CTI Questions - Thanks!

[rhallva]

My wife and I have never visited CTI and I was thinking if I get some feedback on our hesitation we might end up trying it for a change. Here is what we have stumbed over in the past that has made up push keep choosing one of the other resorts. Maybe some of them are just things we misunderstood and they won't be issues at all. Thanks for any helpful feedback on these things!

1) I think I understand that the island is the only place where nude sunbathing is permitted at CTI. Is there ever a time when you can't go there when it's windy or the waves get rough (as we all know happens on the north coast from time to time)? I would not want to plan to spend vacation time on an A/N beach and then not be able to do so. This is something my wife and enjoy on almost all of our Jamaica vacations.

2) Is it true that we can only go to the island together as a couple and if one of us leaves for a little bit the other is no longer welcome on the island and is forced to leave? This might be a dealbreaker for us, but we need clarification I guess.

3) There seem to be a LOT of room categories. We generally book the regular deluxe rooms at CN since we spend so little time in them, but with such a wide range of different categories of rooms at CTI it makes us wonder how big the difference is in the rooms. Would a regular, lower cost room at CTI be the equal of one at CN or should we expect to get a higher level room in order to get what we have come to expect at CN?

Thanks for your help!

[madtown mom]

cn and cti's rooms are very similiar. the great difference is that at cti you don't have to pay a lot to get a good view! second category up gets you a gorgeous ocean view! as far as i know, cti's nude policies are the same as cn and css. everyone is expected to go as a couple. that being said, the island is small and very friendly. as long as they've seen you there before, im sure it wouldnt be a problem if one of you needed to return to land. everyone is there to relax. as long as no one acts rude or creepy, you are completely welcome.
when we were there, even on red flag days we got to the island, which was great bc watersports were not available. ive heard that if you cant get to the island and you want to be nekkid, they will haul ya over to css.
i LOVED cti! best sevice, amazing food, great views, and the island! have fun!!! relax-i was nervous too, then i fell in love with cti!

[dandj]

There is little difference between the standard of the rooms at all of the Resorts. The categories vary at CTI because of the location and view you get, not on the actual room. So don't worry about that one. In all the times we have been to CTI the only time the Island was closed all day was for maintenance and they bussed everyone to CSS for the day. It will close early if they have a wedding scheduled but they open early to make up for it. Also on occasion they have closed early due to bad weather. Not really a big issue. We always go at the beginning of October. Whilst you should be at the Island as a couple. Once everyone knows you I don't think they would not mind if one of you had to leave for a bit.
We have stayed a t all four Couples Resorts and Like CTI the best. Give her a try, you may come to love her as we do.

[Fluffin]

With the new boat there is rarely a time now when the Island is off limits. It would take some extremely ROUGH seas to close the Island. We were there in the middle of a Thunderstorm and the Island was in full swing ;-)

The Island is Couples only....if one person needs to go back to the room etc, then the other person can stay as long as they are not obnoxious etc, this has been OUR experience. They just do not want one person going over by themselves every single day. It is the same policy as CSS & CN.

The base category room is about the same as the Garden Deluxe room at CN...without the road noise ;-)

[Fluffin]

We actually enjoyed CTI better then CN. The perfect resort for US would be CTI on the beach of CN!!

[clkbjk]

we have been to CTI 3 times, in the past if the boat was not able to go across to the island, they allow you to go to CSS for the day instead to SSB (sunset beach- AN). In my opinion, SSB is much preferable to the island at CTI.

you are supposed to go to the island as a couple, I have never seen a single person, alone, on the island.

the basic ocean view ( or lowest category) is where we have always stayed and have been very happy with an amazing ocean view.

We love CTI!!!! We also love CSS!!! So for us, it is always a win win scenario when we stay at CTI or CSS

[Vickyj]

My wife and I have never visited CTI and I was thinking if I get some feedback on our hesitation we might end up trying it for a change. Here is what we have stumbed over in the past that has made up push keep choosing one of the other resorts. Maybe some of them are just things we misunderstood and they won't be issues at all. Thanks for any helpful feedback on these things!

1) I think I understand that the island is the only place where nude sunbathing is permitted at CTI. Is there ever a time when you can't go there when it's windy or the waves get rough (as we all know happens on the north coast from time to time)? I would not want to plan to spend vacation time on an A/N beach and then not be able to do so. This is something my wife and enjoy on almost all of our Jamaica vacations. In six trips, this is the first year we had a day the island was closed. CTI shuttled couples over to CSS/SSB for the day. We didn't go as I had a spa appointment so we just enjoyed the swim up pool

2) Is it true that we can only go to the island together as a couple and if one of us leaves for a little bit the other is no longer welcome on the island and is forced to leave? This might be a dealbreaker for us, but we need clarification I guess. We go at the same time as other couples we have met. I have gone over while my hubby golfed and others while their s/o diving or napped. My hubby has stayed while I had spa appointment.This past trip, our friend's wife was ill. He came over anyway. We all knew him by that time.

