CSA reservations, reservation

[Wes]

Greeting,
We are engaged and ready to book our honeymoon for early June '12. Been lurking on the board and TA for several weeks now, hesitant to pull the trigger on booking. CSA is where we were planning to go. We're prepared to pay a premium for a premium resort and service.

I must say though, I am reading more and more lately about the lack of chairs/ loungers and this is really troubling to me. I just cannot understand how the resorts allow this to be an issue and frankly will have everything to do with whether or not we choose CSA.

It is not excusable in my opinion for any guest spending 5 to 7k on a honeymoon at this resort, to have to even worry about getting up at 5 AM and reserving seats. I don't believe in being a seat hog. But you apparently learn to play the same game or go without. Of all the things offered to a guest visiting a resort, a beach chair or lounger should be a minimal required expectation, and should be made available any time of the day. The resort should deal with those folks hogging more than one chair each. Or the resort should just get more in stock.

But I can go anywhere and the bothered and deprived on the beach for much less of an investment. It is a shame because we are really leaning towards CSA.

I'm just not sure this level of service should require musical chairs/ loungers games to get a seat. How does one persuade these resorts to invest in seats? Or do you think we're just SOL and have to play the chair game?

Thanks!

[redinthehead]

Congrates on your up coming wedding.
We have never had a proublem getting a chair in June and dont make it to the beach until 10ish.

[Pamela]

We've been to all four resorts for a total of 19 vacations and have NEVER had a problem finding a pair of chairs and a place on the beach at any of the resorts, and most of our trips have been during the peak travel season when the resorts have been near capacity. June isn't in the peak travel season, so your fears should be lessened.

[Musicalrose]

Hi Wes - we've been to CSA twice (late May both times). We have NEVER had an issue finding beach chairs and we don't get down to the beach till after 10 am. It is true that the palapas will fill up as there's only a handful of those but never a problem with beach chairs with floaties. You may have to move chairs you find to the spot you want but even that's not a big deal. You will be on one of the most beautiful beaches I have ever seen staring out at the gorgeous waters of the Caribbean.

Book CSA - you will not regret it! We return in May for our third trip.

[BarDar]

Wait,Wait, Wait, I think you might be getting the wrong idea about the lounger situation. The beach at Swept Away is long. We have been there 5 times and have never had to worry about a lounger. Sometimes you might not get the same spot you had on a given day, but there are loungers and trees the entire lenght of the beach, and that's just if you want shade. If you want the sun, forget about it, no problem. The loungers are not bolted to the sand and can, and are, be moved to wherever you'd like. Don't worry. Don't let this be your deciding booking factor. That would be a big mistake. We are booked to return the second week in April, and if the lounger issue was as big as some make it out to be, we wouldn't be. Wes, relax and BOOK!

[Bebella]

We went the first week in June last year and we were always able to find two chairs to use. We were usually out on the beach around 9:30-1o after breakfast each day. A couple of the days, it was more of a hassle than others...we had to search for some loungers and then had to wash off the sand covered lounging pads on them, but there were always enough...it's just that some of the loungers aren't in very convenient locations so you have to drag them to where you want them.

We always tried to find a spot near the beach bars, on the days we did that, it seemed that we got our drinks refilled faster The drink service on the beach is nice, but we found that it was faster to just walk to up the bar to get our drinks then to wait for an attendent....we also met more people that way, and that's how we got talked into our first Bob Marley shot!

[mick7602]

I agree with redinthehead, we have never had an issue with beach chairs, now getting a palapa or a spot with full shade may require the game be played. Do not hesitate booking for this reason. There are fancier (think more marble and flash) resorts but none more romantic.

Mick

[robin1373]

We have also never had a problem getting a chair on the beach. We also have never had a problem getting some shade if we wanted. I love csa!! It was perfect for our honeymoon.

[Wes]

Great info. Really make me wonder why some are soooo adamant that you cannot get chairs... Obviously I don't know as I have never been. But I sure don't want to be headed to a beach resort and play that game.

