Luxury holiday with no alcohol. Would you go?

Pighead

Imagine for a moment you have won the Late Late Show Great Phone In Quiz Prize and you are on the phone with 'The Plank'. "Congratulations" says he "You've just won a months holiday to Saudi Arabia"

"Woooooooohooooooooooooooooyeeeeehhaaaaaaaaaa" you shriek a little more enthusiastically than is necessary just to make a point to that ungrateful toyshow creature from Cork.

The Plankster then goes on to tell you about how you'll be put up in a 5 star hotel and you'll get a few grand spending money and all the rest of it. Then he drops the bombshell. Saudi Arabia prohibits the sale and consumption of alcohol.

Assuming you're not Terry (who'd probably tell Pat to go fcuk himself and his absolute sham of a prize) what would you do? Would you accept the month long luxury holiday and forsake the delights of alcohol for a month or would you do a Terry and tell him where to shove it?

token56

Being a pioneer I would most gladly take it.

Well maybe not the plane tickets, but the money anyway

chin_grin

Pighead wrote: »

Imagine for a moment you have won the Late Late Show Great Phone In Quiz Prize and you are on the phone with 'The Plank'. "Congratulations" says he "You've just won a months holiday to Saudi Arabia"

"Woooooooohooooooooooooooooyeeeeehhaaaaaaaaaa" you shriek a little more enthusiastically than is necessary just to make a point to that ungrateful toyshow creature from Cork.

The Plankster then goes on to tell you about how you'll be put up in a 5 star hotel and you'll get a few grand spending money and all the rest of it. Then he drops the bombshell. Saudi Arabia prohibits the sale and consumption of alcohol.

Assuming you're not Terry (who'd probably tell Pat to go fcuk himself and his absolute sham of a prize) what would you do? Would you accept the month long luxury holiday and forsake the delights of alcohol for a month or would you do a Terry and tell him where to shove it?

Yes because we cannot continue the stereotype while on holiday. Oh no! Sacrilege! Thou are excommunicated from the Church of Blurry Visions. Away now sober soul! Away! <Paddlin'>

By the by I do drink. So I'm not one of those "OMG-alcohol-is-de-debbils'-tit-milk-and-made-my-daddy-beat-me-until-he-bled-too" types.

Varkov

One word.

Opium Den.

rod flanders

No Thanks. I wouldn't stay a month in Saudi Arabia even if I could drink.

oztots

I'd go for sure, but in a months time you could brew your own.

And there is alcohol there, its just that you're not allowed it outside the hotels and foreigner zones.

But still, a month in a 5 star hotel? And a few grand spending money. Still sounds like a hell of a holiday without the drink.

MIN2511

No ****ing way!

Not worth it, first i can't have sex on the beach and i can't drink i may as well be in prison

chin_grin

Varkov wrote: »

One word.

Opium Den.

Heh, I see what you did there.

mumhaabu

AFAIK Westerners are allowed Alcohol within their compounds, whether or not this applies to Hotels or not I cannot say.

Pighead

chin_grin wrote: »

Yes because we cannot continue the stereotype while on holiday. Oh no! Sacrilege! Thou are excommunicated from the Church of Blurry Visions. Away now sober soul! Away! <Paddlin'>

By the by I do drink. So I'm not one of those "OMG-alcohol-is-de-debbils'-tit-milk-and-made-my-daddy-beat-me-until-he-bled-too" types.

What about the happy medium. The "ah I do love a nice glass of wine with my dinner" brigade. When people go on holidays they do so to relax. Alcohol is a pretty good relaxant. Pighead's not necessarily talking about people who go on holidays with the sole intent of getting smashed every night.

oeb

I don't get it. What's the prize?

Pighead

oeb wrote: »

I don't get it. What's the prize?

If you're not getting it the only prize we can sort you out with is a Purity Ring.

Come on oeb, there's not much too get here! Read it again. It's easy peasy!

thelordofcheese

I've gone without alcohol for longer than that, count me in.

oeb

Pighead wrote: »

If you're not getting it the only prize we can sort you out with is a Purity Ring.

Come on oeb, there's not much too get here! Read it again. It's easy peasy!

Just sounds more like a punishment to me. If I wanted to be sober I would go to a sober place or something.

Pighead

oeb wrote: »

Just sounds more like a punishment to me. If I wanted to be sober I would go to a sober place or something.

But Saudi Arabia is supposedly a beautiful country with a fabulous climate, wonderful scenery, with the most delicious scent of petrol continuously permeating the air. Would you not give up the booze for four weeks to experience this?

oeb

Pighead wrote: »

But Saudi Arabia is supposedly a beautiful country with a fabulous climate, wonderful scenery, with the most delicious scent of petrol continuously permeating the air. Would you not give up the booze for four weeks to experience this?

What's the point of going somewhere nice if you can't avoid seeing any of it, because you are too hungover to get out of bed till 6pm?

