CSA vs CN

[Ledbetter]

Alright... I'm curious since these resorts are so close yet sem to have an eaqual amount of customer loyalty.

My question: who likes which more and why?

which has:
-better beach
-better food
-better "gardens" or tropical flora
-better activities
-overall better group of customers (quiet vs. loud, young vs. mature etc.)

[Tommywommy]

I can only give you my opinion.

-better beach..CN by far the best beach..I think CN's beach is "the beach" of Negril.

-better food..Overall the food is equal but the best restaurant might be CN's Otaheite

-better "gardens" or tropical flora..Walked both and love both


-better activities...Same

-overall better group of customers (quiet vs. loud, young vs. mature etc.)I have to go with CN..CN to me is more people friendly..To me CN is the resort to meet strangers and turn them into life long hugging friends

Just my very honest opinions.

[RDYJMJM]

Ledbetter

These two resorts are completely different from each other. The design layout is unique to itself as well as the atmosphere.

There is NO fair way to compare these two resorts and your questions will only provoke the loyalists to speak out.

The only one who can truely determine which is better and the reasons why is yourself.

I'm a loyalist to CN but I have been to CSA. While I may have personal likes and dislikes both resorts are great.

The question you need to ask yourself is "which one will you fall in love with."

[Cubismo]

CSA is more spread out, CN more centralized. CSA has a longer beach, CN's is wider. Both have great food. It's not so much about one being better, as both are just slightly different. CN has the best main pool, perhaps a little more social activities and a more interactive social director/staff.

[Blondie]

Boy are you opening a can of worms.

I think that regarding the beach you will get hands down that CSA has a better beach, but I think it is better because it is wider and of course longer being on Long Bay which is 5 miles long. CN is on Bloody Bay and that is only about 2 miles long. One of the reasons we love CN is for that reason, there are not a lot of vendors on the beach, it is pretty quiet.

The food is going to be equal at both resorts, CSA has a few more choices, but both have great food.

I think that both are very tropical and lush, Couples is very committed to being green and to maintain the intergity of their surroundings.

Both have the same activities and inclusisions (sp).

Depending on the day, the month, the year, the time the sun came up, etc,as to which one is quieter, younger, old, middle of the road.

I truly beleive it comes down to which one calls to your heart and which Couples resort you go to first. Like all first loves, they stay with you always, even when you stray to different venues. The advantage with Couples is that we can always return to our first love and be welcomed with open arms. For us, that is CN.

[Mzambo]

Better beach is a matter of opinion, CSA is on 7 Mile Beach you can walk and walk and walk, and visit other bars, and restaurants. The beach itself like others have mentioned is long and narrow. CN is on Bloody Bay, shares it's beach with 4 other resorts, and is very wide. We personally prefer CN's.

We have stayed at CN twice and only toured CSA, and walked the beach. So cannot comment on CSA's food, but Otaheite rocks, we have not been to CN since Lychee opened.

We loved the layout of CN, everything is close the pool is huge and is the epicenter of the resort! We love the eclectic design in the rooms, it just felt like us, it called to us! After touring CSA, I loved the rooms, my husband did not like the layout, he felt it was too spread out, and he did not like that part of the resort was across the street. I still hope to do a split one day! We have since discovered CSS and fell in love with it. We return for our second trip to CSS in April, yet CN is our first love, we almost had to flip a coin to decide, but since we have friends going with us that have been to CN with us, we want to show them CSS, so that was our deciding factor.

Go with your gut, the one you can't get out of your head, that is the one that is calling to you!

Happy Travels!
Marie

[EinWI]

which has:
-better beach
-better food
-better "gardens" or tropical flora
-better activities
-overall better group of customers (quiet vs. loud, young vs. mature etc.)
CSA CSA CSA..longer beach, more lush, more spread out, more privacy, better gardens and flora, I would say CSA is more quiet, although the clientele is young and old. CSA gives you that villa feeling with your room, no hallways like a regualar hotel (CN) CSA in my opnion is more romantic and simple but will all the amenities you need!

[Jimnmariann]

I am a big CN fan but I know I would also love CSA. I just can't get my husband to branch out. Anyway, I think you can't go wrong with either. The one you go to first will be the one you fall in love with.

