Pay for red stripe and towels on beach

[GPCouple]

Just read a review on TA that stated that you have to pay extra for Red Stripe and you are charged $15 if you leave a towel on the beach. This is the first I have seen of any "extra" payments beyond dinner on the beach and the spa.

Thoughts?

[Jan]

I have never seen this.... Have to wonder who posted that on TA

[Sublimebrad]

Red Stripe is only extra if you buy it off the resort. If you lose your towel or " leave it on the beach", there may be a fee. You are told at check in what to do with your towels. This is so people don't waste them and leave them everywhere. You can change them out as often as you wish though.

[kikiski]

I have never heard of such a thing!!! They deffinately don't charge for RED STRIPE...this is all inclusive and that means all FOOD and ALL DRINKS.

As for BEACH towels. I do know they have a little different policy at Negril then CTI but it is no big deal....it is meant to keep the patrons responsible and probably keep the laundry bill down. You can get a new BEACH towel ANYTIME but only if you are trading in your old one, and you WILL get charged for the towels if they ultimately (at the end of your stay) are not turned in. This is really NOT a BIG deal.

Kiki

[stevevictoria]

We were there in July for our 7th trip to CSS and did not have to pay for
Red Stripe, only liquor you paid for was the upgrade on the wine for dinner.
But the "house" wine was included with your all inclusive price.
As far as the towels go, you are issued two beach towels in your room
upon check in. If you fail to get a return slip for the towels when you check out
they charge you money for them. At the end of your stay, simply bring
the towels to the watersports hut and turn them in. They will give you a
return slip.
"Once you go...you know."
Steve & Victoria

[Crabracer]

Off the top of my head I doubt that the statement is true. It would go against everything that Couples stands for. Did it mention a specific Couples resort or did it indicate all of them/ I'm sure there will be a clarification from Randy. I'll wait and see.

[KrisJamie]

It's TA. Ignore 90% of the stuff on that site.

This is 1000% false.

[Patrice&Kevin]

I didn't pay extra for Red Stripe and I managed to enjoy quite afew of them. Everyone of them was included in the price of the vacation.However, if you go for a walk down the beach and stop at the Office of Nature, those would be extra, your not on the resort at that point. As far as the towels go, they put two beach towels in your room. Everyday you are allowed to change them in for new ones. At the end of your stay, you check the beach towels in and you get a receipt for them to hand to the staff person at checkout. If you do not have this receipt that says you turned in your beach towels, you will be charged $15 each. No big deal, just turn them in and get the receipt. If I didn't lose it, no one will.

[BarDar]

Forget about it! There is no charge for Red Stripe. The towel deal is upon check out, you are supposed to show a towel return card that you get at the water sports hut before you leave the resort. Sometimes they ask for it, sometimes they don't. Free beer, sun, water. Heaven, I think so!

[Allans_Angel]

Just blatant lies - period!

I also saw two trip reports - one for CTI and the other I think for Swept Away where people are complaining that they are not "true all inclusive" as they had to pay for sunscreen, shampoo (additional to what is provided) and prescription drugs, etc.

OK people...really? You expect free sunscreen?! These are basic personal items and nowhere on the Couples website does it say sunscreen or prescription drugs are included. The people writing these reviews are just NUTS!!!!

[smroot]

Someone not knowing what they are talking about, or just doing a knocked down of the resort. Just got back, never paid for towels, and definitely not for Red Stripe, or any of the other drinks they brought us. It does say that you can be charged for a beach towel if you lose it or keep it but if they actually do that I would not know.

[Musicalrose]

On drinks - Not true! We've never been charged for drinks - ever! As for towels, you start with two beach towels when you arrive and can change them out as many times as you want. Before you leave, you need to turn in your two beach towels for a receipt that you bring to check out. If you do not, then you do get charged at check out - I think $25.

[redinthehead]

Yeah read that one too, not quite right. You will be charged for your towel if you don't hand them in and get a reciept for check out. Sure this helps to keep cost down. And we have never been charged for beer or any other drink on the beach. This is the same reviewer who complain about having to pay for sunscreen from the gift shop. My thoughts: cheapskate........

[Bearso]

Only charged for Red Strips on the beach if you leave Couples and go to a local beach bar. The towel charge is if you loose your towel. Don't loose your towel and "No Problem Mon!"

[mick7602]

I believe you are responsible for your towels, common sense IMO, never heard of paying fro Red Stripe at the bars, they may charge if you demand Red Stripe for your Mini-Bar but I don't know why they do that. Premium wines are also an extra charge as well as night diving ?

[Maxernie]

Both NOT true ...... The only drink you are charged extra for is if you want to order a bottle of wine off the wine list instead of drinking the house wines. The deal with the beach towels, is you have 2 towels that you trade in at the beach towel hut for clean ones as needed .... Before you check out, you are to return them & get a receipt to give them at the front desk or you could be charged $15 for the lost towels. I don't think that it's much of an issue anymore, though. When we checked in last time, there were no beach towels in our room & I just called housekeeping & they brought me some. They just don't want to have people dragging their towels off on excursions & leaving them. They would always have to be buying new towels if they didn't keep track of them someway. It's not a big deal & is the same in every other AI resort I've stayed at in Jamaica & other places.

[Beth]

There are no extra payments at Couples for beer or towels.

[iainmac]

What a lot of rubbish. I suggest we all boycott TA. We don't need them to tell us how good Couples resorts are.
Iain & Jacqui

[a63vetteowner]

There is no charge for Red Stripe or any other drink on the beach. As for the beach towel, yes there is a charge if you don't get a receipt at the end of your stay. Some people like to take beach towels as souvenirs, hence the charge if not returned.

63vetteowner

[jbrooks2010]

The resort gives you two beach towels per room, which are interchangeable for clean ones each day. But, you must return two beach towels at the end of your visit or there will be a charge. Can't remember how much. Now, as far as the Red Stripe goes...we were at CN in 2010 and there was definitely not an extra charge for it! I doubt thats changed. I can't see charging for any alcohol at an all-inclusive resort, especially at Couples.

[softail19]

Not true about the Red Stripe but at the end of your stay you have to turn your beach towel into the watersports hut and get a receipt or you will be charged 15dollars per towel. You turn that receipt in when you check out.

[HooverVA]

Say it ain't so. Never heard of this. Can't be true!

[HooverVA]

Say it ain't so! Never heard of this. Cannot believe it is true. Certainly doesn't sound like the "Couples way" of treating their guests.

[Vickyj]

Which resort? If you have a Red Stripe at Couples, you will not pay. Maybe the poster was referring to walking to a local bar on the beach in Negril and getting a beer. By local bar, I am not referring to a Couples Bar. As for the towels, there has been a policy that if you didn't return your towel before check out, there would be charge. At CTI, the towels are on your bed when you arrive. There is not a "check out/in" with them. This may be different at the other resorts.

[Chris]

Lesson learned?... don't trust TA. You can drink RedStripe till you cry it in your tears; your towels are exchanged as often as needed in WaterSports (with a smile), but you do have to get a receipt at the end of your stay after you've turned them in.