Honeymoon for thirty-somethings, CSS or CSA??

Hi. We are planning our honeymoon for end of May this year 2012. We booked CSS based on the recommendation of a friend but after reading a lot of reviews and posts I am worried we made the wrong choice. I would prefer the white sand beach and clear crystal water, however the more private beach of CSS is appealing, yet I'm reading it is not as nice. I am also unsure about the average age range of the guests. It seems I see a lot of posts of people going to CSS for wedding anniversaries, say 25 yrs or more, whereas CSA seems to be more honeymooners. I want to be able to meet and hang out with people around our age. We are 33 and 37. A little older then typical honeymooner age but don't have any kids. It seems like CSA might appeal to a younger crowd with the bar/nightclub option. Should we keep our CSS booking and why? Or should we switch it to CSA???

Thank you

We have been to both and both are awesome but if you want a waaaay better beach and more nightlife, Swept Away would be a better choice. Saving for trip #5 to CSA.

I think it depends on what you're interested in. My boyfriend and I are 20 and 22, and we're going to CSS. We want to go somewhere that is secluded, quiet, and where we can focus on relaxing. And CSS seems like it will offer all of that. The beach may not be the longest, whitest, or softest, but we won't have to worry about nearby tourists walking by or being hounded by vendors, which to us is more important. So I guess I'd say to go with a resort that speaks to you and what you consider to be your priorities for your trip.

My vote would be for CSS but I've never been to CSA. CSS is bar none, the most romantic place I have ever been and perfect for honeymooners. There is much more of a wide array of ages at this resort than CN, which I have been. My husband and I got married there a couple of years ago and are going back for our 3rd visit in 86 days! (We're in our 40s) We've noticed that the "younger" guests tends to hang out at the main pool but a lot of it just depends on the crowd that week. I'm sure that also applies to CSA. CN offers the amazing beach similar to CSA but without being on 7 mile beach and dealing with all the beach traffic and everything it brings. CN is on Bloody Bay and there are only 3, maybe 4, other resorts on the entire bay. Honestly I don't know that you'd be disappointed with any of them for the Couples experience as an all-inclusive is truly amazing. Hope this helps and best wishes to you and your bride!

I have to agree with aero87...I personally haven't been to CSS, but it does sound like a more subdued resort. While CSA is more of a party resort..not that it can't be subdued also. Either way I think you'll have a great time. But, if you do decide to go to CSA...then maybe me and the hubby will see you there! We'll be there from May 23rd-27th.

My husband and I went to CSS for our honeymoon last July and we would not have changed our minds for anything. We had the most incredible honeymoon, better than we could have wished for! You're right that CSA in Negril has the white sandy beach and CSS has a nice beach but it is not white and powdery, however you do get the same clear crystal water as in Negril at CSS. The lushness and privacy you get at CSS is perfect for a honeymoon. My husband and I did not feel out of place at CSS and I am 25 and he is 29. The age does range but there were many other honeymooners there when we were there as well. We are already planning our second trip back to Jamaica, enjoy your honeymoon and remember it is be what you make of it!

Tara

There doesn't seem to be an average age at Couples. Don't let the message board fool you. There are lots of people that never come on here. I just turned 40 this year, and hubby is 37 and we had a great time at CSA.
If you are beach people like you mentioned, then I would think CSA (or CN) is the way to go. I just posted a question regarding the beaches at CTI and CSS and most of the responders said I would probably be disappointed in those other beaches because they weren't the white sandy beach that I want. It really depends on how important the beach is to you I think. For us, it's a deal breaker. Originally from Michigan with the beautiful white Lake Michigan beaches, I didn't want anything less than that. 7 mile beach in Negril is amazing, breathtaking!

