My husband and I (both in 30s) are considering the Buccaneer in St. Croix for a May vacation. We are looking for a place that is somewhat luxurious with beautiful beaches (Caneel Bay is out of our price range). Does anyone have any input on the Buccaneer? Or advice on another location with good beaches, snorkeling, and somewhat luxurious accomodations that might be in the same price range (we're flying from the East coast).

Dee, <BR> <BR>I've been researching resorts for my honeymoon in May, and had been considering the Buccaneer for a while. However, depending on what you want in an island, I found the Nisbet Plantation resort in Nevis to be just what I've been looking for. <BR> <BR>I haven't booked it yet as I'm making sure this is the one, but it's quite a bit cheaper and has tremendous offerings. <BR> <BR>The island of Nevis is a small, untouched, non-commercialized island. Just what I've been looking for. There are also some other beautiful places to stay in Nevis/St. Kitts, but aren't on the beach. <BR> <BR>See www.nisbetplantation.com and www.wheretostay.com for more info. <BR> <BR>Feel free to email me at [email protected] if you have any further questions. <BR> <BR>Josh M. <BR>----------------------------- <BR>&lt;http://www.FlickerTube.com&gt; <BR>Your Internet Video Station! <BR>Movies, Shows, Cartoons, Music, More

To Josh M: <BR> <BR>I went to the Cliffdwellers website but got frustrated because it took too long to download. What I saw looked really nice, prices not bad. Have you checked out Hurricane Cove Bungalows also? Their website is www.hurricanecove.com. They are situated on the hillside above Oalie Beach, at the north end of the island. I have not been there (Nevis is on my list too), but have been attracted by their ad for a number of years in Caribbean Travel & Life magazine. Have never heard of Cliffdwellers before. I got the impression it was a brand new property... let us know if you get more details. <BR>Joan

Joan, <BR> <BR>Below is the email I received back from The Cliffdwellers. My 2 main concerns are breakfast and the distance to the beach. They offer to provision your villa in advance for you, and provide daily maid service. I only wish I could read a review of it, and know how far the beach is. I'd check the site again, though, because it does look very beautiful! <BR> <BR>I've been heavily considering Nevis/St. Kitts, but I have heard that in May things shut down a bit since it's the "off-season." <BR> <BR>Best, <BR>Josh <BR>[email protected] <BR>------------------- <BR>Dear Josh: <BR>Aerie and Tangerine House are available for your honeymoon (May 7-14, 2001). <BR>The Tamarind does not serve breakfast, but if we provision your villa, we <BR>could include the things you like to have for breakfast for the week (juice, <BR>cereal, milk, bacon, eggs, English muffins, etc.) or enough for just the <BR>first morning or two and you could pick up what you might like at the markets <BR>for the rest of the week. If you rent Aerie, you can enjoy having breakfast <BR>right by the plunge pool outside the master bedroom suite's door without the <BR>bother of going out for breakfast. If you want to have breakfast out, Four <BR>Seasons has a wonderful breakfast buffet (about a mile away) and Oualie Beach <BR>Hotel also serves breakfast (about a 1/2 mile). If you are exploring the <BR>island, enjoy the "Planter's Breakfast" at Hermitage, a plantation inn with <BR>lush plantings, about 15 minutes away beyond Charlestown, the major town and <BR>capital. <BR> <BR>Provisions, otherwise, could include whatever else you might like to have in <BR>your villa when you get there: drinks, snacks, beer, wine, rum etc. Your cost <BR>for provisions is whatever we pay in the market -- prices are comparable to <BR>what you would pay in the states -- some things which are imported are a bit <BR>more expensive -- others which are local are a bit cheaper. <BR> <BR>There is a beach you can walk to off Cliffdwellers with reefs for snorkeling <BR>off the cliff at one end and it becomes sandy as you walk to the other end. <BR>In addition, there is a very sandy shallow beach at Oualie and a three mile <BR>long beach at Cades Bay each about a 1/2 mile away. We don't have snorkeling <BR>equipment available, but you can rent it at Oualie Beach. <BR> <BR>Asking questions is a great way to decide whether renting a villa works for <BR>you. Keep them coming if you think of any more!

Joan, <BR> <BR>I just found out that the Cliffdwellers is near the beach, according to a woman from the St.Kitts/Nevis newsgroup (http://www.geographia.com/guestbook/kittsnevis/). <BR> <BR>I have a few other emails and messages out, so I'll let you know what I hear. Oh, and I read the reviews of the Hurricane Cove Bungalows at www.where2stay.com and was not overwhelmingly impressed, although I plan on looking into it a little further. <BR> <BR>Have you ever stayed at a villa before? This would be my first time, and I've been trying to weigh the pros and cons of a villa vs. a resort. Any suggestions on how to make this decision?? <BR> <BR>Thanks! <BR>Josh M. <BR> <BR>

Josh: <BR>Yes, have stayed at two villas in Tortola, one on St. Lucia, and two on Eleuthera. We used to stay in hotels, but find villas are much more private and luxurious, for about the same money. One factor, you MUST get a car usually...but we always do that anyway. I think villas are for the "exploring" type, who do not care about having their beds made for them each day. Also, you interact much more with the locals, since you must ask around and buy food, booze, etc from the local markets. We find this a real high point. And the privacy is delicious! On the down side, you can't just roll out of your room and go get some drinks and food at the resort restaurant...we bring a six-pack type cooler with us, with subs for the first night, steak and lobster for the one or two home made meals, and cheese and salami maybe for snacks. Everything else we buy or bring in our luggage. It's a real adventure! <BR>As for WHICH villa, go with your gut instince. And then make a phone call, so you can actually hear a human voice before booking. We found that the owners are usually so proud and full of info, it is a real pleasure talking to them. <BR> <BR>I will go to where2stay and read about Hurricane Cove... <BR>any questions, feel free! <BR>Joan <BR> <BR>Also, a pool is a wonderful addition to any villa. It's great to come home from a day of exploring and open a beer and jump naked into the pool.

We stayed at the Buccaneer last April and it was wonderful. We stayed in the tennis rooms, but I would recommend the Grotto rooms (they are pricey, but they have their own pool/on the beach) and are VERY nice. The resort is wonderful, in fact we may re-visit when our kids get a little older, they have a wonderful tennis pro that was great with kids. Email me if you have further questions.