The Buccaneer

The Buccaneer Hotel on Saint Croix is the Caribbean’s oldest running resort. Founded in the 17th century with some of the original buildings still in tact, The Buccaneer has plenty of modern amenities across its 340 manicured acres. A popular destination for weddings, golfers, and families, I had the most incredible girls trip at The Buccaneer with my friend Sarah in August! Please note: This trip took place before the devastating hurricanes hit the Caribbean. The Buccaneer sustained minimal damage and has been acting as a relief hub for the Virgin Islands. The Buccaneer will resume regular bookings in November. The Caribbean needs us to visit more than ever, as tourism is a major part of the economy. About the Resort The Buccaneer boasts three beaches, an eighteen-hole golf course with sweeping views of the Caribbean Sea, eight tennis courts, two pools, a 24-hour gym, a spa, three restaurants, twice daily maid service, complimentary breakfast, and a plethora of daily activities to keep you entertained. We spent six days at The Buccaneer and still didn’t come close to using all of the amenities! What really sets The Buccaneer apart though is the particularly personable staff. When you’re finally ready to venture off of the resort, Christiansted is a short five-minute drive from the resort. The Room The Buccaneer offers a variety of different rooms. You can even rent a whole villa! We stayed in a luxury oceanfront dabloons, room 359 if you want to request it. You’ll gasp when you pull back the curtains. The dabloons have epic views of the Caribbean Sea and large balconies with comfortable furniture to kick back and enjoy the waves. Our room had two very tall, very comfortable queen poster beds, a table, three chairs, a large flat-screen TV, coffee maker, and huge window seat. The rooms are kept very chilly, which I loved. The Buccaneer does NOT skimp on the air conditioning. The sound of waves will lull you to sleep. The bathroom had plenty of space. There’s a separate vanity that makes getting ready a breeze. The closet is oversized and includes a dresser. The shower and bathtub are both oversized. The dabloons are a close jaunt to Mermaid Beach and many of the beachside amenities but quite a hike from breakfast and dinner. The Buccaneer offers a complimentary shuttle to take you up to The Terrace and The Lounge. Take it from two moderately fit young women: you’ll want the shuttle, at least in the summertime, or you’ll be sweaty by the time you get to your meal. Just call the concierge and ask them to pick you up. The Beach The Buccaneer actually has three beaches: Grotto Beach, which has a pool and its own bar and grill, Mermaid beach, the main beach, and Whistle Beach, a secluded beach that’s a short hike away from the main part of the resort. All three beaches have sandy bottoms. It should be noted that there’s no shade on Whistle Beach but Grotto and Mermaid have plenty of shade. We spent most of our time on Mermaid beach. This is one of the shadiest beaches I’ve seen, which thrilled this vampire-pale adventurer. If you want sun, you can easily arrange your lounge chair but the palm trees offer plenty of shade if you want relief. Mermaid Beach is also home to a beautiful cabana that you can rent for the day. The Mermaid offers beachside service so you can keep the conch and cocktails coming! The Buccaneer offers complimentary paddleboard, kayak, and snorkel gear rentals on Mermaid Beach. I’ve heard paddle boarding is quite difficult and was thrilled to pieces that I could stand up and paddle around the Caribbean on my first try. Shout out to my horses for giving me a strong core! There’s a large roped-off area around Mermaid Beach. There’s also beach volleyball, beach chess, and corn hole for your enjoyment. Dining The Buccaneer offers several dining options: casual beachside options Grotto Grill and The Mermaid, the fine dining restaurant The Terrace and the more causal bar The Lounge. The Lounge often has live music for your enjoyment so you can curl up with a cocktail and sway to some jazz while you watch the sun set. The Terrace also offers a stunning view of the sunset. Read about The Terrace and The Lounge here. The Mermaid has amazing conch fritters and conch salad and is home to the weekly Grillin’ and Chillin’ event, which is not to be missed. You can see full restaurant reviews on the Travel section of The Rose Table. Breakfast is complimentary with your room rate and includes a large buffet of staples, daily specials, coffee, and a juice bar with seven freshly squeezed island juices. I particularly enjoyed that they set an entire carafe of coffee on the table for you. Some of my favorite breakfast dishes at The Buccaneer: nutella banana stuffed toast, cranberry orange muffin, breakfast potatoes with bell peppers, fried plantains, chocolate chip waffles, cream cheese and blueberry stuffed french toast, banana pancakes, smoked salmon quiche, churro waffles, and the poached eggs. Thank goodness I spent every day swimming because I went all out sampling every breakfast dish for you! You can also rent the gorgeous sugar mill for a private dinner! Talk about vacation goals. Sugar mill at The Buccaneer Hotel Sugar mill at The Buccaneer Hotel Sugar mill at The Buccaneer Hotel Amenities In addition to the copious complimentary beach activities, The Buccaneer offers a slew of daily activities to keep you entertained. There’s the Monday Night Grillin’ and Chillin’ event featuring the CoralFire pyro show, a flora and fauna walk with the owner, a cocktail reception with complimentary appetizers and drinks, paddle board lessons, kayak lessons, scuba lessons, a weekly crab race, and more. Every morning at breakfast you’re presented with a list of the day’s activities. The concierge will be happy to make arrangements for you. Just ask! One huge perk is that Caribbean Sea Adventures will pick you up right from Mermaid Beach and whisk you away to nearby Buck Island, which is just a five or ten minute boat ride from The Buccaneer. (I was too busy sipping my coffee and taking in the sights to time it!) Buck Island is the only underwater national monument in the United States. The Buccaneer can pack up a picnic lunch for you to enjoy on the beach after you work up an appetite snorkeling with Caribbean Sea Adventures. Just ask the concierge the day before and pick up your picnic at breakfast. Golf Golf is a big part of The Buccaneer! The eighteen-hole course has a jogging trail around it so even if you aren’t a golfer, you can enjoy the views. Here are some photos of The Buccaneer’s golf course: The Atmosphere The Buccaneer is family friendly. There’s really something to do for everyone! This is one of the most resort-y resorts I’ve been to. It looks like something out of a movie. From golf to a spa to daily complimentary activities, you don’t need to leave the resort to have a great time. Saint Croix reminded me a lot of Maui. The Buccaneer is lush with flora and fauna. Read more about Saint Croix on my luxury food and travel website, therosetable.com.

