Gekko

Anyone care to comment on the Key West Express ferry service from Fort Myers to Key West?

I've booked it to beat the Memorial Day weekend traffic to Key West.

Thanks!

Patrick

Are you doing a one day or overnight?
I've never done it, but have talked with a number of people who went down for the day and got stranded when they couldn't come back due to storms -- Memorial Day is during the beginning of our annual stormy season.
Others have made the plans only to arrive in the morning to find them not running.

SusanCS

I'd hate to rely on water transportation without knowing what the weather will be like! That 4 hour trip apparently can be AWFUL with high seas.

screen_name

My travel plans were ruined by the Key West Express ferry service in February.

I live in NJ but was in FLorida for vacation and had booked the ferry well in advance. It was cancelled for 4 days in a row due to "high seas."

Instead of a relaxing boat trip I had to scramble to rent a car and make the 8-hour drive. So if you want to do this, have a back-up plan!!

By the way, you can book on-line (thru museaumtix.com) or you can book by calling the office in Ft. Myers. What I learned is that if you book on-line it will take you 2 months to get a refund because of the middleman, etc.

Gekko

Thanks for the advice to have a back-up plan in case of high seas. I'll be with friends who live in FL and own cars, so it wouldn't be a major inconvenience. And I'll be sure we have plenty of Dramamine.

(I believe we're spending 3 nights in Key West, maybe 4, so it's not a day-trip.)

tpatricco

Thanks for the info. We are planning to use the ferry on June 4th. Fingers crossed for good weather! Our friends live in Fort Meyers and this was their idea! We'll be in Key West for a week and then coming back via the ferry too.

Yikes! Hope this doesn't turn into a nightmare.

babs001

We did this about 3 years ago. The trip down was not bad...the anticipation and all that. However, the trip back seemed endless. It's late and dark, so of course, there is no view. The only people who acted like they were truly enjoying themselves had a deck of cards with them and were having a great time. Most people were just trying to get a nap to pass the time. And one other thing. That same ferry makes stops in Naples and Marco Island (maybe different days). The trip is much longer from Ft Myers than Marco. Don't know if driving to Marco might be something to consider if your tickets are flexible. And I'm glad that you are staying overnight. It's not really worth your time to do a round trip in one day (we did - mistake!).

KeyWest

The major problem that CAN occur is that safety is paramount; if the weather is bad, they don't go. That can add a few days to your journey.

Wm

We recently returned from 10 days in Florida with 2 nights in Key West. After reading the negative posts about the ferry service, we opted to fly down from Fort Myers. You can book Cape Air through Continental Airlines. Though this is a more expensive way to go, flying worked just great for us--only about 45 minutes in the air so we had much more time in Key West than if we had taken the ferry. Do note that Cape Air uses 9 passenger planes so they cannot accommodate the disabled.

Italiano

Also try cape air out of Naples airport the prices are comparable to the ferry or try a one day car rental not that bad of a drive.

Gekko

Report -- the Key West Express was perfect. The Gulf was flat and the ride was as smooth as silk, both to and from Key West.