Key West Port Photo Review: Trolley Tour

INTRODUCTION

Hello! My name is Anthony, and I am taking a new approach to photo reviews. While I could write an entire detailed review of my whole trip, cruise ship and all, my focus when I cruise is the ports and where I go. I know these photo reviews on Cruise Critic have helped me with so many cruises, and what to do in port, and it has given me the opportunity to ask questions to people who have recently done what I plan on doing, so I would like to pay it forward and write reviews of all of my port experiences! I am not the type of person to see a port once and never want to go back, I usually like to visit a few times so I can do all of the great things that that specific port has to offer.

With that being said, I would like to start with my most recent cruise, which took place in August aboard the Empress of the Seas. I want to apologize for not starting this earlier, school and life has just been so crazy busy that I am just now finding the time to do this. Either way, our cruise was originally scheduled to visit Key West and Grand Cayman, but due to a brewing hurricane, we diverted and went to Key West (on a different day than scheduled), Nassau, and CocoCay. Since I visited Key West first, I will start with that day.

WHY I CHOSE THIS: I had been to Key West previously, and I had walked down to the Southernmost Point, past the Hemingway House, and through all of the shops. I found the island to be very touristy and not too enticing of a place, but I enjoyed going to finally say that I went. Since this cruise was pretty last minute with a good deal, I was optimistic to go back and hopefully gain a new perspective of the island. I took this cruise with my grandmother, so we decided that this option would be the best way to beat the summer heat and still see the parts of the island that we wanted to see. I was recommended to do this here on CC, and it was about $27 per person for an all-day pass, to continually hop on and hop off.

I woke up around 7:30AM to watch the ship pull into port, but we were already docked. I went onto the top deck to see that we were docked at the Navy Pier, as oppose to the downtown dock, where I had docked on a previous cruise. This was because the Carnival Dream had a scheduled port visit, and obviously had priority in choosing a docking location. This was the view outside of our window (excuse the low-quality photo, our window was dirty):

After finishing a quick workout in the gym, and a stroll on deck, I took a quick shower and got changed. By this time my Gram was awake, and we both headed up to the Windjammer for breakfast. I had an omelette, a waffle, and a donut, and a small bowl of fruit. While we were eating, the carnival Dream arrived! I don't know about you, but I love watching cruise ships pull into port.

After our breakfast, we headed back to the room, packed a small day bag, and headed ashore. Since we had originally booked the tickets for another day, and were in Key West on an unscheduled date due to the weather, we called the company and asked if we could transfer it. However, the deal was good for any day within I believe a certain amount of months, maybe even a year, of the purchase date. Very convenient if your port stop is cancelled!

As you can see from the first photo, the trolleys and duck tour mobiles are the vehicles that transport you from the Navy facility to downtown. It's a free ride, and drops you off right by the Shipwreck Museum (home of the Key West webcam). Note, this is not part of the tour yet. This is the transportation provided by the city due to docking in the Navy facility. We got off the ship and got on the shuttle that was there waiting, and began our drive into Key West. It is illegal to take pictures of the area so that security is maintained, so I unfortunately do not have any pictures of the Empress docked or the facility. Once you leave the yard and go out the gates, the drivers will let you know that it is okay to take pictures. Shortly into our drive, we passed this sign. Welcome to Key West!

We drove past many iconic and pretty-looking houses as we made our way into Key West. This was one of them.

Before I knew it, we were passing the Customshouse, a famous Key West Museum, which is a landmark in itself, with the iconic statue in front of it.

We arrived at the corner at the Shipwreck Museum, which is coincidentally where the stand is to buy last-minute trolley tour tickets. I then figured out that if you take the trolley, you'll end up by Shipwreck, but if you take the Duck Tour vehicle, you will end up further down the way closer to where their area is. This was on our way to the area where we were dropped off, and where all Empress of the Seas passengers would meet to go back to the boat (Or, at leas the ones who used the trolley on the way there, and are most likely to use it on the way back). The shuttles ran throughout the day.

Here is the top of the Shipwreck Museum, with a huge American flag, and the famous Key West Harbour Webcam!