Insect Overlord

A month long holiday would be great, but only if I could bring a group of people with me. I'd get cabin fever if I went on my own/with just one other person. The no-alcohol rule would entertain me, as I could watch the others suffer while I spend the month getting fit and healthy

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

Absolutely. There's something wrong with you if you can't live without alcohol.

That said, the oppertunity to abuse Pat Kenny live on the Late Late IS a very tempting alternative...

oeb

An Fhile wrote: »

A month long holiday would be great, but only if I could bring a group of people with me. I'd get cabin fever if I went on my own/with just one other person. The no-alcohol rule would entertain me, as I could watch the others suffer while I spend the month getting fit and healthy

Hippy

Pighead

oeb wrote: »

Hippy

Philistine.

oeb

Pighead wrote: »

Philistine.

I appreciate the finer things in life all so much better when they are blurry, appear in duplicate and move about of their own accord.

Dragan

I imagine a lot of people would happily go without drink for a free experience like that?

If you are sitting there saying you couldn't, well, tee hee hee.:D

Cookie_Monster

You'll always be able to get booze (somehow).

I'd take it and enjoy it, despite the fact the country is a crazy mess. Sure you can always nip into the UAE for a few pints...

Having holidayed in RAK (UAE) and seen the queues of Emiratees at the offo you start to realise its just like over here, they all ignore the laws too and got plastered like the best of us.

Terry

Pighead wrote: »

Imagine for a moment you have won the Late Late Show Great Phone In Quiz Prize and you are on the phone with 'The Plank'. "Congratulations" says he "You've just won a months holiday to Saudi Arabia"

"Woooooooohooooooooooooooooyeeeeehhaaaaaaaaaa" you shriek a little more enthusiastically than is necessary just to make a point to that ungrateful toyshow creature from Cork.

The Plankster then goes on to tell you about how you'll be put up in a 5 star hotel and you'll get a few grand spending money and all the rest of it. Then he drops the bombshell. Saudi Arabia prohibits the sale and consumption of alcohol.

Assuming you're not Terry (who'd probably tell Pat to go fcuk himself and his absolute sham of a prize) what would you do? Would you accept the month long luxury holiday and forsake the delights of alcohol for a month or would you do a Terry and tell him where to shove it?

Hold on a second.

Free rehab?
I'll take it.

oeb

Terry wrote: »

Hold on a second.

Free rehab?
I'll take it.

Did your father never tell you "Don't be a quitter"?

Terry

oeb wrote: »

Did your father never tell you "Don't be a quitter"?

He did, when we were in the pub.

Pighead

Dragan wrote: »

If you are sitting there saying you couldn't, well, tee hee hee.:D

Dragan laughs like a six year old girl, shocker!

Pighead

Terry wrote: »

Hold on a second.

Free rehab?
I'll take it.

You could be on to something there Terence. We could start up a company, sending alcoholics to alcohol free countries to cure them of their addictions. Just our way of making the world that little bit better.

We'll call it Freehab.

oeb

Pighead wrote: »

You could be on to something there Terence. We could start up a company, sending alcoholics to alcohol free countries to cure them of their addictions. Just our way of making the world that little bit better.

We'll call it Freehab.

That would not be free for you though. It's cheaper to lock them in the closet.

tony1kenobi

Pighead wrote: »

You could be on to something there Terence. We could start up a company, sending alcoholics to alcohol free countries to cure them of their addictions. Just our way of making the world that little bit better.

We'll call it Freehab.

Can I get in on that and organize the sale of illicit hooch in those countries to ensure the alcoholics fail?

biko

I'd take the dry holiday, but ask if they could change it a better country, like Botswana. Saudi Arabia is a ******* oppressing *****.

A Primal Nut

Pighead wrote: »

But Saudi Arabia is supposedly a beautiful country with a fabulous climate, wonderful scenery, with the most delicious scent of petrol continuously permeating the air. Would you not give up the booze for four weeks to experience this?

You do realise you are not allowed to talk to women. Any! At all! If u are lucky enough to go over with a married woman then I suppose its a trivial matter. No way if I was single.

I work in a company where we travel all over the world. The middle east is a very common destination. Couple of lads went to Saudi Arabia recently, stayed in a class hotel, everything. They just stayed in work all day earning overtime (the customer said he could work as much as he wanted - they have infinite amounts of money over there) because there was nothing else to do. No drink, not much entertainment, arabic tv, no women, nothing. He reckoned that some girls tried to communicate with him through Bluetooth.

Whats worse, it was during ramadan, so it wasn't just alcohol, for most of the day they couldn't drink water.

Whats the point in all that scenery if you can't do **** all but look at it all day.

I wouldn't consider it luxury at all. There is only one reason to go to Saudi Arabia and that is if you are an engineer in which case you have an opportunity to earn loads of money. With the very slight possibility of a kidnapping and some nice publicity thrown in.

A Primal Nut

biko wrote: »

I'd take the dry holiday, but ask if they could change it a better country, like Botswana. Saudi Arabia is a ******* oppressing *****.

