Veterans of BOTH CN and CSA only please!

[warmweatherfriend]

Been home two weeks from CN but time to make reservations for Feb. 2011 and take advantage of the Romance Awaits for Early Escapes awesome deal. I think I've read most every thread regarding the differences between CN and CSA. I STILL have a few more questions for those that have actually been to both resorts. As you can imagine, this is a really big decision for us to even consider changing from CN to CSA as we had an amazing trip. We are actually considering switching to CSA to experience another of Couple's wonderful properties next year but we need to be sure we can handle the "change"! CN is so very dear to our hearts...can the experienced ones give us answers to our questions below so that we can put our minds to rest, one way or the other?

1. Otaheite is my FAVORITE rest. at CN - any restaurant at CSA that equals the quality/ambiance/romance/exceptional service?
2. At CN, we could earn "fun money" participating in resort activities and then cash in at the auctions held. Does CSA do this sort of activity as well?
3. I understand how long the beach is in front of CSA, is it possible to walk to Margaritaville or Ricks Cafe' by chance?
4. From the restaurant details at CSA, two of the rest.(Lemon Grass & Feathers) require reservations. Hard to get?
5. Are any of the beach restaurants open very late or 24/7?
6. Is the red flag service available on the beach at CSA?
7. Can I assume that the water is not as calm at CSA because it's not in a cove/bay of sorts like CN and that floaties are available on all chairs at the beach and pool area?
8. Room choices - we like the pics of rooms w/wooden shutters - any suggestions which are the "best"?
9. Some room choices do NOT include mini-bars at CSA - specifically which ones?
10. We would prefer to be as close to the water sports hut as possible, which rooms are closest?
11. Are there any rooms/buildings that are close to the road and might be more prone to some road noise, i.e. the honking of horns that seems so popular in Jamaica? LOL

Thanks in advance for your responses!!!

[blueallah]

1. Otaheite is my FAVORITE rest. at CN - any restaurant at CSA that equals the quality/ambiance/romance/exceptional service? No, but we like the dining better overall at CSA.

2. At CN, we could earn "fun money" participating in resort activities and then cash in at the auctions held. Does CSA do this sort of activity as well? Don't know

3. I understand how long the beach is in front of CSA, is it possible to walk to Margaritaville or Ricks Cafe' by chance? Margville is a very short easy walk (maybe 10min). Ricks is on the cliffs and you need a cab or shuttle.

4. From the restaurant details at CSA, two of the rest.(Lemon Grass & Feathers) require reservations. Hard to get? No

5. Are any of the beach restaurants open very late or 24/7? The grill is open all night

6. Is the red flag service available on the beach at CSA? Yes, but the flags are green

7. Can I assume that the water is not as calm at CSA because it's not in a cove/bay of sorts like CN and that floaties are available on all chairs at the beach and pool area? The water is normally calm and there are plenty of floaties. Overall, yes, CNs water is probably slightly more calm and warm, but not enough to really make a difference. I like CNs beach better, my wife prefers CSA's beach.

8. Room choices - we like the pics of rooms w/wooden shutters - any suggestions which are the "best"? We like the old section atriums but be aware they do no have mini bars or TVs

9. Some room choices do NOT include mini-bars at CSA - specifically which ones? Garden View and Atriums

10. We would prefer to be as close to the water sports hut as possible, which rooms are closest? Old Section rooms

11. Are there any rooms/buildings that are close to the road and might be more prone to some road noise, i.e. the honking of horns that seems so popular in Jamaica? Garden View.

Those are my opinions based on 4X CSA and 2X CN. Hope that helps.

[Rob_N_Dayna]

O.K. first off let me say that I do not think you can go wrong with any of the Couples Resorts, All of us do have our favorites some are just more fanatical about saying which one is better than the other. We are no different we prefer CSA over CN, we are not saying it is better it is just our preference. We like how the resort is so spread out and how you can walk between the building giving it more of a tropical feel to us. CN does have an amazing pool and beach, but we still prefer CSA's long beach over the cove style at CN, some people say there is more traffice at CSA which there is but again, we love interacting with the locals it's all part of the experience of being in another country, they are not a bother at all, truthfully I think many of them have more respect than some of the other guests can have. We love the open air sports complex, and again we realize some people cannot even spell "Gym" when they are on vacation. Again I hope I am not going to get bombarded with the CN Vs. CSA because of these statements, they are just our opinion on the two resorts, we all have our favorite Couples Resort for our own reasons, you just have to figure out which ones are right for you, 2 may be and 2 may not be, all four may be, and only one possibly, that is all part of the fun, Just enjoy the island life and remeber you are on VACATION..WOOOOHOOOO..... Now let me get off of my soap box and try to answer your questions.

