Day 7:

  We had no shore excursion for St.Croix because they were all very pricey at over $280 each, including being driven around in a Jeep Wrangler "safari" with the top off so bugs can devour you.  No thanks.  Instead, we decide to simply walk around a bit and try the local cuisine.
  To our horror, we can only find one restaurant, and it's frozen chicken-nuggets and microwaved hot-dogs.  Despite the carnival-like goings-on, there's NO food!  Royal Caribbean had only 4 possible shore-excursions for St.Croix, all pretty lame, so we figured there'd be more happenings right off pier.  Nope.  We traveled by-foot a good few miles and questioned locals who directed us to a KFC.  Um.. no.  Still, sea turtles (probably missing us from Barbados) were breaching the water by our feet.
  St.Croix was unbearably hot and muggy despite a light shirt and shorts.  Nowhere to even buy a drink!  Pretty wild folks though, and plenty of clothes.

A triangelist street musician?

Dee Dee's Hair Care needs a lawn trim

No food for you.

 Dejected, we return to the ship.  Despite the "Carnivale" attitude, there's really nothing going on.  Cheap, Made-In-China clothes (the tag's a give-away, not locally-made, sorry, unless we're in Ching-Chow-freakin' CHINA!)

  I start to get a bit sniffly.  I made mention all the elevator buttons were gooey as they hadn't been wiped-down by the staff in the week we'd been onboard.  I'm getting a slight fever as well and Becky's feeing just wiped.  We eat on-board and just take it easy.

  Bowser is doing a signing of free 1970s promo-photos so we wait in line for that.  A classic guitarist is strumming some good work as we wait and I applaud his skill.  Next to him in line is a "temporary tattoo" artist turning on her compressor, making a racket.  I indicate to the guitarist to maybe turn-up his classical-guitar's Roland amp, but he shrugs it off as if to say, "No one's listening to me or appreciating me but you anyway."  I look around and it's true.  It's just noise to everyone else.  Sigh.  Still, I inform him I recognize his skill.  I mention the Rush scenario to Bowser who found it amusing and that I admired his Juilliard School of Music piece he had done on piano for his mother and that it was moving.  We had him sign his signature, "Grease for Peace".

  It turns out we won't be making our flight from San Juan to Denver as even though the ship docks at 6am, we won't be able to disembark until 8am.  Our flight leaves at 7:30am, so we'll have to try to get another flight (or stay in Puerto Rico).  We coordinate an early check-out and pre-pay all the Royal Caribbean hidden fees and tips beforehand so in the morning we'll be good-to-go.

  I took a few NyQuill and call it a night.