The US Virgin Islands have a major appeal for American travelers. You get all the luxuries of visiting the Caribbean with all the amenities of home. I’d already enjoyed the adventures of St. Thomas and the sailing culture of St. John but St. Croix was still on my bucket list. After extensive research, I decided that the number one St. Croix bucket list resort was The Buccaneer Resort. I booked five days in one of their beachfront villas and soaked up the old world charm coupled with top-notch amenities, creating a bucket list worthy stay in St. Croix.
Buccaneer rates include a full breakfast daily, snorkeling gear, kayaks, paddleboards, beach chairs, floating mats, introduction to SCUBA lessons, twice daily maid service, free wireless internet access, welcome rum or fruit punch, weekly owner’s cocktail reception, live musical entertainment, and daily guest activities. It’s not all-inclusive but it’s pretty close. When booking, you should factor in the price for the Monday Grill and a full day or half day tour of Buck Island. An $8 round-trip to downtown Christiansted will make your stay complete.
With live entertainment and delicious food, Monday Chill & Grill at The Buccaneer is a must during your stay. I ordered the chicken breast, potato, asparagus, and mango chutney and paired it with a mixed cocktail including the local Cruzan rum. The fire dancers were entertaining and the music added to the total Caribbean feel. We didn’t have to leave the property to get a little bit of local culture and tasty food.
We utilized the snorkeling gear daily and saw plenty of colorful fish and coral reef at the resort, but no trip to St. Croix would be complete without a visit to Buck Reef. Big Beard’s catamaran picked us up at The Buccaneer Resort and the trip to Buck Island took about 20 minutes. We enjoyed Buck Island’s Turtle Beach first. It has soft powdery sand and crystal clear turquoise waters, but it’s the underwater trail at the reef where we saw hundreds of fish and coral species.
I was blown away with the number of fish that we saw and I saw a large nurse shark as well. This was one of the highlights of my stay in St. Croix. With door-to-door service, it’s an excellent addition to staying at The Buccaneer Resort.
We didn’t have to go far to marvel at the natural beauty of St. Croix. Our wrap-around patio gave us views of the ocean and the resort. Either lush palm trees or turquoise waters could be found in all directions.
The ocean was always warm and welcoming but when we wanted to get out of the salt water for a bit, we made our way to the beachfront pool. Food and drink service was at our fingertips and kept us in the pool area for almost an entire day.
We tried to balance our time between relaxation and discovery so we spent an afternoon in the city of Christiansted exploring the streets and dining near the marina. The Buccaneer offers a return shuttle service, making it easy to have a few drinks in the city and avoid driving. In St. Croix, they drive on the opposite side of the road as well so we liked the idea of avoiding getting behind the wheel altogether.
I’d highly suggest visiting Barefoot Pirate restaurant in Christiansted and tasting their delicious Snow or Rum Ball, and be sure to wander the side streets for stunning photo opportunities.
Whenever we visit a new place, we like to balance our time between relaxing at the resort and exploring the area. The Buccaneer Resort puts everything within reach. The tour boat for Buck Island picked us up onsite, the shuttle delivered us to Christiansted and the Monday Chill & Grill BBQ brought local talent to us. There are plenty of choices for accommodations in St. Croix but none of the others offer so much all within your sights.
My wife and I had our honeymoon at the Buckaneer over 32 years ago. We experienced much of the same then. They have added quite a bit more. We did the Buck Island Trail. Our room and Lani was right next to the water where each night before dinner we would watch the sunset and the sea planes taking off from Christiansted. The island has a lot to offer and driving on the left at first was a challenge but we got use to it. We had most of our meals at the Buckaneer and never felt like our taste was limited. We look to get back soon to experience the family atmosphere that the staff makes you feel like.
My wife and I had our honeymoon at the Buckaneer over 32 years ago. We experienced much of the same then. They have added quite a bit more. We did the Buck Island Trail. Our room and Lani was right next to the water where each night before dinner we would watch the sunset and the sea planes taking off from Christiansted. The island has a lot to offer and driving on the left at first was a challenge but we got use to it. We had most of our meals at the Buckaneer and never felt like our taste was limited. We look to get back soon to experience the family atmosphere that the staff makes you feel like.
Your trip reminds us of our trip in 2012. We did rent a car for a few days. It was so easy and makes sense to drive on the opposite side of the road. As one person told us, just be careful in parking lots. We drove to the east end to the farthest Point Udall and to the Casino. Enjoyed your pics. Oh, and the breakfast at the Buccaneer was the Best!!
Your trip reminds us of our trip in 2012. We did rent a car for a few days. It was so easy and makes sense to drive on the opposite side of the road. As one person told us, just be careful in parking lots. We drove to the east end to the farthest Point Udall and to the Casino. Enjoyed your pics. Oh, and the breakfast at the Buccaneer was the Best!!