I'm not opposed to walking to find one, washing one off, or moving where I want it. I was more concerned that there was a problem even finding one unless I got up at sun up.

Thanks the kind responses.

[rckbert]

We have been to CSA twice and going back in April for our third visit home. Never had an issue with loungers on the beach. I repeat...NEVER! The only ones that seem to go faster and early are under the scattered thatched shade coverings and maybe right near the beach bars. That is never an issue with me as I go for the sun and not the shade. Lounge chairs are lined up each night by the staff and pulled out onto the beach by guests. Each has a float pad on it that you can take out into the water. Also, just plant your drink flag in the sand next to your chair and someone comes to take your drink order and bring it to you. Ahhhhhhhhhh... I have been to the S resort a couple times and loungers by the pools and beach went fast and were packed side by side like sardines but not here at CSA. Relax and come home to Couples.

[Ladydia41]

Congratulations to you both. I agree with all of the above, we've been to 3 of the 4 Couples Resorts and loungers have never been a problem. I believe there are some people that just can't be pleased and must complain about something. I've never found anything to complain about when I'm in paradise...Book it, you won't be disappointed!!!

There's always empty loungers....


The most beautiful beach I've seen...


and lot's of uncrowded beach....

[BobandJudy]

Hi Wes - congratulations on your upcoming wedding.

Since we just returned from CSA last week, and I have posted several times about the chair situation, I'd like to make a point that no one else has yet. The chair saving issue is not unique to CSA. My goodness, if you ever take a cruise and try to get a lounge chair on a "day at sea" you'll know what I mean. It is absolutely cut-throat.

Since you are not going in high season, there should not be a problem with the chairs. When we travel during the summer to other locations, this is frequently the case. However, peak season in the Caribbean is chair saving time. Go onto Trip Advisor and read some of the reviews about Palm Beach in Aruba. At many of the resorts there, the guests line up early in the morning for the priveledge of reserving chairs and palapas. We faced that situation at two different hotels several years ago.

We did not have a problem in the Dominican Republic during January a few years ago, but that was because the beach was coarse brown sand, and most people hung out at the (admittedly) spectacular pools. It was, however, difficult to find a lounger near one of the pools after 8:00 a.m. And if you had a butler, he would save sunbeds for you. Yeech.

Having said all this, we had numerous debates about the chair saving while at CSA this month. Should they buy more loungers, yup, it certainly couldn't hurt. But to base your decision on whether or not to book a resort based on chair saving issues is not looking at the big picture.

[mickeyminnie]

I agree with Bob and Judy. We went during super bowl week and the resort was full. We HAD to get up at 6:30a.m to save a seat that week. It was crazy . People saving lots of rows and groups of chairs. All we needed was 2. We were lucky some days to get a lounge pad. I guess it depends on the crowd who are there that week and where you want to sit. We stayed away from the swim up bar and main beach because it was soooo busy. But by 9am all seats were gone and some resorted to sitting on their towels. One day i did just because we had a huge row lined up across the water. Peole also seem to think they need a total unobstructed view of the water. We sat behind this group and did not care if we saw their chairs in front of us. So iguess it depends where you sit on the beach and who is all there that week. We also had some issues getting on the snorkle boat because it was full. either was we had a good time and would not let anything bother us

[Chris]

We have run into some real cretins at SweptAway in the past... and believe me, the palapa game does get old and its not going to go away. For some reason, some folks think that their dollar is far more valuable than anyone else's. But we don't ever allow that to spoil our time at our home... we've been enough times to be granted Jamaican citizenship, so trust us, we know.

We have never... EVER... had trouble finding a pair of lounges and pads on the beach at SweptAway. I also can tell you that if you DO have a problem, that a simple request to an employee will result in a lounge and pad in short order. They may have to wander down the beach a bit, but then, hey... you could do the same! No worries.

[it5oclocksomewhere]

We were also there for superbowl week and the hotel was at 100% capacity but we did not have any issues getting loungers. We were at the beach by 8-830 every morning. The beach huts are another story!!! From our verandah we would watch people reserving these at night!!!! I think management should do something about this behavior!