csa review may 9-14

im not going to bore u with the same details that everybody else does. this place was every thing i expected and more. we stayed in a bfvs and it was awsome. when we checked in i asked for a 1st or 3rd floor corner room and i got just what i asked for. 1st floor corner room. room #4120. it has to be the best room in the resort. 15 steps from the beach bar and 30 from ocean. we never had any problems noise. i took a nap every day from about 1 to 4 with doors open to hear the ocean and the music from the beach bar. the only problem we had was the service. at times we had to wait awhile for drinks. i found this very aggervating at times just cause we felt like we would loose r buzz. it was the same thing at dinner. but when this would happen i would just remember why i was there. OH YEAH TO RELAX IN PARIDISE WITH MY NEW WIFE. and thats what i did for a week. no kids, no cell phones, not a care in the world execpt for the moments we were living in right then. i will remember this trip for the rest of my life.

Great review. I always love to hear that someone has had a truely memorable vacation.

Glad you had a great trip and that is the same rooms we are staying in at CSA so might have to ask for the same room! congrats on the new wife too!!

Glad you had a good time. We'll be in a BFVS, too... I fight daily with which floor I'd prefer (1st floor for the convenience, 3rd floor for the privacy/view... ). I just hope there is a great one available for us. I might leave it up to luck to see what we get.

A coworker just returned from CSA last week and mentioned a few long waits for drinks as well. Maybe busier than they anticipated last week... ?

*sigh* 138 more days...

We were also there the 8-14th. In all 12 trips to CSA the poolbar was consistently busy all day like I havent seen ever, but hey like you said extra time to relax and enjoy your spouse.

We were at CSA the same time from 5/9-5/17 in a Beachfront Suite in the old section. No need to leave the door open to hear the sounds of Jamaica here as the louvered windows have screens but no glass and no TV for any distractions. We were in the center of the resort by the often photographed hammock and only about 15 steps from the beach. This was our second straight year here and we got the same room as last year on the second floor. Privacy is great as no one is looking in to see what your rooms are like and each sunset was framed between the palm trees offering a view most travel magazines would kill for. One dinner of slow service at Patois and a call from the front desk with an apology came a little later. I never complained but they offered it just because this is Couples. I was upset and shocked that well more than half the beach was eroded away from hurricanes compared to last year and the few days of annoying smoke from locals burning the grassy areas in the nearby fields was tough to take at times but after all these are things out of Couple's control so no problem Mon. All in all....paradise.

I agree with your comments about the wait for beverage service at CSA. We noticed a huge difference at CSA compared to our excellent experience at CN last year, and compared to other resorts we have visited around the Caribbean.

We were at CSA mid-March and experienced longer than acceptable wait times at both the Bamboo bar and swim-up bar at various times during the afternoon, several times during our one week vacation.

On two separate occasions, I just ended up walking away from the Bamboo bar after waiting for about 10-15 minutes because there were about 5-6 people ahead of me (ordering drinks for themselves and their spouse) and only one bartender was working, plus he had to fill drink orders from the beach flag service. I'm a very patient person, and also on vacation (it's all irie!), but having to wait for that length of time just isn't acceptable. One afternoon, the only bartender behind the Swim Up bar was also training someone, so service was even more backed-up. I had walked over to the Swim Up bar since the Bamboo bar was so busy and behind, but the service there wasn't any different!

Also, one morning right before lunch I ordered a Blue Mountain Iced Coffee from the Bamboo bar (it's a yummy drink that's on the drink list wheel that sits on the bar) and the bartender said someone would bring it over to me. I waited about 20 minutes and nothing, so my husband said he'd walk over and would get it for me. The bartender told him, yea mon, it's coming, don't worry we'll bring it over. Another 20 minutes went by, and then I got up and went over to the bar again. The bartender looked sheepish and said, oh, sorry...he was so busy and I was very irritated with Couples because the poor guy was overworked and there by himself, and it's just not acceptable service.

I have to admit that I wasn't satisfied with the level of beverage service during the day at CSA. To only have one bartender so often behind busy bars is very unfair to the bartender and the guests. The bartenders at the Bamboo and Swim Up bar seemed stressed because they were so busy. Each of those bars should have 2 bartenders working at all times, and a 3rd person that can do the running around for supplies/cleanup, etc. It seemed that at times there would be 2 bartenders to start, then one would leave to go do something and then the poor person left behind would have to tend to everyone's needs.

I have to say, that's the only service issue I encountered at CSA the entire time we were there. I could see bar service back-up happening at times, but after our experience, and after reading these comments, I'm thinking this is an service issue that hopefully will be addressed by management.