Captain Morgan's Retreat - Belize

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We loved this place! Visited: December 2008 Posted by jessica1973 The staff was great! They took care of us and our three girls - ages 18 months to 19 years. Everyone was so nice. The food was wonderful, the views were breathtaking, and the accommodations were perfect! We stayed in a two-bedroom villa with kitchen. We also had a loft bed and beautiful ocean view. It was not five stars by American standards, but it was clean and absolutely what we needed. None of us wanted to leave. We took a jungle tour to the Mayan ruins, and had a wonderful time. I do recommend lighweight hoodies for evenings, boat rides, and bug spray for when the wind dies down. Aside from that, you will love this remote and beautiful location. It was perfect! 7 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? Captain Morgan's Retreat was great. Visited: October 2008 Posted by kkpuma It is really hard to believe some of the negative reviews. I think they are from competitors. To say that the staff is rude is far from the truth. We have been here twice, and the staff is one of the main reasons we will go back. The food is also very good. The rooms are nice, too. If there are any issues, the staff is very attentive to them. The spa/massages are unbelievable, and the whole atmosphere is very relaxing. 6 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? Do not stay here! Visited: April 2008 Posted by hrichard27 Captain Morgan is not a bad place. Although, the pictures do not show that there is no real beach here, and the pool is what you will have. The villa we rented was not clean, and the air condidtioning was not working, among other things. What is not mentioned is that the place is isolated from San Pedro (3.5 miles), and the most convenient way to get there by water taxi is $14 round trip per person. It would be very dissuasive for a family. Everything that is provided on site is way overpriced, taking advantage of the fact that you are trapped. Doing your own laundry will cost you $10. The restaurant and the grocery store will charge you twice what you would pay in San Pedro. Staff we encountered were indifferent to rude. They seemed more interested in getting you to buy a timeshare than having a good time. Avoid at all cost. There are much better values in other hotels. 14 users found this review helpful. 3 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? It was "unBelizeable"! Visited: May 2007 Posted by calidude Captain Morgan's Retreat gets it! I stayed in one of the most amazing little huts just 20 feet from the water. I also went snorkeling with "Enrique" at Hol Shan, and Shark Ray Alley was amazing. I can hardly wait to be back in Belize, thanks to Captain Morgan's Retreat. 7 users found this review helpful. 7 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? It was amazing. Visited: January 2007 Posted by abbybradshaw I've been home for two weeks and can't get San Pedro off my mind. I had the best time at the resort. The staff was unbelievable. Everyone was so eager to please with smiles on their faces. I truly felt like a princess. I can't wait to go back! 5 users found this review helpful. 3 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? This was a dream vacation. Visited: November 2006 Posted by happy_tourist_ I just got back from Belize, and cant stop counting the days to go back. The main reason was Captain Morgan's Retreat. I just read a lot of comments, and can't relate to any of them -about this place being rundown or that the staff was rude. The pool was always crystal clear, the rooms looked even better than on the web site, and the restaurant food was great. They also had a convenience store on-site so guests can save time from going into town. They also had a tour desk with some freindly staff who could assist with all your snorkeling, mainland tours, fishing trips. I am counting the days before I can get back to Captain Morgan's Retreat. 8 users found this review helpful. 3 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? This is way overpriced for what you get. Visited: February 2006 Posted by bumping I found Captatin Morgan's Retreat to be completely overpriced for the "actual" accommodations and services. Also, the staff was very rude to us! We found the facilities to be shabby to completely rundown. What they claimed they have and what they offered in reality were two different things. The pictures of their accommodations posted on their web site looked great. However, what we got in reality was totally not the same. I don't know where that room was on the resort, but our room looked nothing like it. They claimed they had air conditioning, does it work? No! They claimed to have hot water, again - there was none. There was also no water pressure. They claimed they have a laundry facility, but the machines didn't even work. The resort seemed to be just falling apart. We paid through the nose to stay here, and we got to deal with the resort staff, and it seemed like they couldn't care less about any of our concerns. Another claim we found to be bogus : friendly accommodatiing staff. I have never experienced rudeness on that level. The resort was pretty remote, isolated, and far from town, so the prices for everything there was very expensive. It was about twice what you would pay elsewhere for half the quality. I suggest you forget this place. It was awful! It wasn't worth the price. You will be disappointed if you stay here. There are nicer, friendlier places at a more reasonable price, closer to town. 5 users found this review helpful. 