Sad to see so few cruises to Key West

[GAMOM4]

This would have been our 3rd December in a row cruising to Key West out of Jacksonville....then they made the change to Little Stirrup Key so we changed the cruise to November - so no Christmas decorations (and so much for "new annual tradition" of going the first week of December).

 

But I was playing around on the Carnival website looking at cruises for next year ... and it doesn't look like Carnival will be going to Key West out of Jacksonville any in November or December (probably the rest of the year either - but I didn't check) .. that really makes me sad...so I started looking at what cruises still go to Key West and there was one out of Port Canaveral on December 30th and the Freedom and a couple out of Miami....so much for our annual 5 night cruise to Key West.

 

I did google cruises that go there and it does look like Royal Caribbean has a 5 night out of Tampa - which is within driving distance for us. Just my luck right after we become platinum then we start looking at other cruise lines. Oh well.....I guess there are chances they will add or take away cruises before then. Or I may just have to find a new favorite port (probably not).:(

[Cruizinman]

Sorry ,seems Carnival nipped KW in the bud from Jaxport :(

Hello Royal ;):D

[Jeffbhhs]

I also really liked Key West, it was one of my favorite ports actually.

[CheckersMidwest]

We also really enjoyed Key West. Such a neat atmosphere and so much to do !

[GAMOM4]

Sorry ,seems Carnival nipped KW in the bud from Jaxport :(

Hello Royal ;):D

 

I am looking at Royal site now and it sure is a lot more complicated to figure out than Carnival's is.... but then again I guess I am use to only looking at Carnival ... and it is on a daily basis:confused:

[Cruizinman]

I also really liked Key West, it was one of my favorite ports actually.

Yea ,it's a great port ! Food "Key Lime Pie " ! Cowboy Bills is alive tonight ! Sloppy Joe's , :D need I add more ;)

[Cruizinman]

I am looking at Royal site now and it sure is a lot more complicated to figure out than Carnival's is.... but then again I guess I am use to only looking at Carnival ... and it is on a daily basis:confused:

 

I tend to agree, NCL, Royal sites takes a few practice swings , but ya gotta swing to get use to them ;).

[bonnys]

If Key West is so important, and you want to stay with CCL to enjoy your Platinum benefits, and continue your new early December Christmas cruise tradition, then why not look at a different port? With Tampa, Port Canaveral, and Miami all offering cruises to KW, you are only adding an additional 6 hours at most to get to the port (if you are driving). I don't know where you are from but we have driven to Miami several times (12.5 hours). While it is long, it is doable (at least to us) if the cruise we REALLY like is there. You just need to decide what is more important to you.

[AmberTeka]

We are booked on the Fascination sailing of Dec. 28 -Jan2 and it goes to Key West.

I booked it for that purpose. I love Key West too. Again..so much today. it is clean. Nice facilities. Food...you know the place has been inspected. Everykind of shop you can think of..bakeries...once again..You know they have been checked by the Health dept.

 

Love it. Nassau..not so much. but love the ship. Never crowded. Like the passengers...most seem to be from Georgia or S.Carolina.

[wrigley80]

Were cruising on the Imagination out of Miami the first week of December. We board December 2. The cruise goes to Key West and Cozumel

Key West is my favorite port of call...I'm always looking for cruises that go there

[CruiseAwesome]

If Key West is really what you're after why don't you just drive down there and stay a few days instead of the few hours the ship is docked there?

[luvscruising2007]

This would have been our 3rd December in a row cruising to Key West out of Jacksonville....then they made the change to Little Stirrup Key so we changed the cruise to November - so no Christmas decorations (and so much for "new annual tradition" of going the first week of December).

 

But I was playing around on the Carnival website looking at cruises for next year ... and it doesn't look like Carnival will be going to Key West out of Jacksonville any in November or December (probably the rest of the year either - but I didn't check) .. that really makes me sad...so I started looking at what cruises still go to Key West and there was one out of Port Canaveral on December 30th and the Freedom and a couple out of Miami....so much for our annual 5 night cruise to Key West.

 

I did google cruises that go there and it does look like Royal Caribbean has a 5 night out of Tampa - which is within driving distance for us. Just my luck right after we become platinum then we start looking at other cruise lines. Oh well.....I guess there are chances they will add or take away cruises before then. Or I may just have to find a new favorite port (probably not).:(

 

RC's website is really easy to navigate. You just have to get used to it.

