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Key West: when your ship stops here

Hemingway's house and its cats, the sunset at Mallory Square, and the southernmost buoy.

Facts checked Nov 5, 2026, each with its source. No prices on this page.

Key West is an island city at the end of the Florida Keys, with 26,444 people in the 2020 census. A cruise port guide says most ships dock at Mallory Pier, within walking distance of downtown, and that Outer Mole Pier is a trolley bus ride from downtown. It gives no walking times.

Sources: Wikipedia: Key West, Florida; CruiseMapper (a cruise port guide site): Key West

Top 3 things to do

  1. 1. The Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum

    The Hemingways lived here from 1931 to 1939, and it opened as a museum in 1964. The limestone walls are 18 inches (46 cm) thick. In 2024, 59 cats lived on the property, and about half have six toes.

    Tip: Our sources give no opening hours; check them locally.

    Source: Wikipedia: Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum

  2. 2. Mallory Square at sunset

    The Sunset Celebration starts two hours before sunset and runs every day of the year. The square also has a Memorial Sculpture Garden with a 20 foot (6.1 m) monument called The Wreckers and 39 bronze busts of people who shaped Key West. The city opened a cruise pier on the square in 1984.

    Tip: If your ship sails before sunset, the daytime sculpture garden may be what you see. Know your all aboard time.

    Sources: Wikipedia: Mallory Square; Wikipedia: Key West, Florida

  3. 3. The Southernmost Point Buoy

    Set up by the city on 10 September 1983 and 12 feet (3.7 m) tall. It reads 90 Miles to Cuba, but the page says Cuba's closest point is 94 miles (151 km) due south. A second buoy was added at the end of Duval Street on 4 September 2025.

    Tip: Wikipedia says the buoy is not the true southernmost point; that is on land held by the Navy, or at Ballast Key, about 10 miles away.

    Sources: Wikipedia: Southernmost Point Buoy; Wikipedia: Key West, Florida

What to skip

Before you go ashore

You do not have to book a tour: you are free to go ashore on your own. Royal Caribbean sets the all aboard time about 30 minutes before the ship sails, posts it near the gangway, and says the ship does not wait for guests touring on their own.

Source: Royal Caribbean FAQ: Do I need to book a shore excursion?

Back-to-backs that stop in Key West

Back-to-back cruises from these home ports have a stop in Key West, from the Royal Caribbean sailings we track:

Sources

Read on Nov 5, 2026. Opening days, hours and rules change: check with the place itself before you go. legtolegcruises.com is independent and not affiliated with or endorsed by Royal Caribbean International or any place named here.

Find back-to-backs that stop in Key West

Two or more Royal Caribbean cruises in a row, with a day in Key West on the way.

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