Vacation dates: February 18 -25, 2006.

This vacation was booked before any trip reviews came in, and to be honest, I was nervous. CM Buccanner's Creek is touted as a 5 star style resort, upscale and rennovations that included plush towels, high thread count sheets, and flat screen TVs in every room: all true.

The grounds were lovely and the rooms were quite a few steps above the normal CM accommodations. They have the right idea with the new showers: large and a rainshower type showerhead that made for a delicious touch after a day in the sun...I hear they are ironing out the kinks in the bathroom. For some reason, the glass door to the shower stall does not reach the floor, so quite a bit of water would pour out. Lay down towels and it should save some mess.

Flat screen TVs were a nice touch, but the only station available in English was CNN. The Disney Channel dubbed in French was good for a chuckle, however.

Ok, down to business: The food. Mediocre. They did try to put imagination and spice into their offerings, but I think it fell short. There was not enough variety of foods, but if you are a fish lover, you'll be in heaven. Their signature white chocolate bread was sorely missed as it made only one or two appearances throughout the week. Fresh salads and fruits were always available and the desserts were to die for!

The Drinks: Mixed drinks? Well, nothing elaborate and you'll be ok. No top shelf liquors are included in the all inclusive price, so if you want something decent, you'll have to pay! The beer was on tap, cold, and refreshing. The wine was better than most resorts' table wines

The pool: An amazing infinity pool that is huge and beautiful with a view of the ocean as its backdrop. Daily water aerobics classes were held there and were a lot of fun.

The beach: Short width, but a decent length, and very rocky in some spots. Pretty palm trees line the area, so you can find shade if wanted.The water was blue, clear, gorgeous and clean.

Sports: Windsurfing, water ski, kayak, tennis, volleyball, boche ball, and a variety of health and fitness classes throughout the day.

Spa: Absolutely decadent! The surroundings are a walled in garden area where they give you herbal tea while you wait for your pampering on a chez lounge in the shade. The treatment rooms are quiet, relaxing and soothing...all it should be. A variety of fabulous body scrubs, seaweed wraps, massages and facials are offered.

The general atmosphere and staff: Beacause the club was not full to capacity during our stay, there was quite a lot of room to move around. The pool area and the beach were never crowded, so you didn't have to worry about claiming your spot as there was plenty of space. You could find quiet areas as well as locations where there were some lively fun to be had (bar games, trivia, daytime caberet). And that was the same for the evening entertainment as well. There was always something going on, whether it be the stage shows, local acts performing in the bar area, and even movie nights under the stars. You could dance til the wee hours if it suited you, and yes! There were Crazy Signs each and every night!

The staff all were friendly and even though English was not their preferred language to speak, each person made an effort to converse and make you feel as welcome as possible. They were all fun and ready to party, take you for a tour around the grounds, give you advice on excursions or activities...

Hendel, the man in charge, is doing his utmost to bring this very special village to its best potential, and he is well on his way to making Bucc. Creek a success story. Rumor has it that trapeze may be added to the list of sports activities in the very near future.

Honestly, most who were their were travelling with families or in couple. There were not many single people at all. But with Hendel's magic touch, that may very well change soon.

It was a fabulously fun vacation in a beautiful village located in the center of Paradise. Go! You'll love it!