Trip report – The Buccaneer, St. Croix – April 16-22

The Buccaneer
Overall:
We chose St. Croix largely because we were curious about the island and wanted a resort on a nice beach. The Buccaneer did not disappoint. It’s charming, not glitzy. People describe it as a “country club like atmosphere” and I can see that but it still was not too stuffy for us. The resort suits families, honeymooners, and couples all very well. The grounds were beautiful. The three beaches were all very nice. The Mermaid, lined with palm trees and a volleyball net was our favorite. Snorkeling gear and kayaks, and other beach toys were available to use for free for guests. Unfortunately, the water was too stirred up when we were there to snorkel.

Family Cottage:
We stayed in the Family Cottage suites, room 171, and it was perfect for us. My sons enjoyed having their own room and TV. My husband was appreciative of the free wifi so he could work from the room. The children and parents’ rooms share a bathroom with two sinks. We had a nice patio with a fantastic view where we watched the sun set. I have to thank ccrosner for her best tip, to ask for one of the cottages higher up, since they offer a view of the ocean. We loved our room primarily for the view.

I believe they plan to renovate these cottages (read that on this board). They could use some updating of bedding, bathroom, and even the furniture on the patio. None of this really bothered us since we valued the privacy from our children and the view the room offered at a reasonable price.

One note to parents with little ones – the children’s room outside door makes a noise when opened so you know if your children are going outside. You can also lock the door with a bolt so they just can’t open the door and leave.

Food:
Overall, we thought the food at the resort was very good. We usually try to eat off a resort as much as possible, however, we enjoyed our meals at the Buccaneer. Breakfast was wonderful. I ordered an egg white omelet almost every day and my husband and sons loved the banana pancakes and banana french toast that they ordered from the kitchen. They also have fresh fruit, muffins, hot dishes, home fries,… at the buffet. Breakfast is complimentary but we made sure to leave a nice tip for the servers.

We had lunches at both the Grotto and Mermaid Beach. My sons had great burgers at the Grotto and my husband and I shared a salad with grilled chicken. All were very good but the service for my sons the two days they went alone was extremely slow (1.5 hours for lunch). The food was very good at the Mermaid (more interesting choices) and much quicker. We had planned on skipping lunch after our hearty breakfasts but the aroma on the beach from the restaurant was too tempting. It also didn’t help to have the drinks so close. There is no beach service. This was not an issue for us since it’s just a few steps to the restaurant and bar and we needed all the exercise we could get! Weston, at the beach bar was our favorite bartender. He made the best drinks we had on the island. My sons loved his banana chocolate smoothies. He is unassuming and doesn’t say much but every drink is made to order (noas opposed to a huge container of pina colada).

We ate at The Mermaid for dinner our first night and the Terrace our second since many restaurants were closed for the Taste of St. Croix. I had a better meal at the Mermaid but my sons, who have expensive taste, enjoyed the lamb at the Terrace.

Once again, the view from all the restaurants made dining a pleasure. I loved looking at the ocean everyday from the Terrace.

Other amenities:
We purchased the “Explore and Rejuvenate Package” for $100 and received 1 free night, 1 day rental from Hertz, a bottle of champagne in our room, and choice of 2 of the following: round of golf, court time, message or facial. It was a great value.

My husband, who is a very good golfer, enjoyed the course. It wasn’t particularly challenging for him but he enjoyed its beauty. He had a free round with package and went off first thing in the AM and was done in about 3 hours with a cart, which was included. He could have finished ore quickly if he was alone.

I also sent my husband for a massage, once again complimentary with our package, and he said it was excellent. He enjoyed talking to his masseuse, since she gave him insights regarding island life.

We walked and ran the exercise path, which was a nice way to view to resort. My husband and sons used the weights in the exercise facility as well.

Finally, for families with children, I used the small self-serve laundry (2 washers and 2 dryers, $2 - $1.50 to use, boxes of detergent to purchase, and change maker for $1’s and $5’s in the laundry room). The laundry is near the Grotto beach and resort meeting rooms in a green building.

