csa pros vs cons

[markjennwedding]

hi all. i'm planning a trip to csa and wanted to know from some csa vet's the pros and cons about the resort. i know the pros will be very easy to come up with so pick your top 3 pros. the cons.....well....i know these will be a little harder to come up with so i would say give me at least 1 con (even if it is suggestion on improving something)

[Dawn]

Thats easy! We love the Atriums, the beach and the food.

Our one "con" is the volume of the entertainment at the Palms - it is far too loud. If we eat at Lemongrass we always ask to sit at the edge of the balcony, or if eating at the Palms at a table round the edge, but even at these tables we often cant hear ourselves think nevermind talk! I worry about the hearing of the staff who are subjected to it night after night and mentioned this on our form at the end of our stay in February. Its such a shame because many of the singers are very good but the amplification just ruins their voices.

OK - I'm off my soapbox now! We love everything else about CSA.

[Sublimebrad]

Pros: awesome beach, awesome food, awesome spa

Cons: no room service at night, no red stripe in mini bar, swim up bar closes way too early

[newtnugget]

pro #1 awesome beach, #2 awesome food, #3 awesome staff Love the BFVS!!!!! only con and you will laugh, the hairdryers in the bathroom are the tiny ones with very little cord length bring your own travel one. The place is perfect, we have traveled to numerous other AI and this one was great. Trying CN for the 1st time this May!

[Beach-bum]

You are correct in saying there are more pro’s than cons.

We have been to CSA four times and our first trip was the most enjoyable. The resort was half the size it is now and seemed more personal. The entertainment staff even knew our names and greeted us almost every day. The resort is now larger and there are more guests to take care of. The resort still has a remarkable staff.

I would like to see a bit nicer room for the money. Although, we do enjoy the older section of the resort and the wood shutters. I would also like to be able to request a particular floor or building. This is not an option any longer. We actually were able to stay in the same room during our first three visits.

All in all, CSA is a great resort. This is why many of us go back year after year. You can’t beat the beach, staff, and romantic atmosphere.


Life is good

[BRAWD]

My wife and I went to CSA last September for 5 nights and I can say that we had no cons. We did the private dinner on the beach and it was great. All of the staff could not have been better. The food in all of the resturants was great. You want for nothing there. We did the snorkeling every day and the crew was great. I scuba, my wife does not, but I can tell you that I went every day that I was there 2 times a day and 1 night dive and the Kung fu Panda, Franz and Shaggy are the greatest and very patient with you. My wife and I enjoyed it so much that we are going back in August for 9 nights and have scheduled a vow renewal. I can tell you that if we did not totally enjoy our time there that we would not be going back. The greatest vacation ever!!!!

[Shabo]

Hi! I have really no Cons for CSA. We have been there six times and going back July 5th to celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary. We always stay in the atrium rooms because it has the tropical feel of Jamaica and I wouldn't change a thing. The staff is always great and the beach is wonderful. Hope they have a lot of shade on the beach as I have melanoma and have to be protected most of the time. Enjoy your time at CSA, it's all about love, romance and making new friends.
Shabo in Milwaukee

[caviargal]

Top 3 Pros:
Sports complex
Selection of dining and quality of food and service
Beach and sea

Cons:
I think the in room toiletries could stand to be upgraded. We pack carry on only and have to bring our own shampoo and conditioner as I just do not care for what is in the room.

Also, it would be nice to have room service extend their hours and upgrade the offerings. Sometimes I am wanting a pot of blue mountain coffee on my terrace later in the day and that is not an option. Or a cheese plate to enjoy while relaxing and getting ready for drinks and dinner.

[steveg52]

Hi Mark & Jenn,
We've been to CSA once in 2008 and are going back Home this December and can't wait!
Here are my Pros & Cons:
Pros:
1. Cozy Verandah rooms that have a condo feel to them (not a big fan of hotels),
2. Long beach for walking before breakfast,
3. Beautiful grounds to walk through getting to and from the restaurants,
4. Variety of good food at numerous locations,
5. Spa/Sports complex is fantastic,
6. Ultimate Chocolate playing piano in the Aura Lounge.
Cons:
1. Spreadout grounds that could be tough on older people who like hotels,
2. Beach is kinda narrow,
3. Except for the continental breakfast room service there's no real food until around 8 am,
4. Wasn't really a big fan of the food at the Beach Party Friday night but I didn't go hungry,
5. The water sports crew wouldn't let us take out a big Hobie cat alone.
You're so right that I did have to stretch for some Cons but no vacation is ever totally perfect. Enjoy your time in Paradise, aka CSA!

[cambed]

The three main reasons we picked CSA over the other Couples resorts were the beach, the beach and the beach.

And while I haven’t been to CSA yet (6 days, 2 hours, 2 minutes), the “cons” I’ve heard mentioned in reviews and things considered when we were trying to decide were:
Limited nightlife
Vendors on beach
More spread out than some of the other resorts
Style of rooms

We’re looking for a quiet, private place to relax, not a place with a party atmosphere, so ther than the vendors on the beach, the rest actually ended up being pluses in my book.

[wileeandrr]

Pros...atrium/beachfront suites, beach, excursions
Cons...vendors, vendors, vendors..lol

[Cathy_Joe]

Well the pros are the beach, food staff, the rooms,Ultimate, the sunset and the beautiful landscaping.