To find all cruises going to Key West, go to the website and click on Plan a Cruise. Then click on Ports of Call. You will see some tabs by alphabet; click on the one that starts with K. Scroll down and you will see a box that says find cruises that go to Key West. You will get everything offered. If you are interested in specific date go to search boxes and look for your month and year. You can also select by port and ship.

Good luck. I hope this helps.

[Disconnections]

This would have been our 3rd December in a row cruising to Key West out of Jacksonville....then they made the change to Little Stirrup Key so we changed the cruise to November - so no Christmas decorations (and so much for "new annual tradition" of going the first week of December).

 

But I was playing around on the Carnival website looking at cruises for next year ... and it doesn't look like Carnival will be going to Key West out of Jacksonville any in November or December (probably the rest of the year either - but I didn't check) .. that really makes me sad...so I started looking at what cruises still go to Key West and there was one out of Port Canaveral on December 30th and the Freedom and a couple out of Miami....so much for our annual 5 night cruise to Key West.

 

I did google cruises that go there and it does look like Royal Caribbean has a 5 night out of Tampa - which is within driving distance for us. Just my luck right after we become platinum then we start looking at other cruise lines. Oh well.....I guess there are chances they will add or take away cruises before then. Or I may just have to find a new favorite port (probably not).:(

 

Have you considered going to Key West on land? It is a completely different place at night. It is a short drive from Miami and you may want to/be able to combine it with a cruise. The drive down is very nice as well on the Overseas Highway.

[riclop]

Why do they keep cancelling Key West so often?

[gusandgidgetsmom]

I heard it had something to do with the Navy wanting to use the docking facilities, but the last time we docked at KW it wasn't even at that dock. Guess I am in the minority I was so happy when they cancelled KW and added Coco Cay. We can now do a b2b and go to HMC one week and Coco Cay another instead of having all ship days except one as we don't get off in Nassau. JAX is the closest port to us so we like to utilize that port at times.

I agree with a poster above that KW is a totally different animal at night. Things to do and very lively but the ship does not stop there at night.

Why do they keep cancelling Key West so often?

[Jane2357]

I'm not sure where you are driving from but it is another 5 hrs to drive to Miami once you've made it to Jacksonville. So while that is a bit of a haul - should be doable if Key West is a must do. Have you thought of doing Key West on a land vacation - they have a nifty little airport and you fly right in. Another fun way is to drive to Ft Myers and take the ferry service over. Totally a blast! If you love Key West and have not experienced it at night - you are in for major fun. I am sailing out of Ft Lauderdale this Oct. on Freedom and we are stopping in Key West - my 1st time there not on a land vacation.

[fla jack]

Celebrity Constellation has 4/5 night cruises

during December-All stop in Key West

Jack

[Tapi]

The following ships will be calling in Key West in December 2013:

 

• Ryndam
  
• Carnival Imagination
  
• Carnival Sunshine
  
• Majesty of the Seas
  
• Carnival Victory
  
• Regatta
  
• Nieuw Amsterdam
  
• Disney Wonder
  
• Carnival Magic
  
• Grandeur of the Seas
  
• Celebrity Constellation
  
• Serenade of the Seas
  
• Brilliance of the seas
  
• Eurodam
  
• Costa Luminosa
  
• Carnival Freedom
  

 

You may need to "stray" from Carnival, but you still have plenty of choices :)

[cruisinparamedic]

I would rather go to Key West than Port Canaveral!

[thistoo]

We're booked on the December 7th Ecstasy 5-day to Key West and the Bahamas. It's a birthday cruise for my dad, and KW is the reason we chose the sailing, so I am hoping the itinerary doesn't change. I know there's a chance it will, because Carnival does seem to be giving up on Key West.

[Tapi]

We're booked on the December 7th Ecstasy 5-day to Key West and the Bahamas. It's a birthday cruise for my dad, and KW is the reason we chose the sailing, so I am hoping the itinerary doesn't change. I know there's a chance it will, because Carnival does seem to be giving up on Key West.

