Key West Cruise Port Guide
USA · in-depth port guide, sources shown throughout
Across USA — laws, safety & health
National rules and risks that apply anywhere in USA — relayed from official sources, not our verdict. We pass on what the authority says and leave the judgement to you.
Laws that catch visitors out
- The national legal age for buying and drinking alcohol is 21.
- Illegal drugs, including cannabis, carry severe penalties — a long jail sentence and heavy fines, including when transiting through airports. (US federal law applies even where a state has legalised cannabis.)
- Always carry a passport showing you have permission to enter or remain in the US.
- US law prohibits importing, exporting, making, selling or transporting drug paraphernalia.
Drones
Visitors flying a drone recreationally in the US must take the FAA’s free online TRUST safety test and carry proof. A drone of 250 g or more must have Remote ID and be registered — on the FAA DroneZone, or by filing a Notice of Identification if it is already registered in your home country. Fly at or below 400 ft in uncontrolled (Class G) airspace, keep it within sight, and do not fly over people.
via US FAA — Recreational Flyers & Community-Based Organizations · 25 Jun 2026
Scams to watch
Do not leave passports in rental cars (especially the boot) — vehicles driven by people who look like tourists may be targeted.
Health hazards
The FCDO health page lists Zika virus, West Nile virus and altitude sickness (in parts of the country) among the health risks in the US. There is no reciprocal healthcare agreement — treatment is expensive, so comprehensive travel insurance is essential. Check current detail and vaccine recommendations on TravelHealthPro before you travel. The FCDO safety and security page adds that the Atlantic hurricane season normally runs June to November and the Pacific season May to November, and that hurricanes can affect coastal regions, Hawaii and Guam. Its instruction is to monitor approaching storms on the US National Hurricane Center website and follow instructions from local authorities, including evacuation orders.
via UK FCDO travel advice — USA (health + safety and security) · 22 Aug 2026
Relayed from UK FCDO travel advice — USA · checked 18 Jul 2026
Traffic drives on the right. Look left first when you cross the road.
Docking & terminals in Key West
Florida's state seaport plan (the FSTED Seaport Mission Plan) lists three docking facilities at the Port of Key West — "Mallory Square, the U.S. Navy's Outer Mole Pier, and the privately owned Pier B" — with 2,900 ft of total berthing space and a harbour depth of 35 ft. The port's governing body is the city of Key West.
- Mallory Square (The city-owned wharf on the Old Town waterfront. We can give no walking figure: the city's own site is unreachable and the state plan does not state distances.)
- Outer Mole Pier (A U.S. Navy pier, listed by the state as one of the port's three cruise facilities. How passengers move between it and the town is not stated by any source we can reach, so none is given here.)
- Pier B (Privately owned, per the state plan. It states no distance or access detail, and neither do we.)
Mobility & step-free access
Getting around between the pier and town:
- Duval Loop (free bus) — The complimentary hop-on, hop-off Duval Loop circles downtown Duval Street and the Historic Seaport (Monroe County TDC).
- On foot — Walking is the recommended way to explore historic Old Town’s tree-lined streets and narrow lanes (TDC).
Step-free options vary by pier and by the day — confirm the specifics with your operator and the ship’s guest-services desk before booking.
Heading back at the end of the day: Key West has three separate cruise berths — Mallory Square, the Navy's Outer Mole Pier and Pier B — and they are not the same place. Note which one you walked off, and confirm it on the ship's daily programme before you plan the walk back; we have no published walking distances for any of the three.
Cruise lines don’t always tell you which pier you’re on, and it’s easy to forget once you’re ashore. As you leave the ship, note or photograph your pier’s name — then give your taxi that exact pier (or your ship’s name) for the trip back.
Your exact pier is assigned per sailing — confirm it on the ship’s daily programme or gangway signage before heading ashore.
Getting around & must-sees in Key West
Getting around
Downtown is compact: the free Duval Loop bus circles Duval Street and the Historic Seaport, and Old Town is best explored on foot.
- Duval Loop (free bus) — The complimentary hop-on, hop-off Duval Loop circles downtown Duval Street and the Historic Seaport (Monroe County TDC).
- On foot — Walking is the recommended way to explore historic Old Town’s tree-lined streets and narrow lanes (TDC).
Must-see sights
- Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum — Historic home of the Nobel Prize-winning author, featuring his cats and gardens.
- Truman Little White House — Former residence turned museum for President Harry S. Truman.
Key facts only — confirm times, fares and seasonal openings locally.
Local know-hows in Key West
Money
- Currency
- United States dollar (USD)
- Cards
- Credit cards are widely accepted throughout the U.S., including for hotels, dining, entertainment, and public transportation.
- ATMs
- ATMs are found across the country.
- Tipping
- Tipping is a common practice, especially at restaurants; many service employees rely on tips. Some restaurants automatically add a gratuity for parties of six or more, usually noted on the menu or check.
Local etiquette
Reef and wildlife rules are federal law here — no touching coral, no feeding Key deer; ashore, Old Town is best on foot.
- In the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, touching or standing on coral — living or dead — is prohibited (NOAA).
- Key deer are federally endangered and unique to the lower Keys — feeding them is illegal and harmful (FWC).
- Walking is the recommended way to explore historic Old Town’s tree-lined streets (Keys tourism authority).
Practicalities
- Language
- English is the official language of the United States (usa.gov).
- Tap water
- Tap water comes from the Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority (J. Robert Dean treatment plant, PWSID FL4134357, ~86,000 served); US EPA SDWIS records show zero health-based drinking-water violations for the system (checked 6 Aug 2026).
- Plugs
- 110/120 volts (standardised across the United States); international visitors may need a voltage converter for 220/240V appliances. Laptops, razors and cameras usually have built-in converters.
Key facts to know before you step off — confirm anything time-sensitive locally.
Port busyness in Key West
Often very busy
The Port of Key West took 293 cruise-ship calls and 816,689 cruise passengers in the year to 30 September 2025, up from 532,678 the year before, on Florida DOT's seaport survey figures — a lot of people for a small island town, and the berths sit on the Old Town waterfront.
Peak pattern: 293 calls averages more than five a week across the year. The state's figures are annual, so they say nothing about which weeks are heaviest, and no official Key West call calendar is currently reachable.
- 293 cruise vessel calls in the year to 30 September 2025, by Florida DOT's seaport survey
- Cruise passengers up 53% year on year, from 532,678 to 816,689
- 2,900 ft of berthing across three separate facilities, so more than one ship can be alongside
This shows a typical day for the time of year — actual crowds vary on your date, and it isn’t a guarantee.
What we’ve checked in Key West — and when
We last checked the facts on this page between 6 Aug 2026 and 14 Aug 2026. Live travel advisories refresh automatically from the official sources.
- Docking & getting ashore
- Verified by The Excursion Edit against official sources · 14 Aug 2026
- Getting around
- Verified by The Excursion Edit against official sources · 6 Aug 2026
- How busy it gets
- Verified by The Excursion Edit against official sources · 14 Aug 2026
- Travel advisories
- FCDO (GOV.UK) & US State Department · refreshed automatically