Caribbean Beach FAQ part V

[LovinPooh]

I just booked a preferred room
I love filling up those resort mugs, so I wanted to be close to the food court and main pool.
Which is better.. Martinique or Trinidad North? As far as getting to the pool and OPR?
Do the preferred rooms make a huge difference with the size of the resort?

 

[KELLY]

We are booking CBR next week. We moved up our trip up by a month so there was no way we could pay off the balance which is this week staying at a moderate. So we just stuck with pop. But next week I will have the extra funds to upgrade and pay in full. I hope they don't charge me the 50.00 to changed since I will be under 45 days. I figure since I'm giving them more fund they will glady take it.

I wanted to do a pirate room but my yongest thinks it is scary. So we will be going with a standard room. Our only problem is we need to do a room only for the first night before our FD promo starts. Has anyone had any experience with this? Will they keep you in the same room ? Also my husband is on the reservation but I'm primary. Can he go down to the lobby and do this or do I need to? The first day we want to hit MK so I need to get the girls ready.

We also have a resort DTD day planed since we will be there for 10 days. Any suggestions besides the pool?
Thanks

 

[mickeystoontown]

We are booking CBR next week. We moved up our trip up by a month so there was no way we could pay off the balance which is this week staying at a moderate. So we just stuck with pop. But next week I will have the extra funds to upgrade and pay in full. I hope they don't charge me the 50.00 to changed since I will be under 45 days. I figure since I'm giving them more fund they will glady take it.

I wanted to do a pirate room but my yongest thinks it is scary. So we will be going with a standard room. Our only problem is we need to do a room only for the first night before our FD promo starts. Has anyone had any experience with this? Will they keep you in the same room ? Also my husband is on the reservation but I'm primary. Can he go down to the lobby and do this or do I need to? The first day we want to hit MK so I need to get the girls ready.

We also have a resort DTD day planed since we will be there for 10 days. Any suggestions besides the pool?
Thanks

I've made changes to my reservations in the past and have never been charged the $50.00 change fee. However, every time I've done this, I've been spending more money which is the same scenario as you have. When I call to make the change, I say something like "Surely you aren't going to charge me a change fee since I'm spending more money." I don't know if me saying something makes a difference or not but I figure it doesn't hurt.

We had a room only reservation for our first two days and then had a free dining package for the other 8 days. When you call to make the change, be sure to tell them that you have a room only and then a package reservation and that you'd like for them to make a notation that the reservations are "continuing". Then, about a week before you arrive, call again. When you check in, tell them again. I was able to keep the same room for our entire stay.

There's a marina at the CBR and we like to rent a surrey bike and take a spin around the resort. It took us 30 minutes to go around the resort twice. My son rented a bicycle and rode around the resort 6 or 7 times and could have done a few more laps but we needed to get ready to go to a dinner ADR. I posted a picture of the marina sign with pricing on the CBR picture thread.

There's also several types of watercraft available for rent at the marina....sea raycers, pontoon boats, sailboats, etc. Also at the marina, there's a pool table and playing is free of charge.

I forgot to look and see what ages your girls were and can't remember from your previous posts. There's a playground in the middle of the island which is a new addition. The kids' chicken nugget meal in the food court comes in a sand pail with shovel which can be used later to make sand castles on the beach.

Hope this helps

 

[KELLY]

I've made changes to my reservations in the past and have never been charged the $50.00 change fee. However, every time I've done this, I've been spending more money which is the same scenario as you have. When I call to make the change, I say something like "Surely you aren't going to charge me a change fee since I'm spending more money." I don't know if me saying something makes a difference or not but I figure it doesn't hurt.

We had a room only reservation for our first two days and then had a free dining package for the other 8 days. When you call to make the change, be sure to tell them that you have a room only and then a package reservation and that you'd like for them to make a notation that the reservations are "continuing". Then, about a week before you arrive, call again. When you check in, tell them again. I was able to keep the same room for our entire stay.

There's a marina at the CBR and we like to rent a surrey bike and take a spin around the resort. It took us 30 minutes to go around the resort twice. My son rented a bicycle and rode around the resort 6 or 7 times and could have done a few more laps but we needed to get ready to go to a dinner ADR. I posted a picture of the marina sign with pricing on the CBR picture thread.