9 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? We experienced a time share scam at Captain Morgan's retreat. Visited: February 2006 Posted by coffee4metoo Before you buy a timeshare at Captain Morgan's, read this from an "owner" of 4 years. The quality has gone way down. Although, they are building new units, they are not maintaining the current units. It is very disappointing to see them go downhill. Where is the maintenance fee going that I pay every year? The villas are starting to look very shabby - outside and inside. They are not clean, the furniture is worn and dirty, and the linens are frayed. If you do buy there, get everything they promise you in writing. Also, be aware that the bonus weeks they give out as incentives are worthless. You have to book them in the hotel portion, which is no comparision to the timeshare villas, and in the low season. Since you can't book them in the timeshare portion, they are worthless to you. Also, you cannot book your week, and trade or sell back. We have also found that they have sold more weeks than they have available. As an owner, you have to book a year in advance to get the weeks you want. Unfortunately, the resort is getting rundown, and it definitely isn't what it used to be. The restaurant and bar are mediocre at best, and the prices have significantly increased. If I had known then what I know now, I wouldn't have bought at this place. It is not a place I would recommend to anyone else. 13 users found this review helpful. 7 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? We thought this was a timeshare scam. Visited: January 2006 Posted by microsof Captain Morgan's was once a very nice place to stay, but the all mighty dollar seems to be causing problems at the resort. They are starting to make promises about the resort and offering bonus weeks to potential and existing members that cannot be used. I would suggest to people who are planning to come here or upgrade, that they be warned. They should confirm in writing any agreements they make. I have read a lot of reviews with similar cautions. It seems that the problem is that they are giving away more regular weeks and bonus weeks than they have available at the resort. The guest is who suffers as they are not able to use this bonus week (or they put restrictions on the week so you will not use it). And worst of all, the room they give you is not the real fancy one they show you and tell you that you get to use. We found that the room you end up staying in is a much less nicer one than the one they say you get (all verbal). I hope you read this and take the warning as Captain Morgan's needs to start correcting their reputation or people like me need to make sure you know what is really going on under the management. Also, they are spending lots of money on the new buildings at the expense of the old buildings, which means no repairs and horrible rooms. You would be best to avoid this place at all costs. I don't think you are not missing a single thing if you never go to Captain Morgan's. 8 users found this review helpful. 7 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? DON'T GO TO CAPTAIN MORGANS Visited: April 2005 Posted by vidyaiye My husband and I travelled to Belize during April 2005 and stayed at Captain Morgan's Retreat, San Pedra for 4 nights and I have not had a worse vacation than this one. The staff at Captain Morgan are plain rude. Watch out for charges they'll add to your account in the blink of an eye. They have this thing called the "Activities Center" which is just a way to rip off people in their retreat. If you go and talk to one of staff there, he/she will quote you a price for rentals etc and if you go talk to another person at the same office, they'll quote you a different price. We thought their business was REAL shady. The worst part is that since it is not on San Pedro your options to shop around for deals (for snorkeling, parasailing, Scuba etc) are nill. The first time we signed up with Captain Morgan' for snorkeling was a bad experience. I thought the captain was really inexperienced as all we saw throughout the trip were sting rays. We talked to other people on san pedro and they told us that we missed seeing the sharks, big turtles etc. One time we had told them that we'll ride with them on one such trips to san pedro and they said ok. When we showed up (Absolutely ON TIME) we were told the boat left. When we checked with the front desk we were told that they had left as we were 5 min late when the clock in their office showed exactly the time in our watch. We finally ended up signing up for all our other activities on san pedro where we got much better deals and service. The cleaners are so inefficient and slow. If you want to take a second shower during the day, you'll have to go ask for your towels at the front desk because the cleaners