Rethinking CSA

[Beerslayer]

My wife and I are booked for an ovvs for sept 8-15 which is approaching fast. I was looking forward to it but now I am concerned from these posts talking about large, loud, obnoxious groups. Like another poster pointed out that couples markets itself as being a relaxing vacation resort and that is why we chose it on the advice of our travel agent.

So former Recent CSA veterans, what is your say to this? Is the property large enough that we could possibly avoid these crowds should they appear? Anyone with experience with large group trends at the time period of our stay?

Any help to ease my mind will be much appreciated, otherwise we are going to seriously consider trying to transfer to CN where there seems to be fewer comments about the attractiveness of the property to large groups.

Kindest regards,

Eric

[Pamela]

First, just to avoid disappointment, you're not booked into an "ovvs," which I assume means "ocean view verandah suite." It's an ocean verandah suite, not "ocean view," and the most you should expect is a partial view of the ocean.

CSA is the most popular of the four resorts, and unfortunately, there are sometimes large groups (usually groups staying for a wedding) that can get out of hand. Such groups are not limited to CSA, however. You could encounter them at any of the Couples Resorts. CSA is a large resort, so it is possible to avoid them.

It's not always large groups that are the problem. In our lone stay at CSA in 2008, there was a woman at the swim-up bar who became so inebriated and obnoxious every day that we avoided that area of the resort altogether.

Again, it's not a CSA-exclusive problem. Knowing that it could be an issue, however, should enable you to have a strategy in place should this annoyance occur.

[Spiff542]

My wife and I are booked for an ovvs for sept 8-15 which is approaching fast. I was looking forward to it but now I am concerned from these posts talking about large, loud, obnoxious groups. Like another poster pointed out that couples markets itself as being a relaxing vacation resort and that is why we chose it on the advice of our travel agent.

So former Recent CSA veterans, what is your say to this? Is the property large enough that we could possibly avoid these crowds should they appear? Anyone with experience with large group trends at the time period of our stay?

Any help to ease my mind will be much appreciated, otherwise we are going to seriously consider trying to transfer to CN where there seems to be fewer comments about the attractiveness of the property to large groups.

Kindest regards,

Eric

I think, that perhaps, you are over thinking it. Take solace in the fact that few, if anyone, plans a destination wedding with a large group of guests during the most active month of hurricane season.

[Bart and Bug]

We haven't been to CSA during September but have been there a couple times, CN too. We've never had a problem with large, loud, obnoxious groups, and were in a BFS. The property is large (long) so there's lots of beach room to get away from the "crowd". You're going to love it there!! Do yourself a favor thought...sign up for Romance Rewards. This way, while you're visiting CSA, you can take a day trip over to CN and check it out.

Enjoy your stay!

Bart & Bug

[BobandJudy]

We usually go to CSA in January/February, and the crowds can vary a great bit from week to week, let alone from low season to high season. When we were there this past February, there was one large group (maybe 20 people - we knew they were a group because they wore matching t-shirts). It was fairly easy to stay away from them. The resort is large and sprawling. The lap pool and sports complex is always a nice quiet retreat.

[Bearso]

There is absolutely "NO WAY" of knowing if or when a large group will show up at any of the resorts. That being said, we have been to all 4 (several times) and have never had any problems. Possibly because we do not let things out of our control bother us. Also, possibly people blow this "group thing" out of proportion…!

[BarDar]

Gosh, just your "name" is making me crave a Red Stripe! We've been at Swept Away a good number of times, and I only remember one time that we were bothered, and I mean bothering my beach dozing. There are wedding parties there, but most are there for a day or two, then it's just the couple. Don't miss out on Swept Away, it really is that good. And, the beach is long so getting away, if needed, is no problem.

