Key West, Florida

Photos

We both felt the ship docking in the dark this morning. The blackout curtains are good in our cabin, but not that good, it was still dark out. We were scheduled to dock at 7 am. Sailing conditions must have been great overnight as it was smooth and quiet. There is a flat green nightlight plugged into the shaver outlet in the bathroom. I was concerned it wouldn't be enough light and my traveling LED plugin nightlight refused to remain seated in the plug in its place. It was fine. We didn't get up until 7 am. Breakfast had started at 6 am in Terrace but it looked like most of the ship was off to a slow, late start just like us. We had breakfast about 8 am. The loudspeaker announcement that the ship had cleared and shuttle service started was after 9 am. There are 2 other ships in port with us today. RCI has a giant ship right at Mallory Square, then RSSC Explorer, then us out at the Navy Mole Pier. You can't walk around on the base so we have to ride a shuttle to and from the Mallory Square area. We had to present a valid photo ID as well as a keycard to exit the ship this morning. Presumably because the same combo was required to re-enter the base on the shuttle back. It wasn't a big inconvenience but we didn't have anything pre-booked here so no deadlines.

We picked up a free map at Mallory Square and set out for a leisurely walk across Key West. We decided that neither the HOHO trolley or Conch Train seemed good values. About halfway through our walk, we realized there was a free public transit loop, Duval Loop. But we never used it. If we'd known about it before we arrived here, we might have planned to use it. We saw lots of cool and interesting things on our walk and we'd have missed those if we'd ridden. We made it across and saw the half-block long line to take a photo and did not join it. We got a selfie with little wait at Mile Marker 0 and that would suffice. Clay took a photo of strangers with the southernmost marker that was our destination. We backtracked past the old Key West lighthouse to Ernest Hemingway's Home. We got in a very short line and paid our $30 cash for entry. We walked onto the porch to be the last 2 to join the next guided tour. It was perfect timing. We visited for the symmetry of having visited his home in Cuba. In particular, his 2nd story writing studio in the out building seemed very similar. We saw many of the polydactyl cats that live there.

From there we walked over to Duval Street to see some different sights. We stopped for a tasty lunch at Old Town Mexican Cafe a little after noon. We went in both Walgreens and CVS. We stopped in Starbucks to check the mugs but they only had Miami. We walked on to the shuttle stop back to the ship. It was in front of the Old Customs House. It was near 2 pm when we headed back. Last shuttle back to the ship is at 4:30 pm, all aboard is 5 pm and sailaway is scheduled for 5:30 pm.

It was perfect weather in Key West today. It was partly cloudy and about 70 F all day. It was not too humid, not too sunny, not too cloudy, not too windy... We had a good day.

Tonight we do not have any restaurant reservations so we'll hope to find a table for 2 in Terrace as easily as we did this morning. Tomorrow is a sea day. We've found a dozen or more movies in the on demand channel that we'd like to watch so I predict that will be our primary activity. I have hopes that on that 1st sea day I'll be able to get a needlepoint kit. In the past Oceania always did that and I hope they still do.

Photos