Going to CTI and CSA on June 1st!!! We are first timers! What do we need to know?

[jimmyo56]

We are so excited for our honeymoon! We leave June 9th for 4 nights at CTI and 4 nights at CSA. We are curious what things we should know before we go at this time of year. We are staying in a Ocean Junior Suite @ CTI and a Ocean Verandah @ CSA. Any help would be much appreciated!

[Paul & Sue from NY]

I can't say about CTI but CSA is amazing..Bring at least 8 oz. of sunscreen per person. Prepare to have your taste buds teased with so much great food and drink, both alcoholic and healthy.Keep a copy of your itinerary handy in your carry-on to refer to when filling out a customs form while on the plane,simple questions nothing to worry about. Definitly go to the piano bar in the great house at csa the show starts at 9:00,,its a blast.. And above all forget about everything back home and let Jamaica and Couples work the magic...

[jules]

We just returned from our wedding/honeymoon at CTI and it was fabulous!! You will definatly like the suite- much bigger than the regular rooms. If you like it quite at night i think your best bet is a garden suite but thats just my opinion. I think you will have a wonderful time. The Newlewed game was alot of fun as well in the piano bar

[steveg52]

The first thing you need to know is that you'll have a wonderful time. My main advice is to treat the staff as you would a good friend. If they seem like they're trying to be too professional, engage them in small talk. We love the Jamaican people because of the way they open up to you and share themselves freely when you show interest. Their smiles are infectious for sure.

CTI offers the most excursions so make sure you sign up for them when you can. Getting the Dunns River Falls trip included was great and go when the cruise ships aren't in dock. My wife loved the horseback riding while I was out golfing. Visit all of the restaurants so book your reservations as soon as possible to make sure you don't miss out on one of them.

At CSA we enjoyed strolling through the grounds. Lunch and snacks at Sea Grapes Cafe were so good and CTI didn't have anything to compare to it. Banana stuffed french toast and breakfast pizzas were my favorite at Patois Patio. I confess I'm a carbaholic. Make sure you get reservations at Lemon Grass and Feathers, they're meals not to be missed. Other people love it but we were not too happy with the beach party buffet dinner. We'd have enjoyed a sitdown dinner at either Lemon Grass or Feathers much more and then joined the party for dessert and entertainment. Don't miss the Monday night Manager's cocktail party in the Greathouse. It was wonderful to meet all the managers in one place while noshing on some great appetizers and downing a few drinks of the day. Evenings with Ultimate Chocolate in the Aura Lounge singing and playing name that tune were a blast. Make sure you go over to the Sports/spa complex across the road because we've never been to a caribbean resort that had any better facilities.

I hope this helps and that you enjoy your time in Paradise!

[jimmyo56]

You guys are awesome. Thanks for the advice. Is there anything I can do prior to getting there ie. restaurant reservations, excursion reservations? I attempted to set up a private transfer from one resort to the other that way we dont get caught up riding on the shuttle all day. We did the split primarily so we can have time for excursions (CTI) and relaxation (CSA). We hope we made the right decision and allowed ourselves enough time at each resort. We just couldnt decide between the two. I am curious about two excursions Ive heard about. First, swimming with the dolphins...is it worth the price? Second, the Bobsledding mountain?? Dont know much about that one. Are there any excursions that I should not miss besides the ones that are included? Thanks again for all the replies!

[spice505]

Jules, we have the oceanview suite. Is that as nice as the garden suite? We didn't chose that one because, I didn't want to look at flowers and my allergies. I was nervous that the garden would send my allergies in overload.

[Ron & Rosa 25]

You guys are awesome. Thanks for the advice. Is there anything I can do prior to getting there ie. restaurant reservations, excursion reservations? I attempted to set up a private transfer from one resort to the other that way we dont get caught up riding on the shuttle all day. We did the split primarily so we can have time for excursions (CTI) and relaxation (CSA). We hope we made the right decision and allowed ourselves enough time at each resort. We just couldnt decide between the two. I am curious about two excursions Ive heard about. First, swimming with the dolphins...is it worth the price? Second, the Bobsledding mountain?? Dont know much about that one. Are there any excursions that I should not miss besides the ones that are included? Thanks again for all the replies!

Jimmy, you can't make any dinner or inclusive excursion reservations until you are at the resort. Once there, you can book to your heart's content. For a non-inclusive activity, such as Mystic Mountain (bobsledding), you can always book with them directly via the website, altho the potential problem there is you may be booking for a specific day or time, then if plans change, you have to scurry about. You're better off waiting until you're at the resort and let the activities desk handle it for you.

About the private transfer between CTI & CSA, why spend the money when you don't have to. Couples will arrange a direct, non-stop transfer free of charge. Now you may have to leave early like we did (ie, 6:15am) to be assured of this - can't say that definitely, so double check with them - but at least I know it can be done, we're living proof.

[Chris]

spice...

You have allergies to your environment. Pollen from plants, dander from animals, dust, etc. all contribute you an individuals sensitivities and reactions... but then you already knew all of that.

My point is this... chances are pretty darn good that you won't have quite the same reaction (nor as serious) to the flowers on Jamaica because you have not yet been exposed to them. This is because your body's immune system needs to recognise a pathogen as something it needs to protect you from (or not). If its not yet encountered a particular pathogen (pollen from a hibiscus, for example), it may just choose to ignore it.

This is why some of us are particularly annoyed during different times of the year (for me in Wisconsin, its the late summer weed pollens, especially ragweed).

Don't let your allergies keep you from exploring and checking out the beatiful gardens at SweptAway. Its worth a few sniffles!