ckd484
Registered: November 2009
Location: Lawrenceville NJ
Posts: 1
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Review Date: Tue November 17, 2009
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Value, cleanliness, staff, bus service.
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Cons:
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none really
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My DW and I visited 11/04-09, staying at Jamacia. Nice room, good mousekeeping, though tucking in the sheets was not a strong point. This was my first stay at a non mono-rail hotel, yes I was spoiled and I was concerned. We were very pleased. My DW's first trip to WDW, she to was pleased.
Walk to Fort Royal was not bad from building 42, bus stop was very convenient and the bus wait was never more than 10 minutes, lucky? We had a nice pool, but never got a chance to use it, the beach was nice and groomed daily.
Meal plan 1 QS, 1 FS and 1 snack a day, we ate breakfast, QS, at CBR usually the big breakfast at the pizza place, eggs, pot, sausage, bacon, biscuit and a slice of french toast were good but eggs were dry one day, it was all tasty. We got the mugs and that way we could get 2 beverages (to take to the park) with breakfast as well as free coffee with the mug we purchased. Note the snacks ranged from a candy bar to chips to a nice size bowl of fruit...a real bargain, good for a snack in the parks.
The worst problem of the entire stay was the first morning computer outage.. I'm in IT and they do go down at the most inopportune times. I shrugged it off and it was fine the remainder of the trip, but we did need to get the bill adjusted for a breakfast charge, one call, no problem.
All in all, we were very pleased at the CBR and would stay there again.
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jgage
Registered: May 2006
Posts: 8
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Review Date: Mon November 16, 2009
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Peaceful, beautiful resort
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Cons:
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Nothing major
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We stayed at the Caribbean from 11/10 thru 11/15 and had a wonderful time. We had a pirate themed room that the kids loved. Beds were comfortable and there was enough room for a family of four. Everything was obviously newer and very clean. We stayed at the Boardwalk in May of this year and I was much happier with the so called "moderate resort" than the outdated rooms of the "deluxe" Boardwalk resort.
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LeeK
Registered: October 2009
Location: Cape Cod, Ma
Posts: 4
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Review Date: Wed November 4, 2009
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 7
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Pros:
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Pirate Room Was Awesome
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Cons:
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Bus Transport, Food Court
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Stayed in pirate rooms 10/18-23. Usually stay at Poly or Contemporary, and the differences were apparent. This was a last minute trip that would not have happened if we didn't trim the fat, so to speak, so we tried this moderate for the pirate rooms. The room was fantastic; can't say enough about it. Smaller than we're used to, but perfectly comfortable and didn't feel cramped for family of 4. The grounds were beautiful, and wish we had more time to enjoy the pool and long walking trail.
Two complaints that won't have us rushing back. Bus transport really takes a big bite of time out of the day. Always waited 20 minutes for bus (bad timing on our part?), and Magic Kingdom is a solid 15 minutes away, AFTER making all stops around resort. Took better part of an hour each way. Real drag.
Food court for breakfast was pretty abysmal. Did not eat there for any other meals, because breakfast on first attempt was so bad. Coffee is awful nescafe, which is same throughout most of Disney, and hot breakfast options, though varied, were just not good. Also of note, each station features a different item so we had to break up and wait on separate line to order our food. We went back another day for grab-n-go, which was way better; can't mess up a plain bagel with cream cheese (toaster available near drink fountains) and fresh fruit options were actually impressive.
Overall, did not regret staying @ Caribbean Beach, and felt the resort, pros and cons, reflect its moderate categorization, but would not choose to stay again over a deluxe.
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FanOfMickey
Registered: October 2009
Location: Cincinnati, OH
Posts: 7
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Review Date: Wed October 28, 2009
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 10
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I stayed at CBR with my sisters over 10/22-10/25. Usually stay at Riverside, but wanted a change, so we decided on CBR. Upon check in at noon, I found out that our room was ready! So we started our trip off wonderfully! Staff was nice and friendly and very helpful! Stayed in Building 15 of Barbados. We were close to transportation pick up. Which we did not wait for more than 10 minutes for a bus, very consistant. The room was very nice and always clean! Had to walk a little ways to Old Port Royale, but we were used to walking! It was nice though to look at the beautiful landscape! Food at Old Port Royale was good, lots to choose from! Shopping was nice as well, although we did much of our shopping in Downtown Disney or in the parks. Overall, a very nice resort! We had a great time and will definitely come back!
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atenciospirates1
Registered: June 2009
Location: Louisville, Kentucky
Posts: 11
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Review Date: Mon October 26, 2009
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Spread out rooms, quiet, great rooms
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Cons:
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none
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We stayed here from 10/17/09-10/24/09 in the Pirate Themed rooms in Trinidad South. These rooms are great for the kids. They loved sleeping in the boat shaped beds. The rooms were clean and well kept.
