Viking saved the best for last! We pulled in at 7:00 AM in Charlotte Amalie, the capital of the island of St. Thomas. It was carbon copy of yesterday’s beautiful weather – sunny and low-80’s temperature! St. Thomas was purchased by the United States from Denmark in 1917 (I’m glad they did).

St. Thomas is the gateway isle of the U.S. Virgin Islands in the Caribbean. It’s known for its beaches and snorkeling spots. Territorial capital Charlotte Amalie, founded by the Danish in the 1600s, is a busy cruise-ship port. Historic buildings include a 1679 watchtower called Blackbeard’s Castle, in reference to the area’s pirate history. On the harbor, 17th-century Fort Christian is now a local-history museum. ― Google

This island is really a paradise and this was so far the best island we visited among all the ten. The roads are well-paved and properly painted median lines. Pastel-hued buildings well kept including the government housing row! I have not seen a single graffiti and virtually no trash along the streets.

What I don’t understand is why do they still drive on the left side if it is a US territory? =)

Our female driver/tour guide Nisla, took us through a scenic drive along one of the most breathtaking routes on St. Thomas. Much of the island’s beauty lies in its endless undulating hills spilling down to stunning bays shining in a hundred shades of blue affording us fantastic views of the Caribbean and Atlantic Ocean!

The last stop we did was the world-famous Mountain Top, 2,100 feet above sea level where we admired the spectacular views of Magens Bay and the British Virgin Islands. If we were this close to Tortola why did it take us overnight to reach St. Thomas? =)

We reached the Mountain Top along with a dozen other tourist safari trucks and small roundabout in front of the Shopping Center/View Point was a little chaotic. However, the drivers enforced their own traffic rules and made the trucks move this way and that way in order for other trucks to maneuver about! No shouting, just signals and beep-beep communications!

After feasting our eyes with the panoramic vista, I lined up for the much-touted banana daiquiri they claim to be the world’s best! After a couple of sips I wanted to tell the bartender what I thought about their cocktail but decided to keep my mouth shut!

We’ve finally reached the end of our cruise although we purchased a two-day post cruise to stay in San Juan, PR. We tried to cancel but were told we will not be reimbursed for the paid 2 days.

While we were greatly disappointed with the itinerary changes – the main reason most cruisers booked was the Amazon River portion – we’re glad we continued on with this cruise. Not the best cruise we’ve experienced but in some ways it was an enriching one. I just had to open my mind and my heart.