1. My wife and I both Love Feathers it has the same ambiance and feel as Otaheite to us. The food is excellent especially during Lobster season.

2. We have never seen or taken part in the "Funny Money" so I do not know if they have it or not at CSA.

3. It is possible to walk to Margaritaville it is off of the left side of the property just let security know you are going and they will be watching for you going and returning. Ric' is to far you will have to take a cab or shuttle.

4. We have not had trouble making reservations in the past. We typically make them right after we check in so we have it taken care of before our trip even starts.

5. The Cabana Grill is open about 23 hours a day. They close for one hour for cleaning but I think it is around 4 or 5 in the morning. It has never been closed when we got hungry for a late night snapper or Jerk Chicken sandwich.

6. Yes the flag service is available at CSA and it is awesome, the drinks, cool towels, and finger foods, I miss it just talking about it. The wait staff is great they typically are bring us a drink when they see we are getting low and know us by first name, the service is exellent.

7. The water at CSA is just like any other beach. I have seen it slick as glass and you can float in one spot for hours if you wish, just like CN. It can get alittle choppy if there is a storm approaching but other than that they are the same from what I have seen.

8. The rooms with the wooden shutters above the bed are the rooms are the corners of the buildings. We always request a corner room when booking with our travel agent.

9. AT CSA the garden suites and atrium suites are the only room categories that do not have mini bars in the rooms.

10. Unfortunately for you in reference to your last question the garden and atrium suites are also closest to the water sports hut as well. Well the beach front suites are close but there are only four of them.

11. The only category you may have trouble with here are the garden and garden verandah suites. We always stay in the ocean view verandah suites. They are right in the middle and have the mini bar and fridge. We don't need the Beachfront verandah suites, we would rather save the extra money and stay an
additional night.

Hope this information helps. And remember you are at a couples resort in Jamaica. Is there really any other place you would rather be?.....

[Musicalrose]

I've only been to CSA but I can answer a few of your questions. I hope they help!


3. I understand how long the beach is in front of CSA, is it possible to walk to Margaritaville or Ricks Cafe' by chance?
Margaritaville is a quick walk south of the resort.

4. From the restaurant details at CSA, two of the rest.(Lemon Grass & Feathers) require reservations. Hard to get? We had no issues getting a reservation to Feathers. We did not eat at Lemongrass.
5. Are any of the beach restaurants open very late or 24/7?The beach grill is open I believe from 11 am - 5am. No chance of going hungry in the late hours!
6. Is the red flag service available on the beach at CSA?yes!
7. Can I assume that the water is not as calm at CSA because it's not in a cove/bay of sorts like CN and that floaties are available on all chairs at the beach and pool area?I found the water very calm and very warm. We did not have issues with chairs or floaties at either the beach or the pool.
8. Room choices - we like the pics of rooms w/wooden shutters - any suggestions which are the "best"?Only been in a Garden Verandah and we had a corner room with the shutters - loved it!
9. Some room choices do NOT include mini-bars at CSA - specifically which ones? The only ones with minibars are the suites listed with Verandah in the name.

11. Are there any rooms/buildings that are close to the road and might be more prone to some road noise, i.e. the honking of horns that seems so popular in Jamaica? LOL Our room was along the back path but the traffic noise never bothered us. We kept the bathroom window closed and the A/C on when we were in our room.

[Rob_N_Dayna]

I tried to post a response yesterday but for some reason it did not post. First of all you have to realize that they are two completely different resorts. People on this site will probably start blasting you with posts that CN is better because of this or CSA is better because of that. The truth is you just have to decide what you like and if you think you would enjoy the differences that the two wonderful resorts offer.

