Congratulations Joanne from Aurora!

**Marnies** · August 14th, 2010, 01:19 PM

Hi Joanne!
Congratulations on winning the trip to Couples this morning and
welcome to the Couples family!
You will have tons of questions about Couples Resorts before you go on your trip and we "boardies" are here to help! Ask anything you like and we will do our best!

Marnie

**joparadise** · November 10th, 2010, 02:22 PM

Hi Marnie:

I wanted to thank the Couples Resorts so much for this trip. The resort looks amazing with such a beautiful beach. Such positive and good comments about the staff at Couples Negril. I am counting the days that I will be there. It is 34 days today and counting. We are looking forward to meeting the staff there and relaxing on our holiday. This is a long awaited holiday since I haven't been able to travel for 9 years. I was wondering what days the Sunset Catamarin trips go out on from Couples Negril. I am really looking forward to that a lot. I was also curious about the day that you go to Margaritaville on Seven Mile Beach and what time they leave the resort. I am really looking forward to meeting all of the staff there and relaxing and enjoying activities at the resort.

**Marnies** · November 11th, 2010, 10:31 AM

Hi Joanne!

You are going to love your trip to Couples! If you click on the tab at the top of this page for Couples Negril it should show a menu. There is a heading for activities and that will outline when everything happens. I will warn you though, don't over schedule yourselves. There is a mysterious phenomenon in Negril called "sand gravity." Despite your best plans and intentions, you will have great difficulty leaving your lounger! There is something about that beach that just takes all of your ambition away and causes total relaxation!

**Karon** · November 12th, 2010, 10:48 AM

Congratulations and welcome Joanne!
You will love CN. It's a beautiful resort and the beach there is amazing.
I'm from Newmarket/Aurora too. Small world.
Can you tell me how you won this trip. Really nice prize.
Karon

**brennie** · November 12th, 2010, 10:39 PM

Wow.I'm from Newmarket/Aurora too.It really is a small world.Was it through a readio station?

**joparadise** · November 15th, 2010, 01:57 PM

I was thinking about being in Jamaica on the beach right now. I was wondering about the piano bar. It sounds like a really nice bar to sit and relax and have a few drinks. What time does the piano bar open at night. Really looking forward to that.
I know I will be relaxing on the beach with a good book most of the week that we are going to be there. Relaxing is my type of vacation.

**Marnies** · November 16th, 2010, 08:54 AM

Joanne;

Did you find the activities list ok? The piano bar is wonderful, lots of fun! Typically, it will open after dinner and really get going around 10pm when the nitely entertainment is over.

**joparadise** · November 16th, 2010, 01:55 PM

Hi Marnie:

I found the activities list and it was very helpful. Thank you This is a great website and gives a lot of information about the resort. Thanks for the informtion about the piano bar. Looks like a great relaxing resort and I am really looking forward to my stay there. The restaurants look amazing. Everyone seems to be raving about the restaurants and the quality of the food. The menus for the restaurant sound so good. Can't wait to be there. 28 days and counting.

**joparadise** · November 30th, 2010, 10:55 AM

14 days and I will be there in Jamaica. So looking forward to the trip there and relaxing on the beach. I was curious about the shopping shuttle into Negril. I have read on the message board that it is not worth the trip. How often do the vendors come to the beach at Couples Negril during the week? I see that they have the walking tour to the Craft Village that is nearby. Do they have the same amount of choice and are they handmade crafts on the island that they offer to the visitors on the island? Is the shopping shuttle to Negril worth it and how long do they stay in Negril before coming back to the resort? I don't buy a lot of things, but I prefer to buy handmade crafts that are made on the island and not imported from other countries. Is there a place where you can buy the rum cream at this local craft market near the resort?

**Marnies** · November 30th, 2010, 11:29 PM

Hi Joanne!

Jamaica is definately not a shopping destination. You can get some wonderful paintings and carvings but not much else. When you go into town you will find booth after booth of the same stuff. The vendors that Couples allows onto the property are very nice and not pushy which is the opposite to the ones in town. As for rum cream it is best to buy it at the airport on the way home. Great prices at the duty free there.

**joparadise** · December 3rd, 2010, 11:11 AM

Hi Marnies

Thank you for the shopping information. It has been helpful. That makes it easier to not have to go into Negril to shop. It is nice to have the vendors come to the resorts. I want to spend as much time as I can relaxing on the beach, enjoying the resort, spending time in the water, snorkelling and other water activities. I do have a question regarding the restaurant Cosmos which if off of the resort on Seven Mile Beach. Is this restaurant worth the trip by cab? I have heard on the CFRB radio travel show that this is a good place to get fresh seafood like conch and Jamaican food. I thought it would be nice to see Seven Mile Beach while we were there and go for a walk along there. I had tasted conch chowder about 23 years ago in Tortola and it was so good. I wanted to experience this again. Do they serve fresh conch chowder or conch fritters at any of the restaurants at the Couples Negril Resort?

