Several CTI Questions

After going back and forth between CSA and CTI, I am pretty sure CTI is the way to go for us. I do have a few questions.


1) Can someone post a picture/map with the building numbers? We are trying to decide between Deluxe Ocean View and Premier Ocean View.

2) The dinner at The Patio restaurant, is it all buffet? Or is it partial buffet? Or is it only pasta and salad buffet?

3) Does anyone know which days the cruise ships do not dock in Ocho Rios?

4) anyone take the shopping shuttle? If yes, was it fixed prices or bartering?

5) Where are the best places for fixed price souvenir shopping?

6) What days are the beach dinner party and the gala dinner?

7) I know there is no mini bar in the regular rooms, is there a pitcher of ice and water atleast?

8) How big of a problem are the showers and flooding?

9) I will post this in the wedding area, but where exactly do people get married at CTI, (besides Tower Isle), as I see there are no gazebos.

Thanks!

I'll only answer the questions where I know the answer. I'm confident others will chime in to cover the ones I can't, such as providing the link to the cruise ship schedule - I actually have that link on my home PC, but I'm presently responding from work.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Sensfan

2) The dinner at The Patio restaurant, is it all buffet? Or is it partial buffet? Or is it only pasta and salad buffet? It's all buffet all the time - breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

6) What days are the beach dinner party and the gala dinner? The beach party is on Monday, the gala is on Saturday.

7) I know there is no mini bar in the regular rooms, is there a pitcher of ice and water atleast? Yes

8) How big of a problem are the showers and flooding? It wasn't for us, and they have since installed a lip that separates the shower from the bathroom floor. But you still have to do have to do a bit of manuevering by making sure the inner lining of the shower curtain is within that lip. One thing that may help is if they replaced those oversized shower heads, which look cool, but spray the water over too wide of an area. This increases the likelihood of getting it on the floor. I preferred the narrower nozzle spray coming out of the shower head at CN.

9) I will post this in the wedding area, but where exactly do people get married at CTI, (besides Tower Isle), as I see there are no gazebos. You name it, they seem to have a location. The beach, the area adjacent to the swim up bar, the garden area. It seemed like everywhere we turned there was a wedding taking place during our week at CTI. Very nice, many happy people beginning their lives together.

Thanks! No problems mon.

---

The shopping shuttle takes you to a shopping area similar to an outdoor mall. The prices are fixed, but my husband loves to haggle and always bargains with the shop owners for our coffee. (We do buy 20-40 pounds so we like to get a discount.) You also have the option of shopping at the resort. There are a couple of stores there and they are fixed pricing. There are a few local vendors who come by during the week to show their wares. You are always welcome to haggle with them or there is always the option to pay the price they are asking.

Last year we were with a couple who wanted to buy a wooden giraffe, but neither of them are comfortable haggling. As I mentioned earlier my husband loves to haggle. So he offered to bargain with the vendor for them and got them a terrific deal. So ask around and see if you can find anyone who might be willing to bargain for you.

The shopping trip has things like t-shirts, shot glasses, coffee, liquor, coffee cups, and stuff like that. The on-site stores have the same things. The vendors have wood carvings and beaded jewelry, mainly hand-made items.

I am going to CTI also in October (and getting married), and noticed too that there weren't any pictures of the wedding locations. I think this is mostly because they reopened last year, and probably haven't gotten around to it. Although, if you ask Debbie, I'm sure she can send you pictues of whatever you're looking for.

For the cruise shops being in port, as a travel agent, I can tell you that most cruises dock in Ocho Rios primarily on Monday or Tuesday. They may dock on another day if there has been a schedule change due to weather.

Although this will be my first visit to CTI, this will be my 6th time to Jamaica, and in the markets especially, you can negotiate the prices for just about everything.

@Coloradojuli - Question, about how much do you end up paying for the coffee for at 20-40 lbs of it? My mother has decided that blue mountain coffee is the best coffee on earth. We'll usually bargain down anywhere between $11-15 per pound depending on how many she buys, but I'm wondering if she buys as much as you, how much can we negotiate down to? Thanks!

"Where are the best places for fixed price souvenir shopping?"

At the Airport upon Deaprture and in the resort Gift Shop.

At Craft Markets, prices are negotiable.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Sensfan

After going back and forth between CSA and CTI, I am pretty sure CTI is the way to go for us. I do have a few questions.


1) Can someone post a picture/map with the building numbers? We are trying to decide between Deluxe Ocean View and Premier Ocean View. http://www.couples.com/11or/01orPanos.htm

2) The dinner at The Patio restaurant, is it all buffet? Or is it partial buffet? Or is it only pasta and salad buffet? As stated is a buffet all the time, but they do have a carving station with ham at times for breakfast, lunch or dinner, roast beef, same deal and an omelet station for breakfast, smoothie station in the morning.

3) Does anyone know which days the cruise ships do not dock in Ocho Rios? I think the cruise calendar is www.cruisecalendar.com

4) anyone take the shopping shuttle? If yes, was it fixed prices or bartering? We have done the Island Village Shuttle and the Taj Mahal shuttle. Both stop at little hillside flea markets then go to shops in Ocho Rios. Our preference was Island Village. The shops at the resort offer fixed pricing and then there are several on your way out at the airport.

5) Where are the best places for fixed price souvenir shopping? The resort or the airport.

6) What days are the beach dinner party and the gala dinner? Beach Party,--Monday night, same night as Repeaters' Dinner, Poolside gala is either Friday or Saturday.

7) I know there is no mini bar in the regular rooms, is there a pitcher of ice and water atleast? Yes, every evening when they come in to do the turn down service, which I am convinced they know when your gone based on dinner reservations as we never say the person, they leave a pitcher filled with ice and water. There will be refillable water bottles in your room and you can fill these at the self served water fountains, the soda fountain at the pool grill or have a bartender fill it with ice for you.No they are not allowed to put your favorite cocktail in them.

8) How big of a problem are the showers and flooding? Minor problem. I understand that in some rooms they have added a lip to the edge of the shower. If not, lay down your beach towel as you can always get fresh ones in the morning.

9) I will post this in the wedding area, but where exactly do people get married at CTI, (besides Tower Isle), as I see there are no gazebos.
We have seen people get married in the gardens, the seawall by the ocean, the pier and on the beach.
Thanks!

---

I hope this helps!

Thanks so much for the responses. You have confirmed that CTI is where we want to get married.

gdstravel ~ We end up with the same pricing as you. We get so much so that we have coffee for the entire year. I have a heart condition and am suppose to only drink decaf coffee, but the American decaf tastes nasty, but Blue Mountain Coffee has a lower caffeine content than American decaf, so we get enough to last the entire year until our return. Ordering and shipping the coffee in is just too expensive plus it gives us an excuse to return!

Be sure and tell your mother to look at the expiration date on the coffee. Some stores will sell the coffee really cheap as they are selling old coffee and need to move it.