Do people read before they book?

[jlpsu]

Just a small annoyance to vent about here where I know people will understand! I'm reading the trip advisor reviews on both CN and CSA as we are returning to one of them next February (we have been to CN, never to CSA).
I am so surprised by the reviews of people complaining that their CN room didn't have an ocean view, or didn't have a hammock, or whatever...Everywhere you go to book (expedia, couples website, travel agent sites, etc...), it clearly states that none of the rooms are 'ocean front' and that the rooms might be obscured by foliage. I just don't understand people complaining about things that with proper research they could have easily found out! Maybe I'm different, but I don't plunk down the amount of money it costs to go to couples without thoroughly researching the resort and room category!
Heck, I've BEEN to CN, and I'm reading the reviews to refresh my memory and to see if anything is 'new'. (We were last there in 2007).
My advice to people thinking about booking is to do your research so that you know that the Atrium suites at CSA don't have televisions, or that the regular rooms at CN don't have hammocks on the balcony!
I'd was also frankly surprised at the number of people complaining about people smoking/selling marijuana on the beach. It doesn't have to be your thing (it's certainly not mine), but I was aware that I was going to JAMAICA, so I came with a more open minded mindset.
Geesh...some of those trip advisor reviews make me want to scream.

For what it's worth...I have been researching islands and other AI's for 2 weeks for my 40th birthday trip next year because I thought I 'should' do something different than I've already done. I kept telling my husband "this is nice, but it doesn't have xyz that couples does"....this was a common theme. Finally, my husband said, "Why don't we just go back to couples where we KNOW we love it!?"...so we are! Now I just have to decide between CN and CSA...and the trip advisor reviews are making me crazy ;-)

Jenna

[JackNY]

For what it's worth...I have been researching islands and other AI's for 2 weeks for my 40th birthday trip next year because I thought I 'should' do something different than I've already done. I kept telling my husband "this is nice, but it doesn't have xyz that couples does"....this was a common theme. Finally, my husband said, "Why don't we just go back to couples where we KNOW we love it!?"...so we are! Now I just have to decide between CN and CSA...and the trip advisor reviews are making me crazy ;-)

Jenna

EXACTLY!

Each time we start talking vacation we look into AI around the world according to all of the major travel sites and get information from a number of TAs. Each time we come back to Couples for not only the inclusions, but the STAFF. Having been to a number of resort in a number of countries, I can say that since our first trip to Couples we have gone NOWHERE else.

[Sublimebrad]

There are several places I wanna go and my wife is pushing me to try a different island but I love Jamaica and Couples. Every other place we have been has been a disappointment at some level. We tried a five star AI in Cancun that had awesome rooms and views but the food was terrible and the beach was too crowded. After that we booked our upcoming trip to CSA and said why go anywhere else.

As for the reviews I think a lot of people don't research anything. They let a travel agent book it and don't know to ask questions. Or their family books it for their honeymoon and they don't know anything about it. I couldn't do it but I understand that some do. There is no excuse for complaining at that point though when you have so many resources to visit before going.

[KarenON]

Jenna, you have hit the nail on the head of one of our pet peeves as well!! We spend a lot of time on the computer researching different places to go, and by the time we finally book a place, we never need to go to an orientation at the resort, because we are so familiar with it from our online research.

And, like you, we have been searching like crazy trying to find a very special place to go to when Karen retires in the near future. No matter what island we look at, we are always comparing it to Couples, and nothing else seems to match up, at least not within a decent price range (sure, we'd love to go to Necker Island for a week, but . . . . )!

Oh, by the way, if you want a special place to go for your 40th, go to Couples Sans Souci!! It is stunningly beautiful, and the entire resort just "oozes" romance!! PLUS, Sunset Beach is a beautiful place to try "au naturel" if you have never experienced it. That in itself will add a whole other dimension to the celebration of your milestone!

[rckbert]

Some people expect to go to a resort and have it be a glitzy palace with people waiting on them hand and foot. I guess their whole preparation for the trip is to watch a couple Hollywood movies and think that is real life. At Couples you get the charm and local flair of a real beach resort with excellent food and service. Buildings are generally not all that tall and lines for food and fun are usually non existent. For the most part it is what Jamaica stands for...relax Mon, no problem. I think that when they go on those review sites they take the term "critic"much to seriously and feel if they are not picking things apart they are not being interesting. LIGHTEN UP AND ENJOY PARADISE!

[steveg52]

Jenna your post made me smile so I just had to add my two cents. I'm the guy who usually does all the research for two other couples for our adult only trips. Of course I also plan our family vacations. I've made it a point now to ignore the reviews on TA. For instance, on the advice of my travel agent I planned a family cruise out of New York on an NCL ship. Prior to the cruise I started reading TA for advice on what to expect and read horror stories. I asked my agent if I should change it and she said NO, most people who write trip reports either loved it or hated it! We took the cruise and had a wonderful time. So much so that my kids keep asking me, "WHEN IS THE NEXT CRUISE DAD!" I remember riding on the van from the MB airport to CSA the first time. There were about 7 couples on the van and everyone was going to CN except for us two couples. They bragged about how many times they'd been to CN and how much they loved it. I didn't say a word to my wife or friends but I wondered if I chose the wrong Couples resort in Negril. Again we had and awesome time and are going back to CSA this December.
With this said my advice to you is to try CSA with an open mind. No you will not have a central pool to meet people around, but there are two pools right on the beach. No you will not have an au natural beach to tan all over, but you could go topless. In addition, you will have a chance to stay in a true beachfront room with beautiful grounds to walk through hand in hand. No matter what you decide enjoy your time in Paradise!
Steve

[StonyplainClint]

I totally agree with what your saying about some people! But people are people so we have to smile and nod at them too! We have become Jamaica(Couples) and Mayan Riveria travelers!