We personally like the fact the CSA is spread out, my wife and I enjoy the peacful walks through the vegetation and around the ground, we enjoy the beauty of the natural habitat around the resort, CN is set up more hotel like than CSA is with the buildings being separated like they are, you have been to CN so you already know if you like their lay-out. Also we love the beach at CSA, you will hear about the locals and more beach traffic, but again we enjoy interacting with the locals, they will stay near the water and are very respectful a simple no thanks and they will not bother you at all. We enjoy meeting people from other countries that is part of the whole experience. The beach is CN is wonderful to we just prefer CSA's beach it is longer so the peopel are spread out alittle more in our humble opinion. If you are more of a pool person, I think it is safe to say that CN has probably the best pool in all of Negril. It seems more activities and social interaction takes place around the pool because it is the focal point of the resort. CSA is more spread out so it does not have a specific focal point like CN does, so it all depends on what type of atmosphere your prefer. There are more food and restaruant choices at CSA, both resorts have excellent food and service so that is not an issue. If you enjoy to work out and are actice I would lean towards CSA, thier open air gym is probably the best their is, they also have tennis, beach volleyball, a long stretch of beach to walk, a walking track, lap pool, and indoor raquetball courts. I know some people cannot even spell "GYM" when they are on vacation so you wil have to decide thatone for yourselves. The spa at CSA was recently rennovated and the new tranquility pool area is amazing. All of the spa personnel are awesome, since they do not work for Couples I am sure the quality of the staff is the same at both locations. Seven mile beach is one of the most beautiful places in the world so I don't think you can really go wrong wherever you stay along that stretch of beach. I hope this post is not going to start the whole CN vs. CSA feud that always seems to pop up on thie message board, I know all of the Couples Resorts are wonderful because of the staff and services they provide, they are each unique in their own way I am not going to start self-promoting one over the other or put up any silly little clip art claiming one better thanthe other. Bottom line all of these resorts are wonderful we all love them for our own personal reason, this is what keeps up returning to this message board and dreaming of our next return trip to paradise....Now Let me get off the soap box and try to answer the questions.

1. Lemongrass is an open air thai restaurant and Feathers is enclosed it is quaint, fairly dark at night and the food and service at both are excellent.

2. Never participated in the "Funny Money" so I do not know if it is offered at CSA.

3. It is possible to walk to margarittaville. It is off to the left of the resort just let security know you are laeaving the property and they will be watching for you. You will need to take a cab or shuttle to go to Rics.

4. We normally make our reservations as soon as we check in so we have never had a problem as long as you are flexible on the days and times.

5. The cabana grill is open I believe 23 hrs. they close for one hour a night for cleaning. We have never had a problem getting a late night snapper or jerk chicken sandwich.

6. Yes the flag service is offered at both resorts and it is wonderful as always.

7. The on good weather days is the same. It can be slick as glass and you can float for hours without hardly movign at all. Yes the floaties are available on the chairs.

8. The rooms with the wooden slats above the bed are cormner rooms in any of the room selections except those in the great house. We always request a corner room with our TA and we have always gotten on upon arrival so far.

9. All of the rooms have mini bars except the garden suite and the atrium suites.

10. Well unfortualetly for you in relation to your last question the water sports hut is closest to the atriun and garden suites, the beach front suites are pretty close as well. Notice BFS's not BFVS's.

11. The rooms closest to the road are the garden suites and the garden verandah suite. we always book the ocean verandah suites. They are in the middle close to the beach and cheaper the the BFVS, we like the extra cash to stay another night, the rooms are the exact same on the inside and yu can still see the ocean from them.

[luv2sun_stl]

Since others have basically answered your questions, I thought I would just give you my opinion since we've been to both resorts.
Our first Couples trip was to CSA, and I thought no other resort would EVER compare to it. We then went to CSS and compared it to CSA the entire time we were there. We loved both for different reasons. THEN, we went to CN last year. We compared all three to each other the entire time we were there. And, we love all three for different reasons.
So, CSA is very romantic and tropical. It is very spread out but that is one of the things we loved about it. Nice walks around the property, very dimly lit, ocean waves softly crashing in the background. Very romantic. The food is top notch. I would say slightly better than CN. I also loved the healthier options available at Sea Grapes. Also, very delicious. Feathers food is better than Otaheitie. But I love the decor better at Otaheitie. (So, pick your poison) No problem with reservations at either as long as you are a little flexible. I mean 30 minutes here or there.
But, we also loved CN as it is compact, everything seems to be right there, convenient. We loved the self serve nachos with all the toppings. We also enjoyed the lobby swings at night. You could hear the band downstairs while we sat swinging, watching the moon and stars. Husband smoking a cigar while I enjoy an after dinner drink. Also very romantic.
You will love CSA for different reasons. I think you can't go wrong with the beaches in Negril as long as you are at Couples.

[caviargal]

I have always been a die hard CSA fan since before it was a Couples. Then last week we spent a day at CN and were wowed. We had planned a return trip to CSA but changed the reservation to CN for both this year and next year.