don't get to your room until the end of the day. It is simply ridiculous. Their bathrooms have really poor design. In fact their showers don't even have a soap stand on anything were you can keep your stuff. The sand on the floor is not mopped properly and you can see the dirt on the floor even after they are gone. The food was alright, but over priced. We ended up eating at other restaurants where the food was far superior. Capricorn which is right next to Captain MOrgan's has fine dining and great food and if you're at San Pedro, I recommend "THE JERK PIT"...they have amazing food. C Before we came to Captain Morgan's we stayed at Five Sister's Lodge in San Ignasio and it was a great experience. But for our experience at Captain Morgan's we had a great time in Belize and I thought it was a very beautiful country with great beaches and rich culture. Happy travelling !! 5 users found this review helpful. 5 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? We can't wait to go back. Visited: December 2004 Posted by busybabe58 We spent a wonderful week at Captain Morgan's. The staff could not have been more friendly or accommodating. From the time we were met at the airport by guest services to the arrival on their white sand beach, we were wonderfully surprised by the beautiful resort. The staff went out of their way to make sure that our stay was a memorable one. Our rooms were beautiful. All rooms were beachfront, and the restaurant was terrific. Captain Morgan's had two BBQ nights with different bands and foods, that are a must while you are there. I can't wait to go back to the resort and spend time once again relaxing in a hammock on their beautiful white sand beach. If you are planning on going to San Pedro, stay at Captain Morgan's. I promise you will not be disappointed. 4 users found this review helpful. 1 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? Nice room and view but the food and bev services are poor Visited: February 2004 Posted by wabmac The physical property of Captain Morgan's was great. You are 3.5 miles north of San Pedro and unless you take the water taxi each night you are subjected to their dining facilities. That's where we had major issues. The first night we arrived late because of weather related travel problems. We had not eaten all day so we were famished. The dining room was beautiful overlooking the sea. We placed our orders and it took close to 2 hours to get our meals. They came out one at a time and the last meal delivered was 30 minutes after the first meal. We were later informed that 6 of the staff members had quit that day. We were so upset that the information had not been offered to us before we sat down. With that information we could of taken a water taxi into town and enjoyed our first night. That set the stage for the entire weeks visit. Because we were vocal we felt that the staff gave us the cold shoulder from that first night. We did try the dining room again but felt the meals and service were extremely poor. Captain Morgan's would be a great place if they spent more effort in the kitchen. Since most resorts are isolated north of town food and beverage services is extremely important. 2 users found this review helpful. 4 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? This was truly an island paradise! Visited: January 2004 Posted by cmvbc Captain Morgan's was indeed a paradise. For bird lovers, they had early morning walks to the northern side of the island. For fitness, they offered bike riding, water aerobics, yoga and Pilates, to name a few. If the Mayan ruins and the jungle is what you want to combine it with, then, you can sign up for a Lamanai or Altun Ha trip. You will be able see manatee, dolphins and many more things. Captain Morgan's Retreat is a must visit. I truly enjoyed my time here. Best regards to the staff and the management team here. They certainly did a great job. 4 users found this review helpful. 1 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? We enjoyed a great, relaxing honeymoon. Visited: July 2003 Posted by henry_davis Captain Morgan's was a great place to stay. We arrived at the San Pedro airport and were greeted by Roger from the resort, and he shuttled us off to a waiting water taxi that took us directly to the resort. We stayed in one of the beach cabanas and it was great. We had a couple of pet lizards that hung around, but didn't have a problem with any pests at all. The staff was great and they suggested many things we could do or see in San Pedro. The entire staff was friendly and helped us out whenever we needed it. It was definitely a great place to go. One issue for us was that the restaurant wasn't open all the time (even just for snacks). Maybe that was our problem that we didn't stock our fridge, but with the time change it would be nice for the restaurant to be open a little earlier for lunch. Our A/C unit was dripping water a bit, but after it was reported, it was promptly fixed. Water pressure was an issue in the shower, but again...once it was reported they fixed it immediately. Overall, Captain Morgan's was a good honeymoon destination and we will definitely go back to Belize. Ambergris Caye was great. 3 users found this review helpful. 