My fiancee and I (we're 37 & 36) love CSS, and we are returning for our 4th trip in March. I think the other posts hit the nail on the head about private vs. picturesque beach. We have found the age does range a bit at CSS, but we also weren't looking for a primarily twenty-something or party crowd and a private beach was very important, so it fit perfect for us. By the way, we have found that the friends we have made that were slightly older than us could party far longer than we were prepared to do! CSS drew me in with its natural beauty and I am worried about staying at Couples Negril because the rooms are so spacious at CSS I have been spoiled. We are staying 4 days at each CN then at CSS this trip. CSS is the most relaxing place I have ever been to. We are both fiercely committed to our jobs and this is the only place we have ever felt we could totally unwind. I hope this helps sell CSS for you, but you really should go with what is your priority experience on your trip.

Happy Honeymooning!

I would recommend CTI in a heartbeat! Great resort with as much nightlife as you want to participate in. PRIVATE beach where you wont be hounded relentlessly and the staff is so great you will not want to leave! Just got back from CSA and not sure would go back again...price would have to be really good to make me go to that location! Vendors offered to sell us everything from pot to land! LOL!

Wow thank you all for replying! The more we have looked into each one and talked with people and read posts we have decided that we are happy with our choice of CSS. Its always so confusing when you read online reviews.. such a range of highs and lows! I think CSS will make up for the lack of long white sandy beach in many other areas. I am really looking forward to the peace and quiet and alone time with my new husband during the days and meeting some new friends to hang out with at night! We will be there from May 20 - 26.

We've been to all four resorts (CN 15 times, CTI 2 times, and CSA and CSS once each); we prefer the Negril resorts to the Ocho Rios resorts for one reason: the beach. We typically spend most of the day, every day, on the beach, and simply find the beaches in Negril more appealing to us.

While CSS is a beautiful resort, the beaches were disappointing to us. The ocean floor off of the main beach at CSS was mucky, which was a big turnoff for me, and the ocean floor off of SSB was rocky. While I've been told that it's sandy once you get past the rocks, we didn't get out that far. Had I known, I would have brought water shoes with me.

There also wasn't as much shade. We were in the water for maybe 15 minutes, and when we returned to our chairs, I found that a couple had moved their chairs under the palapa not just next to mine, but actually overlapping a bit. I understood that shade was limited and they wanted to get out of the sun too, but it was uncomfortable.

Frequent guests of CSS can speak to whether our experience was typical or uncommon, but there was also an issue with premium alcohol. There was no premium gin until our final two days and absolutely no single malt scotch for our entire stay. I hadn't had a blended scotch in years, and Dewar's wasn't my choice even then. Again, I don't know if there was some anomaly the week we visited, but it was different from our experience at the other three resorts.

Again, CSS is a beautiful resort, and we did enjoy our time there. We just spent less time on the beach at CSS than on any other Jamaica vacation.

Hubby 32 Me 27 LOVED CSA!!! Going to try CTI this time...

Thanks for that info Pamela. That is exactly what I wanted to know. Not only is the beach important to us but actually being able to walk in the water and swim is just as important. The muckiness would really bother me. I can see why you have chosen CN 15 times. We will be back in 98 days!!

ha! im struggling with the same decision :) going June 12-17 and booked CSS but think we might miss out on the great beaches in negril. we are staying 17-20 in negril on the cliffs...so i'm REALLY wondering if i should change to CSA or Negril :) it really is a tough decision. for us, this is only going to be our 2nd vaca together and it's def not going to be a cheap honeymoon so you want it to be perfect. a lot of people say to browse the pages and see what each has to offer...i have!!...and still can't decide :)

For sure CSA!! We got married there & then had our honeymoon there, they treated us so wonderful!! we are headed back to CSA for our 1st anniversary in May & can't wait. The staff is incredible.

If you are a beach person you should go to CSA or CN. It just seems from everything you initially posted that you are looking for a gorgeous beach. The one at CSA is never ending, has the most beautiful sunsets, has fine white powder sand and crystal clear blue water. No one will bother you at the CSA unless you show interest in something. Also, you can wander the beach off the resort yourself and discover the great people of Jamaica. I know you decided on CSS and I'm sure it will be fabulous (I've heard it's the most romantic), but the beach might be a let down for you. Any Couples resort is great, so go and have a blast.