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Sunset Cruise – Key West
On recent trips to Central Florida we have found ourselves flying into Miami rather than the usual Orlando or Tampa. Rather than driving up to the Orlando area immediately we have used the first few days of our vacation to visit Key West.
Key West is the most southerly island amongst a number of linked islands in the Keys. It is infact only 90 miles off of the coast of Cuba.
One of the legendary ‘must sees’ is the spectacular sunset that can be observed from Key West. They are so reliable and easy to see and photograph that even I have a large photograph that I took on one of my walls in the living room. An absolutely superb way to experience a sunset is by taking a Key West sunset cruise. Viewing a sunset without horizon interruption is quite awesome. The sun sinks very slowly in the summer and the colours in the sky are just amazing with every shade of orange and pink imaginable appearing in the sky. I think I took around 50 photographs in the space of an hour (thank goodness for digital photography).
Booking a sunset cruise is very easy. We did it through the hotel we were staying in at which tour agents visited, but there are several companies that offer these tours on both large and some smaller individually owned boats. Most of the boats provide a bar, music and nice open deck areas to appreciate the superb view. Ours certainly had a very nice un-crowded deck. Most of the cruises navigate in a circle between the Key West harbour and the primary shipping channel in order to make the best use of the time and view.
There are a number of boat choices to suit all preferences. The large catamarans are a popular choice with their double hull and large accommodating deck. These boats are very stable and generally quite large with open deck bars and plenty of space for good views of the sunset. They also often have air conditioned cabin areas with tables and chairs, albeit rarely needed.
If you prefer you might want to board one of the tall ships that also take passengers out for the sunset. These ‘ships’ are replicas of the 19th century wooden ships with tall beautiful sails and long decks. Most of the tall ships or schooners depart from the Historic Seaport and hold about 50 passengers.
Prices vary for the cruises dependent upon the duration, whether free drinks or included or dinner. Typically the cost is between $40-$60 for a 2 hour drinks included trip.
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