There's also several types of watercraft available for rent at the marina....sea raycers, pontoon boats, sailboats, etc. Also at the marina, there's a pool table and playing is free of charge.

I forgot to look and see what ages your girls were and can't remember from your previous posts. There's a playground in the middle of the island which is a new addition. The kids' chicken nugget meal in the food court comes in a sand pail with shovel which can be used later to make sand castles on the beach.

Hope this helps

Thank you so much for your helpful information.

 

[mickeystoontown]

Thank you so much for your helpful information.

You're welcome!

 

[lmbcdb]

Just booked my first trip to a moderate at CBR. We are going to stay in a preferred room in October. So, this is probably just the beginning of my questions!

I read at the beginning of the thread that rollaway beds are available.

Can any room get these?

Are they $15 for the whole stay, or $15 per night?

Does anyone have a picture of what the room looks like with a rollaway bed in it?

 

[lmbcdb]

Okay, I am getting caught up on the bus system at CBR. I have a question, though. If you catch the bus at the main building up front, does it go straight to the parks, does it go through the loop first, or is it just chance?

 

[mcd2745]

Okay, I am getting caught up on the bus system at CBR. I have a question, though. If you catch the bus at the main building up front, does it go straight to the parks, does it go through the loop first, or is it just chance?

There are two routes/loops for the parks buses. One starts at Jamaica and goes clockwise around the reosrt with the last stop being Trinidad South before hearding to the designated park.

The other starts at Martinique and ends at Barbados (also going clockwise around the resort). They both also stop at Old Port Royale (OPR), where the food court and main pool are in addition to the 6 "islands/villages".

Also, there is an internal resort shuttle that never leaves CBR. It just goes continually around to the all the "islands/villages", OPR and also the Customs House - where you check in and out and also where ME drps you off/picks you up and where RAC is located.

 

[Redarrow5150]

Why not pack or send to the resort an inflatable mattress?

Just booked my first trip to a moderate at CBR. We are going to stay in a preferred room in October. So, this is probably just the beginning of my questions!

I read at the beginning of the thread that rollaway beds are available.

Can any room get these?

Are they $15 for the whole stay, or $15 per night?

Does anyone have a picture of what the room looks like with a rollaway bed in it?

 

[Quin]

Okay, I am getting caught up on the bus system at CBR. I have a question, though. If you catch the bus at the main building up front, does it go straight to the parks, does it go through the loop first, or is it just chance?

If by "main building up front" you mean the Customs House where you checked in, the only bus that stops there (besides the ME!) is the internal shuttle loop. You can only catch a bus to a park from one of the 6 villages or Old Port Royale.

If by "main building up front" you mean Old Port Royale where the food service, gift shop, and themed pool are, then you can go from there to any park and mcd2745 correctly explained the routes to you.

My only addition would be to note that sometimes, on a busy morning, they seem to run double busses to some parks - one enters in back by Jamaica and exits at the front gate, only having picked up 3 villages. Another enters by the front gate, picks up the other 4 villages ending with Trinidad South, and exits the back gate.

 

[mickeystoontown]

Why not pack or send to the resort an inflatable mattress?

I second this. I bought a $10 twin size air matress in the camping section of our local Walmart and took it with us to the CBR. We were able to inflate it with the hair dryer in the room. The mattress fit perfectly between the door and the bed. During the day, we propped it up against the wall.

 

[lbuzz52]

If by "main building up front" you mean the Customs House where you checked in, the only bus that stops there (besides the ME!) is the internal shuttle loop. You can only catch a bus to a park from one of the 6 villages or Old Port Royale.

If by "main building up front" you mean Old Port Royale where the food service, gift shop, and themed pool are, then you can go from there to any park and mcd2745 correctly explained the routes to you.

My only addition would be to note that sometimes, on a busy morning, they seem to run double busses to some parks - one enters in back by Jamaica and exits at the front gate, only having picked up 3 villages. Another enters by the front gate, picks up the other 4 villages ending with Trinidad South, and exits the back gate.

There are two routes/loops for the parks buses. One starts at Jamaica and goes clockwise around the reosrt with the last stop being Trinidad South before hearding to the designated park.

The other starts at Martinique and ends at Barbados (also going clockwise around the resort). They both also stop at Old Port Royale (OPR), where the food court and main pool are in addition to the 6 "islands/villages".

