Key West Florida

521 Cruises availables At departure or passage at this port

American Cruise Lines (54 Cruises)

American Pioneer

Visit the ship's page

Carnival Cruise Line (49 Cruises)

Celebrity Cruises (182 Cruises)

Cruise celebrity apex ship

Celebrity Apex

2910 Passengers
130818 tons
Visit the ship's page
Cruise CEL Celebrity Ship Reflection

Celebrity Reflection

3046 Passengers
125366 tons
Visit the ship's page

Holland America Line (35 Cruises)

Margaritaville at Sea (69 Cruises)

Margaritaville at Sea Islander

Islander

3126 Passengers
85861 tons
Visit the ship's page
Margaritaville at Sea Paradise.

Paradise

1938 Passengers
52926 tons
Visit the ship's page

Virgin Voyages (61 Cruises)

Cruise Virgin VoyagesValiant Lady ship

Valiant Lady

2770 Passengers
110000 tons
Visit the ship's page

Port of Key West, Florida | Cruise Port Guide

US Route 1 ends here, more than 200 kilometres south of Miami, on an island that has always done things its own way. From the ship's deck, Key West appears low on the water, bristling with palm trees and white tin roofs. Sailboats cross in front of the docks, a seaplane passes overhead, and already the smell of Cuban coffee drifts all the way to the landing. The sense of being somewhere else is immediate: this is still Florida, but Cuba is only 145 kilometres away.

Three Docks, One Island

Ships dock at three locations. Mallory Square and Pier B, next door to each other, put passengers two streets from Duval Street: everything is within walking distance. The Navy Mole, a former military pier set apart from downtown, requires a shuttle instead, run by the small tourist trains that cross the naval base to reach the centre. Either way, the historic heart is easy to explore, the island is so compact: barely six kilometres by three.

The Captains' Houses

The old town lines up hundreds of nineteenth-century wooden houses, built by ship captains, wreck salvagers, and cigar rollers who came from Havana. Latticed verandas, pastel shutters, gardens overflowing with bougainvillea: every street running perpendicular to Duval is worth lingering on. Many of these houses were built by ship carpenters, which explains their schooner-like proportions and their resistance to hurricanes. Several now house inns, galleries, and artists' studios. Free-roaming roosters, descendants of the poultry kept here long ago, wander between the fences and set the tone for the whole place.

Hemingway's House

At 907 Whitehead Street, a Spanish colonial house surrounded by a tropical garden belonged to Ernest Hemingway in the 1930s. The writer worked here on some of his great novels; his six-toed cats still rule the grounds, dozens of pampered descendants sleeping wherever they please. A few steps away, the Key West Lighthouse can be climbed for an overview of the rooftops and the open sea.

Florida's Most Photographed Landmark

At the end of the same street, a large painted concrete buoy marks the southernmost point of the continental United States: "90 Miles to Cuba." The line for the photo is part of the ritual. From there, the walk back to downtown follows Duval Street, with its galleries, its bars of well-earned reputation, and its terraces where Key lime pie is served at any hour. History buffs can continue on to the Little White House, President Truman's winter residence.

Quick Reference for the Day

LocationFrom Mallory Square
Duval Street2 streets on foot
Hemingway Houseabout 15 minutes on foot
Southernmost Point markerabout 20 minutes on foot
Little White House5 minutes on foot

The Conch Tour Train, in service since 1958, covers the highlights in a narrated hour-long loop: a good option when the heat is heavy or time is short.

Evening Falls Over Mallory Square

If the ship stays docked into the evening, everyone knows the appointment to keep: every night, jugglers, musicians, and street vendors turn Mallory Square into a celebration of the sunset, a well-established local tradition. The sky turns orange behind the sailboats, applause greets the sun's final disappearance, and it becomes easy to understand why so many artists and free spirits chose never to leave. Heading back up the gangway, you carry away a little of that island nonchalance, and the urge to drive down Route 1 someday, all the way to the end.

Frequently Asked Questions

At one of three piers. Mallory Square and Pier B, next to each other, put passengers two streets from Duval Street: everything is walkable. The Navy Mole, a former military pier set apart, requires a shuttle, run by the tourist trains that cross the naval base.
Yes, easily. The island is barely six kilometres by three and the historic core is compact: the Hemingway Home is about fifteen minutes' walk from Mallory Square, the Southernmost Point marker twenty, the Little White House five.
Walk up Duval Street, tour Ernest Hemingway's house at 907 Whitehead Street, climb the Key West Lighthouse for the overview, then walk to the Southernmost Point marker. Save time for a slice of Key lime pie on a terrace.
A Spanish colonial house in a tropical garden, where Ernest Hemingway lived and worked on some of his major novels in the 1930s. His six-toed cats still rule the place: dozens of pampered descendants sleeping wherever they please.
At the end of Whitehead Street, marked by a large painted concrete buoy reading '90 Miles to Cuba'. It is the port call's obligatory photo, and the queue is part of the ritual: budget a good chunk of time if it matters to you.
About 145 kilometres. That closeness shows everywhere: Cuban coffee, the cigar rollers who shaped the old town in the 19th century, the sound of the streets. Key West is in Florida, but it looks south.
The Conch Tour Train, running since 1958, covers the essentials in an hour with commentary. It is a good answer when the heat is heavy or time is short, and it helps you scout neighbourhoods to revisit on foot.
Yes, with one caveat. The free-roaming roosters, the lighthouse, the aquarium and the beaches entertain children, and everything is walkable. Duval Street, however, has a solid reputation as a bar street, especially late in the day: the quieter, prettier side streets suit families better.
A nightly gathering: jugglers, musicians and street vendors turn the square into a party as the sun drops behind the sailboats, and applause greets the last of the light. You will only catch it if your ship stays in port late.
The US dollar, cards accepted everywhere. As for souvenirs, Key lime pie is best eaten on the spot rather than carried; the Duval Street galleries and the artists' studios on the side streets offer more durable choices.