 

That could be a good choice for the OP. Port Canaveral is only 2 hours south of Jacksonville (I'm assuming she's driving from Georgia, based on her screen name).

[bitemyfly]

The following ships will be calling in Key West in December 2013:

 

• Ryndam
  
• Carnival Imagination
  
• Carnival Sunshine
  
• Majesty of the Seas
  
• Carnival Victory
  
• Regatta
  
• Nieuw Amsterdam
  
• Disney Wonder
  
• Carnival Magic
  
• Grandeur of the Seas
  
• Celebrity Constellation
  
• Serenade of the Seas
  
• Brilliance of the seas
  
• Eurodam
  
• Costa Luminosa
  
• Carnival Freedom
  

You may need to "stray" from Carnival, but you still have plenty of choices :)

The ' Byte Me " makes at least 4 trips down there ... sadly she is on 38ft

... seriously one should try keys overnite or better yet 3 or four days really a great place

[GAMOM4]

I would love to go to Key West on a land vacation ... my husband is a truck driver so you would think that Key West would just seem like a hop and skip away to him...but for some reason he acts like the drive there is FOREVER - guess when he has been a truck all week he just doesn't want to drive that far again. I know Key West is an expensive place to stay because I have checked into places several times before.

 

I did look at sailing from Tampa - but right now the only Carnival ship there is the Paradise and it doesn't go to Key West ... that was when I noticed that the Royal ship did. The problem I was having looking at Royal site last night was I had the ship and date filled out but once you got to picking the cabin if I chose balcony ... it pulled up just oceanview or suites (maybe the ship didn't even have balconies.....as late as it was last night I didn't even think about that) I wasn't ready to book anyway just doing a mock one to see what the price looked like.

 

I did know the Freedom went there because that was why we sailed on it in May. And I didn't think about the Ecstasy .. I need to look and see if it cruises to Key West in December 2014.

 

We are really not that far from any of the ports in Florida (not that far compared to people that drive from other states...Our drive to Ft. Laurderdale in May was 9 hours so in 10 hours we could be in Miami. The reason I was looking at a 5 day cruise is my husband only gets one paid vacation a year and we use it in May or June and then he just takes off for the one at the end of the year - it is easier just to miss 5 days of work than it would be to miss 7 (and have to leave a day early to get down there).

 

The cost of plane tickets is just so high that is why we haven't ever considered flying ... a friend told me that alot of people drive to Jacksonville and then get a cheap flight to Ft. Lauderdale and cruise out of there or Miami...but the way we figured it (other than timewise) it was just as cheap to just drive.

 

I did go back and look at the entire year of 2014 and it looks like the Fascination is going to be making trips through April to Key West.

[EnTnSA]

I have been to Key West twice...once on a land based trip and once on the Carnival Magic when we got rerouted there. Both times I was extremely underwhelmed. I dont really get the appeal...

 

I am from San Antonio TX, I lived for a while in Austin with its big live music scene, 6th Street, etc.

 

Key West reminds me of Austin TX on an Island. Kind of like Port Aransas TX, with a bigger music scene... Bunch of dive bars, smells like old booze and vomit in the streets, with "eclectic" people roaming around.

 

What is it that people like about it so much? Maybe I am just too used to it, it doesnt really feel like a vacation. I could see having fun there if I was in my 20s with the guys on a fishing trip...family place it is not.

[Tapi]

What is it that people like about it so much?

 

I could see having fun there if I was in my 20s with the guys on a fishing trip...family place it is not.

 

You need to look beyond the bars. Key West is a wonderful destination, with something for everybody.

 

Start with its history. Check out the different museums and landmarks, including Ernst Hemingway's Home, The Key West Lighthouse and the Southernmost Point.

 

Check out its many restaurants and unique recipes. We make sure to try different Key Lime Pies while in Key West.

 

Key West is also a very easy port to explore for families, with many attractions within walking distance of the port. In fact, we chose Key West for our first cruise with kids because its so family friendly. The Key West Toy Factory is a must for families with young children. The Aquarium is a few steps away.

 

The streets are filled with many locally owned and quaint shops, which is a nice departure from the chain stores more commonly found on popular cruise ship destinations.

 

Finally, there are beaches, snorkeling and great SCUBA diving sites easily accessible from Key West.