Why are there no cruises with Key West as a port in winter?

[Mountaineer0313]

Trying to plan a girls week cruise with my sister to gift to our mom for Mothers Day. We all love Key West and would love to have it as a stop, but no RC cruises go there when we can go, which is December, January, February. Might some be added? Am I missing something? No one wants to go to key west in the summer, lol.

[shof515]

other cruise lines go to Key West during those months. you might have to jump ship to another cruise line. carnival, Celebrity , virgin, msc 

[1025cruise]

If you want to go to Key West, I would plan a land trip.

[Biker19]

24 minutes ago, Mountaineer0313 said:

Might some be added?

No, and be glad any RCI ship goes at all.

[twangster]

 Key West can only accomondate up to medium sized ships.  For Royal that means Vision  and Radiance class only.  Voyager class and above can't visit KW.  They tried a Voyager class once and determined it was too tight so they haven't taken one back since. 

 

There are some limited Vision class visits from Tampa.  Grandeur and Enchantment for example on select dates but not the dates you are looking for.  Try Celebrity. 

[Mountaineer0313]

4 minutes ago, 1025cruise said:

If you want to go to Key West, I would plan a land trip.

I just flew back from KW this past Sunday. 

[davekathy]

32 minutes ago, shof515 said:

other cruise lines go to Key West during those months. you might have to jump ship to another cruise line. carnival, Celebrity , virgin, msc 

We were there in March on Celebrity's Apex. We always enjoy our stops in Key West, but someone needs to clean up the litter in town. 

Edited April 19, 2023 by davekathy

[mafig]

We'll be going to Kew West on our Serenade cruise which leaves April 30.

 

[Homosassa]

51 minutes ago, Mountaineer0313 said:

  No one wants to go to key west in the summer, lol.

We used to own a second home in Marathon and were frequently there in the summer.

 

Summer is a great time in the Keys,  Not a lot of  tourists cluttering the roads and beaches.  With a little bit of luck, Key West will not have any cruise ships in while visiting.

[Mountaineer0313]

3 minutes ago, Homosassa said:

We used to own a second home in Marathon and were frequently there in the summer.

 

Summer is a great time in the Keys,  Not a lot of  tourists cluttering the roads and beaches.  With a little bit of luck, Key West will not have any cruise ships in while visiting.

yes, we’ve been going there since about 1990, my dad sold his condo in key colony in 2017. The keys are WAY too hot in the summer months. 

[Ret MP]

If you go back and search for some news articles from a year or two ago, you'll find that Key West isn't too cruise-ship-friendly.    

[Mountaineer0313]

4 hours ago, Ret MP said:

If you go back and search for some news articles from a year or two ago, you'll find that Key West isn't too cruise-ship-friendly.    

I know that. That wasn’t my question. I can find other lines that go to key west during winter, I was just curious why Royal Caribbean didn’t. 

[LadyBerard]

We have Celebrity Apex booked for 2/1/25 which has a stop in Key West.

[Ret MP]

8 hours ago, Mountaineer0313 said:

I know that. That wasn’t my question. I can find other lines that go to key west during winter, I was just curious why Royal Caribbean didn’t. 

This is a discussion board, I was adding (emphasize ADDING) to the discussion.  What I added "could" be one reason why RCCL, et al, aren't aggressively pursuing permission to dock in Key West and I wouldn't blame them.  I would suggest that if you are looking for a specific answer, ask a specific question.  But, expect the subject to be broadened anyway.  This is a social media site, after all.    

 

Disclaimer:  I freely admit that I don't know, FOR SURE, that RCCL, et al, are or aren't aggressively pursuing docking permission.  I just know what was in the news.  

[Toddcan]

If the town isn't exactly welcoming to cruise ships (let's assume that's true), then is it conceivable that this is a factor who RC doesn't want to visit?  maybe?  (ie, - exactly what Ret MP proposed). 

 

IF your response is "Well other lines visit" then the answer can only be found in the boardrooms of those lines vs the boardrooms of Royal 

[Ret MP]

12 minutes ago, Toddcan said:

If the town isn't exactly welcoming to cruise ships (let's assume that's true), then is it conceivable that this is a factor who RC doesn't want to visit?  maybe?  (ie, - exactly what Ret MP proposed). 

