CityView Trolley tickets through Carnival - Key West

[spacepotatoes]

We'll be visiting Key West on the Imagination next January. We're in port from 7:30 AM - 2:00 PM and this will be our first time in Key West so we really want to make the most of it. We want to get tickets for the hop on/hop off trolley but can't decide on the best way to book.

 

We can book directly through CityView, obviously for significantly less than what Carnival is charging. What we're stuck on is the timing. CityView's website says that their first tour starts at 9:30 AM but Carnival's first departure time is listed at 8:45 AM. So, what I'm wondering is this: do you actually get to leave 45 minutes sooner by booking through CCL or is the 8:45 time just when the group meets and gets taken to the starting point? To us, it would be worth the extra $$ if we could start earlier but I don't want to spend more just to find out it's all the same when we get there.

 

Can anyone who's done this please advise? Thanks! :)

[Border Granny]

We booked online and just walked through Mallory Square to the trolley ticket booth. You give them the print out you get online and they give you a ticket to give to the driver. The trolleys sit there until they are full and it's time to start, so I don't believe you gain anything by booking through Carnival, but since I booked online I can't say for sure.

[spacepotatoes]

We booked online and just walked through Mallory Square to the trolley ticket booth. You give them the print out you get online and they give you a ticket to give to the driver. The trolleys sit there until they are full and it's time to start, so I don't believe you gain anything by booking through Carnival, but since I booked online I can't say for sure.

 

That's partly what I'm concerned about - that we'd meet at 8:45 but not actually start the tour until 9:30. If that's the case, it's not worth paying nearly double to book through Carnival!

 

Anyone else know for sure how this works?

[firefly333]

There is the conch train and the hop on hop off. Are both available thru carnival.

 

I thought they did the conch train which is more a tour, not the hop on hop off. the conch train thru carnival is a shorter tour than you get on your own.

 

compare the time.. you mention a starting time .. which sounds like the conch tour, hop on,hop off, you do at your leisure.

 

two different things in key west.

 

prices also make no sense, as when I looked carnival wasnt that high compared to buying on your own... maybe you are comparing two different tours?

 

You can get tickets for a hop on hop off bus for about $16 or $18 in person .. the conch train is more $$$.

[BadJelly]

Can anybody tell me if either of these is wheelchair accessible? Thanks.

[ATL2LAS]

They do offer wheelchair accessable trolleys. They have lifts equipped

[gapearl]

I've done the Key West trolley twice, both on my own. They trolleys run continuously, about every 30 minutes to an hour I believe. Just walk off the ship to the center of town and you can pay there. I don't think Carnival has their own trolley exclusively for their guests' excursion, so I don't think it makes a difference if you don't book through them. Also, if you do book on your own, be sure to go with City View Trolley Tour and not Old Town Trolley Tour. I've done both and they're the EXACT SAME TOUR, only City View is about $10 cheaper.

[BadJelly]

They do offer wheelchair accessable trolleys. They have lifts equipped

 

Thank you

[jpg1747]

Get off the ship and walk to the City View HOHO ticket office and buy your tickets there. If you have time before the first trolley leaves, you can walk around the area. There's lots to see right there.

[spacepotatoes]

There is the conch train and the hop on hop off. Are both available thru carnival.

 

I thought they did the conch train which is more a tour, not the hop on hop off. the conch train thru carnival is a shorter tour than you get on your own.

 

compare the time.. you mention a starting time .. which sounds like the conch tour, hop on,hop off, you do at your leisure.

 

two different things in key west.

 

prices also make no sense, as when I looked carnival wasnt that high compared to buying on your own... maybe you are comparing two different tours?

 

You can get tickets for a hop on hop off bus for about $16 or $18 in person .. the conch train is more $$$.

 

 

Yes, I know they're different. I'm talking about the CityView Trolley, which is the hop on/hop off thing. That's $17 if booked directly online. It's also the one Carnival offers tickets for and they're charging $29.95 for it.

 

The Conch Train is not the same, I do know that. I've looked into both but the Conch Train isn't as flexible with where you get on/off and the full circuit is half an hour longer than the CityView Trolley, that's why we wanted CityView. The Conch Train is $26 if booked directly and is not listed as an option through Carnival at all on our sailing.

 

I've done the Key West trolley twice, both on my own. They trolleys run continuously, about every 30 minutes to an hour I believe. Just walk off the ship to the center of town and you can pay there. I don't think Carnival has their own trolley exclusively for their guests' excursion, so I don't think it makes a difference if you don't book through them. Also, if you do book on your own, be sure to go with City View Trolley Tour and not Old Town Trolley Tour. I've done both and they're the EXACT SAME TOUR, only City View is about $10 cheaper.

 

Thanks, this is exactly the kind of info I was looking for! Much appreciated :)