I am considering Cuisinart for my honeymoon in June. (Still thinking about Cap Jaluca but can't find the justificaion for the extra $$$$)

Anyway, my first question is about dining. The meal plan is pretty expensive and everyone talks about how great the food is on the island. For a 7 night stay, if we eat at mostly nicer places for lunch and dinner, how much should we expect to spend/bring with us for dining?

Second, I keep reading about how windy the beach is at Cuisinart. Will that be the case for June? This is one of the main reasons I am chosing Anguilla/Cuisinart and I would hate for us to not be able to lay/read on the beach or go in the ocean.

Third, I read one review that the beds at Cuisinart were extremely hard and uncomfortable. It was only one review, so I wanted to see if this was true or if it was just one persons perspective. This will be my honeymoon and I would hate an uncomfortable bed!

Thanks to everyone,
-Brandon

We stayed at CuisinArt and loved it. To answer some of your questions.
We did not find the wind severe. They serve sorbet on the beach at 4pm, very decadent.
We were in a Jr Suite and it was comfortable with a nice terrace. Breakfast served there every morning (extra fee).
By all means, rent a car and sample the other restaurants on the island. They are outstanding. Prices vary depending on wine, etc but can go for under $100 for 2 or over $200. We budget about $150-200 a day for food and do fine.
The restaurant at Cuisinart is great for lunch. (they have hydroponic gardens (make sure to take a tour) and the veggies are great--something you don't see in the Caribbean).
Another nice thing about Cuisinart is the nearness to Dune Preserve (right next door) so you can "hang out" and hear Bankie Banx.

I stayed in Cuisnart last eyar in a jr. suite.
the beds were fine..very comfortable.
the beach at Cusinart faces St. maarten and the open channel so there is sometimes more wind there. but it is rarly so bad that you can't be on the ebach..and that might happen in the winter months, not in June..the trade winds have died down by then.
don't worry. you'll love it there!

I stayed at Cuisinart last May and am going back this May. There was no wind when I was there, but I have also heard that wind could be a problem. Once when I was on the island at another hotel, the water had very high waves (in Dec.) at most of the beaches. Another year, same week the water was totally calm.
The beds were just fine and I am very fussy with mattresses. Also, there is no additional fee for breakfast. It is continental but adequate and provided for all guests. If you do order anything extra (omelette, etc) the cost is very high. I would definitely NOT do a meal plan as the restaurants on the island are fabulous. The one at Cuisinart was fine (not as good as some others) but I would get very bored with it after a night or two. Cuisinart is a fabulous resort - don't despair about not staying at Cap.

My wife and I stayed at Cuisinart in February 2 years ago. My thoughts on your questions are as follows:

Dining/meal plan: I would not take the meal plan at Cuisinart. While previous posters were right about the hydroponic garden and Cuisinart offering pretty good food, I would not want to limit myself to just eating at Cuisinart with all of the good restaurants on Anguilla. Cost guidelines given previously are about right.

Wind on the beach: Unfortunately, the beach was so windy when we went that we were unable to sit on the beach because of blowing sand. The pool was very nice; however. The only downside to this is that we like to sit on the beach...that's the point of the Caribbean, but the wind conditions may have been a function of the time of year.

Bed comfort: My wife is very sensitive to sleeping comfort and she had no problems with the beds.

My wife and I stayed in a Jr. Suite in November. The accomodations are great and the bed was very comfortable. Definitely do not take a meal plan. You may want to eat a dinner at CuisinArt (the restaurant, Santorini, is very good), but thre are many excellent restaurants on the island. We typically spent $150 - $180 for a dinner for two, which included two appetizers, two main courses, a shared dessert, coffee and a bottle of wine. Our most expensive was Blanchards -- $230 with no dessert but a pretty expensive bottle of wine (about $70).

CuisinArt is fantastic. We took a look at Cap Juluca and quite frankly, we would choose CuisinArt again even if the two were priced the same, although CJ is certainly beautiful. However, given the price difference that you may find, I personally think the choice is easy. In November, there was only a gentle breeze on the beach and calm waters.

For what it is worth, we spent time chatting with three honeymoon couples and each was thrilled with CuisinArt. One couple even flew back from Tortola after two nights, which was to be the second half of their honeymoon, because they found themselves longing for CuisinArt and Anguilla.