Also, there is an internal resort shuttle that never leaves CBR. It just goes continually around to the all the "islands/villages", OPR and also the Customs House - where you check in and out and also where ME drps you off/picks you up and where RAC is located.

Okay, I am getting caught up on the bus system at CBR. I have a question, though. If you catch the bus at the main building up front, does it go straight to the parks, does it go through the loop first, or is it just chance?

Just wanted to add that if you were at the Customs house and wanted to go to the parks or vice versa, you could use the Barbados stop. It is extremely close. we did this on our last park day back from MK. We got off at Barbados and had to cross at a crosswalk and were at the Custom House to catch ME.

 

[KELLY]

Well after the review on the pirate beds. I think we are skipping the pirate room. So now I'm thinking preferred or should we just get a standard room? For 10 days preferred is around 250.00 more. Not sure if it is worth it or not.

 

[mickeystoontown]

Well after the review on the pirate beds. I think we are skipping the pirate room. So now I'm thinking preferred or should we just get a standard room? For 10 days preferred is around 250.00 more. Not sure if it is worth it or not.

Do you normally book a preferred room at POP or stick with a standard room there? I, personally, don't mind the walks at the CBR. Our longest walk we've ever had from our building to Old Port Royale was 5 minutes and that was from the furthest Jamaica building.

 

[Crazy Kanga]

I am totally freaking about the uncomfortable pirate beds. Since thats all that were offered under our military discount code do you think if we request a change to a preferred room instead they will grant it. Are the pirate rooms and preferred the same price?

 

[safetymom]

Many people have had no problems with the pirate beds. There have been a few reviews where people didn't care for them but most haven't had any issues.

 

[KELLY]

Do you normally book a preferred room at POP or stick with a standard room there? I, personally, don't mind the walks at the CBR. Our longest walk we've ever had from our building to Old Port Royale was 5 minutes and that was from the furthest Jamaica building.

No we get a standard room. But pop has tons of standard rooms that are very close. I'm sure the walk won't bother me. The entire reason why we are switching is beacuse we moved our trip up 3 weeks and it will be hotter than when we usually go at the end of September. So we plan on utilzing the awesome pool.

Thanks I will go for a standard and just as for Jamica. From the map even the furthest building in Jamica looks close.

I am totally freaking about the uncomfortable pirate beds. Since thats all that were offered under our military discount code do you think if we request a change to a preferred room instead they will grant it. Are the pirate rooms and preferred the same price?

Preferred is 5.00 cheaper a night.

 

[maidenfairy]

I am totally freaking about the uncomfortable pirate beds. Since thats all that were offered under our military discount code do you think if we request a change to a preferred room instead they will grant it. Are the pirate rooms and preferred the same price?

I stayed in the pirate rooms and didn't have a problem with the beds.

 

[TaraBara]

Well after the review on the pirate beds. I think we are skipping the pirate room. So now I'm thinking preferred or should we just get a standard room? For 10 days preferred is around 250.00 more. Not sure if it is worth it or not.

I see that you have 5 and 3 year old children. We took our 7 and 4 year old boys last year. We stayed in a standard room and loved it. The walk over the bridge to Old Port Royale and the main swimming pool was so beautiful and relaxing! I truly did enjoy that walk!!! I just don't think the extra money for a preferred room is worth it.

This year we are taking all three boys......our youngest stayed with his grandparents last year. I have absolutely no hesitation booking a standard again this year. My youngest is only 2. He can either walk if he needs the exercise or we can just push him in a stroller.

Just request to stay in the buildings closest to the bridge......Jamaica and ......it escapes me at the moment.

My kids are so excited to be going back to this resort. They LOVED the pirate ship and the slides at the big pool. I think your family will really enjoy it!

 

[TaraBara]

No we get a standard room. But pop has tons of standard rooms that are very close. I'm sure the walk won't bother me. The entire reason why we are switching is beacuse we moved our trip up 3 weeks and it will be hotter than when we usually go at the end of September. So we plan on utilzing the awesome pool.

Thanks I will go for a standard and just as for Jamica. From the map even the furthest building in Jamica looks close.




Preferred is 5.00 cheaper a night.

I also just saw we will be there at the same time. Maybe we will pass by each other on the way to the pool!