Greetings to all:

Here are the details of this week's CWE:

May 16 – Secret September
Applicable resorts: Secret Rendezvous
Applicable Categories: Run of House
Booking window: 12:01 am – 11:59 pm May 16, 2012
Travel Window: September 1 - 30, 2012
Restrictions: Minimum stay = 5 nights. Not combinable with any other value added promotion.

Offer: Guests who book Secret Rendezvous for travel September 1 - 30, 2012 and stay a minimum of 5 nights, will pay a special rate of $275 per night. That's a savings of over 25% off the least expensive room in our system.

Hi Everyone,

I was wondering if anyone had proposal ideas for CSA. I haven't been to CSA before and wasn't terribly sure about the layout or if anyone had any suggestions. My current plan is to do a private beach dinner and propose there but was wondering if anyone else had ideas they've seen done while there or thought of themselves while there.

I have the ring and the girl part covered and I feel like if I was proposing somewhere near my home turf I could come up with some great ideas but the lack of familiarity with what is possible leaves some questions. I apologize for the lack of demographic information but I fear the girlfriend may read the message boards. Thanks for your help.

Sincerely,
Throwaway

We are researching these cameras to determine which would be the best investment. We want it for snorkeling and the resort scuba dive at Couples. We have a 3 year old waterproof Olympus that we've had nothing but leakage every time we use it. The seals on it are nonexistent compared to the new Olympus we have looked at. We saw the Lumix TS3 mentioned previously on the message board and was hoping for some reviews now that you have had time to use it. The TS4 is new for 2012. Unfortunately, we can only locate the Lumix online. None of the local camera stores stock the Lumix. We hate purchasing a camera without seeing it first. Olympus told us that on their camera we should have the seals changed every year at a cost of about $65. That seems ridiculous to spend $300 on a waterproof camera and then spend that much every year to make sure it does not leak. Any insight on these cameras would be wonderful and really appreciated. We know there are cameras out there where you can purchase a hard case for it but we would prefer not to do that. We had a 35 mm that we had a hard case for but now want a digital. One other camera we were looking at is the Nikon AW100, if anyone has this one and likes it.
Thanks in advance for your responses.

Has anyone noticed a huge drop in flight prices over the last week. We have Oct booked at CSA, but was probably going to have to cancel b/c of the flight prices out of MSY. Well, I hadn't canceled yet b/c we have until August to do so. Every so often I check flight prices and last week (and still now) the flight we was looking at was $610 is now $407...THAT'S A HUGE DIFFERENCE and probably will allow us to come 'home' now :D Just wondering if anyone noticed a change in prices???

Mike and I are just a few weeks behind you and Sylvia; our 45th will be on June 17th. I don't think you saw my May 10th post. I responded on the "You've been married how long??" thread yesterday but I obviously messed that up.
Congratulations and hopefully our paths will cross again,
Pat (travelpatty) & Mike
PS We are the couple that sat next to you and Sylvia at breakfast after the NE Par Taa last year.

I know all of the Couples resorts have a nurse on duty at least some of the time, but I was wondering if anyone has directly experienced or witnessed a serious medical emergency while at Couples. I was just curious...what kind of training does the staff have...does Jamaica have an equavilent to our 9-1-1 system...if you are taken to an emergency room what level of care would you receive compared to what we would expect in the States...things like that. I was especially curious about medical facilities in Ocho Rios since we will be visiting CTI later this year--not that I expect to need it (knock on wood!).

Not getting any love on the Swept away Meetup forum so I am going to try this here.

Any Suggestions on things that are must see or do's while at Swept Away. I know all the main stuff like the sunset cruise and relaxing on the beach. We went to a resort once where we stumbled upon a late night piano player that was awesome but was never mentioned in any reviews and we wished we had found this guy the first day and not the last. So what are your must see or do things while at SA?

26 days and counting...

I tried this on the main message board but did not get a response. Does any one know if you can now order bottles of wine for your room. Last year when we were there you got a small flask with what amounted to be a couple glasses of wine. thanks

We are checking out CTI for 4 nights before heading to CSA for 10 nights and our third trip there. WOuld love to hear from anyone that will be there the same time as us, or just special things to do or try while at CTI.

We are going to CSA for our third time and would love to know who will be there the same time as us. Last year we met up with several people from a facebook group for CSA and it is gone now unfortunately. We will be celebrating a birthday on Dec 14th. Who wants to party?

I know they are in different areas. I have read so much information that I am overloaded. We are looking for a nice calm beach, no wind, and great service. I would like to go when it is not raining everyday and we have to worry about the weather. We can handle the heat....I live in Florida! We have never been to Jamaica or to an all inclusive resort. So I have no comparison. I do have a friend that has been to many and she has given me some information on places and what is there. But she has never been in May or July. So which is the windest and rainest time and why would you pick the resort of choice? I plan on booking it this month for next year so I need help. I want the great 55% off deal they have going on :cool:
We are ages 46 and 50 and just want a nice calm vacation.
Thanks so much
Angie

We just returned from our second amazing trip to CSA (April 28th-May 6th, 2012). I wanted to let everyone know about our experience.