The only con is if you are in a third floor room, at the end of a long day of sun and food and drink, you are very tempted to find a lounger on the beach and just sleep there forthe night.

Also no nude beach. (Of course this is a pro for a lot of people)

[redinthehead]

Everything about CSA is a Pro

The Cons: no nude beach,
Beach Bar close to early( but now all rooms have mini bars so we can just make our own to
drinks for a night soak.)
They make you leave.

[EinWI]

Third time repeater writing this from my bfvs 3120....

Pro: we love it, out is awesome...to much to write so I well will just say THAT, the vendors this year are less than any previous year we have been here and the beach is only because of the tropical storm.....no hallways, more villa like.

Con: Bathrooms need upgrading something terrible, I agree room service at night would be awesome, and more than just continental for breakfast as well. . I also agree that the swim up bar should stay open later...with the grill and patois there out would just make sense

[Beachgirl]

I agree with all of the above pros. One I didn't see listed was the incredible sunset.

As for a con, I would prefer to have more huts on the beach to sit under.

[Shari and James]

Pros:
1. Best night life of all Couples resorts
2. Best beach of all Couples resorts.
3. Best repeaters dinner of all Couples resorts.

Cons:
1. How long the resort is with the two main dining complexes on opposite ends walked more at this Couples than any of them!

[Sublimebrad]

I'd like to comment on a few of the cons.

The beach is narrow - not at all IMO. I've stay at other resorts where the water touched the sidewalk! CSA is very long and perfect size. Wider to the South than the North though

The resort is too spread out - awesome! That means more privacy. It cam be a long walk from end to end but I'd take that over feeling too crowded.

The beach bars close early. Totally agree. Makes no sense why they can't stay open later. Especially the swim ip bar.

[jamaicamecrazy]

Pros: The beach, the sunsets, the fact that there are no screaming kids, the quiet pool, the amazing friendly staff, the great food, yummy drinks, diving included, lots of other water sports, the cat cruise, the sports complex, the lush grounds, the small buildings with more of a tropical feel, the frogs, the beach party, the entertainment... Have I covered it all?

Cons: .........umm...... thinking.... still thinking.... oh... I know...

We can't wear those beautiful plastic bracelets that make us feel so special.
The staff get to know our names, so we can't stay anonymous.
The staff are too happy and smile too much.
The food is too plentiful/good and I gain weight.
Too many choices on where to eat.
The blenders drinks are too creamy and filling.
There's too much to do, so I can't decide, and/or can't do it all.
Diving takes away from my beach time.
The frogs are too loud.
The bed is too big.
No one carries me to my second floor room.
We got lost on the paths until we figured them out.
We have to walk around the grounds and get exercise.
I have to get out of my chair to use the washroom.
The sunsets get in my eyes.

P.S. For those who still haven't caught on, yes, I AM being sarcastic. (too many bad trip advisor reviews? LOL) These are NOT cons to us!

[Iriemon]

We've experienced CSA 4 times and already booked for 2012, so you know I agree with all the pros. I especially like the rooms in the older section. One con I haven't seen mentioned....road noise for the rooms closest to the highway. It's only an issue in a few spots, and there really isn't much that Couples can reasonably do about it anyway. We solved the problem by booking rooms nearer the beach, but of course that's not an option for everyone.

[Brandi_Landon]

Love it! There are pos and cons of every place but CSA is a beautiful place with great people and the beach can't be beat.

[mma2005]

Even some of the cons to some are pros to others. I enjoy the long walks at csa for example because I think it helps burn those calories you put on while on vacation. I understand to those with mobility issues that this would be a real concern however.

Road noise is a concern, but imo only needs to be adressed in the garden rooms closest to the road. We have stayed here a few times and the difference between the noise in the bfvs, and the garden verandah room we stayed in was incredible.

Btw our room was the building closest to the great house, near the road, main floor. Possibly the room closest to the road at the whole resort. Some additional sound proofing on the door or window shutters on the road side would help to keep the motorcycle noise down as that seems to be the worst.

CSA has so many pros but not many cons. We enjoy the a la carte breakfast option here, for example and the fitness facilities are outstanding. But we wish the main pool had more "action" so you could get a game of pool volleyball going, which is much more likely at CN by comparison

[rckbert]

The only cons, if you would call them that, is the early closing of the Seagrapes Café, beach, and pool swim up bar (not everyone wants to rush to dinner) and the lack of evening room service. The room service item may be helped if the Seagrapes Café was to re open for basic take out snack foods like the Cabana Grill is during the evening. That way there are food items available on both ends of the resort that can be brought back to the rooms. If you have phone numbers available to both of these in the rooms food could be ready for pickup when you get there. Also to have some Red Stripe in the room mini bars.

The pros...well everything but the above...ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...

[IACouple]

Pros: Beach, Beach Bars, Sports complex.
Cons: Lack of menu choices (some stay the same all week), palms music is way too loud we never dine there, bars close too early.

[softail19]

I would say also that the swimup bar could stay open a little later. I was told by a manager that if you request Red Stripe in your minibar, you will receive. That's all I can think of.

[Chickie]

Jamacianmecrazy...I LOVE you post! Just like Jimmy Buffett said- "the beer is too cold, the daquiries too fruitiful ! There's no place like HOME (CSA) when you're this far away! THX for the grin! Cindy