the afternoon where we had a few free drinks and got to watch some film that the reps had made of us that week (which again could be bought at a price). Using this footage, they had a Mr and Mrs competition, which was very, very funny but upset a few girls who thought they had found true love with some men who had found it with many.
Day Seven.
We were chucked out of our room at midday and forced to sit by the pool with no money, and nowhere to store our luggage until midnight that day. Not the best end to the week but some nice tourist let us use there room by mid afternoon.
In Summary.
The week’s events were good considering the reps have to work with nothing to give us a great week. I didn’t think the events package was worth the money but you are hard sold on your first tired morning so you go for it and the reps will chase you if you don’t. They know that most people are young and will use any tactic to get the money but they do work hard for it.
If I was ever in and 18 - 30 situation again I would miss the welcome meeting and the events, chances are you’ll end up in the same place anyway.
I would say that less than one per cent of the people that go are actually aged 18 - 30. Most people had a letter from mum to go or are well over the age of 30 looking for young girls to pry on. You are shepherded everywhere and to be honest most people are on their first holiday so they are happy with this.
You should be prepared to hear spotty young men ask you if you want a ~~~~ on a regular basis. You should also be prepared for old men to ask you if your father stole the stars from the sky or some equally lame line. You should not expect any reasonable conversation at any point. If you are a man you should expect to do those listed above but here’s a tip if you don’t you might pull more.
Saying this, I made some terrific friends that week that I am still in touch with today.
The reunion
Everyone who goes on an 18 – 30 holiday is invited to a reunion back in the UK. Ours was in a Butlin’s in the south of England. As my friend went back to work as an 18 – 30 rep that summer I was obliged to go.
Nothing changed still a lot of mind numbing conversation but that was truly made up for by Butlin’s answer to the Chippendales, lots of booze and some great DJ’s.
I don’t think I’d do any of it again but I have to admit I’m glad I did.
Any questions, let me know.
Nicola
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So you neva had tfun then? Good review anyway PlaceboFan x
Versatile 19.10.2001 22:56
Brilliant op ~ Well done!!! ~ Thanks Versatile :O)
Dizz 19.10.2001 17:21
I've done 18-30 holidays and didn't like them!! They make most of their profit from those "trips" - sounds like you didn't get a lot for your money, but at least you had a good time.
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Oct 19th, 2001
(Feb 27th, 2003)
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