Back to reality....CTI Review 12/16-12/22
Well....back to reality...cold, rainy reality.
We recently spent our first vacation with Couples and here is our report, sorry it's a bit long:
We arrived in MoBay around 1:00 pm, were greeted with cold beer and smiles at the Couples Lounge. In 30 mins or less, we were put on the bus and were off to Couples Tower Isle.
Check in was painless (maybe because of the overproofed rum punch) and we were shown our room in a matter of minutes. FYI, Byron is GREAT!!! If you see him, give him a high five for us.
The rooms were just what we expected. We didn't expect the Ritz Carlton, not in Jamaica. But we don't vacation for the rooms either. Clean, simple and a great ocean view. We upgraded to the Superior Ocean and were in 5404 in Bldg 5. Everyday and night, the waves crashed on the seawall right below the room and made for a very pleasant sleep. Our only complaint, if that's what you can call it, is the sinks were a bit hard to drain and the water pressure was light. Oh well, it's a third world country, NO PROBLEM MON!!
The property itself was WONDERFUL! The grounds were meticulously manicured, everything had an amazing island feel (thanks for not going overboard with the Christmas decorations like CSS did), and everything was very comfortable. Even though I hadn't seen the property before, the renovations were great.
THE ISLAND....
FANTASTIC!!! This was my better-half's first AN experience and she couldn't have loved it more. Even though we only got to spend 2 days there (weather caused the resort to close the island), we had a blast and met GREAT people ("Captain" Ron, Heather, Dale, Patti, Rob, Melissa, etc.) The only thing I would change is to have food available to those on the island during the day, like they do at CSS.
Speaking of food, this is really the only thing about the resort that was ordinary. Bayside was a good, eclectic mix of Asian cuisine but there needed to be more choice on the menu. 8 rivers was very good, peppered beef tenderloin was amazing. As for the patio, the food was average, most things overcooked and the menu (especially for breakfast) needed some change as well. All in all, we were'nt disappointed in the food, just thought it could use a bit more attention.
Staff..oh, the staff. This was by far the one thing, if nothing else, that would make us come back. Kay, Sheldon, Ryan, Byron, Delroy, Sharon and ESPECIALLY Kamar (if couples is smart, they will keep this kid for a LONG time.) consist of the best staff I've ever seen at ANY all inclusive. We wanted for nothing, they always had the time to chat with us and make sure our vacation.
Kay - Sweet girl with the personality you would want in an entertainment director
Sheldon - you will see him on the "Island" in his DG sunglasses
Ryan - The vomit on the ceiling is yours, don't deny it, Kamar said so
Byron - Always a smile, always a smile
Delroy - It's ok if the waves are big, just take us to the island
Sharon - I'll get you a job when you move to the states =)
Kamar - We'll miss your "Friday the 13th/Pink Eye" and the way you attempt to choke down Campari
Thank you to all the staff who made our vacation that much more enjoyable.
All in all, CTI was everything we'd hoped..and them some. We will definately be back, hopefully sooner rather than later. I'm a Grand Lido transplant, and believe we have found our new home.
Brandon And Michelle.