1 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? We had a great time and enjoyed great diving. Visited: April 2003 Posted by tvandfilm It truly was a "retreat." I felt far away from the rest of the world (exactly what I look for in a vacation). We rented a golf cart to drive to town one day. It was definitely worth the money (if you're an adventurous type). It was a blast! Captain Morgan's Retreat worked with an excellent dive shop- all of the dive masters were very knowledgable about their reef. They all seemed like they swam before they walked. I felt safe and comfortable. We were very happy here. It was in a beautiful setting, with great food in the restaurant, and great service from the entire staff. It was very laid back and casual. If you're the type who wants a high-rise Marriott, you probably won't be happy here. If you're a little more casual and adventurous, you'll love this place as much as we did. 3 users found this review helpful. 1 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? A perfect vacation getaway on a perfect beach! Visited: January 2003 Posted by kliurias We are still trying to get back into our routine here at home after an absolutely fantastic vacation at Captain Morgan's Retreat. From the very beginning of our contact with the resort, we found everyone to be very helpful and considerate. Kristi, our representative in Wyoming, was very patient and thorough during her replies to my many questions. And she helped us arrange this wonderful trip. Once we arrived, the staff at Captain Morgan's was very professional, yet at the same time, very personable. They made us feel like old friends instead of "clients" and we enjoyed our stay immensely. In particular, we'd like to thank the front office staff who greeted us whenever we had any questions. The staff in the dinning room was always gracious and served us wonderful meals. The bartender was always ready to help us explore the various tastes of the "Tiki Bar". Furthermore, the diving services provided by Patojo (dive master) and his crew were outstanding. Based on our experience with Patojo and his team, we simply would not want to dive with any other dive team. As I write this letter, I'm already anxiously anticipating our next trip to Captain Morgan's. We plan to meet my brother and his family at the resort as soon, as we can arrange our schedules. In the meantime, thank you all very much for providing us with such a great vacation experience! 1 users found this review helpful. 1 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? It was tempting! Visited: August 2002 Posted by otwells Temptation Island was truly a gem! Captain Morgan's (where temptation Island was filmed) was truly a diamond in the rough. The villas were spacious, and the accessibility to the restaurant and bar was good. The staff was very helpful and accommodating. The only downside was having to pay a premium for a water taxi after 8:00 pm. Snorkeling and diving here were among the best in the world. The clear water was unbelievable. A trip to the mainland is a must. Belize probably has one of the most interesting zoos in the world. If you want to just chill, be romantic, or indulge in all that the Caribbean Sea and the Belizean jungle has to offer, I'd definitely recommend a stay at Captain Morgan's. 1 users found this review helpful. 1 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? Nice place but needs some leadership. Visited: December 1969 Posted by ATraveler I was recently married on the beach at Captain Morgan's Retreat. The cabanas were comfortable and most had air-conditioning. They were in the process of building Villas and an addition to the pool bar - I think it was going to be the restaurant. The food was good, but not great - compared to other "captive" resorts. With the growing tourism, the resort needs people that are trained in hospitality. The workers were very nice and tried to be a great help. The workers were not allowed to do requests of the guests, unless they came through the manager and he was not easy to work with. If I were to go to Ambergris Caye again - which I plan on doing, it's a great island - I would stay at a different resort. This place was great, but it needs some helpful leadership. 1 users found this review helpful. 2 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? Hidden treasure - Perfect island getaway Visited: December 1969 Posted by ATraveler We were amazed. The Internet did no justice for how wonderful this resort was. The staff at Captain Morgan's were all wonderful, and the villa huts were incredible. The island of Ambergris Caye, where Captain Morgan's is located was tranquil, non-commercial and beautiful. We would return in a heart beat. The most amazing thing was the snorkeling...there was just something about swimming with mantas and sharks (all very mellow). They were improving the facilities, the restaurant was brand new, and they were in progress of making a new activities center. That did not take away from the beauty. The cabanas were all booked, but not more than 2 or 3 people in the pool at a time. A hidden treasure. 0 users found this review helpful. 1 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful?

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