3) There seem to be a LOT of room categories. We generally book the regular deluxe rooms at CN since we spend so little time in them, but with such a wide range of different categories of rooms at CTI it makes us wonder how big the difference is in the rooms. Would a regular, lower cost room at CTI be the equal of one at CN or should we expect to get a higher level room in order to get what we have come to expect at CN? I have never been to CN so I can't give you a comparison. We have stayed in a premier ocean since the renovations. The rooms in the main building are closer to the ocean and overlook the beach/pier, but are smaller. The rooms in building 2 are larger and newer. The Deluxe Ocean are in building 2 & 4. In 2 they are right above the walk way to Bayside. When we stayed in this room, we looked right over the water then to the main pool and patio to the left. The rooms and bathrooms are smaller. In building 4 these rooms over look the gardens next to the seawall and may have a palm tree obstructing your view, but the rooms are larger. Building 5 has the superior ocean rooms. There is no view of the island, but you overlook a cove and the villa next door. It's the farthest from the main lobby, but also the quietest.

Thanks for your help!

Hope this helps. If you have other questions, please feel free to e-mail me at vjanowski @ insighbb dot com. I posted our photos on the Couples Resorts FB page.

[dlw2012]

We have experienced days where we could not get to the island due to red flag conditions. It was a bummer but I just did topless at the end of the pier and no worries. Wasn't a deal breaker for us and we love nude! I also think they have opened up shuttling people to CSS Sunset Beach when you can't get to the islands. Cannot confirm though.

Women are allowed on the island alone but not men.

Rooms are not that important of an issue to us either as we spend so little time there. From our experience, they are all pretty much the same unless you get into the really high categories. Very little differences otherwise. We book a garden room and have actually always had an ocean view (bldg 5 I think) with the exception of our first trip. Also not a deal breaker. The gardens are lovely.

[bowmanswell]

Answers below:

1) I think I understand that the island is the only place where nude sunbathing is permitted at CTI. Is there ever a time when you can't go there when it's windy or the waves get rough (as we all know happens on the north coast from time to time)? I would not want to plan to spend vacation time on an A/N beach and then not be able to do so. This is something my wife and enjoy on almost all of our Jamaica vacations. while in Jamaica yes weather could change any outdoor plans. The island is generally allways open and they have a great boat to take you to the island.

2) Is it true that we can only go to the island together as a couple and if one of us leaves for a little bit the other is no longer welcome on the island and is forced to leave? This might be a dealbreaker for us, but we need clarification I guess. This is the same as everyother Couples's AN area. You must be there as a couple or not at all. They should ask you to leave at CN, CSS, and at CTI. If they don't they would be vilating thier own policy. CSS does not have AN.

3) There seem to be a LOT of room categories. We generally book the regular deluxe rooms at CN since we spend so little time in them, but with such a wide range of different categories of rooms at CTI it makes us wonder how big the difference is in the rooms. Would a regular, lower cost room at CTI be the equal of one at CN or should we expect to get a higher level room in order to get what we have come to expect at CN?
All of the rooms are great. If you want a central view of the beach and Island you need to stay with the higher categories and beach view not in building 5 Deluxe or higher . Garden is allways Garden view.
Thanks for your help![/QUOTE]

[rhallva]

Thanks all!

The many room categories seems like a non-issue, as does the rare island closure. Awesome! Thanks!

The only one that sounds unclear is if one of us can stay on the island if the other has to leave for a bit. We have had no problem with this at CN, but there it didn't involve a boat.
We basically lay in a lounge chair, sip a drink, and read a book while we are subathing. I'm not sure how that would bother others if one of us left for a bit, but the answers to this one seem to vary widely. Obviously if someone were gawking or causng a problem of some sort they should be sent off the island, but I would think that a couple doing those things should be sent off the island too. I guess the assumption is that when anyone's wife or husband is gone the other half of the couple will always automatically become a problem. Assumed guilt prior to any misbehavior?
It sounds like the reality of the rule is pretty sensible a lot of the time and being without your spouse for a short time poses no problem (as long as the person causes no problems), but others seem to see it by the written (I assume it is written...) rule. We have no desire to cause any problems for any other guests or for the staff. So maybe we better scratch CTI off the list for now.
Thanks for your replies!
Respect and good travels-