New to CSA, questions please

[picosu]

My husband and I are booked for Couples Swept Away for March 4th and were wondering a few things if someone can please comment.

First off, dress codes. Do men absolutely need dress pants to wear in the evening with closed toe shoes? Women, do we need to wear a sun dress or skirt. Can we put a nice pair of dressy capris with a nice top? Are cocktail dresses too fancy?

Do we book our restaurants as soon as we arrive?

The included dive, is it worth trying? Do we go very deep? Do we see anything interesting besides fish, like a shipwreck or something? I've never dived before and not a great swimmer either so I'm a little concerned. The training is 1 hour total right?

Is it safe to walk the beach at night if we wanted to do a romantic stroll?

Do they have good speciality coffees, like lattes?

Is there any live entertainment in the evenings?

We are booked in a ocean verandah suite, are these close to the beach?

Is topless a rare thing at CSA?

Do they have any excursions where you can see the real Jamaican lifestyle, culture?

Thanks so much. I'm wondering if I will regret booking this resort as I am used to large resorts where you can wonder romantically for hours and sit at a beautiful marble lobby bar in the evening having a delicious latte. I hope I will be blown away.

[ORV]

My husband and I are booked for Couples Swept Away for March 4th and were wondering a few things if someone can please comment.

First off, dress codes. Do men absolutely need dress pants to wear in the evening with closed toe shoes? Women, do we need to wear a sun dress or skirt. Can we put a nice pair of dressy capris with a nice top? Are cocktail dresses too fancy?

It depends on what restaurant you eat at. I think the only one you need long pants at is Feathers, someone will correct me if I'm wrong. You have 2 or 3 other other choices. Women can wear almost anything they want except for swimwear. Cocktail dresses aren't too fancy for Feathers.

Do we book our restaurants as soon as we arrive?

It's probably a good idea.

The included dive, is it worth trying? Do we go very deep? Do we see anything interesting besides fish, like a shipwreck or something? I've never dived before and not a great swimmer either so I'm a little concerned. The training is 1 hour total right?

Don't Know

Is it safe to walk the beach at night if we wanted to do a romantic stroll?

I think security would recommend that you stay on the Couples property after dark. It's a fair stroll if you go up and down a couple of times. The beach beyond Couples borders goes for a ways, but it's best explored in the day.

Do they have good speciality coffees, like lattes?

In the specialty restaurants yes.

Is there any live entertainment in the evenings?

YES

We are booked in a ocean verandah suite, are these close to the beach?
About 75 to 100 yds.

Is topless a rare thing at CSA?
NO

Do they have any excursions where you can see the real Jamaican lifestyle, culture?
There are off resort excursions available .

Thanks so much. I'm wondering if I will regret booking this resort as I am used to large resorts where you can wonder romantically for hours and sit at a beautiful marble lobby bar in the evening having a delicious latte. I hope I will be blown away.

Most people enjoy it but I'm sure it's not for everyone.

I don't remember a bar in the lobby, but they have plenty in other locations.

[redinthehead]

First off, dress codes. Do men absolutely need dress pants to wear in the evening with closed toe shoes? Women, do we need to wear a sun dress or skirt. Can we put a nice pair of dressy capris with a nice top? Are cocktail dresses too fancy?It depends on which restaurant your at, I believe the two that require reservation also require long pants and close to shoes for men

Do we book our restaurants as soon as we arrive?You can or you can book later.

The included dive, is it worth trying? Do we go very deep? Do we see anything interesting besides fish, like a shipwreck or something? I've never dived before and not a great swimmer either so I'm a little concerned. The training is 1 hour total right?

Is there any live entertainment in the evenings?Yes

Is topless a rare thing at CSA? [COLOR="red"]Didnt see any while we were there, but wasnt really looking either[/COLOR

Thanks so much. I'm wondering if I will regret booking this resort as I am used to large resorts where you can wonder romantically for hours and sit at a beautiful marble lobby bar in the evening having a delicious latte. I hope I will be blown away.
[COLOR="navy"] [I hope you do not regret picking CSA either. CSA isn’t like a mega resort. You wont find marble or brass in a huge lobby. CSA has a natural beauty, a simple elegance that makes you feel like you are truly on a Caribbean vacation. /COLOR]

[melody]

Men can wear nice shorts or pants but the shoes are a must. No tennis shoes, a closed toed dress shoe or sandal is what he will need. (example of closed toed dress sandal for men http://www.sierratradingpost.com/i/6...s-for-Men.html)
Women can wear capris and a nice shirt. Some wear that type of outfit, some wear fancier cocktail dresses.

You can book them as soon as they give you a room. I think there are menus in the front but if not there are some nearby in the Palms. We like to take a look at the activity schedule at the front desk and then pick a day that seems pretty free to book the catamaran cruise. That would also bee a good time to book dinner too if you want. We like to check the menus out first. You are allowed to have two outstanding reservations at a time. You should be ok if you book later but you might not have your pick of tie slots.

I love diving there and the staff is great. The training will likely be a little more than an hour and I think it is worth it. There is not a shipwreck on that side of the island but you still see some interesting things and it is really fun. You don't need to be an awesome swimmer.

We have not walked outside the resort at night. The beach on the resort if fairly long and would be nice to walk along at night. You would be fine to walk towards the Beaches resort side at night I would think too. i can't remember what is after that resort though. I would be a little leery walking the other direction but the security guard there would know more about that than I do.