**Marnies** · December 4th, 2010, 10:29 AM

Hi Joanne;
Conch is not a big thing in Jamaica. I don't know that I have ever had it there. We did try a lot of Jamaican dishes that were really good though. Smoked Marlin is quite popular, usually served like a dip with chips or flatbread, yummy! Also, lots of Jerk chicken and pork that you must try. If you don't like really spicy food, just say so and they can tone it down. Have you looked through the sample menus for all of the restaurants at CN? Plan to gain a few pounds!
I don't know the restaurant you mentioned but I am sure there is some info on Trip Advisor. We have never gone off property to eat dinner, just cannot bring ourselves to miss a Couples meal!
If you want to walk the beach and taste some authentic Jamaican food, I would spend a day at Swept Away and walk from there. The beach goes for miles and is lined with little restaurants and bars. You could do this for lunch rather than dinner as your shuttle back to CN would depart at 4pm. Have you signed up for Romance Rewards yet? You will need to do this if you want to visit CSA. How many more sleeps 'til your trip Joanne?

**joparadise** · December 6th, 2010, 10:21 AM

Hi Marnies

We have 8 more sleeps and we will be there. Thank you for all of the information that you have provided on the resort and other things. It is appreciated. We are really looking forward to having all of our meals at the resort. I have looked at all of the menus over the past few weeks and all of the food sounds amazing. It will be hard to choose when we are there. I can hardly to wait to try the jerk chicken and pork sandwiches that everyone is raving about on the website. I love spicy food and I eat a fair amount of it here in Canada when I get a chance. It sounds so good. It is snowing heavy in Ontario Canada here today and the thought of being on that beach just sounds better every day. We look forward to meeting the staff at the resort.

**NJ_Yinzer** · December 6th, 2010, 12:43 PM

Originally Posted by Marnies

Hi Joanne;
Conch is not a big thing in Jamaica. I don't know that I have ever had it there....

Curried Conch was one of the buffet selections at the CSA Shipwreck Beach Party on Friday 11/26. Very delicious! We've had conch chowders and such at CSA/CSS as well in past years. One of the many tasty treats on the buffet at the beach party...awesome desserts! I had the finest coconut cream I have ever tasted there!

Enjoy your trip and your stay at Couples!

**Marnies** · December 6th, 2010, 04:12 PM

Hi Joanne!
Just a couple of last minute things.
When you are on the plane they will give you customs forms to fill out. Make sure you fill out the departure information. If you don't they will send you to the back of the line, most annoying!
The flight crews on a couple of our trips were confused on whether we had to fill that part out and there were some grumpy passengers at the back of the line, us included.
When you get to the Couples lounge after collecting your luggage, change into something cool and grab a red stripe! You are officially on vacation and your answer to everything will be "no problem."
On the shuttle to the resort you will likely have a driver that will introduce you to the lingo. The most important phrase in Jamaica is Yah Mon! Don't be shocked if you are asked to practice these on the ride!
Have a great time, eat everything, drink everything and report back to us! We want to hear every gory detail!

Hugs,
Marnie

**joparadise** · December 8th, 2010, 02:26 PM

Thanks to everyone who posted replies on the resort. It has really been helpful with all of the information provided. Everything sounds so good. Only 6 days and counting. December 14 can't come soon enough. Can't wait to get to Jamaica mon!

**Sharon1** · December 10th, 2010, 01:57 PM

This is going to be an amazing trip. Can't wait.

**Sharon1** · December 10th, 2010, 02:37 PM

I am so looking forwad to meeting everyone and relaxing at the resort.

**joparadise** · December 13th, 2010, 08:05 AM

1 more day and we will be there in Jamaica. Sun, sand and good food and drinks. Yah mon.

**Marnies** · December 14th, 2010, 08:34 AM

HI Joanne;

By the time you read this you will be in the beautiful Jamaican sunshine! Hope you had a good flight and enjoy every minute of your long anticipated vacation. Can't wait to hear all about it when you get back!

Marnie

**joparadise** · December 29th, 2010, 02:31 PM

Hi Marnie

We had the best vacation ever at Couples Negril. We loved everything about the resort, The pool was absolutely beautiful with the swimup bar. The restaurant Otaheite was our favourite with staff that made the evening memorable. the best beef tenderloin I have ever had. Service was the best I have ever had. Lychee was amazing. Great food too. The tasting platter for 2 was so good. Cassava was great for breakfast or lunch. Anything you could ever want. Staff was great. The rooms were nice and clean. The beach was beautiful and it was very difficult to go home. The redflag service was so nice. I miss everything about the resort already. We will definetly be back. Thank you for everything. It was the best time I have ever had at a resort. The staff made the trip unforgettable.

**Marnies** · January 1st, 2011, 09:03 PM

Hi Joanne!
I am so glad you enjoyed your first trip to Couples! I am sure you, like many first timers before your trip, thought we were all nuts to be so passionate about Couples!
Did you do the trading places day at Swept Away?
I hope so! Chances are you will want to try a different Couples for the next trip. We leave for Swept Away on the 11th and then to Sans Souci on the 18th. Cannot wait to go "home!"

Marnie

**joparadise** · January 4th, 2011, 12:14 PM

Hi Marnie

We didn't go to Couples Swept Away as we loved everything about Couples Negril. We had no desire to leave the resort except for the catamarin trip and the glass bottom boat trip. As you said earlier, the sand gravity did get to us. We loved relaxing on the beach. The water was so beautiful there. The staff were amazing at the resort and now I understand why people keep going back there all the time. The food was just so good. We loved Otaheite restaurant. We also loved Lychee. The service was the best ever. The best trip ever. We will be back sometime in the future. I wish I was still there. It calms me just thinking about it.