[JumpinJen]

The very thing that most people love about CN is the thing that I don't care for. It is much smaller and more compact and to me felt like there was no where private to go. It feels more crowded. CSA is much larger and spread out and I prefer that. CN was more social, but there were opportunities to be social at CSA at the swim up bar, and the two beach bars, and many more opportunities to be alone with your honey then there are at CN. For me, CSA had it all.

Hands down CSA has a better beach. There are more neighbors, but since CSA is very long and straight, you don't see them. The bay at CN curves in so the neighbors were much more obvious.

Only you know which you would prefer. Keep reading and look at many pictures. I adore the Atrium Suites at CSA with huge patios and private hammocks. Nothing at CN comes close to that for me. But for you...? Maybe you are more like Tommywommy then me.

[Wally]

One more opinion for you: CN;s beach beats CSA's beach hands down! No question about it!!!

[Ledbetter]

Thanks to all who replied!!! I'm curious why people might say one beach is "better"...If I understand correctly, CN has a very small beach (one side of it is AN-which I don't plan to use)but has very calm water, lots of oceanlife, perfect for water sports and less foot-trafic/vendors. After some research I assume it is a little further away from possible "things to do" (margville, rick's etc.)

For CSA it seems that the beach is a lot bigger, plus you can walk through the properties of other hotels. They also say the crowd at CSA is a bit younger as it is more of a "couples newbie resort" (which is nice because we are young ourselves). The downs that I've been hearing are the hassle from local vendors, lack of privacy from more public beach, lots of reviews say the food is better at CN (even though CSA has more options). From the photos it seems that CSA is more lush and green but that could just be the ones I saw.

I'm stuck...don't know which to decide.

So, I'm still interested in hearing from either CSA or CN fans as to why you like one over the other. And thanks again to those who've already posted!

[cleversole]

Having just returned from CN for our first trip, I looked at CSA again to see if we wanted to choose that one when we go back...which we decided immediately that we would. After looking, I know that we will go back to CN again because I like the smaller size. We love to walk on the beach, and really, there is plenty of beach to walk (that is why I looked at CSA when we came back, even though we loved CN). You can walk, there are plenty of things to do and there is enough room, but not too much. When I look at CSA, it seems too large to me, IMO, but to some, that is exactly why they like it. I don't think anyone can tell you anything you won't read about, because ultimately, you will have to look at them and decide yourself. I dont' think you can lose either way and probably, whichever one you choose, is the one you will fall in love with. You can also do the trading places and see the other for a day to see how it feels. Enjoy whichever you choose!

[shed9]

We had the same problem. We couldn't decide between CSA and CN. It was about to drive my poor husband crazy! We went with the first one that was recommended to me, CSA. Actually, the first resort I checked out when we decided to go on a trip. LOL! I did what others said to do, go with your gut. We arrive on Jan. 22nd for a week. Can't wait!

[Wally]

Ledbetter,

Actually, CN's beach is a little larger than CSA's. Our MB statastician posted the dimensions of each a while back. While CSA's beach is a lot longer, it is very narrow. CN's beach is shorter, but very deep. It has a lot more trees than CSA's beach because the beach goes back a long way from he ocean, whereas CSA's beach ends with a sidewalk and buldings very close to the water.

[Sportygal]

Got married at CSA,been back there twice since and saving for trip # 4, { been to CSS also}.You would love either but CSA is PARADISE! NOUGH SAID!

[Tallman2nd]

We have been to CN twice, and recently decided to branch out and made reservations at CSA for late 2010. We loved CN, but had to see how green the grass was on the other side of the fence. Best solution, pick one for 2010, and plan a second trip to the other in 2011 or 2012 (whatever teh budget can stand). I can say that if you choose CN, you will not be disappointed!

[Roclin]

So I've read all the replies to your questions and I can understand why you're still unable to choose. If you step back from the details of each reply and think about what's at the heart and soul of the responses, you're trying to choose between two paradises. I don't think you will go wrong choosing either paradise.

My advice... Pick one and don't sweat your choice. You can stay at the other paradise on your next trip to Couples. Trust me. You will be making another trip home once you've experienced Couples.

Sign up for Romance rewards and you can always do a "Trading Places" day on your vacation just to get a flavor of the other paradise.

ENJOY!!!

