Bottom line, if you want a remote caribbean island vacation, w/ bungalow on the beach, good food, outstanding staff, and relaxed diving atmosphere, this is the place to go.
Myself, wife, son and 2 other couples, just returned from 1 week in paradise. The resort is on a an island/atoll 32 miles from Belize city. The staff was outstanding and the bungalows were roomy, comfortable, and well maintained. AC worked great when ocean breeze died down. Great water. Expectations were exceeded regarding all aspects of the trip. The pickup at the airport and the transfer in a very nice a/c'd minibus from airport to marina was great. The boat ride to the resort was a little longer than expected due to a pretty stiff headwind. But the Belikin beers and sodas and cool breeze made it nice. I have never felt more welcomed or appreciated at any hotel or resort I have visited. The resort was only half full so we never felt crowded or rushed. Two sets of honeymooners balanced out us "old timers". The 3 dives day were about all we wanted. It was as close to being on a land based live aboard as one can get.
The day trip to blue hole and half moon caye was outstanding. I had heard the hole was not that great a dive, but was told the smaller dive boats dive a different section of the hole than the big live aboards. The stalagtites we saw were amazing, also sharks, tarpins and big groupers. The 2nd and 3rd dive sites and bbq @ booby bird sanctuary are well worth the day trip out by themselves. Most all other dives sites are less then 10 minute boat ride from resort. You can gear up while leaving dock and be in water as soon as you get to the site. We returned to the resort after each dive which was nice for a shower, snack, nap, meal, beverage, or other activity. Dives were scheduled at 8:00, 11:30, and 3:30. The scheduled night dive was blown out, but the staff rescheduled to make sure people leaving midweek, still got the night dive in.

The diving was good but visability was only ok. We had quite a bit of wind throuught the week. We did see eagle rays and turtles on about every dive. Lots of groupers. Some sites did not have a great abundance of fish life, while others were spectacular. The staff is willing to dive sites upon request.

The dive masters, James and Cardinal were outstanding, as was boat captain Junior and snorkel guide Chris. We had a dive instructor within our group who has dove all around the world. He rated Cardinal as the best he has ever dove with. My wife is a beginner diver who doesn't tolerate boat and swell motion very well. The staff made sure she was comfortable, ready, and made her feel at ease and safe. They gave her the support and encouragement, without pressure she needed to make additional dives. Dive briefings were thorough and well defined. I highley reccomend this operation for any first time or beginner level divers. The dives were adjusted based on the experience of the divers aboard.

The whole staff treated us like family and were comitted to "yes" response to any request. The manager said they are going to do a refurb during the shutdown months of July-Sept (approx). However, I didn't see where much needed to be done. Meals were very good. Breakfast and lunch were set buffet style, and dinner was by selection of meat or fish or combo served to you at tables. Meal seating was set family style but several requests for meals delivered to bungalows were honored. Our son is a special needs child and the staff made him feel like a special guest. Our friends notified the resort his favorite food was cheesburgers, and they treated him to his own burger meal on four different occasions. The kitchen staff was very willing to honor any special requests for food, snacks etc. All food was good, especially deserts.

The stiff breeze kept the bugs down. However, some that didn't dive did get some very itchy fly bites. I dove all dives and didn't notice any bug issues.

Was able to catch bone fish, grunt and snapper form the shore. However, if you want to fish, bring all your tackle with you. None to purchase at the resort. We were vistied by a crockadile at the docks on the last night which was a kodak moment.
Small gift shop onsite for hats, "T's" swimsuits, etc. but bring what you need in terms of medicines, supplies, etc. with you. Nightlife is limited to what you can make within the group onsite. It is just the guests there. Remember it is a remote island of staff and upto 30+ guests. Plenty of ice cold Belikin beer and other drinks to choose from. However, a exoctic mixed drink like margarita at $10.00 USD seemed a little high. Other drinks, bottle water, cokes are very reasonable. Any nightlife is what you make.

Our family of four stayed at this resort over spring break this year, and we were accompanied by another family of four. In total, we had four teenagers and interests ranging from snorkeling, diving and fishing.

The resort accommodations were great! The deluxe cabanas were great for the adults and the teenagers stayed in the more basic units closer to the main lodge.

We were mostly a group of novice divers (including two junior divers) and were really impressed by the divemasters at this resort. There were some more experienced divers but we were given the level of instruction and guidance we needed, including the juniors.

We had the privilege of being guided by a family of dive masters during our stay: James, Cardinal and Erik. During the first part of the week, Cardinal and James led us through our dives and really helped us get us novice divers under control. There were some more expert divers at the resort, too and they got the attention and dives they wanted also. Erik came at the second half of the week and also was a fantastic dive master. They were very nice, knowledgeable and really made us feel safe. The dive equipment was in good condition (we rented the whole time and only brought our own mask, fins, and snorkels along with 3mm shorties). They also were highly attentive to safety and kept track of all of us on our dives and other outings.

The resort has great cabanas, food, and staff. In particular, the staff were very friendly and great with kids. The food was delicious and appealed to both discerning adults and picky kids, alike. We had great fun playing volleyball with everyone at the end of each day.

Snorkeling was also a great activity and there were many snorkels very close to the resort that were fantastic. We swam with dolphins, saw rays, nurse sharks, corals, sponges, barracudas and an incredible array of tropical fish. This area is the most incredible place for viewing pristine coral reef habitats.

I would highly recommend to a broad range of travellers from adults with young kids (there were a few of these types of families during our week) to serious divers or fishers. My husband was very much in to fishing and the resort accommodated his needs and desires very well. I think that is the hallmark of this resort - they really cater to your desires and needs and have flexibility in their packages to accommodate that.

Even though we have taken a number of vacations to resorts with a dive operation on site - we have never been so well taken care of....
Our little cabana was quite large, it was clean and comfortable, the water was always hot, the electricity always worked and the sea breeze was all the a/c we needed.
Dining was relaxed - cafeteria style for breakfast and lunch and a choice of dinner entres with full service provided enough variety that even the pickiest eater wouldn't go hungry.
Our boat captain and dive master provided valet service - on and under water. Things we might have otherwise missed were pointed out and there was no need to do anything but a safety inspection of our gear.
I especially appreciated the little extra lift out of the water and being guided to the tank rest, and the warm towels were heavenly! No chilly rides between dives.
Blackbird Caye Resort reminded me of all the fun I had going to camp as a kid. We made lots of new friends and had a wonderful time!

Our stay at Blackbird Caye started off nice enough. The people who work there are lovely, you couldn't ask for a more aaccomodating staff. The divemaster made all of our dives comfortable and had a lot of patience as well. The food was outstanding, eaten campstyle. We tipped them well as they were worth it!

The bungalows were nice but the A/C units didn't always work, the toilets didn't work and the electricity kept going out. The beds had bedbugs, yes that is right, bedbugs. I got back to the US and went to my doctor for all of these bites on my legs and arms and that is what was diagnosed. We were only there for 3 nights but that was enough. On the second day I thought that perhaps they were sand flea bites but alas, they fit the classic mold of bed bug bites. My friends got these bites too from their bungalows.

The managment said that they are doing a complete overhaul and closing for 3 months. Hopefully this overhaul will take care of the problem as the resort is truly wonderful, in a primitive..very relaxing...do nothing but read, dive, play cards and eat type of way. A good vacation spot to really rest.