Visiting Key West by cruise ship is an interesting experience. We arrived early in the morning and waited for sunrise and our chance to disembark. I suppose we were intended to revel the night away and not awake first thing, pacing the deck like caged animals.
Eventually the town woke up and the passengers shambled off of the gangway. We toured the local aquarium right next to the cruise dock first, which was surprisingly decent. They had quite the variety of fantastical and colorful beasts behind glass and in open pools.
I’m sure this stop is normally a respite from the afternoon sun or a convenient place to stall for dock time near the ship, but I’m kinda glad we experienced it in the morning solitude. Next we wandered the streets of Key West as the morning churned towards afternoon. Some tourist shops were open, but most bars and restaurants weren’t interested in the hour. We still enjoyed the tree-lined streets, unique mix of architecture, and scenes of daily life that unfolded.
As we returned to Mallory Square we indulged in the shipwreck museum, mostly for the view from the lookout tower. But again, I was surprised by the information and education provided within about Key West history and the shipwrecking industry.
After another survey of the shops and a Key West beer we decided to pack back on board to avoid any potential rush. Ships have to leave port well before sundown so that they don’t block the view, which meant we had a fairly early dock time compared with the entire entertainment sector Key West is mostly known for. I took some photos of the ship’s amenities as we waited for our fellow passengers to trickle back aboard.