We always drive so going to Port Royale for food is not a problem for us. The bus service is pretty regular and we never waited longer than 15 minutes. We like this resort due to its size and spread layout. It lends to be being a very quiet resort since everyone is not all on top of each other. We do not like being in the sardine can resorts.
The food court is large and has several choices for lunch and dinner. The main pool is really awesome, the kids loved it. There is limited shopping at the resort which is fine with me. Overall this is one of the better resorts on the property for the money.
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flyingmommy
Registered: October 2009
Location: Metro Detroit
Posts: 1
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Review Date: Thu October 22, 2009
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 8
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Pros:
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quiet, pretty, great pools
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Cons:
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long walk for food/main pool, long bus waits
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Our stay at CBR was from 10/13-10/22/09. At check in the staff spoke moderate English and pointed to where our Barbados rooms were located. Took us 3 tries to get out of the Custom House! The rooms are definitely more spacious than Pop Century and loved the fridge! Loved the privacy curtain for the sink/room seperation! Mousekeeping staff was very nice and accomodating! We did the tip envelopes suggestion daily w/treats from the NSSHP trick or treating we did. But alas, 3rd day in we couldn't take the "smell" of the "new" dresser. Nothing like dill pickle/cheesey wood smell. Maintenance supervisor came out and took me to 2 vacant rooms to see if it was a problem with my dresser or widespread "newness". Yup, new drawer smell is awful and prevalent but ours was the worst. No room available to switch as resort was full. The walk from our Bldg. 15 to food court was long and would love to have moved to Martinique 25 or 26. No fun walking in a down pour to your room or to the bus stop. Remember, no elevators!! 2nd floor with a double stroller got old then it became the norm after 5 days! On the 8th day we were pros! Pools.. need we say more! Oh yeah! They have more!! Wonderful! Chilly when the temps dropped but hey, they were fun! And they are super quiet in your own area! Food court.. oy, it is what it is. A CAFETERIA! Got real old eating the same old... Our kids are not Disney Mac and Cheese fans by any means... You know when your 3 yr. old asks for broccoli that something is up! However, the good weighs out the bad. The beaches are well kept, the marina is really nice and the staff is very very pleasant! Pools are great, rooms are clean, and this is a very quiet resort for those couples who like not hearing the children screaming through the walls and running the halls! Have a magical stay! ºOº
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elainep
Registered: October 2006
Location: Chicago, IL
Posts: 62
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Review Date: Thu October 22, 2009
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Would you recommend the product? No
| Rating: 7
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Pros:
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Nicely themed resort, good value
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Cons:
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A large resort, not easily navigated without a car
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2009 was my “year of the Moderates,” so after staying at Port Orleans in January and at Coronado Springs in May, I booked Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort from October 6-15, 2009. I had read that it was a pretty big property, so after consulting a resort map, I requested either Aruba or Barbados in order to be close to the Custom House on arrival and departure day. Both places had their own quiet pool and laundry facilities, as do all of the other “islands” at the resort.
On the afternoon of the 6th, I walked right up to the Magical Express counter at the airport, which was a first—there’s usually a wait. I was directed to the appropriate bus queue and was the only person in line—a bad sign—it typically means a bus has just left. But, a cast member came over to get me immediately and I boarded a bus. After about a 15 minute wait, the bus departed for my resort, with a stop at Pop Century first and then Coronado Springs and Animal Kingdom Lodge afterwards.
We arrived at Pop Century under 30 minutes and in less than 4 minutes, pulled up to the Custom House at Caribbean Beach. Like at the airport, I was able to walk right up to online check-in and was assigned a room in Building 54 in Aruba. I decided to walk to Aruba with my bags, much to the surprise of the CM at the desk and the bell staff. I soon learned why—it was quite a distance away, much longer than the walk to the Casitas at Coronado. Of course, it started raining and even though my luggage is on wheels and I fortunately had an umbrella, Florida was experiencing record heat, so I was pretty much a puddle by the time I found my building and a stairway to my room (no elevator—I had to drag my bag up the stairs). Not the best way to start a vacation …
My room was the typical Moderate layout—2 double beds, a double sink, a small bathroom with tub and shower. The décor was fine, with a Nemo-themed border around the top of the walls. The refrigerator was great—the temperature was quite cold; in fact, one of my bottles of juice froze! Not a problem for me--I’d rather have my beverages (like milk) ice cold.