[xivex]

We are going to CN in January for the first time at any couples resort. We were originally going to go with CSA, but after reading this and debating, chose CN for a few reasons:

1) Less vendors on the beach
2) More private beach
3) Wider/Deeper beach (although not as long-- but is 2 miles one way not long enough? Thats a 4 mile round trip walk to go all the way up the beach and all the way back down. Sounds good enough to me. And if not, we can cab it down to the CSA beach and walk it.
4) Better Pool area
5) More shade on the beach
6) Less crowded beach
7) Supposed to be the best beach in negril hands down (for beach quality in and of itself, not length or vendors or anything else, just raw pristine beach beauty)

Thats about it! We are also going to be doing a trading places day to CSA during our stay at CN, and since we're staying 12 days, if CSA tickles our fancy, I can just ask mgmt to move us to CSA. I'm sure they would do that with a little prodding if CSA had available and comparably priced rooms.

[Wally]

We are also going to be doing a trading places day to CSA during our stay at CN, and since we're staying 12 days, if CSA tickles our fancy, I can just ask mgmt to move us to CSA. I'm sure they would do that with a little prodding if CSA had available and comparably priced rooms.

I have heard (on this message board) that Couples is very good about switching resorts if you think you'd be happier at a different one (assuming they have a room available). If the new room costs different that what you booked, you will simply pay the extra or receive a refund. We have not tried it, but other people on this board have.

[Bruce]

xives, you just about nailed it!

[Redsoxnation]

We have been to CSA four times and recently tried CN for the first time. I was really surprided that we liked CN as much as we did. However we still prefer CSA, and will be returning there next year. The food at both were the same, more options at CSA though. The activities were the same, but the entertainment staff at CN was a lot more involved. We had a great time with them all week. The beach at CSA, we think is better than CN. CSA is so much more lush and green than CN. I think that is what we really love about CSA. The resort is much more spread out and has a great tropical feel. We missed that aspect with CN. We felt you were just confined to a smaller area and you don't have the opportunity to stroll along the paths that are so full of flowers, trees,etc.Nobody can tell you what is best for you however. There are so many aspects of both that will appeal to you, and you will have to decide for yourself. Happy picking!

[local2464]

We Love CSA. The beach vendors NEVER bother us, some are very entertaining. I know whatever you pick you will be happy. We are going back to CSA for the 5th time this March. We love that it is spread out others Love that CN is not. I think that is the BIGGEST difference between the 2. The food is great at all the Couples resorts,& the people are great at all the resorts.

I am 35 and my husband is 40, the crowd at CSA varies from 20's to 80's! We have NEVER had a problem with rowdy guest. As everyone say's "go with what calls you" You will Love where ever you pick!

[kersey68]

we did the catamaran and glss bottom boat tour and coulples negril by far has the best beach, we walked down to the other resorts RIU and there beaches were terrible. There were some other beaches on 7 mile beach at other resorts that were comparable but i definately would put couples negril against any of them

[JumpinJen]

From my Trip advisor review of CSA:

"The swim up bar was rocking the 2 weeks we were there, lots of socializing and heavy drinking which we were not that into during the day. The great thing about CSA is there is lots of space for whatever you feel like. If you feel like a party animal you can go to the swim up bar. If you want total relaxation and alone time with your honey, there is a long beach with lots of private spots. If you want something in between you can pull up a stool at a beach bar and have a drink and some conversation with a mellower vibe then at the pool. There is literally something for everyone and every mood."

Also, I prefer the ocean at CSA. The roped off swim area is much larger and the water gets much deeper. I like hanging off the side of my floatie and at CN the water doesn't get deep enough to do that.

[Ledbetter]

Thanks everyone!!! The reviews here are pretty much an even split. For everyone who says the like the beach at CSA better, there is another who says the opposite. HA!

OK, maybe here's another question for you all...which one of the two resorts might be considered more "romantic"...By that I mean: which resort has more areas offering potential "alone, quiet time together."

And maybe another question... If CN has a AN beach I assume most topless sunbathers are going to be there and not on the main beach, right? So, if CSA has no AN area, are there more topless sunbathers on the main beach? I don't mean to sound like a "prude" (if that's the right word) and, of course, I wouldn't mind if the topless were supermodels and such...but its usually been my experience that the ones I didn't want to see naked were the most likely to be the first to strip-down. HA! I honestly mean no offense with these statements, I'm just trying to find the right resort for us.

Thanks again.