Key West Votes to Limit Number of Cruise Passengers and Ship Size

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https://www.wlrn.org/2020-11-04/key-west-votes-to-limit-number-of-cruise-passengers-and-ship-size

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This is excellent news. 

[Bgcruising]

It is? What happened?

[Roger88]

These new rules wont help. How are they going to make their already trillion dollar ships smaller? What a joke. Limiting a number of passangers on board? well, I am afraid they will have to sell a few of their ships that dont meet the criteria. Each and every ship is designed to take a certain amount of passangers to avoit losing profit 

[Jasalth]

While the article reads how cruise ship passengers spend less money than overnight guests, that is because they aren't spending money on hotel rooms! 

 

Just did a quick look to see, and the quality of a place that would be "acceptable" to DH, with air, I am looking at about $300 lower to go to Key West for a week, than am I to an AI in Mexico with unlimited Xcaret passes. And I can bet we would spend more than $300 in food and stuff to do in 8 days! I mean is Key West big enough/enough to do to even warrant a 7+ day land trip if you don't want to spend it at a beach, which well.. you can do much cheaper other places! 

 

So.. if I ever sail out of Miami, maybe I will schedule 2 extra days to go down to Key West for a day.. but alas by the time 2026+ comes around (because we are booked/planned out to then because of Covid...), I will probably be like oh.. they kicked my cruise ship going there out.. nah that's okay not worth 6-8 hours of travel time to get to it for a day. 

 

I can't be the only person out there who cruises to places they think they might want to go to "try it out" before deciding on a land vacation. I mean heck people spend weeks, months in Rome, 3 days before our cruise was enough for me thanks and I would have been upset if I planned a 2 week vacation just in Rome. 

 

 

[beerman2]

3 hours ago, Roger88 said:

These new rules wont help. How are they going to make their already trillion dollar ships smaller? What a joke. Limiting a number of passangers on board? well, I am afraid they will have to sell a few of their ships that dont meet the criteria. Each and every ship is designed to take a certain amount of passangers to avoit losing profit 

Has nothing to do with what the cruise lines want and everything to do what KW wants. If the cruise lines want to continue to go to KW they will have to use smaller ships. 

 

It's all about limiting the number of people , not the trillion dollar ships.

Give it a couple of years and see how the revenue works out , money talks.

 

and if/when the business owners start feeling the money crunch they will change again.

Edited November 4, 2020 by beerman2

[naxer]

I imagine the residents and the on-island vacationers won't miss the larger cruise ships at all, and wouldn't miss the businesses and employees that depend on cruise passengers.  Key West is (was?) one of my favorite stops, but I wouldn't ever want to pay the premium to live or stay there because of people like me.

Edited November 4, 2020 by naxer

[cruizergal70]

At least the timing works out. Since no one is sailing right now, there is enough time to officially  change the future itineraries. 

Edited November 4, 2020 by cruizergal70

[firefly333]

I've been to key west both driving and cruise ship. If you arent a drinker, not much to do. Lol I saw the library and homes and stuff, southernmost pt a few times. Beautiful drive, but hotels during winter season crazy high and traffic awful. 

 

Wouldnt miss it as a cruise ship stop. I kept asking which way the vote was leaning but maybe no one in florida knew. Cutting back on incoming money right now when money is tight idk if it's a smart move.

[Don Kehote]

For the amount of time you actually get in Key West, I wouldn't miss it one iota as a port of call.  For my money, Key West is only worth it if I'm there in the evening, and staying a while.

 

As for the argument "OoOh ThE wAtEr HaS NeVeR BeEn ClEaReR", I guess it's great or whatever.

[ProgRockCruiser]

Some strange statements in this thread.

 

The vote was about Conch Republicans deciding whether they wanted to give up some revenue to get rid of what many considered an eyesore (those huge ships) and the hassle of a huge influx of cruisers in a hurry to get in and get out and spend relatively little money.  They seem to have decided the cash wasn't worth it.  As noted, maybe that sentiment will change, but maybe it won't - by bringing in the smaller ships, that might bring cruisers who are interested in spending a bit more while on shore.

 

IMHO, Key West is for weekend getaways, not week-long stays like you would at an AI.  That's why we're going in early Dec for a 4-night weekend, in place of an 8-day cruise we originally had booked but cancelled a couple months ago (moot point now, Carnival has cancelled the sailing, obviously).  But we can drive there, and explore the rest of the keys on the way there and back or randomly while there.