 

IF your response is "Well other lines visit" then the answer can only be found in the boardrooms of those lines vs the boardrooms of Royal 

I grew up and lived in Broward County (Most people think of it as Ft. Lauderdale) and I worked in the Keys a lot. If you have traveled to Key West during the high season (tourist season) you'd know how bad the traffic is.  Why?  For the most part, the road, US-1 is a two-lane road, most of it.  The locals don't want to widen it, making it a 4-lane road because they are trying to limit tourism/access.  So, that is just one example of the attitude of the long-time residents of the Keys.  Most visited the Keys as tourists, eventually moved there, and now don't want more access for others.   

 

Another disclaimer:  It's been about 10 - 15 years since I drove down to Key West and I'm not sure, and don't care, if the roads are being or have been widened any.  Originally, when I used to go to Key West, way back when, I used the old bridge system that you see people fishing off of now.  I used to drive a truck down there, clicking of mirrors was common.   

[Mountaineer0313]

44 minutes ago, Ret MP said:

This is a discussion board, I was adding (emphasize ADDING) to the discussion.  What I added "could" be one reason why RCCL, et al, aren't aggressively pursuing permission to dock in Key West and I wouldn't blame them.  I would suggest that if you are looking for a specific answer, ask a specific question.  But, expect the subject to be broadened anyway.  This is a social media site, after all.    

 

Disclaimer:  I freely admit that I don't know, FOR SURE, that RCCL, et al, are or aren't aggressively pursuing docking permission.  I just know what was in the news.  

I believe I did ask a pretty specific question…

[Ret MP]

1 minute ago, Mountaineer0313 said:

I believe I did ask a pretty specific question…

"Am I missing something"?  <Specific?  And I believe the possible attitude of the residents of the Keys is a possible issue for RCCL, et al.  But, I'm not going to turn this into a 5-page debate.  As is usually the case, no good deed goes unpunished.  Sorry, if I tried to be helpful with a possible answer/information.  

[Mountaineer0313]

4 minutes ago, Ret MP said:

"Am I missing something"?  <Specific?  And I believe the possible attitude of the residents of the Keys is a possible issue for RCCL, et al.  But, I'm not going to turn this into a 5-page debate.  As is usually the case, no good deed goes unpunished.  Sorry, if I tried to be helpful with a possible answer/information.  

the literal actual title of my post was “why are there no cruises with key west as a port in winter?” 
you can’t get much more specific than that. 

[Ret MP]

Just now, Mountaineer0313 said:

the literal actual title of my post was “why are there no cruises with key west as a port in winter?” 
you can’t get much more specific than that. 

Hence, my answer!  And you did ask "Am I missing something".  That is all, carry on!

[RoperDK]

We have friends on a visit to Key West right now.  She just texted me this morning that their favorite bartender at Sloppy Joe's told them that since cruises have been restricted that businesses have suffered.  I know the locals don't like the masses to overpower the town.  I don't really blame them.  However, cruise passengers buy trinkets, drinks, food, and do tours.  I believe that Royal always docks downtown. I'm sure it is more expensive to dock there than the old Naval base.  It might be more limited and expensive in peak tourist season, also. Perhaps the price is what limits them.  

[davekathy]

We were on a cruise in March and stopped in Key West. It was a Sunday, we were the only ship there and docked at the Mallory pier/square. All the shops, bars, restaurants, tour buses, etc. were open and busy. Everyone very friendly. Never felt unwelcomed. Stopped in our favorite bar, Hog's Breath to have a drink, buy a T-shirt and add a sticker to the wall by our table. Very busy with cruisers as was Captain Tony's.  

[NeepierRoad]

Grandeur of the Seas was in Key West earlier this week.  Virgin's Scarlet Lady is there today.  I check out the port cam most days to see what's happening all over the US cruise ports.  I lead a bit of a dull life. 😆

[nimbex1970]

per the specifics of your post and the criteria of response that you require.  Key West is unlikely to be added. The itineraries have already been set, dock schedules in place and port fees calculated, in advance for the cruising season, up until some parts of 2025,