I'm not a coffee drinker but I think they have something. Not sure on that one.

There are a few options for live entertainment every night I believe. There is at least one thing every night at the Palms or on the beach and I believe there is something in the Aura Lounge every night too.

CSA is pretty long but not too terribly deep so all the rooms are pretty close tot eh beach. Maybe a minute walk at most. OVS are sort of in the middle between the road and the beach and to one side of the resort. You might have a view of the ocean and you should be pretty close.

It's not too common but there are usually one or two ladies sunbathing topless every time we are there. It's not a big deal or anything but they are the minority.

I am not sure on that one either but I bet they do. There is a tour desk and they will be able to help you with that. There are a lot of options.

If you like to wander I would really suggest strolling around the paths in the older section. Go out the back of the Palms and go strait rather than making a right. There are a lot of neat plants and it is really peaceful and romantic. You could wander around for quite a while before getting all the way over to your room which is on the other side of the resort. I think that is a lot more fun than taking the main path. There are many smaller buildings so there are many small paths connecting them. You can make your way over to the wedding gazebo area and the koi pond which is very nice too. You could take the beach back over to the Palms and do a few laps without repeating the same trail. it's neat because you can really see the difference between the oldest sections and the newer ones, not because the buildings are old or run down but rahter by the size of the trees and how dense the foliage is. CSA is a lot more natural than what you are probably used to so there are no grand marble lobbies but I really like it the way it is. It's very tropical and Caribbean feeling with pretty colors and beautiful plants. I think you will really love it.

[Sublimebrad]

CSA is huge in area compared to some other resorts I have stayed at. I don't think the size will bother you. The beach is very long since the resort is too. All rooms are within 75-100 yards from the beach. Plenty of bars and nightly activities. Great food and service. Dress code was actually more relaxed than people made it seem.

[caviargal]

"I'm wondering if I will regret booking this resort as I am used to large resorts where you can wonder romantically for hours and sit at a beautiful marble lobby bar in the evening having a delicious latte. I hope I will be blown away. "

We have stayed at our share of those as well. CSA is tops for us when we are looking for a true Caribbean vacation: awesome beach, calm and clear water, freshly prepared foods with local ingredients, nightlife that is low key and fun and a staff that exemplifies the "ya mon" experience.

When we want a quick weekend that is about luxury and some R&R, the marble palaces of Mexico are not a bad choice but for us, they come a definite second to Couples and Jamaica.

I honestly do not think you will be blown away if you are looking for luxe accommodations, lattes in a marble lobby and other stuff like butlers, room service and fine linens. That is not what Couples is about and it is not for everyone.

[melody]

Maybe I am wrong about the pants. We have always seen men in nicer shorts but I have also seen men in open toed sandals and Hawaiian shirts so it's possible that they were not following the rules. Maybe it would be best to bring pants just in case.

[gonegril]

Hi Picosu -

You have chosen my favorite resort in the world, but given your last paragraph, I'm afraid CSA may not live up to your expectations. There is absolutely NO marble here whatsoever....There is no lobby bar....and as far as I can remember, none of the bars serve lattes....If your expectation is of a fancy marble and fountain type of place, you will want to take another look at the pictures on the website as well as posted here.....this is a resort with a very laid back vibe.

Also, if your vision of cocktail attire is the same as mine, a true cocktail dress might be a bit of overkill, even for Feathers....Yes, you'll want to dress up, especially for that restaurant, but if you're thinking of something you'd wear to a really upscale dinner party or restaurant here in the US, you may want to adjust to more of an island vibe.

That said, if you're looking for a laid back, Zen-like island vibe with simple, clean rooms, BEAUTIFUL tropical grounds, a fabulous beach, awesome food and top shelf drinks and a TERRIFIC staff, I believe you'll be THRILLED with CSA.

Oh yes, and about the dive - just be prepared to take a swimming test before they even let you take the course....I did an intro scuba in Mexico, and frankly, I don't even think they cared if I could dog paddle. At CSA they're much more rigorous in their testing, and if you have ANY physical issues (bad back, asthma, a cold, etc.) that could rule you out unless you bring a note from your physician....

[klmurphy2005]

Do we book our restaurants as soon as we arrive? I would definitely recommend doing this.

Is it safe to walk the beach at night if we wanted to do a romantic stroll? We have walked down the beach toward Margaritaville plenty of times at night. We have never had an issue and security has never warned us not to do it. I would suggest bringing a flashlight though as it is very dark on the beach at night. We have had people approach us and ask if we smoked, and we just said no thanks and they were fine with that. :O)

Do they have good speciality coffees, like lattes? I have never had a latte at CSA. I've never really asked or been on the look out for them though. What I do have is coffee, jamaican rum cream, and whipped cream! So much better than a latte! :O)

Is there any live entertainment in the evenings? Yes, and be sure to check out Ultimate Chocolate in the Aura Lounge. Look for Blazing Piano on your activities list.

Is topless a rare thing at CSA? Not rare, but not popular either. When I've been there, sometimes I've been the only person topless and other times I've seen 3 or 4 others at the most. No worries though, just be sure to respectful of others and remember there are kids on the 7 mile beach. I always cover up if I sit up or to go out into the water. I just think it's disrespectful not too, just my opinion though.