On a side note, we did CN a couple years back, and then last Dec we tried CSA. We are rebooked to go to CSA again this December. You will love the change but still get the Couples vibe at CSA! If you want look back for our review on CSA in December.
Irie Mon

[melody]

Everything I have read says most of the rooms at CN have a "partial" or "captivating" view of the ocean. Pair that with the names of the rooms (Beachfront, Ocean) and you get some confused people. I would assume that a good chunk of the folks who go to Couples have never been to the Couples website. Most book based on their TA or a travel site.

We have all seen how much info is given out by TA that is incorrect. Some say all rooms at CSA have tv's, some still say the GVS and GS are not the same thing, CSA has a nude beach, etc. There are posts on here about it all the time.

When I first started looking into Couples I was looking on an online operator and they really didn't make it clear that the rooms were not that close to the beach at CN. Their descriptions included the rooms names which are a little misleading and a very short description of the room and location. Most said things like "some rooms might have a partial view of the ocean" or "closest to the beach". When you are talking about a room named "Deluxe Ocean" it is not that far fetched to thing that a partial view of the ocean is the exception rather than the rule. In most cases the word "beachfront" means right on the beach.

I think many people go into their vacation at CN thinking they are getting a room location that is more like CSA rather than CN. I can absolutely see how they would be disappointed. It sucks when you get somewhere and it isn't at all what you imagined. I don't think it is any one person's fault though. TA are sometimes misinformed or just not that good at researching. Travel websites only have so much info. Of course Couples wants to put their best foot forward so they show the best rooms and photos on their site. Unfortunately this leads many people to believe they will be getting exactly what is in the photo. I think the main example of this is the BFS at CSA with the large balconies. There are only a few of them so they are hard to get but that's what is shown online. People don't realize that they will likely be getting a room that looks like the Atrium. Personally, that is fine with me as we love both of those rooms but many people are not aware of this unless they really look into on the message board and there is nothing to indicate to them that they should look into it. I'm with you, I research everywhere we go. Not everyone is like that though. A lot of people just that the short description at face value and go with it.


Anyway, I say CSA! We sure do love those Atrium rooms. You can't really can't go wrong though.

[spike]

Amen sister!!!!!!!

[Centpooh]

Just a small annoyance to vent about here where I know people will understand! I'm reading the trip advisor reviews on both CN and CSA as we are returning to one of them next February (we have been to CN, never to CSA).
I am so surprised by the reviews of people complaining that their CN room didn't have an ocean view, or didn't have a hammock, or whatever...Everywhere you go to book (expedia, couples website, travel agent sites, etc...), it clearly states that none of the rooms are 'ocean front' and that the rooms might be obscured by foliage. I just don't understand people complaining about things that with proper research they could have easily found out! Maybe I'm different, but I don't plunk down the amount of money it costs to go to couples without thoroughly researching the resort and room category!
Heck, I've BEEN to CN, and I'm reading the reviews to refresh my memory and to see if anything is 'new'. (We were last there in 2007).
My advice to people thinking about booking is to do your research so that you know that the Atrium suites at CSA don't have televisions, or that the regular rooms at CN don't have hammocks on the balcony!
I'd was also frankly surprised at the number of people complaining about people smoking/selling marijuana on the beach. It doesn't have to be your thing (it's certainly not mine), but I was aware that I was going to JAMAICA, so I came with a more open minded mindset.
Geesh...some of those trip advisor reviews make me want to scream.

For what it's worth...I have been researching islands and other AI's for 2 weeks for my 40th birthday trip next year because I thought I 'should' do something different than I've already done. I kept telling my husband "this is nice, but it doesn't have xyz that couples does"....this was a common theme. Finally, my husband said, "Why don't we just go back to couples where we KNOW we love it!?"...so we are! Now I just have to decide between CN and CSA...and the trip advisor reviews are making me crazy ;-)

Jenna

From what I read CSA would be a perfect choice.

[Sun Kissed]

Well, I tend to agree with your husband...go to where you love.

We have now stayed at all four Couples resorts and love them all. On our most recent trip to Jamaica we stayed 5 nights at CTI and then moved to another resort in Ocho. Well, that lasted less than 24 hours. It just didn't have the special Jamaican feeling that I crave for all year. We checked out the very next morning and finished our vacation at CSS which again, we loved! So, my advice...be careful trying new resorts in Jamaica. They just can't compare...not even close.

[Centpooh]

Read, Read and research....

[Beer_Suds]

We've been to Couples 4 times now, with our 5th coming up in July. I STILL research everything about the resort for months before we go. I've been to CTI and CN twice - I still go through the virtual room tours and panoramic views - just to refresh my memory - -ok an d to fantasize a little bit.

Last year we were on the bus to CN with 3 other couples all travelling together - they didn't even know the resort was All Inclusive!!!!! They converted $1,000 in to Jamaican currency and were asking if there was somewhere at the resort to convert more.

They litterally knew NOTHING about the resort, they asked questions the entire trip (whcih is fine) but were amazed that they could go snorkeling, even more amazed that they didn't have to pay for food.

I don't know how they found the resort but they certainly didn't get the full enjoyment of it - you know - the 3 months before where you stare at the pictures, read the trip reviews and message board, hunt down pictures onlie to make the wallpaper on your computer.

[Caligirl78]

I loved reading this thread, it is just what I'm going through now looking for our vacation this summer. I want to go back to Couples, but at the same time try something new. My husband is no help because he doesn’t care other than he doesn’t want to be stuck at a hotel with kids. He doesn’t even care if it’s Jamaica, and I have looked at the other islands, but have found the same… either it is lacking in something or you have to pay “extra” to be part of a club to get what everyone gets at Couples.