I went on the ships and sips tour on Saturday. They needed a minimum amount of people for the tour…read moreto go, and they immediately informed me when they had enough people so I could book as well. It was about 65 dollars for the tour, which included a drink at every stop. I arrived early at the at first stop, and we waited in the bus while others arrived. Even though it was a bit cold and raining, we all agreed to do the first drink on the ship. We climbed into the USS orleck, and was given a quick tour of the ship. We then did trivia for the drinks, which was shots of vodka and bourbon. It was really good. The next stop was at a beer brewery, and we had a ticket for one drink. I tried one of their beers, and it was quite smooth and refreshing. We stopped at another beer restaurant, and did a game where we had to text the guide a quote the quickest possible. The final stop was at a rooftop, which we had to go through handheld metal detector, and upstairs. It was worth it as the drink was strong and excellent. I had so much to drink, that I did excuse myself a bit early so I could Uber back to my hotel safely.
The guides (Dan and Bill I believe) were excellent. While there was some story telling about the ship in the first stop, I wish there were more about the brewery and restaurants as well. However, the games were pretty fun to play and one lucky guest was crowned the Duke of the tour and got some prizes. Tina, our driver, drove us safely to each stop. The bus was comfortable.
It was definitely a fun tour, but best to pace yourself with the drinks, especially if you are driving back home. Taking an Uber/Lyft is a smarter idea. I am glad I tried this tour out as it was fun and there were ample amount of drinks. It was worth the 65 dollars. I will definitely try their food tour next time I visit Jacksonville.
Overall: A