Mallory Square
If you want to visit a port that gives you a laid-back island vibe then you must visit Key West, Florida. Key West is part of the Florida Keys, running from Key Largo to Key West. We visited Key West on a cruise sailing from Miami, on Royal Caribbean’s Majesty of the Seas. This was such a fun and exciting Port of Call that just caters to tourists.
We sailed on a 4-day cruise that went from Miami, Nassau, Key West, Florida, and back. For someone who is thinking about trying out cruising for a family vacation a 4-day cruise is a nice option to start with. It gives you a chance to see how you like this type of vacation and whether you may have trouble with motion sickness. Our family enjoys it and I find the ships motion to be very relaxing, it does give me weird dreams though.
At Key West, our ship docked at Mallory Square known for its evening sunset celebrations. From here, it was an easy walk to many spots downtown, Duvall Street, Shipwreck Museum, and a Trolley stop.
Old Town Trolley Key West
For our shore excursion, we chose to ride this adorable red trolley train around the island, back and forth on the picturesque streets as our driver narrated the scenic trip. We saw the perfectly maintained numerous large, older homes on the island. Many of the homes and business displayed flags on their porches and windows. The flags were interesting and colorful as we toured.
In addition, one of our delights on the tour was seeing the home of the now deceased Ernest Hemingway, who lived there from 1931-1939. It is now a National Historical landmark where you can tour the home and museum.
Ernest Hemingway’s house- Key West, FL
The trolley tour drove us past by the southernmost point buoy of the continental United States. We rode past numerous stores selling conch shells, and we drove down Duvall Street seeing Jimmy Buffets Margaritaville. Lastly, we made a very delightful and tasty stop at a Key West, Key Lime pie shop. It was just delicious, tart, and sweet. Our open-air trolley ride was something we will always remember. Key West is a port I would love to visit again; we had such a fun day.
Conch shell
This island had such a happy, friendly atmosphere with a tropical island vibe. The music, palm trees, sunshine, and colorful buildings just said, “Good Times.” It was a day that we will always cherish.
Jill's Cabana Stories and Travels 