Does this ever happen to you?

[theyamons]

When you tell someone you're going on vacation, and they ask where, and you say "[enter Couples resort here] in Jamaica" do you ever get this response: "AGAIN!?"

What's up with that? Why do people think going to the same place over and over again is strange? Is it wiser to waste our limited vacation days, or spend our limited money on a vacation that may or not be good? I've heard too many stories of people who wanted to go somewhere "fabulous" (not taking my advice to go to Couples, obviously) and it ended up being, um, not so fabulous. Some people put their noses up at Jamaica - there, I said it - and they just end up being disappointed because their more expensive vacation in a faraway and more expensive place where they stayed at the same ol' chain hotel that can be found anywhere in the U.S. wasn't quite what they expected.

So, yes, we are going to Couples in Jamaica AGAIN. And we'll go again and again and again, if we're lucky. Because Couples is awesome and offers everything we want in a vacation. We've found our home away from home.

But some people just don't get it. And unless they experience a Couples vacation, they never will.

3 more sleeps - CSS, here we come!!!

[Pamela]

When we lived in Michigan, we rented a cottage in Suttons Bay for a week in July every year. No one thought it was odd at all. However, people always commented on our annual Jamaica trips. I don't understand why the former seems perfectly reasonable to others but the latter seems peculiar.

[Blondie]

I can not agree with you more. I find it very interesting that I get "again?" from some people who never take vacation or if they do all they do is go to the beach. Now I am not saying that either is bad, but they go to the same beach every year, may stay at a different condo, but the same beach. How is that different?

We have found our home, we may visit other places from time to time, but we will always come home.

[NeedBlueWater]

Hee Hee. Last week my sister-in-law asked me if we were going to retire to Negril when the time came. I would if I could, but I don't think I could afford living there.

[Abbynewt]

Every single time! And it's from my parents who go to the same hotel on Sanibel Island FL every year during the same week. But somehow that's totally different than us going to Couples!!!!! And we swap around between the four so it's not like we're going to the same hotel the next year.

Too funny.

[cleversole]

All you need to say is "once you go, you know"

[theyamons]

When we lived in Michigan, we rented a cottage in Suttons Bay for a week in July every year. No one thought it was odd at all. However, people always commented on our annual Jamaica trips. I don't understand why the former seems perfectly logical to others but the latter seems peculiar.

Exactly! And when we tell them it's an adults-only resort in Jamaica, I think some people suspect we're closet potheads/swingers.

[Cubismo]

Some friends just went to Cancun for a week, and they say "never again." Once you go, you know better.

[dandj]

We are lucky enough to go to couples every Fall and another place each Spring. We usually explore different places in the Spring but we just got back from our first ever Cruise. Let me say, cruising is not for us! thanks goodnes we only have 5 months until couples. Next year it's back to the usual type of vacation for Spring.

[razzldazzlme]

Theyamons et al. We too get the same questions, repeatly. "You're going again, going to move there, retire there?" We just smile and say, yes we're heading home, again. You know the saying, once you go you know. These questions and comments are from people who've obviously never been. Heck, I work w/a guy who says he'll never go to JA because he doesn't want to end up dead. I just roll my eyes and think, whatever... Have an awesome trip!! Razzl

[Gayle Ann]

I feel the same way about CSA. I posted elsewhere on this board that each time we go, I think maybe I will have my fill of going there. Each trip just gets better! We didn't go last year because we bought a lake house but we did go back to CSA last month. Ken was so excited on the bus ride to the resort and we were both looking at everything along the way looking for something familiar - and something that had changed. We get the same reaction from people asking why would we want to go back to the same place. We know we will like it and we feel it is a good value for our money. Can't wait for our next trip!

[Jay&Jen]

Exactly! And when we tell them it's an adults-only resort in Jamaica, I think some people suspect we're closet potheads/swingers.