We then got off the shuttle trolley, and went to the stand to ask where to go to get on the actual trolley tour. A stop was right there, so they told us to wait there. They gave us coupons for a free cold water bottle each at the little store inside, which was a great plus! We vowed to use them later. Within 10 minutes a trolley pulled up, and we were off!

We began on our tour. Our guide started off with some funny jokes and island commentary. He kinda illustrated the way it worked and how to go about the tour. At this point, we decided that we would ride the trolley one full time around to get the guided tour, then ride it again, getting off at the stops that we decided were worth getting off at. We began with a ride around the central west area of the island, which is primarily shops, and progressed north. Happy day, happy tourists!

We passed the Whistle Bar, a famous bar that goes way back in Key West history. He even said it used to be a place of residence at one point. This looks like a place that I would want to spend a night/afternoon with some friends!

I really enjoy the beautiful vacation homes in Key West. I like their architecture.

Enjoying your review and nice photos.

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So that's it for tonight. I just wanted to get my foot in the door and get the review started. By the way, feel free to ask questions, correct me if I'm wrong, ask for links, etc. I am completely open to all of that, my goal is to help make the most of your day!! :)

Enjoying your review and nice photos.

 

 

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Thank you so much, there will be more tomorrow! :cool:

We continued our drive north on the island. I was able to snap this street shot.

Famous!

The Hard Rock Cafe Key West. Half of me wanted to stop in there, but the other half took over and I never got around to it. I don't collect shirts or things in there or anything, but I have friends and family who do and I considered stopping in to start early Christmas shopping. (;

After passing Jimmy Buffet's famous recording studio (forgot to get a picture, sorry), we began to press north and move into more residential areas. I saw more vacation rental homes, I was paying more and more attention to them, as I have always wanted to rent a place in a tropical area someday. these houses were really cute.

The northeastern side of the island had lots of water around it, and a little marina.

The northernmost side of Key West was very residential. We passed a high school, an elementary school, grocery stores, fast food restaurants, etc. This is where a lot of the locals live (or, at least they live all around the island, but this is the least touristic area), and I enjoyed driving through here. I didn't take many pictures, partially because I was paying attention to the tour guide, and another part because I didn't really want pictures of a high school sports stadium and a Wendys. But it was nice to drive across the top of key West an feel the local life for a second.

This brought us to the West side of the island, all mangroves! But it also brought us back toward open ocean.

Here is the view facing south now. You can see the water is a nice, bluish color and rather shallow.

I don't have very many pictures of the west and southwest side of the island because they are mostly hotels and condominium areas.

Palm trees! I have a strong love for palm trees, they have always symbolized vacation, the tropics, and overall happiness for me so you will always see my trip photos full of palm tree pics!

I rest my case.

Here is a view down one of the piers in Key West. I don't know if it was a fishing pier or if it was a recreational pier, but it was a very nicely laid out and designed place.

After driving past Smather's Beach (It is fake, all of the sand was imported from the Bahamas in the 60s when the island was growing), we arrived back on the Southwest end, which is the main town. Here is one of the higher rated resorts in Key West. my parents stayed here for a week once and highly recommend it!!

The Southernmost Beach Hotel, another great resort in Key West.

Here is the famous Southernmost Point buoy marker. I got a picture of/with it in 2014, so I had no need to get out and try and get another picture. But I snapped this as I drove past.

A cute shop building downtown!

A cute little motel and a restaurant. Such a cute little throwback town, Key West is surely a place you should try and see if you haven't yet!

We progressed back into downtown through the main drag. Duval Street is the main shopping area, and we went all up and parallel to it numerous times. Here is a statue of Marilyn Monroe doing her famous pose!

A little over an hour later, we had completed the entire duration of the trolley tour, and were back where we had started. It was about 11:30-12, and we wanted to utilize some time to do some shopping. We went to the first store we saw, which I forgot the name of, but I remember that we had received coupons the night before at a shopping assembly onboard. I soon realized that I has forgotten the coupons. So then we decided that we would go back to the ship for lunch, and to grab the coupons to go shopping. But first, i saw this pretty tree that I wanted a picture of. It reminded me of my time in Savannah.

I also wanted to stop and get a picture of the Carnival Dream docked in Key West, so I headed over to the square and snapped these. What a beautiful ship!