 

A cruise ship port stop would be enough to say we saw the place, but not enough to soak it in, IMHO.  And we wouldn't bother buying drinks in significant quantities if we stopped there on a cruise, because we'd have the drink package, so "free" drinks would be waiting for us onboard.

[jimbo5544]

15 minutes ago, ProgRockCruiser said:

Some strange statements in this thread.

 

The vote was about Conch Republicans deciding whether they wanted to give up some revenue to get rid of what many considered an eyesore (those huge ships) and the hassle of a huge influx of cruisers in a hurry to get in and get out and spend relatively little money.  They seem to have decided the cash wasn't worth it.  As noted, maybe that sentiment will change, but maybe it won't - by bringing in the smaller ships, that might bring cruisers who are interested in spending a bit more while on shore.

 

IMHO, Key West is for weekend getaways, not week-long stays like you would at an AI.  That's why we're going in early Dec for a 4-night weekend, in place of an 8-day cruise we originally had booked but cancelled a couple months ago (moot point now, Carnival has cancelled the sailing, obviously).  But we can drive there, and explore the rest of the keys on the way there and back or randomly while there.

 

A cruise ship port stop would be enough to say we saw the place, but not enough to soak it in, IMHO.  And we wouldn't bother buying drinks in significant quantities if we stopped there on a cruise, because we'd have the drink package, so "free" drinks would be waiting for us onboard.

That is a view, a fairly narrow view....but still a view.  

[jimbo5544]

1 hour ago, fyree39 said:

 The premium and luxury lines have small enough ships. The mass market lines won't be able to go there, I suppose. 

 

People that sail on premium and luxury lines have zero desire to go to KW, the ones on the large ships do.  Watch the revenue dry up and they come back begging.

[kdr69]

This is like Beverly Hills voting to reduce the "See the stars homes" busses.  For me a Key West stop would be like a Victoria BC stop.  Can take it or leave it.

[EmmasNana]

Any guesses as to what a change in itinerary would be? We are booked on the May 1 Dream cruise that was supposed to go to Key West. We only chose this itinerary because we had not been to Key West in many many years. Freeport and Nassau are pretty crappy ports, but again we had not been there in years. We will likely just cancel.

[Saint Greg]

I've been there so no big deal. Wouldn't be on my list of places for a land vacation. 

[Saint Greg]

5 minutes ago, EmmasNana said:

Any guesses as to what a change in itinerary would be? We are booked on the May 1 Dream cruise that was supposed to go to Key West. We only chose this itinerary because we had not been to Key West in many many years. Freeport and Nassau are pretty crappy ports, but again we had not been there in years. We will likely just cancel.

 

My guess would be HMC.

[EmmasNana]

1 minute ago, Saint Greg said:

 

My guess would be HMC.

That would be my guess as well. We are not beach people so would not be thrilled.

[broberts]

1 hour ago, Saint Greg said:

 

My guess would be HMC.

 

Probably would not work for western cruises out of Tampa.

[Saint Greg]

3 minutes ago, broberts said:

 

Probably would not work for western cruises out of Tampa.

 

Yeah I'm thinking more the Eastern route. I bet New Orleans or Galveston would love to take Tampa ships for a day.

[tinleypark andy]

1 hour ago, kdr69 said:

This is like Beverly Hills voting to reduce the "See the stars homes" busses.  For me a Key West stop would be like a Victoria BC stop.  Can take it or leave it.

KW much better stop than Victoria. I do see what you are saying, because on our Alaskan cruise, we stopped there for five hours on a Sunday night. All that was there (open), were a few street performers by the port, and a bunch of beautiful flowers.

[firefly333]

The best thing to do in Key West is clap for the sun setting and eat. Can eat at any port. The drive there is beautiful but bumper to bumper during high season.

 

I read on rcl board that the state owns the ports, not key west so it might go to the courts. Key west doesnt control the port, but it's clear they dont want us. No loss in my book. Beautiful drive but stopping there on a ship, ehhhhhh! 

[BeachDiva101]

I would be happy if HMC replaced key west. 😎🐚

[LadyMac72]

Glad I went when I did (cruise to Cuba).  I've been to Key West a number of times, when I used to live in Miami, but it was still a fun port.  We did the butterfly conservancy and stopped at Kermits and did a trolley tour.  I think this remarkably short sighted on Key West's part, but hey, it's their call.  With fewer people travelling because of Covid, I think the last thing you would want to do is further reduce tourism.  

[pc_load_letter]

I've never been to Key West. How dependent are they on cruises? Is there enough car based tourists to sustain the economy?

 

For instance on the west coast, Catalina has been hurting tremendously since there are no cruises coming.