What a difference 7 years make!

[fltwinmom]

7 years ago we were planning our first trip to Jamaica. I thought it would be fun to take a trip down memory lane to see what has changed since our first trip home!

2005: Couples owned only 3 resorts in Jamaica
2012: They now have four! (Bonus points if you know which one was added later! )

2005: Couples Ocho Rios (COR)
2012: Couples Tower Isle (CTI)

2005: I was lucky to have a camera on my cell phone
2012: I can now check the message board from my smartphone!

2005: 3 hrs - the ride from MBJ to COR
2012: 1.5 - 2 (so I've heard...)

2005: We were preparing our twins for kindergarten
2012: We are preparing them for middle school (yikes!)

2005: The boat to TI was nothing more than a small john boat
2012: There's now a dock and a pontoon boat!

2005: Paperback books on the beach
2012: iPads and facetime on the beach

2005: Jungle tubs built for 2 (ok, who remembers those?)
2012: Budda pool and awesome spa!

2005: Le Gourmet
2012: 8 rivers

2005: Drivers License
2012: Passport (and yes, we lived through the passport crisis of 07. Got ours 3 days before we left that year!)

2005: New Couples lounge at MBJ
2012: New MBJ lounge for the return trip

2005: 125 lbs
2012: quite a bit heavier.....

2005: White-knuckle repeaters plane ride from MBJ to OR (not going to miss that)
2012: Romance Rewards!

2005: In love with my husband of 3 years
2012: More in love with my husband of 10 years

2005: Started a trip countdown and checked the message board constantly for updates
2012: Nice to see some things never change...

Thanks for allowing me to take the trip down memory lane. I'm sure there are many out there (Tommywommy, crabracer, and more) that can probably add their own reflections as well!

[Maxernie]

In 1998, when we took our first trip to Jamaica, the road to Negril was pretty SCARY & took close to 3 hours (or it felt like 3 hours) to get there from the airport .... They kept telling us & pointing out that they were working on a new road that would shorten the commute time & not be such a wild ride .... They were right & the new road is great but I'm SO GLAD that we got to experience the old road a couple of times .... Quite an adventure.

[Okieislandgirl]

@fltwinmom - enjoyed your trip down memory lane. I can associate with alot of those memories myself.

[MnK]

Awesome post!

[WE <3 COUPLES]

Thanks for the wonderful description of our home away from home!

Paul and Debbie
Loyalists since 1980 (CTI for honeymoon)
2004 CTI during Ivan
2005 CTI-Nov
2006 CTI-Sept
2007 CTI-Sept
2008 CSS-Sept(due to rennovations at CTI
2009 CTI-Sept
2010 CTI-Sept
2011 CN, CSA, CSS, CTI-Oct
2012 CTI-Jan (4 more days) & Sept

[erica847]

7 years ago we were planning our first trip to Jamaica. I thought it would be fun to take a trip down memory lane to see what has changed since our first trip home!

2005: Couples owned only 3 resorts in Jamaica
2012: They now have four! (Bonus points if you know which one was added later! )

2005: Couples Ocho Rios (COR)
2012: Couples Tower Isle (CTI)

2005: I was lucky to have a camera on my cell phone
2012: I can now check the message board from my smartphone!

2005: 3 hrs - the ride from MBJ to COR
2012: 1.5 - 2 (so I've heard...)

2005: We were preparing our twins for kindergarten
2012: We are preparing them for middle school (yikes!)

2005: The boat to TI was nothing more than a small john boat
2012: There's now a dock and a pontoon boat!

2005: Paperback books on the beach
2012: iPads and facetime on the beach

2005: Jungle tubs built for 2 (ok, who remembers those?)
2012: Budda pool and awesome spa!

2005: Le Gourmet
2012: 8 rivers

2005: Drivers License
2012: Passport (and yes, we lived through the passport crisis of 07. Got ours 3 days before we left that year!)

2005: New Couples lounge at MBJ
2012: New MBJ lounge for the return trip

2005: 125 lbs
2012: quite a bit heavier.....

2005: White-knuckle repeaters plane ride from MBJ to OR (not going to miss that)
2012: Romance Rewards!

2005: In love with my husband of 3 years
2012: More in love with my husband of 10 years

2005: Started a trip countdown and checked the message board constantly for updates
2012: Nice to see some things never change...

Thanks for allowing me to take the trip down memory lane. I'm sure there are many out there (Tommywommy, crabracer, and more) that can probably add their own reflections as well!

I was at CSA for my honeymoon in 1992. I was divorced in 1995 and was afraid to go back thinking it would be bad karma! I remarried in 2010 and decided that 20 years is enough time to pass that I can go back with my new husband and enjoy such a wonderful place. Very anxious to see what changes have taken place myself!

[brennie]

Love your post. A few mamories there.

[Vickyj]

Great post! My first trip to Jamiaca was to Negril as a single person in 1979. Talk about a trip from the airport. When you landed, you went down the steps to the tarmack and after they unloaded your luggage, it was put on tables in an open air pavilion to claim and then you went through customs/immigration. I don't remember any paperwork, but then loaded on a small shuttle bus that stopped along the way a few times for various "items".

I returned with my hubby in 2001, but before we found Couples. It was a very relaxing vacation in Montego Bay at a small A/I. After that trip, we decided we could take our kids and visited a smaller family resort outside of MoBay with the kids and a friend and family. Made another trip with the kids the following year and then decided we needed another mom & dad trip the following year and the kids were less than happy, but we still hadn't found Couples. We finally found them in 2005 and have returned every year since to CTI except the year they were closed for renovations. CTI was originally opened in the late 40's, early 50's as the Caribbean playground for the Hollywood Elite. It was just Tower Isle at that time. It wasn't until the mid 70's that Mr. Issa rebranded it as an all inclusive resort catering to Couples only.

And to answer the OP question, the last Couples resort to be acquired was CSS. Before then it was Sans Succi and it was something else before that, but I can't remember.

[madtown mom]

i'm in the same boat as erica...almost.

2005 went to cn with my boyfriend's parents for their vow renewal and found my home away from home.
2008 went there with him for our honeymoon.
divorced him
2010 brought my love to csa. he proposed.
2012 we are going to cti for our honeymoon.

[Wyliemase]

They no longer have the jungle tubs???!!!!

CTI-2006

[fltwinmom]

They no longer have the jungle tubs???!!!!

CTI-2006

Not sure exactly when you stayed in 2006, but they used to have these teeny little two person in ground jungle tubs. They replaced them sometime in the 06 time frame with larger above ground hot tubs. I think that they got rid of them during the CTI rennovation of 08 (09?) to build the spa. I could be wrong though.

[erica847]

i'm in the same boat as erica...almost.

2005 went to cn with my boyfriend's parents for their vow renewal and found my home away from home.
2008 went there with him for our honeymoon.
divorced him
2010 brought my love to csa. he proposed.
2012 we are going to cti for our honeymoon.

Madtown Mom,
Congrats to you! -- probably smart to have picked another Couples resort to "start over!" My new hubby and I enjoy tennis and CSA has the best facility of the Couples resorts (and a fab beach) which is why I opted to go back.