I also took this picture of the island across the way. Houses are very expensive there. But it still looks beautiful and secluded, and I bet cruise ship enthusiasts have the best views every day! :D

We then walked back to the trolley station, got on the shuttle trolley back to the ship, and made our way onboard. I snuck this picture while boarding.

After a delicious buffet lunch of a burrito and a salad, we were back on the shuttle trolley to the main downtown area with our desired coupons. On the way in, we passed the famous Mile 0 sign!

Since the free water was obtained where we were dropped off by the shuttle trolley, we stopped and got those before we began doing some shopping. Here are some views inside the stores.

I have a wall in my room that I have a postcard from where I've been around the globe, so I got one for my wall and a couple more for some friends back at home. Here is Tropical Corner, where I bought my postcards at!

Looking down the street, you can see the cruise ships.

More views from all of the colorful buildings in Key West. It was hot and sunny, so it was nice going in and out of the air conditioning.

Note: You are still in the USA, so if you plan on purchasing something from Diamond's International, do it in your international port, as it will be Duty and Tax free there.

We had a coupon from a dollar or two off of some Key Lime pie, and it being my grandmother's first time in Key West, she had to try it. We opted for the Key Lime On a Stick, which was basically the slice of pie dipped in chocolate. I do not particularly like Key Lime Pie, but she said that it was a quality pie, so I'll take her word on it ;)

The Customshouse with the famous statue. I saw many people standing in front of it, doing the same exact pose, which was cute to see. I like seeing people happy on their vacation!

I wanted a good view of Empress docked in Key West, so I walked towards the Dream. Here is a shot I took and ended up liking.

The Empress! I really enjoyed my cruise on her!

An exotic palm tree

After going for the photo op, we had planned on going on the trolley tour again and stopping at certain places. But after talking it over, nothing seemed too enticing to spend 2 or more hours away from the ship over. My gram was not feeling very good, and wanted to go back to the ship. So we were going to head back onboard, but I forgot to add something earlier. While driving along the south coast, I could've swore I saw someone I knew that lives near me, someone I haven't seen in a while. Well, I was so sure that I texted her, and she said that she was in fact in Key West! We had not seen each other in a while, and she was renting a small condo for the week. So my Gram decided to go back to the ship, and I got back on the trolley and rode over to a stop that was close to her condo. We met up, and we hung out on the balcony of her condo overlooking the ocean for a while, which was very nice. It's always nice catching up with people you haven't seen in a while! This unplanned stop definitely made my day in Key West a memorable one. Once my visit was over, I headed back to the bus stop in which I got off at and headed on back to the downtown area. I saw this little guy on the walk to the stop!

With returning to the downtown area, I got on a shuttle, and headed back to the ship. It was 4:30, and we weren't sailing until 6, so I got some good tanning time in on deck as well. But that concludes my day in Key West!

CONCLUSION

Overall, I had a great day in Key West. I really enjoyed the Hop on Hop Off Trolley, and the guided tour was nice too. I liked it so much that I booked one for my trip to Reykjavik, Iceland when I got home, and it was such a great day. I really enjoy the concept of a "Hop On Hop Off", and I definitely plan on doing more for future trips. The company in which I booked my Key West tour through was a great one, and both drivers I had were very knowledgeable and inserted little jokes and fun facts that made the trip even better. The stops were conveniently placed, and someone who was visiting Key West for the first time cannot only see a majority of the island, but be able to hit all of the tourist stops, as well as the beaches and other out-of-the-way places, without having to walk all over the place, or pay for a taxi/car. The company is called "Old Town Trolley Tour Key West", and I would certainly recommend it to anyone who has never been to Key West before.

As for Key West, I cannot say it is my favorite place. There always seemed to be a lingering smell of fish from any given place on the island, and I found it to be very plastic; very American-ized. When I travel, I like hearing the different languages, trying the new food, and exploring a new physical and cultural area. In Key West, I got a very "Ocean City Maryland" vibe. Which isn't bad, just not somewhere I particularly loved given my preferences when I travel. However, where my friend was staying, the residential sections near some of the beaches, and on the quieter ends of the island, I found those places to be rather nice, and would consider renting a condo or a house with some friends. I liked the serenity and the quiet, and although the beaches of Key West are mostly fake, except for some on the north side, it was rather peaceful. So I can see myself back in Key West, most likely to rent a condo though. If I book a cruise that docks in Key West again, I would consider a day at the Dry Tortugas National Park, Smather's Beach, or honestly, just an day to sit on the empty ship or walk to a cafe and use the wifi, which isn't like me.