We get this one all the time. You tell your friends you are going to an adults only couples resort in Jamaica, and they automatically think you are heading to the "H" resorts and that you are going to be stoned the entire time...

[Jimnmariann]

Our friends think we are crazy to have gone back to Couples for five years and that is fine with us. We KNOW. Last year we met four couples at CN and really hit it off. We have been e-mailing each other and three of the couples have decided to try a new place- a vacation in Mexico this year. They tried to talk us into it and we said, "NO way!" I said, "You'll be back."

[Art and Francine]

Happens to us ALL THE TIME!! We've been to Jamaica 24 times, and are always asked why we continue to return... to which we give the SAME answer as the last time they asked.... We started going to Jamaica in '84, went back again in '85 and were married at COR; then we listened to everyone else's suggestions and tried just about every other island (some multiple times)... always kept coming back to Jamaica in between, finally stopped trying other places and other islands when we "discovered" CN in 2004....Lucky Us!!!
Back around Christmas time we were together with a group of friends, mentioned our 25th was coming up - got the same "oh you have to try someplace else, don't go back to the same place again - why not Hawaii or Rome, that would be so romantic"..... Our Reply: What could possibly be more romantic than returning to the island where we were actually married 25 years before and celebrating at a sister property?! Again, Lucky Us...

Like the saying goes... Once you go, you know... OR like our friend Ron Says... Once you know, you KNOW!!!

[hillystyles]

Hahahaha!! I got that today when talking about vacations at work today. Our thought process is right now we can afford it...that might not always be the case. We know we are going to have a great time and meet fun people and there are still some excursions we want to go on. 2011 will make three times a charm for us. After that we swear we are going to try and save for Europe but we tend to say that after about 10 months being away from Jamaica...then when we return, we can't imagine not going every year!! It's a vicious cycle...not that I'm complaining!

[jamaicamecrazy]

I don’t get that “again” comments yet, because we’ve only been to Couples once so far, but now that we’re planning our trip back, I do get the “isn’t that expensive?”, “wow, must be nice to go on trips every year”, and people asking how much we paid. I hate having to defend our choice, and explain, but I always do.
I tell them that since everything is included it’s so worth it. They need to compare apples to apples. You just can’t compare a 1 week off-season deal to Cuba (the cheapo of all cheapo destinations for Canadians) at some 3 star hotel with crappy food and drinks, poor to average service, and only basics included, with 2 weeks at Couples in the high season (when we go), and all those inclusions we take advantage of, namely the diving. But some will try.
In my experience, you get what you pay for. So, when you do compare a top end adult only resort to other destinations, or another adult only high end resort in Jamaica, the price isn’t much different at all, or maybe even less.
Then there are those non-AI people who repeatedly go to Hawaii,(and do they get hasssled for going to Hawaii every year? NO!) swearing what a deal it is (ok, from Western Canada you can get some ok deals), but by the time you rent that car, (taxes, insurance and all), put gas in it, pay for food to slave in the kitchen cooking and cleaning (no thanks), or pay ridiculous amounts of money to dine out, pay crazy prices for any sort of snorkeling or diving trip or anything else you do beside lay on a public beach... guess what, not much difference (maybe even more). That wallet will always be coming out.
Sorry for the sort of off-topic rant, but it feels better. lol. I’m sure some of you can relate.

[cleversole]