My husband really liked CN. Beach is deep and quite private, sea is calm and beautiful. I was worried that I would miss the gym and fitness complex at CSA but was pleasantly surprised by the gym at CN. Main pool is beautiful though I doubt we will ever use it as we are on the beach all day long.

We liked the beach party better at CN and also loved our experience at Otaheitie. CN impressed us with their staff and the excellent maintenance of the property - it was gleaming! I hope the nightlife is as good as CSA as we really enjoy the band and evening entertainment.

CSA will always be special to me but we are going to give CN a try for a longer stay in just 9 weeks. One thing I will say is that I preferred the ambiance at CSA before the expansion so the size of CN is really appealing to both of us as we love intimate resorts.

[Amy]

1. Otaheite is my FAVORITE rest. at CN - any restaurant at CSA that equals the quality/ambiance/romance/exceptional Yes! Feathers is very, very nice! service?
2. At CN, we could earn "fun money" participating in resort activities and then cash in at the auctions held. Does CSA do this sort of activity as well?Yes, CSA did tghs while we were there. They also had a casino night with fun money.
3. I understand how long the beach is in front of CSA, is it possible to walk to Margaritaville or Ricks Cafe' by chance? Margaritaville, yes. It's only a hundred yards or so down the beach. Rick's Cafe, no. It's about a ten minute cab ride away.
4. From the restaurant details at CSA, two of the rest.(Lemon Grass & Feathers) require reservations. Hard to get? Not at all. We're notorious for waiting until the day before or morning of to make reservations. Unless you want a specific time, then you can get a reservation no problem!
5. Are any of the beach restaurants open very late or 24/7? The beach grill is open until 5am.
6. Is the red flag service available on the beach at CSAYes they have flags!?
7. Can I assume that the water is not as calm at CSA because it's not in a cove/bay of sorts like CN and that floaties are available on all chairs at the beach and pool area? Floaties are available on all chairs, but the water is actually calmer. However, it will get choppier as the day goes on due to boat and jet ski traffic.
8. Room choices - we like the pics of rooms w/wooden shutters - any suggestions which are the "best"? It depends on what you want in a room. Some do not have televisions or mini bars. We like the "Verandah" suites, which are on the "newer" side of the resort. We stayed in the Ocean Verandah and if you get an end room, then you have the shutters.
9. Some room choices do NOT include mini-bars at CSA - specifically which ones? This is on the accomodations page: http://couples.com/12sw/25accomodationsSW.htm. Garden and Atrium do not have mini bars.
10. We would prefer to be as close to the water sports hut as possible, which rooms are closest? The ones without tvs. Beachfront Suites. I'd be happy to send you a map (amy.welch@hotmail.com)
11. Are there any rooms/buildings that are close to the road and might be more prone to some road noise, i.e. the honking of horns that seems so popular in Jamaica? LOL The Garden rooms are closest to the road.

Thanks in advance for your responses!!!

Hope this helps! You will LOVE CSA! Or do a split!

[Lew]

All the questions have been answered, so I'll say split the trip!!! We did, and had a blast!

[warmweatherfriend]

As I suspected(and hoped!), everyone responded with their "hearts" and I seriously did NOT want to open a can of worms with the CN vs. CSA bit. I know that we would love CSA as much as CN but we wanted more details to calm our nerves! lol Sometimes, it goes back to the old saying "why fix something when it's not broken". Why even think about trying a different Couples Resort when we fell in love with Couples Negril??? Because...we are so sure that all of the Couples Resorts are awesome in different ways. We also know that if we went to CSA, we'd be getting a similar overall excellent experience, just like at CN, except with a little different twist because of the different restaurant choices, resort layout and room types. We already know that we LOVE Jamaica,the local people and the Negril area(especially Couples itself!)so we definitely want to go back to a Couples Resort in Negril. Going to CSA will enable us to have a new & wonderful experience but we will also have peace of mind in knowing that the important stuff to us, will be as consistent & fantastic as they were at CN, i.e. quality of food, ambiance, great water sports, wonderful staff, beautiful beach with amazing sunsets, etc. Many thanks to everyone who responded - appreciate your candid feedback.

[Ron & Rosa 25]

I waited to chime in until WWF responded, as the orignal request was to seek opinions from those who have stayed at both resorts. Having stayed at neither, I obviously couldn't offer any opinions. But I was also curious as to the types of responses that would follow.

And I gotta say all the responses were fantastic. As WWF said, this could have easily resulted in a series of 'ours is better than yours' posts, but instead everyone graciously tendered solid information without any chest beating, so to speak. Very nice and so very refreshing.