Airport: We arrived in Montego Bay around 1:30pm. I was a little worried since I have heard lines are really long at the airport on Saturdays. We did have to stand in line, around thirty minutes, to get through immigration, but customs was not too bad. Once we had cleared customs we headed to the Couples Lounge and were greeted with big smiles and a couple of Red Stripes. The wait was not very long before our shuttle was ready to leave for the resort. It was pouring rain when we arrived in Montego Bay but as they say in Jamaica, “there is no problem, only a situation.” Our driver’s name was Stuart, he was great. He answered all of our questions and kept us talking. We stopped half way to the resort for a bathroom break and a beverage. Last year our driver did not stop so it was nice that we got to do something different this time. Just as a side note, and totally my opinion. If you decide to get a rum punch on your stop, and they ask you if it is strong enough, be sure and tell them “NO!” It makes for a very interesting ride to the resort. When we arrived at the resort we were greeted with a cold towel and a glass of champagne. The staff was very nice and checking in was a breeze. Our room was ready when we got there so we were immediately taken to our room by Collin. We had a first floor BFVS room 4119, it was absolutely amazing!!

Room: The rooms are perfect! They are not marble and all fancy, but they do bring the island feel. Our room was very clean. It was cleaned twice a day, once in the morning and in the evening they are swept and you are given turn down service. The Housekeeping staff is very nice and polite. We always bring them candy as a “Thank You” for doing a good job. We do the same for the person who stocks our mini bar. Speaking of the mini bar, I have read past reviews of problems with getting the mini bar stocked. Our bar was stocked every day. Also, we were on the first floor and didn’t have any noise from guests who were walking by late at night, we never heard a thing.

Food: The food is wonderful in all of the restaurants. We ate at all of the restaurants this trip. Our favorite is probably Patios, with Lemongrass a close second. We did eat at the Cabana Grill late at night after leaving the night club. All of the servers in the restaurants were very pleasant; we never had any issues with them or our food. Some of the things you must try during your stay, in no particular order, are: the banana stuffed French toast; any of the pizzas; and the jerk chicken pasta from Patios. I would also recommend the sweet potato chips and fish tacos from sea grapes.

Activities: On this trip we did try a few new things, as the sand gravity got the best of us last year. We went on the glass bottom boat ride and did the snorkeling trip. Desmond was our captain both times and he was great. The glass bottom boat ride takes you out to the reef so you can see the sea life. It also takes you around to some of the sunken ships that are under the water. We were also able to see some of the other resorts along 7 mile beach. This was our first time snorkeling and it was a great experience. It was raining when it was time to go, so we just waited until the rain stopped and then got on the boat and left. Desmond was extremely helpful for us “newbies.” The actual snorkeling was awesome. We were able to see a lot of sea life. We also did an excursion to Black River, YS Falls, and the Appleton Rum Factory. This was an all day event, but I highly recommend it. There were only four of us from the resort that went that day. Our driver was Karl, he was great. On the Black River we were able to see crocodiles and learned a lot about the foliage and wildlife. After the river, we had lunch on this hill. It was alright, we paid $10.00 each for the lunch. The YS Falls was wonderful; however the water was really cold!! There is a rope swing that you can swing into the falls, which I did while my husband watched and took pictures. The guides there know exactly were to take you for the best pictures. The last stop was the Appleton Rum Factory, it was very informative. At the end of the tour there is a rum tasting, you are able to taste 12 bottles of rum until you can take no more. It is about a 2 hour ride back to the resort from the factory.

Staff: The staff everywhere we went was awesome!! We met so many new staff members along with seeing the ones we met on a previous trip. Everyone was extremely friendly and helpful. We have made new friends on this trip. We took several pictures with the staff. We met Cindy at the Aura Night Club, and we talked with her throughout the week at the Sunset Bar. Also at the Sunset Bar was Dermon, who we had the pleasure of meeting last year. This guy is awesome! I thought he did not work there anymore and one day at the Sunset Bar I heard, “Oh My God, you are going to love it” and my face lit up. The other bartenders at the night club were Dan, Frazer, Edward, Hericho, and Dwight. They all took very good care of us. We will post our pictures under Staff Shout. Couples is very lucky to have such a wonderful, caring staff.

Beach: The beach was awesome as usual. How can you not be in love with 7 mile beach? I did notice they added more palapas, which was a nice feature. We were able to get one each day we were there. The beach was busy a few days we were there, but I think it was because there were some large wedding parties there. It didn’t bother us at all. Everyone on the beach is respectful of your belongings. We always left our stuff on the beach if we went and ate lunch or did an activity. The vendors are not pushy and a simple “no thanks” works if you’re not interested, or you can go “check out their handy work” if you see something you like.

Overall Experience: This was our second trip to CSA. Our first trip was in 2011 for our honeymoon. This trip was the greatest trip ever! I’ve never had such a good time on vacation. Everything was perfect. I don’t think I can find one flaw or something that could be improved in the whole eight days we stayed there. The staff, atmosphere, beach, food, and activities - everything was great. It did rain on us more this year, but as they say “there is no problem, only a situation.” We had such a great experience that we are already planning a third trip back to CSA next year. We just can’t stay away!!

Is there a good variety?

I've seen several threads where folks refer to Romance Rewards. What is it? Does it cost? When can you sign up?