Day 6 on RCCL’s Adventure of the Seas, we arrived in St. Croix. Here we took the Brews and Views tour into the rainforest via vans that seated 12 in four rows, with air-conditioning that barely worked and without accommodation for mobility-challenged passengers. Our guide said nothing during the first segment of this excursion, and we sat in silence as our vehicle twisted up winding mountain roads. However, the first stop made up for this deficit. At the Mt. Pellier Domino Club, we got a sample of their Mamawanna, which tasted more like pure rum. This was too strong for me, and I didn’t like it as much as the one in Dominican Republic. Snacks and beer were available for purchase at a bar, but we were there to view the pigs.
The pigs used to drink regular beer but then got too drowsy to greet tourists, so now they ingest alcohol-free varieties. We were each given a can to feed to the pigs. I approached Chester, whose stall was next to a pig named Kevin Bacon. It was fascinating to watch the pig suck the entire can into its mouth, crunch down on it, and drink the beer then spit out the can. You can see the video here.
Before getting back into our vehicles, we requested that the guide give us some history or at least tell us about the island on our way to the next stop, the Leatherback Brewing Company. There we were supposed to get a brewery tour and a free glass of beer. It turned out we were seated in the restaurant area and given the drink with food available for purchase. The guide never took us through the brewery but waved his hand and said we could take a look if we wished. We sat there for 45 minutes before finally getting back in the van.
At the port, there’s a measly scattering of uninteresting shops and native stalls with clothing, costume jewelry and some souvenirs, almost not worth the effort of getting off the ship without a tour. A trip to Christiansted or the Cruzan Rum Factory, where I’ve been before, would have been more appealing. I did love seeing the pigs, which was a memorable experience, but not the rest of this particular tour.
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THE PICTURE OF LEAVING THE PORT WITH THE MOON AND ISLAND IN BACKGROUND WAS EXCELLENT. YOU SHOULD MAKE COPIES AND SELL IT. I WOULD BUY ONE.
I HAVE ENJOYED ALL OF YOUR PICS AND COMMNETARY AS MY HUSBAND AND I CRUISED TO ALL OF THESE PLACES MANY TIMES BUT A DIFFERENT POINT OF VIEW IS ALWAYS GOOD.
SO GLAD YOU HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO THIS ESPECIALLY WITH THIS CRAZY WORLD NOW.
P.S. I WOULD HAVE DEFINITELY ASKED FOR A REFUND ON THIS LAST TERRIBLE TOUR WHERE YOU DID NOT GET TO SEE WHAT WAS PROMISED AND FOR WHICH YOU PAID.
I am glad you liked my photos and my post. As for the tour that was lacking, I made sure to comment on it in the post-cruise survey.