Don't be fooled if you're a newbie to Key West though, it is definitely a place you should go, and you will enjoy your day here, especially if you have never been! I particularly recommend the trolley tour to you!!!!!

This is actually my first ever Port Photo Review. If you guys could give me some pointers and/or comments on how I could better write them, or what helped you so I can keep it the same in subsequent reviews, I would appreciate it, as I still have two more ports from this cruise to cover! :D Feel free to ask any questions about Key West, the Trolley tour, anything I did, and even the Empress of the Seas. I would love to answer.

With that being said, the review is now over. Thank you to all who read it, and I hope you enjoyed it and that it helped you with your next port stop in Key West! Happy Cruising! :)

Hi, Great photo journey through Key West. We will be there for our first time in Aug.2017 on the EOS and I learned a lot from them. It looks like you took many pictures while the trolley was moving and they came out beautifully. What camera and settings did you use if I may ask?

Gene

Very nice! What did you use to take those very clear photos? And if you get back try to hit the botanical garden inside the West Martello Tower on Higgs Beach ...

Thanks

Pjk

Hi, Great photo journey through Key West. We will be there for our first time in Aug.2017 on the EOS and I learned a lot from them. It looks like you took many pictures while the trolley was moving and they came out beautifully. What camera and settings did you use if I may ask?

Gene

Thank you so much for reading and for the compliment, I'm glad you enjoyed the review! For my trip pictures I use a FujiFilm XP small digital camera, and I did not edit any of these before posting. I bought it to go to Australia with (it's an underwater camera) and it has worked great above and underwater ever since. I would recommend it!

Very nice! What did you use to take those very clear photos? And if you get back try to hit the botanical garden inside the West Martello Tower on Higgs Beach ...

 

 

Thanks

Pjk

Thank you for the suggestion! My parents did this during their visit a couple of years ago and they enjoyed it very much. For my pictures I used a FujiFilm XP digital camera. I bought it at a local Sam's Club for I don't even remember how much so I had an underwater camera to use in Australia in 2013, and it has worked great ever since. I recommend it!

CONCLUSION

 

With that being said, the review is now over. Thank you to all who read it, and I hope you enjoyed it and that it helped you with your next port stop in Key West! Happy Cruising! :)

Thanks again for your review. Looking forward to your next port review.

Thanks again for your review. Looking forward to your next port review.

Thank you, I hope to start Nassau by the end of this week! :D

I loved your photo review of Key West! I have been several times,the most recent being the first week of October. We were supposed to go to to Half Moon Cay and Nassau,but Hurricane Matthew had other ideas.So we got 12 hours in Key West one day and 8 the next,since the backup plan of Freeport also got eliminated

I loved Key West so much and want to take my mom soon . Your pictures were awesome and made me feel like I was back there seeing it all again. :)

I loved your photo review of Key West! I have been several times,the most recent being the first week of October. We were supposed to go to to Half Moon Cay and Nassau,but Hurricane Matthew had other ideas.So we got 12 hours in Key West one day and 8 the next,since the backup plan of Freeport also got eliminated

I loved Key West so much and want to take my mom soon . Your pictures were awesome and made me feel like I was back there seeing it all again. :)

I'm so glad you enjoyed the review! It sounds like you had a wonderful time in Key West, even though it was unplanned. It was definitely a nice place to stay for a while on the quieter end, the houses were adorable! Best of luck! :)

I just moved away from Key West after living there 20 years. You pictures bring me both sadness and pride. I really miss that place. Thanks for your great review. :)

I just moved away from Key West after living there 20 years. You pictures bring me both sadness and pride. I really miss that place. Thanks for your great review. :)

Awh, I'm glad that you enjoyed it! Moving is hard but no matter where you go, you will always have the memories to hold onto that you made there. That you so much for reading, have a great Thanksgiving! :D

I've be4en using and Olympus "Tough" camera for the limited amount of underwater photography that I do. This was out at Sand Key, about seven miles due south of Key West...

Pjk