I don’t get that “again” comments yet, because we’ve only been to Couples once so far, but now that we’re planning our trip back, I do get the “isn’t that expensive?”, “wow, must be nice to go on trips every year”, and people asking how much we paid. I hate having to defend our choice, and explain, but I always do.
I tell them that since everything is included it’s so worth it. They need to compare apples to apples. You just can’t compare a 1 week off-season deal to Cuba (the cheapo of all cheapo destinations for Canadians) at some 3 star hotel with crappy food and drinks, poor to average service, and only basics included, with 2 weeks at Couples in the high season (when we go), and all those inclusions we take advantage of, namely the diving. But some will try.
In my experience, you get what you pay for. So, when you do compare a top end adult only resort to other destinations, or another adult only high end resort in Jamaica, the price isn’t much different at all, or maybe even less.
Then there are those non-AI people who repeatedly go to Hawaii,(and do they get hasssled for going to Hawaii every year? NO!) swearing what a deal it is (ok, from Western Canada you can get some ok deals), but by the time you rent that car, (taxes, insurance and all), put gas in it, pay for food to slave in the kitchen cooking and cleaning (no thanks), or pay ridiculous amounts of money to dine out, pay crazy prices for any sort of snorkeling or diving trip or anything else you do beside lay on a public beach... guess what, not much difference (maybe even more). That wallet will always be coming out.
Sorry for the sort of off-topic rant, but it feels better. lol. I’m sure some of you can relate.

In your comparison you left out one major point that Couples offers that others don't when you go to a NON AI--KIDS....so people probably spend as much money overall AND have to share the beach, the pool, restaurants, all that with kids around too. For us, it is hard to put a price on having such a wonderful vacation in such a beautiful place AND no kids around. PRICELESS (as the Mastercard commercials say!)

[Lindad]

Just got the same response from my sister. I blamed it on my husband. She said "it's your vacation too", to which I replied. Yea I know, but I like it there, and any place where I don't have to do anything, and everyone waits on me is great. Little does she know that I'm the one on the web site all the time, and can't wait to get there again. Oh well, they have never been out of the country, let alone to Jamaica (Maybe they were to Mexico before they needed passports). They just don't know what they are missing.

[Northern gal]

Funny thing, we just had the "again" comment today from our son. We made our third trip to CSA in February and had said that we wouldn't be able to go back in 2011 as we had agreed to a trip with our daughter, son-in-law and grandchildren and would have to go to a family friendly resort. This week we had a change of plans and had decided to stay with our grandchildren so they could have some time on their own in January and then my hubby says, "Why don't we leave for CSA from their place as soon as they get back??" Well, I was thrilled about that idea and we were telling our son about the change today and how we will now most likely be going to CSA again in January... his comment "again?? Why don't you try somewhere else for a change. My hubby's comment to him was "we can find blue water and white sand in many places but there is only one place where we can find the people who have become so special to us...CSA. The staff at CSA are like our family now and I am so excited that we will probably get to see them again. It looks like we will be coming "home" in 2011 afterall. Just need to finalize some dates and we should be able to book. WOOHOO!!

[JamaicanLove]

We get that too! This year will be our 4th trip to Couples and people say "You're going to Jamaica again?". Yes we're going again and we'll keep going because....if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

[maywillcomehard]

We get this one all the time. You tell your friends you are going to an adults only couples resort in Jamaica, and they automatically think you are heading to the "H" resorts and that you are going to be stoned the entire time...

and that is a bad thing ?...... lol--
To the op why does it even bother you what a person who isn't paying for the trip says ? Next time simply not tell them and problem is solved... that was easy next lol....

[Beach-bum]

Once they go. Then they will know

[Belmar]

We've had the same experience with everyone trying to talk us into going to another island. I cannot imagine a more hospitable island than Jamaica. We've not met one rude or unfriendly person inside the CSS resort, during our three previous trips. Admittedly, some of the drivers from the airport can be a bit pushy regarding tips, but we just shake it off & tip to keep them happy. We are planning our fourth trip soon, actually thinking about going to CN to see the beautiful beach of Negril. My only complaint is that I wish the Couples resort would provide a couple "Americanish" snacks in the rooms ~ i.e. a bag of chips or pretzels or something to snack on rather than having to go to a restaurant. It'd be nice to have a plate of cookies at the bars for a midnight snack. We've learned to pack Pringles, peanuts, candy, etc. but with the luggage rules getting more & more strict, that would be a CHEAP, but nice addition to the resort...