I thought bus service at the resort was pretty efficient—I think I waited 20 minutes only once. My biggest complaint, though, was that there was no pattern as to which “islands” the bus would stop at before entering or leaving the resort. For example, when going to Epcot one morning, I got on the bus in Aruba; we made just one more stop (at Barbados) before heading to the park. On another morning, when I was heading to the Studios, the bus stopped at Barbados, Martinique, Old Port Royale, Trinidad, etc., before exiting the resort. It made those same stops on a return trip from Epcot, but not when returning from the Magic Kingdom. There was no consistency between parks and/or time of day, so my advice is to listen closely for your stop!
Old Port Royale, where the shop, food court and restaurant are located, is quite large, but pretty crowded, especially at peak dining times. There’s a concierge desk here, too, which is very convenient---the one at Custom House is a bit far away, especially if you’re staying in Trinidad. The main pool is here as well and I found it to be quite pleasant one morning, even with quite a few children around.
If I had to stay at a Moderate resort again, I honestly don’t think I’d choose Caribbean Beach. It was simply too large to really enjoy. Maybe I felt that way because it was just so hot during my stay that it was difficult to enjoy a walk along the beach or between “islands,” but I don’t think that’s the reason. It’s just a big, big place. I did have a car one day and that made for easy navigation between the parks and around the resort, but one of the reasons I enjoy Disney is that I don’t have to drive from place to place—I’d rather sit back and leave the driving to Disney. Of the Moderates, I guess I’d stay at Coronado first (though only in the Casitas); my second choice would be Port Orleans-French Quarter.
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goofydad48
Registered: October 2007
Location: Doylestown, Pa.
Posts: 13
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Review Date: Tue October 13, 2009
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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setting, food court,pools
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Cons:
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bus stops
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We stayed at CBR 10/3-10/11 and had a wonderful time. We stayed here in 07 prior to the pool and rooms being renovated and really liked everything they have done since. The main pool is very nice especially for kids.
The only reason I can't give it a 10 is the bus stops. They push this resort as being great for families with children and yet at almost every park the resort bus stop is farthest from the gate. It makes it all the more difficult when you are carrying sleeping children from the parks to the bus. What was even more bothersome was that at several parks the CBR stop was futher then the value resort stops.
We will probably try another moderate on our next trip because of this but we still do love CBR!
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capecodhome
Registered: October 2009
Posts: 1
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Review Date: Sun October 11, 2009
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Great theme, great areas for kids.
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Cons:
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Can be a long walk.
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Stayed here 10/3-10/8 with dh and ds 3. Arrived on a saturday night, check in was prompt. Bell service also was less than a 5 minuthe wait. Was in Jamaica building 41.I requested jamaica but should have requested a building closer to the bridge. It was a long walk at times to get food.
Our room was clean when we arrived. We tipped every other day and got a ghost left in our window one day. My son loved the kids pool area and the main pool. The zero entrance was great for him. Food was good at the resort. The play grounds on the beach were nice. Bus service for the most part was good, we did wait once over 25 minutes at DHS coming back to the hotel. We saw 2 buses for each of the other resorts before ours came. Usually no more than 15 minutes. I left my wallet on the concierges stand down at Port Royale the day I left. Called several times for a couple days.Was told lost and found would call me back if it was turned in and on day three of being home they called and said they had it. They are mailing it back UPS to me at no cost. Was incredibley happy by all of this. I love this resort. That was our third stay here, first with our son. We knew with our son we would have more down time at the resort and this is a great choice, it really makes you feel like you are away from everything.
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Sambooca
Registered: September 2006
Posts: 13
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Review Date: Tue October 6, 2009
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 8
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Pros:
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Pirate Room, Pirate Pool
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Cons:
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Far from pool
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We got the Pirate room in Trinidad South, which is one of the furthest buildings from the main pool. Other than that the room was awesome and my son loved it! The new pirate pool rocks, with a toddler area, and 2 great slides!
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sknoell
Registered: December 2008
Location: Pennsylvania
Posts: 12
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Review Date: Mon October 5, 2009
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 8
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Pros:
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Room size, space
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Cons:
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size of the resort
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Stayed 9/26 - 10/3 with 10 family members. Overall enjoyed our stay. We were in Aruba 54 and all the party was in the same building which was nice. This place is huge. Found the walk long to Old Port Royale. We had no problem with it but some nights wished we were closer just to grab a quick bite. Wish there was another place to get a quick bite and drinks on the other side of the lake. Enjoyed watching the alligators and turtles in the lake although kind of concerning that they roam that freely. I guess it is Florida though. I would not let my kids on the beach near the waters edge at night. Food was good in the food court but the menu never changes. We only ate there a couple times so that was ok. The room was a great size for 2 adults and 2 kids. It was a Nemo themed room and it was bright, cheery and very very clean every day. Liked the rooms here better than Coronado. Like Coronado pool though. This pool just seems small for the size of the resort and used quite pools a couple times. Not as crowded. I have never understood why the slides close at 8pm. I know the lifeguards go off duty but don't most people stay in the parks until later. We book moderates for the better pool areas but a lot of nights, it was after the slides were closed. Wish they would stay open a little longer. I did enjoy the theming of this resort and would recommend especially to those with young children.
