Returning to CSA- worried

[mainesunlover]

jim and I are returning to CSA 3/26th for our 5th time. We really love the resort but were not thrilled last year when we did not get the Beachfront Veranda room we had reserved. The staff was able to move us to that room the next day and gave us a $100 resort credit.

This year we are celebrating our 25th anniversary and I'm worried we will encounter a similar problem although it only happened once in four visits. I will say when it happened last year we had arrived on a Wednesday vs. our usual Saturday. Has anyone else encountered this? Not sure what to do if anything to prevent it from occurring for our visit this year. We really love CSA.

Thanks

[klmurphy2005]

Let me see if I understand, you had to spend 1 night in a different room and you received $ 100 resort credit then received the right room category for the rest of the stay? Is this the problem? If so, I think I would take that deal next time. Maybe they'll offer it to me. LOL I'm sorry. I don't mean to be mean, but I just don't really see the problem. Maybe I misunderstood. )

[waynef]

we have been to csa a lot of times, asking for a certain room is never a certain deal, last time we went to a different room for 2 nights before we got the room category we asked for, and so it goes,

no big deal, as booked as they are, there is only so much they can do, i am there for the people, the beach and the resort, not neccasarily for the room, i just sleep there, so enjoy your vacation and go with an open mind, the front deck will do what they can but it doesnt make sence to stand there and yell at them at check in, have a good anniversary

[Pamela]

In our 18 trips to Couples, this has only happened once, and that was on our very first Couples vacation in 1998. On every subsequent trip, we have received the exact room category that we booked.

[melody]

I didn't have the same thing happen but I did encounter a situation where it could have happened. I was going to book an Atrium for our honeymoon in April but as I was booking they became unavailable. I had been comparing prices on other travel sites and noticed that the other sites were all still offering Atriums. I ended up calling to book and they said they were indeed sold out so I got a BFS instead. I checked the travel sites for a few days and they were offering those rooms for days after they were sold out. I guess they don't update right away. Had I booked on one of those they would have been overbooked. I don't think it would matter which reservation was the one that put them over the edge, I think the couple to get there when they are already full would be bumped unless they saw the problem ahead of time and offered someone an upgrade. We have never been bumped on any of our trips though. I think that situation is pretty rare so I wouldn't worry.

What room did you end up in for that first night?

[kgillespie]

It happened to us last year for one night as well. We were offered a $100 credit but since we already had a $500.00 credit I asked if we could have a private dinner on the beach instead which they agreed to. We were booked to stay in a BFVS and had to stay in an Ocean view room instead for 1 night. It was a minor inconvenience to move but it really wasn't a big deal. This only happened once in our 4 trips.
If I could be there right now I'd take any room they had to offer!!

MaineGirl

[Chris]

Regarding travel sites and "sold out" categories. Remember, Couples contracts out blocks of rooms to their network of Couples Specialist Travel Agents... so those rooms MAY be considered not available when you happen to be booking your room. That's not to say that they won't be turned back to Couples at a later date if the TA's are not able to fill them.

[EinWI]

same thing happened to us last year we were in an OVS and had to spend a night in a middle room GVS suite I was not thrilled with it either and we got a $100 credit and moved to the room we booked late the next day. It was a bit of a hassle yes but oh well it was just one night. I too hope it doesn't happen again this year but if it does oh well....I am just praying there are corner rooms avail I want a 1st floor corner and yes I will move from a room to get one. Fingers crossed.

[BobandJudy]

In our five trips to CSA, we have gotten the room category that we reserved everytime except once. We reserved a beachfront room this past January (we've always reserved a BFVS room before). At check-in, we were told that not only was a BFS room not available, neither was a BFVS room available. They offered to put us in either an ocean verandah suite or atrium suite for 2 nights, and then move us into a BFS. When I brought up the Greathouse Jacuzzi Room, she agreed to let us stay there.

I travel for a living, and the last thing that I want to do on vacation is have to unpack, pack and unpack a second time. If I pay for a certain room category, I want to get that room category or an upgrade. In our case, we were very fortunate to get the upgrade.

[Iriemon]

Maybe this is not true for others, but for us it is a very long travel day, typically 13 hours or more. By the end of that, all we want to do is get checked in and SETTLED in the room category that we booked. If I were given the choice of $100 resort credit or the room I booked, I would take the room I booked in a heartbeat. I would not chide anyone for being disappointed in that situation. It happened to us once, years ago, and it cast a pall over the vacation. Fortunately it hasn't happened since. Oh, and I'd never yell at or berate staff. I saw someone do that once and I felt very badly for the reception staff.

[beachsam]

I'm curious as to how you booked the trip, through Couples, traditional travel agent or a large online agency?

[Dradran]

I have to agree with Iriemon. For us it also at least 12 hours from when we get to the airport till we arrive at Couples. I also would prefer to get settled in to the Atrium room we booked via the Couples website when we arrive instead of having a layover at another room. 100 bucks for the inconvenience is nice, but you can't unpack, get comfortable and settle in. I hate the practice of overbooking. However, it could always be the case that Orbitz or whomever did not get the word or acted on it slowly which causes the issue as well.

