Lisa

My husband and I are going on a cruise for my 40th birthday. We are docking in Key West for only 4 hours. Any suggestions on "must-sees"? I am a huge Jimmy Buffet fan but don't think I want to spend 4 hours at Margaritaville, considering I can buy his merchandise online. Also, we'll be docking in Cozumel for 8 hours. I would like to do some serious shopping but need to know where the best bargains are. I'm specifically interested in jewelry but also any other good buys. Thanks

grglnswsh

In Key West I would do the Conch Tour Train. It is about 1 1/2 hours long and you will get a great overview of the island and decide on a few things to go back to and tour.

garyt

Lisa - I would'nt plan on any shopping during your stay in key west... Instead concentrate on seeing some of the party spots on the island... Sloppy Joe's, The Hogs Breath, the pier... if you feel the urge to eat, try some Cuban food at El Sibboney(sp?)... just walking around Duval will give you a good feel for Key West life... Margaritaville is no more than a theme style restaurant... you can get 4 hours of the real thing! Have fun.

Julie

You must be on Royal Caribbean?? We took that same cruise last year. In Key West we did the Conch Train Tour, which was nice, but we didn't get many good pictures because the train rarely stopped other than at traffic lights. I think we'd have liked it better if there were opportunities to get off and spend a little time at certain key attractions. By the time we finished, there really wasn't time to go back to the places we thought looked neat. I think there's also a trolley that you can catch in Key West that does a similar tour with opportunities to stop, look around, and catch the next trolley along to continue your tour. If we had it to do over again, that's what we'd do.

We also did a little shopping in Key West. There's more there than you might think in terms of jewelery, watches, diamonds, etc., but we weren't in the market for that expensive stuff so the shopping really didn't thrill me. Be sure to try the frozen, chocolate-covered, key lime pie on a stick while you're there. You might also want to try a snorkeling excursion at Key West. Some friends of ours did that and said it was really great.

I can't provide too much help with shopping in Cozumel. They seemed to have more Mexican crafts, etc. than expensive jewelery. Be sure to bargain with the street vendors. They will come down significantly in price. We had lunch there at a nice little place called Pancho's Backyard with a Mariachi band. Good food and killer margaritas. If you decide to beach it in Cozumel, try Chankanaab. It's not offered as an excursion because it's a national park. You can take a cab there in about 10 minutes. There is an entrance fee of maybe $8 per person(?), but it's a very nice place with showers, lockers, concessions and snorkeling equipment rental. Bring bug spray for the short walk through the woods to the beach.

wendy

We had an 8 hour docking in Cozumel and we decided to go out to the Tulum ruins. Very beautiful but tons of tourists. I felt it was worth it though. Then we spent the afternoon wondering around Cozumel and checking out little tanqeria's. Didn't do any shopping except for some Cuban cigars.

Greg

Lisa, Forget about Sloppy Joes its pure tourist. Go to Hemmingways real watering hole for an authentic Key West experience, which is Captain Tony's. Dont forget to bring your business cards. You'll see what I mean when you get there. Gotta love key west, wish I was there now. Lots of parrotheads around too.

J T Kirk

To buck the trend here (and not to hurt anyone's feelings), I'd suggest NOT doing the Conch Train in Key West. It takes TOO much time, and you have a limited quanitity. Get a map of downtown (and a good guidebook), scope out what you want to see, e.g. Hemmingway's house, shopping, etc, and WALK around. Key West has some wonderful old houses with some gorgeous architecture. Take in the sights and sounds. Stop (well, not literally) and smell the flowers. Key West is a GREAT place to walk, and you will see things of interest along the way. Head over to Key West Bight for some good local restaurants for lunch if you have time. Enjoy yourself.

Dari

I'll be interested in hearing how you liked Cozumel. We spent a day there, flying over from Cancun, about 3 years ago. I found the Mexican people not as friendly as the Mexican people in Cancun; the shopping was awful (maybe I was in the wrong areas); and if you're not a snorkler or diver, it seemed not the place to be.

Jill

I agree with JT. Who wants to spend most of their time in KW riding around on the conch train.

wendy

Dari, Cozumel is definately a divers town. We found extremely nice, friendly people but the people in Cancun really try harder I think. This is because there is so much competition in Cancun.

kam

We liked Playa del Carmen (at the mainland point of the ferry from Cozumel). Cozumel was mostly the crowded little town and then all the diving spots. Playa has shops, restaurants and a pretty beach. Can't remember how long the ferry takes, but you could easily do an 8 hour trip.

Barbara

We went parasailing in Key West. You just make arrangements once you get there. It was so fun - not intense at all. They also had wave runners available for rent.

We also went to Chankannab for snorkeling in Cozumel. We went to the beach and then had plenty of time to go back to the ship and change before hitting the stores. The cruise ship will offer tips on the best places to shop.

buttercup

Wow, we spent a four-day weekend in Key West and didn't feel like we had enough time. I would suggest you look at several guidebooks and decide what you want to do before you get there. I would only pick one thing and spend the rest of my time walking around. It's a great town to explore on foot.

I would go to Hemingway's house for my one thing. It will take about an hour, giving you plenty of time for a lazy stroll to and from it from the dock. Even if you are not a Hemingway fan, the house, which was built long before Hemingway moved there, is interesting in its own right. The guides are very laid back, but informative.

bonson

I also would recomend the trolley or train tour. They do the same tour of the island but the trolley allows you to get off and back on at different stops. Both are a good tour especailly if you don't have a lot of time. It covers the whole island and points out many things you wouldn't see or notice just walking around. The island is full of rich history and architecture that you won't see by just sticking to Duval Street. Have lunch at The Half Shell Raw Bar.