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caleb
Registered: October 2009
Location: Massachusettes
Posts: 15
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Review Date: Mon October 5, 2009
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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pools,staff
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Cons:
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big place
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We stayed here 9/25-10/02. This was our second time staying here in three years. Staff was always really nice and willing to answer any questions. Grounds are lovely and quiet. We paid for a preferred room and got Martinique building 25, great location but like Martinique 26 better (stayed in that one 3 years ago).Martinique is one of the buildings closest to the food court and main pool area. I can't imagine staying here and having to take an INTERNAL bus to get a drink so pay for the preferred room. Food area was good. I thought they had pretty good selection for adults but not such great ones for kids. Quick tip though, you can use quick service credits any way you like. So if you want a hot dog for your child (not on kids menu??) you can get it for them they don't differentiate on the quick service credits. I think alot of people thought you HAD to order off kids menu for their kids but you do not have to. You get bigger drinks and better selection of desserts for the kids when you order off the adult menu for them. Remember though this is Quick service only!!! The pools are great too. The big pool area has 2 water slides and is quite large. The little kid area has recently been redone and has a pirate ship play structure with slides and a huge bucket that dumps every now and then. My 4 year old loved this area. We have had very good luck here both times and would recommend staying here to friends.
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lisarx
Registered: October 2009
Posts: 1
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Review Date: Mon October 5, 2009
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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beautiful location, quiet, great room
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Cons:
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lifeguard not enforcing rules
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We stayed here 9/26/09-10/2/09 and couldn't have asked for a better experience!! We were upgraded to a Pirate room at no cost because they ran out of standard rooms, which thrilled our 7 and 9 year old sons. The walk from Trinidad South to the food court was rather long, but the weather was great so we didn't mind too much. Bus service was great; we only waited a few minutes most days. The main pool was quite crowded, and the one time we visited there were patrons with glass bottles at the lounge chairs (which is a posted rule of no glass allowed). When my husband mentioned it to the lifeguard they didn't do anything about it. We mostly swam at the pool at our own island, which was quieter. All cast members at the resort were pleasant and helpful. The food court can get quite crowded during peak hours, but seems to run fairly smoothly.
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melnangle
Registered: October 2009
Location: Massachusetts
Posts: 4
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Review Date: Sun October 4, 2009
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Atmosphere, pools, cleanliness
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Cons:
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large
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We stayed at Caribbean Beach from 9/23-9/28/09. We loved it there and had no issues. I did do the online check in and there was no one waiting when we checked in. We did pay for a preferred room, stayed in Trinidad North and there was a pool and bus stop right next to our room. Room was very clean and we did receive small (facecloth) towel animals but saw better ones in the windows of other rooms (did leave a daily tip). We ate at Old Port Royal daily and we always found something for everyone.
For such a large resort, we never felt that it was crowded. We relaxed by the pools and enjoyed our time there. Would definitely go back. Our new favorite of the moderates and we have tried them all.
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tbdolewhip
Registered: October 2009
Location: Washington State
Posts: 2
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Review Date: Sat October 3, 2009
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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beautiful and quiet
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Cons:
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could use another table service resturant
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My husband and I just returned from our third stay at Caribbean Beach. We were there over the week right before the Food and wine festival. It was beautiful and quiet as always.We stayed in Jamaica. We had one of the Nemo rooms and I was on the look out for any of the problems I had read about in other reviews. However none to speak of were found! The room was clean with new drapes and carpet. The bedspreads looked and felt new. I found nothing wrong in or around the bathroom. I had read quite a few reviews to the negative so I was very happy to find everything so nice!
The morning after we checked in I left a note for our house keeper introducing ourselves and asking her name. That evening I found a note with her name and a little critter made out of wash cloths. The morning that we checked out we were a bit late leaving the room and I was able to meet her. She was a very nice older woman. I gave her a ten dollar bill and said thank you. She replied "Bless you dear!"
I included the above in my review to emphasize the fact that all the castmembers we encountered were friendly and helpful. we need to remember that they are working for a living the same as we are and a little kindness goes a long way!
Over all I Love Caribbean Beach and will stay there again.
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