The Buccaneer

My husband and I spent a blissful second honeymoon at the Buccaneer Resort on St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands. We were upgraded to a deluxe oceanfront room, complete with a welcome basket of chocolates, fruit and other goodies. The property is vast but meticulously maintained, from Mermaid Beach (where I had pina coladas and shrimp tacos) to the main building. Everyone there was very gracious and friendly. Our room had a comfortable bed that my husband described as as big as the state of Nebraska. On this trip, which was our first time to St. Croix, we also sailed with Buck Island Charters to Buck Island, a national park with a white sand beach that resembles powdered sugar and that was described as one of the best beaches in the world by National Geographic. At the resort, my husband enjoyed a round of golf, and I enjoyed a massage at the spa. We ate delicious seafood at the resort's three restaurants: the Terrace, the Mermaid, and Beauregard's on the Beach. I discovered two new-to-me and delicious drinks: the painkiller and the lime in the coconut, which tasted like key lime pie. After-dinner entertainment included graceful fire dancers. The owner of the resort hosted a welcome cocktail party at the old sugar mill, complete with local stilt dancers. Full disclosure: The trip was very expensive, but worth every penny!

We returned to the Buccaneer for our 1st wedding anniversary and it was still just as magical as the day/week we got Married there. Staff/service is incredible; the food and amenities are great, the worst part of the trip was when it was over. We can't wait to return for anniversaries to come!

There’s a part of me that doesn’t want to review The Buccaneer because of the lyrics of an Eagle’s song…”Call someplace paradise, kiss it goodbye”. The Buccaneer on St Croix is truly a paradise for my husband and me. This was our 15th return trip and, as always, it didn’t disappoint! So many things make the Buccaneer special. The grounds are so well maintained and beautiful; the views are gorgeous! I spend early mornings on our patio watching darkness turn to light over the ocean. It creates a peace and calmness that can’t be described. The beaches are incredible! Smooth sand that is groomed/cleaned every morning. The (at least) ½ mile stretch of Grotto beach provides the perfect walk to explore sea shells and collect sea glass memories. And amazingly, we usually had the beach walk to ourselves. My husband loves to snorkel! They provided fins and he walked easily into the ocean from the two beaches to snorkel every day…seeing colorful fish, turtle, a sting ray and beautiful coral! I think there are about 125 rooms; but, incredibly, we never feel “crowded”! Sometimes you have a section of the beach or the pool to yourselves. It amazes me that Elizabeth Armstrong (the owner) hosts a weekly reception (in person) complete with punch, wine, appetizers and entertainment. She and other staff provide a warm welcome and opportunity to meet other guests, if you so desire. If ask what is your favorite part of being at The Buccaneer, I would have to say it is the people…the staff! They all …management, the front desk, the “wait” staff, housekeeping and the pool attendants… are so welcoming and accommodating. The ones who have been there remember you and the new ones seek to get to know you. All wanting to help make your stay as pleasant as possible. Comfortable and cared for is the resulting feeling! Our prayer is that God will bless us so we can return again next year to the beautiful Buccaneer on St Croix! Thank You, Buccaneer!

Update: The Buccaneer reached out with a generous offer in recognition of our disappointment with the room. They deserve 6 stars for customer service! Starting with the positive: Service is first class. Every staff member was attentive, friendly and professional. Food was delicious at all 3 restaurants and reasonable. Included breakfast buffet was very nice. The location and amenities are beautiful and impeccably maintained. The beaches are especially beautiful and the cabana rental was very reasonable. On the downside two things: the condition of the room and the price. Part of the issue with the price is down to me not paying close enough attention to the details. Having booked a room in the main house I jumped at the opportunity to upgrade to a Deluxe Oceanfront room for what I thought was an extra $200/night. I failed to recognize the attractive rate only applied to the first of the 3 nights. It was $400+ for the rest. Also failed to read the small print of an 18% energy surcharge/night on top of taxes and fees. A very expensive mistake on my part. Doubly hard to swallow when the room itself was beyond disappointing. The furnishings were old, chipped and uncomfortable. The”closet” is a recessed space with a shelf and no doors. The bathtub was rusty. The door of the refrigerator cabinet was hanging off. The curtains were old, worn and dingy. The sheer kept sticking when trying to open it. (Gave up). The flat pillows on the bed were replaced when requested. The bed linens were clean and OK quality. The bed itself was old and OK for comfort. The room didn’t come close to offering value matching the extortionate rate (averaging $1,000/night). Our friends’ Deluxe Oceanfront room was equally dismal and disappointing.

The Buccaneer Beach and Golf Resort is our favorite place to go to in the Carribean. The resort, the location, and the service is fabulous. From the concierge, to the wait staff, to the managers and owner, everyone is truly happy to have us at their resort and are there every day with a smile on their faces and so willing to make sure our stay is perfect. This was our third time back and it won't be our last. This time we had another family couple join us on the trip. We had a tremendous time wading in the beautiful blue water and just relaxing on the beach or at the pool. There are also many water activities local to the resort making it easy to access. We celebrated our wedding anniversary while there on Valentine's Day and their attention to this made our day even more fun and special. A huge thank you to all the "Buccaneer family" who made this another memorable trip!!