Large hotel with many amenities, Gulf, hike trails, beach, two pools, morning hot breakfast, Beautiful grounds with Iguanas and birds beautiful plants and flowers, tennis court. The Mermaid Grill is right on the beach with drinks and food.

We stayed at the Buccaneer during the IRMA Hurricane week. the owner and staff were very attentive and assisted us and all the guests we talked to "To the Nth Degree". We were there 2 days before the storm hit and were able to experience the resort and its normal operations. Entertainment, food, staff, drinks, rooms and the facility itself are all top notch. After the hurricane the entire staff and ownership were very attentive to all of the guests needs, upgraded rooms, meals, entertainment were all on their agendas while trying to get the resort back in shape. We had a great time, in spite of the storm, always felt that if we needed ANYTHING, we could just ask. I will be excited to visit again to enjoy the resort at it's best, without a hurricane, in the future. I do not normally reccomend hotels, but you would never go wrong with CHOOSING THE BUCCANEER!!!

Beachfront room with view of heavenly water and picturesque,leaning palms. Lovely friendly faces throughout the staff, accompanied by efficient service and genuine hospitality. Coral reef and nesting turtles made for special glimpses of nature. The resort a strong supporter of conservation- which is a plus. Charming tradition of an owner hosted cocktail party reminds you that this place has a wonderful history.

My family visited the Buccaneer during the first week of August to celebrate my husband and my 50th wedding anniversary. We were 5 adults, 2 teenage girls, and 2 small boys, ages 4 and 2. Everyone had a wonderful time. The little boys loved the beach, the pool and especially the toys that were available at the Grotto Pool. The girls did the discovery dive at the arcade pool (complimentary activity – thank you Buccaneer) and then went on an open water dive the next day. We met most mornings at the Terrace for breakfast. The buffet breakfast has something for everyone, even fussy teens and 4 year olds. And on a day when nothing appealed to them, the girls ordered chocolate chip pancakes from the kitchen. The Buccaneer has daily activities for every age, but if you want to see a little more of St. Croix, I recommend renting a car. The concierge can assist you in renting for a day or for your entire stay. We sought out different restaurants for dinner each evening and were never disappointed. No Bones Café at their new location was a favorite, we ate there twice. We didn’t eat at the Terrace for dinner, a little too much for little boys, but we did enjoy our dinner at the Mermaid. The entire staff was welcoming and accommodating, but special thanks to Diane at the front desk, Frances at the Terrace AM and Polly at the Grotto beach shack, all of whom went out of their way to make our vacation the best it could be. Multigenerational travel is always tricky but the Buccaneer was really a great location for every age and any special event.