Botswana is probably the nicest African country to go. Apparently the only one that is officially at peace and has no debt.

Nice people too, but full of prostitutes! Or to rephrase that for some people here: Nice people too, and full of prostitutes!

Insect Overlord

oeb wrote: »

Hippy

Hey, just because I appreciate nature and healthy living and I have long hair doesn't make me a...

Hang on, wait, what?

oeb

An Fhile wrote: »

Hey, just because I appreciate nature and healthy living and I have long hair doesn't make me a...

Hang on, wait, what?

Don't worry, I just see anyone who has values that differ from mine as a hippy. (Even hitler)

Cookie_Monster

oeb wrote: »

Don't worry, I just see anyone who has values that differ from mine as a hippy. (Even hitler)

Hitler wasn't a hippy, he was just confused thats all

m5ex9oqjawdg2i

I wouldn't mind either, I don't drink that much anyway. It wouldn't be hard to completely give up either. You have a few grand to spend too, see the world buy some things, alcohol is not the be all and end all.

Pighead

A Primal Nut wrote: »

You do realise you are not allowed to talk to women. Any! At all! If u are lucky enough to go over with a married woman then I suppose its a trivial matter. No way if I was single.

I work in a company where we travel all over the world. The middle east is a very common destination. Couple of lads went to Saudi Arabia recently, stayed in a class hotel, everything. They just stayed in work all day earning overtime (the customer said he could work as much as he wanted - they have infinite amounts of money over there) because there was nothing else to do. No drink, not much entertainment, arabic tv, no women, nothing. He reckoned that some girls tried to communicate with him through Bluetooth.

Whats worse, it was during ramadan, so it wasn't just alcohol, for most of the day they couldn't drink water.

Whats the point in all that scenery if you can't do **** all but look at it all day.

I wouldn't consider it luxury at all. There is only one reason to go to Saudi Arabia and that is if you are an engineer in which case you have an opportunity to earn loads of money. With the very slight possibility of a kidnapping and some nice publicity thrown in.

Hmmm not quite so idyllic as Pighead had hoped then. No booze AND no talking to women. Pigheads guessing that headache tablets don't do much of a trade in old Saudi.

Scarinae

I would go. Although Saudi Arabia is not somewhere I would choose if I was picking my own holiday, I'd rather take the money and go somewhere else instead

Steve

I'd take it and then flog it to some unsuspecting vegetarian non drinker gay bloke.

Pighead

SteveC wrote: »

I'd take it and then flog it to some unsuspecting vegetarian non drinker gay bloke.

Sending a gay bloke to Saudi Arabia is a bit like sending degsy to the ladies lounge. Not really compatible.

Steve

Pighead wrote: »

Sending a gay bloke to Saudi Arabia is a bit like sending degsy to the ladies lounge. Not really compatible.

Nor is sending a pork eating alcoholic womaniser hence the 'unsuspecting' qualifier.

I'd still rather take the prize and flog it to someone/anyone rather than letting that bint Pat Kenny keep it.

Nehaxak

There's plenty of places to get a drink in Suadi Arabia though ??

It's just not permitted under their religious beliefs so there's not many establishments around to sell it but you can get alcohol there as you can also in Dubai and other such places. It's just not widely known and there's little interest locally for fear of being caught drinking and beaten/imprisoned but tourists/visitors can get a drink if they really wanted one.

Biggins

I'd go. Just imagine...

...a holiday without having to run into larger louts
...a holiday without screaming and shouting in the streets from drunk Europeans who think they run the world!
...a holiday without hangovers - gosh, I'd be up early and get to see more of the culture, not just the 4 walls of the nearest bar!
...a holiday without being knocked into by drunk bums.
...a holiday without slipping on alcohol on a dance floor.
...a holiday without drunk men and women wearing their underwear arround their heads.
...a holiday without additional hassles for children and more public areas for them to frequent.

Yep, wifey and I would go in a flash. Where do we apply?

Pighead

Pighead wrote: »

Assuming you're not Terry (who'd probably tell Pat to go fcuk himself and his absolute sham of a prize) what would you do? Would you accept the month long luxury holiday and forsake the delights of alcohol for a month or would you do a Terry and tell him where to shove it?

Yes of course I'd accept; don't really drink anyway

flyton5

these people are almost proud of the fact that they dont drink.....that sickens me!

Frisbee

Definitely.
A month in a 5 start resort is definitely worth no alcohol

Biggins

flyton5 wrote: »

these people are almost proud of the fact that they dont drink.....that sickens me!

lol ...and the over consumption of alcohol and hangover don't?

What's your secret?

cooperla

Don't think I'd book a month in an alcohol free area but winning it.... yes, defo.

oeb

Biggins wrote: »

lol ...and the over consumption of alcohol and hangover don't?

What's your secret?

My secret is "I'm not someone who drinks like a girl"


This post in no way endorses the idea that girls can't drink

Holsten

I wouldn't go, Saudi Arabia is quite a ****ed up country.

I'd stay well away.