[Sonofthebeach]

I think this subject is grossly overexagerated! I dont care where you go, there will always be someone who is louder & more obnoxius than the majority of the crowd. As I stated in another post, wedding parties nornally only stay a few days, not a whole week. I'm not a fan of large wedding groups, but never have I seen them over run the resort as some people would have you believe. CSA is spread out enough that you can pretty much avoid whatever or whomever you may choose to avoid without you missing out on anything. These posts make it sound like rowdiness & drunks are the norm for CSA & believe me when I tell you it is not!! Trip # 20 is already booked for 2013, if this was half the issue some of these posts would have you believe, I'd have gone somewhere else a long time ago. I hate to keep playing the trip # 20 card, but it's to install credibility as opposed to someone who may have been there only once & had a bad experience. No disrespect intended, just the facts. Relax, you will love CSA!!!

[softail19]

You can run into large groups at any resort and there is no way of knowing ahead of time. CSA is large and I won't go anywhere else now. I don't get get what all the fuss is about. It's no like it's Hedo or something. Everyone should just calm down.

[kaityogill]

We are going to try CSA this September after many times at CN at the exact same time! We are hoping the larger resort will have more places to "hide" from big groups.

[dirtleg]

We were at CSA for the sixth time in June and while groups are becoming more common than several years ago we do not find them to be a problem at all. Most of the gathering of groups seems to take place during the day, not so much at night. The swim up bar is a very popular place for groups to gather. The beach has groups at times, but the beach is so large that we have found it to be hardly noticable and easy to avoid. Keep in mind, not all the groups are organized prior to traveling. Many folks just make friends at CSA and groups are of a spontaneous nature.

I would not give it too much concern.

Have a great trip!

[Sandy Paws]

We're booked for early September ourselves, and it will be our first time to Jamaica and Couples. I've spent that past couple of months reading reviews and posts and must say talk about too many large groups comes as a surprise to me as I have not seen it mentioned very often about CSA. Regardless, CSA remains that only one of the Couples resorts that interests us. I hope that which ever resort you end up at you have a great time.

[brennie]

I agree with sonofthebeach,softail19 and dirtleg. Have been to CSA in Feb/Mar since 2005. Although not typical wedding/honeymoon times we have never experienced loud or obnoxious groups. We have experienced wedding groups who have been a blast and have incorporated their celebrations with the nightly enterainme Also in my many travels to CSA have never visited the swimup bar or swam in the pool. Hey you are in one of the best beaches in the Caribbean.

[Margi]

Don't worry about the atmosphere/loudness at all. CSA is the best resort and it is so spread out that if you are laying by something that you don't like, you can easily move to get away from it. The resort is so spread out that there are plenty of places to relax. You are going to love CSA and it has more of a classic Caribbean vibe. CN is smaller, but still can have large groups of people. At CSA you can at least go somewhere to get away from it. Don't worry about stuff like that and just go and have a blast.

[Beerslayer]

Thanks everyone! Looks like we are going to stick with CSA! I appreciate your comments.

Eric

[Shartalin]

I think this subject is grossly overexagerated! I dont care where you go, there will always be someone who is louder & more obnoxius than the majority of the crowd. As I stated in another post, wedding parties nornally only stay a few days, not a whole week. I'm not a fan of large wedding groups, but never have I seen them over run the resort as some people would have you believe. CSA is spread out enough that you can pretty much avoid whatever or whomever you may choose to avoid without you missing out on anything. These posts make it sound like rowdiness & drunks are the norm for CSA & believe me when I tell you it is not!! Trip # 20 is already booked for 2013, if this was half the issue some of these posts would have you believe, I'd have gone somewhere else a long time ago. I hate to keep playing the trip # 20 card, but it's to install credibility as opposed to someone who may have been there only once & had a bad experience. No disrespect intended, just the facts. Relax, you will love CSA!!!

I completely agree, there was one women we kept running into during our stay who was a repeater. She acted like a no-it-all tried to tell the staff how to do their job, etc...You can't control others peoples rude behavior but you can control your attitude about it. We made a joke of it. "ohh no, it's that obnoxious women again!" (just to ourselves) other than that and the occasional outburst from the swim-up bar it was very quite. Honestly I think I was part of the occasional outburst at the swim-up bar myself, one day. I avoided the area because it was "rowdy" but when I participated I had a blast!!! Don't be turned off by others interpretation of other peoples actions, it might prevent you from having the best time ever!!