The island of St. Croix
I have to say we enjoyed the Buccaneer so much that we didn’t explore the island as much as we had hoped. My husband also had a number of business calls so we stayed on the resort. The drive from the airport as others have said isn’t particularly attractive. St. Croix is a big island with a K-Mart, McDonald’s, and other stuff and traffic. Christiansted is a neat, picturesque town, which I wish we had more time to explore. We were there briefly to get picked up for our Tan Tan tour, for dinner one night and to stop by Sonya’s on the way to the airport to buy my sterling silver and gold “hook bracelet” - a great value for $65.

Trip to Buck Island:
We took Teroro, out of Green Cay, a 5 minute drive from The Buccaneer. We enjoyed this trip and Capt. Carl and Melanie were very professional. We were the first boat snorkeling (before Big Beard) and the only boat on the beach for awhile. We spent about 1.5 hours on the beach, which is beautiful and undeveloped. I spent some time trying to figure out which trip to book and I don’t think you can go wrong with either Big Beard or Teroro (the two I researched). Big Beard picks up from the dock at The Buccaneer a few times during the week, a big plus if you don’t rent a car. I think they also serve complimentary drinks. The whole day trip includes a beach barbeque. We met a number of part-time residents who seem to favor Teroro. You bring your own beverages (or can buy one for $1) and food. We had the Buccaneer pack us box lunches of fired chicken and fruit, which worked out well. We also took the ½ day trip, which was enough for us.

Tan Tan tour:
Overall, this was fun but pricey at $80 per person for a ½ day trip to the tidal pools, Domino Club in the rain forest. My sons enjoyed it. It really is like a roller coaster ride as the drive/fly through the dirt paths on the mountain/rain forest. Did I mention that I hate roller coasters? I don’t think I would recommend it for children under the age 10, and possibly 12, even though my 11 year enjoyed it. There are no seat belts, just hang on to the bar in the back of the jeep. Tan Tan does not have an office to meet at. They meet you at the pier near Rumrunners and where Big Beard picks up. They might be 15 minutes late and take only cash or travelers’ checks. They also will stop at the gas station on the way out of town to get gas. Your ride (degree of wildness) will depend on your driver. We stopped at Cane Bay, which had some decent waves. I wasn’t as wowed by the beach as I thought I would be but it was overcast and not many people around. On the way to the tidal pools, we did have some trouble with our jeep but they sent another jeep to pick us up. The tidal pools were beautiful. The guides help you climb to them. Watch out for sea urchins on the sides of the tidal pools. Our guide was also very good about stopping and telling us interesting facts about the island and identifying various types of trees. Since we were delayed by our jeep breakdown, we were starving by the time we got to the Domino Club. Luckily we had some cash with us and bought chicken and johnny cakes. It was 2:30 and we got the last two orders of chicken. At least 12 people came in after us hoping for some chicken. This might have been my sons’ favorite meal on the island, basic but tasty. My husband and I had Norma’s famous drink, the mamawana? I don’t know what you call it but both food and drink hit the spot at this point. Next we went for fresh fruit smoothies, which were very good. We where done with the tour about 1 our later than scheduled so plan accordingly. The tour allowed us to see parts of the island we would have never seen on our own.

Rental Car:
We chose Hertz since we had one free day from the Buccaneer and their weekly quote seemed the lowest. I had called Judi of St. Croix and Centerline and they were both more friendly (especially Judy) and “with it” on the phone. We were the only customers so things moved quickly enough at the airport. We had to ask for directions and the service rep was not particularly helpful. In retrospect, we probably saved only a few dollars since there is a $20 airport tax for picking up a car at the airport. Judi and Centerline are a short drive away from the airport and you don’t have to pay the tax. We did not purchase the collision damage waiver coverage (a little over $15/day) since my insurance policy stated we were covered for US territories.

Dining:
Our favorite meal off the resort was Kendrick’s for formal and Cheeseburgers for informal. Kendrick’s has a lovely atmosphere. The three males in our family ordered duck and enjoyed it. Cheeseburgers (a short, easy drive from the Buc) was the deal of the island for us with a huge burger and side for $8.50 – very good burger. I wasn’t wowed by Duggin’s Reef but it may be what I ordered. My son enjoyed his meal the most - lobster. It was a cute spot but pricer than I thought it would be.

In summary, great trip, loved the Buccaneer! I would like to go back and explore the island more.