Only 67 days till CSA.

[EinWI]

Last year when it happened to us we booked on couples.com, this year my mom in law who is a TA booked us through funjet

[mainesunlover]

We booked through a traditional travel agent and in fact we had just gotten back from CSA when we booked for the same time the following year. I agree with Iriemon we just want to get settled when we get there and it is not in my nature to yell and make a scene. Only 18 more days till we get there... will let you know how we make out. Thanks for all the replies.

[klmurphy2005]

I can understand that if you travel a long way that you want to get settled in to the room category you chose. I didn't really think about it too much. It's at most a 2 hr flight for us. So, not really that big of a deal. I'm just not sure I'd be "worried" about it before I get there though. It's just me and the way I am though. I tend to just go with the flow and be happy that I'm in Negril. :O)

[wesmc]

If you look at other travel blogs, this is a real problem at CSA. Happens all the time.

[jamaicamecrazy]

For us likewise it’s not so much about having the wrong category for one night as it is about getting settled and unpacked. If you got in late in the evening and could be moved first thing next morning it might not be so bad, but otherwise you’re going to need to dig out beach stuff (beach bag, sunscreen, flip flops etc) then later everything to shower and go for dinner (toiletries, clothes, shoes etc.). That would be an inconvenience for sure. I want to unpack, not dig through a suitcase.
However, $100 would help! A lot of resorts wouldn’t give you that.
The unpacking, settling in then packing up again and unpacking and settling in again at another resort was the only thing I didn’t like about doing a split stay. But that was our choice.
It doesn’t seem to happen often though, so I wouldn’t worry about it.

[Beach-bum]

We have been to CSA four trips. We were given the exact room the first three trips and but not on the 4th. We were told by CSA staff that they try to put returning guests in the same room. There is now a policy in place where guests can not request a specific room or floor. This is one of the reasons we went to Maui instead of CSA this year.


Life is really good

[ponyk]

This actually happend to us our first visit to a couples resort. So my very first impresion of csa was they they were unable to deliver what they promised. I found it to be very off putting, and unprofesional. I was worried about what else they would be unable to deliver on. Lets not forget these vacations are not cheap. In my mind $100 in resort credit is not worth the hassel of changing rooms. Iam happy to report the rest of our vacation was perfect, infact we just returned from our second trip to csa.

[mikej]

...

[steveg52]

I'm with you klmurphy, when in Negri our moto is "no problem Mon!" On our trip to CSA back in December 2008. The place was at full capacity and our ocean verandah suite wasn't available so they placed us in one of the old garden suites for one night. We were also given a heart felt apology and the $100 resort credit. My wife immediately booked a full hour massage so it didn't go to waste. Got to give her credit, she thinks pretty quick on her feet. We unpacked our bathing suits, the evenings clothes for dinner and our toiletries. In the morning we went out to breakfast and the beach. We checked back around lunch time and our luggage was already in our ocean verandah suite. As I said before, "no problem Mon!" We're going back in December of this year and I'm sure CSA will be booked solid again and if we get bumped the first night it won't hurt a bit. You have to enjoy every moment while in Paradise, aka CSA!

[mikej]

I hope this does not happen as often at CSA as this thread seems to indicate. I too would find this to be rather unprofessional and annoying. We're booked for our first experience with Couples this July, are very excited by all the great things we've heard about these resorts, and I hope things run smoothly.

I understand it's not that big of a deal in the grand scheme of things, but there are a lot of nice resorts in Jamaica (and even along the same stretch of beach in Negril). Being very impressed with the room category we selected was a somewhat significant factor in choosing to go with the Couples brand in our first trip to the island.

I can understand outside agencies not being up to speed with their updates, but when booking through couples directly it seems you should get what you're told you're getting for the entirety of the trip or be adequately forewarned that this is often not the case.

[mikej]

sorry for the two similar posts if both go through the moderator by accident, didn't realize until after the 2nd post that they aren't supposed to show up right away due to moderator approval

[sherrynchuck]

mikej--I wouldn't say this thread indicates that overbooking of rooms happens all that often, it's the subject of the thread so you're getting everyone to tell you when it's happened to them...doesn't look like all that many people to me considering how many people comment on this board every day.

Indeed there are other resorts on Seven Mile Beach, I think once you get there and see Couples and see the others (if you choose to walk along the beach) you'll see that the others really don't compare to Couples. Also, I can assure you that overbooking does occur at those other resorts as well. We've had it happen to us elsewhere and so have friends of ours. It may seem unprofessional but it's quite a common hotel practice.

[FABKMH]

These things do happen on flights and at resorts regarding reservations. I think some of it may be personal circumstance and when you booked. I just booked a week at CSA for my wedding and honeymoon. I booked a Bfrt Veranda Suite. Being that it is 9+ months out, my first time, and my wedding, I would be very unhappy if I had to take less than what I expected. I would think a casual vacation not scheduled so far in advance wouldn't bother me much at all. A matter of perspective I guess. That being said, rooms should be first come first serve in my opinion. If a requested room is available, it should be booked. Why is that so difficult?