Honeymoon at Couples Swept Away/The Caves Jamaica

First off, I contacted Nancy after reading about her from so many other brides early on in my honeymoon planning. I emailed her one night, and we spoke for a long time the next day. She immediately makes you feel like a friend, not just a client…and is always available for any questions that you have. We wanted to go to Jamaica, and having been there herself 100+ times, she had a lot of personal knowledge to share with me, which was more than just what the hotel brochures will tell you. I loved the fact that her website has personal photos, not just the hotel’s press photos. Booking through her was a breeze. It doesn’t cost extra to work with her vs booking yourself, but she adds an invaluable service by giving you her time and expertise. Before we left, she called to make sure we had everything, emailed me her own tip list and personal contacts she had at the hotel so just in case we had any problem whatsoever, we knew who to call. We chose Couples Swept Away (all-inclusive) in Negril, Jamaica as our first stop. The place is gorgeous. The minute you enter their lounge at the airport, you are checked in and promptly served ice cold Red Stripes 🙂 When you arrive at the hotel, you are given a cool towel and a glass of champagne, which really sets the tone for your time there. We were at CSA for the first 5 days of our Jamaican honeymoon, and it was more than we hoped for. We had a beachfront verandah suite on the 3rd floor. Our room was impeccable – clean, AC was cold, bed was super comfortable. View of the beach was fabulous and I would definitely recommend requesting the 3rd floor if it is available (thanks to Nancy’s pull, we got it). Food – be ready to eat, because there is lots of food to choose from! From breakfast to dinner and everything in between, every meal was delicious and perfectly prepared. Make your reservations for Feathers and Lemongrass, 2 of the “nicer” restaurants. Pack some nice clothes for dinner – I forgot a pair of dressy sandals and had to buy a pair. Not all restaurants let you wear your $2 Old Navy flip flops to dinner 🙂 The drinks are plentiful and yummy. Flag beach bar service on the beach was great. I recommend the “Dirty Banana” and “Hummingbird” for a frozen drink to cool you down in the sun, and the Lychee Martini at dinner. The beaches were not crowded, and there were always plenty of chairs to choose from. If you’ve had too much sun, there are lots of shady trees to sit under. If you want a cabana, though, you have to get to one early because they get claimed pretty quickly. Water was clear, cool, and calm. The staff at CSA is nothing short of helpful and pleasant. They really go out of their way to make you feel welcome and at home. The great thing about this place is you can be active with all their watersports and activities, or you can do nothing. It’s up to you! We were sad to check out, but we will definitely return to CSA. We moved from CSA to The Caves (all-inclusive) for a different vibe for the last few days of our trip. This hotel does not have a beach, since it is built right into the cliffs in Negril. The scenery here was beautiful. A small hotel, only 10 villas. Each villa is uniquely decorated with locally handcrafted furniture…lots of charm. Food was top notch, drinks were delicious (try The Cliffhanger and The Hummingbird), water was crystal clear. We got the Bird’s Nest room, which was on the second floor. This means no AC, and you have to get used to having some extra roommates (the 4+ legged kind). It was not a big problem for us, though. It took some getting used to, I will admit. This is a place to do nothing but relax. You can jump from one of their many cliffs into the ocean, or climb down one of the ladders they have right into the water. Lots of floaties to use. You can go kayaking, snorkeling, etc. Since it is so small, you get to know the staff by name and they make you feel like you are staying in someone’s home instead of a hotel. My husband had a bad sunburn (bring sunblock!), and asked the front desk if they had any after-sun lotion or gel, and they brought up a real aloe leaf 🙂 If you want something from the bar and it’s after-hours, help yourself! They also have an Aveda Spa, which I didn’t get to experience, but promise I will when we go back. If you go, you must book the Cave Dinner asap. It’s a private dinner for you in one of their caves, complete with your own server, full of candles and flowers. We didn’t reserve it in time, so they gave us a private stone table dinner, right on the cliff, instead of the cave…it was just as romantic and intimate. Also book their private jacuzzi. It’s in a room with a large window overlooking the ocean. Lots of candles and flowers also. It was a really nice way to end our honeymoon. Honestly, I was hesitant about booking through a travel agent since the internet has made it so accessible to book yourself, but I couldn’t imagine not having done it through Nancy and Island Getaways. She makes herself very accessible (I emailed her from Couples with a question about our transportation to The Caves and got a response right away), she is always friendly and truly makes you feel like you are her only client. It was our first time to Jamaica, and it made us both feel so much better knowing that we could contact someone if we had to. Now speaking from personal experience, you cannot go wrong with Nancy, with Couples Swept Away, or The Caves. It was a great time, and we really loved Jamaica and its people.

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