DAY 2 Jan 14 - Key West, Florida

Originally we were scheduled to be at sea today on route to Grand Turk, Turks & Caicos Islands in the Caribbean. However, for some as yet unknown reason, this exotic island was omitted from the voyage and Key West was substituted instead. As a result of this change we will be having a sea day tomorrow and a port day today.

Key West is an island in the Straits of Florida on the North American continent at the furthermost and southernmost tip of the Florida Keys, part of Monroe County, Florida, United States. The island is about 4 miles long and 2 miles wide. In the late 1950s many of the large salt ponds on the eastern side were filled in, nearly doubling the original land mass of the island. The island measures 3,370 acres in area.

Cayo Hueso (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈkaʝo ˈweso]) is the original Spanish name for the island of Key West. Spanish-speaking people today also use the term Cayo Hueso when referring to Key West. It literally means "bone key". It is said that the island was littered with the remains (bones) from a Native American battlefield or burial ground. The most widely accepted theory of how the name changed to Key West is that it is Anglicization of the word, on the ground that the word hueso [ˈweso]) sounds like "west" in English. Other theories of how the island was named are that the name indicated that it was the westernmost Key or that the island was the westernmost Key with a reliable supply of water.

The Keys are are a series of islands (keys) linked up by what is known as 'The Overseas Highway' which is a 127.5-mile long road carrying U.S. Route 1 through the Florida Keys. This stretch of Route 1 starts on the Florida mainland and ends at Key West at the South Western end.

In 1761, when the Kingdom of Great Britain took control of Florida, the community of Spaniards and Native Americans were moved to Havana. Florida returned to Spanish control 20 years later, but there was no official resettlement of the island. Informally the island was used by fishermen from Cuba and from the British Bahamas, who were later joined by others from the United States after the latter nation's independence. While claimed by Spain, no nation exercised de facto control over the community there for some time.

Many of the original residents of Key West were immigrants from the Bahamas, known as Conchs (pronounced 'conks'), who arrived in increasing numbers after 1830. In the 20th century many residents of Key West started referring to themselves as "Conchs", and the term is now generally applied to all residents of Key West. Some residents use the term "Conch" to refer to a person born in Key West, while the term "Freshwater Conch" refers to a resident not born in Key West but who has lived in Key West for seven years or more. However, the true original meaning of Conch applies only to someone with European ancestry who immigrated from the Bahamas.

One of the biggest attractions on the island is a concrete replica of a buoy at the corner of South and Whitehead Streets that claims to be the southernmost point in the contiguous 48 states.

The point was originally just marked with a sign, which was often stolen. In response to this, the city of Key West erected the now famous monument in 1983. Brightly painted and labelled Southernmost Point Continental USA, it is one of the most visited and photographed attractions in Key West.

Today Key West is a major tourist area with many cruise ships, including our one, using it as a port of call.

There is no doubt about it, for a 2 by 4 mile island, Key West does have a lot going on with food and drinks with well over 250 eating and drinking establishments. Fresh local seafood is of course abundant. Outside dining is popular because restaurants come with a view including beautiful views of the sunset.

I was up and about by 6.15 and while supping myself with my first coffee of the day from the Lido restaurant, was delighted to see a bevy of deck-hands washing down the upper areas of the ship where the day before dust and rust were the order of the day. The ship was beginning to look right again and I was really warming to her.

After a light breakfast I brought Maria down a 'decaf' and glass of tomato juice. Later I returned with a bowl of fruit for her. She was now set for the day.

Right on the dot of 10.00 o'clock we docked in 'downtown' Key West. The perfect spot with the Majesty of the Seas immediately aft of us.

It is cool and overcast and not at all southern Florida weather. Rain is definitely in the air. As I have been here before and Maria's was not rushing to go ashore, she continued the unpacking, stowing away, and sorting out for pressing an assortment of clothes!! Deden our steward then took away this mass of clothes and promised to have them back by tonight.

We were welcomed in by a US Coast Guard cutter circling us with more than a casual interest. Did they know something we didn't?

Shortly afterwards the gangway was in place and those on local tours alighted the ship.(This is a photo of what we see from the ship's aft deck) A text message was later received from daughter Amsy, still in Naples, saying that our blog was now one of the 'night night' stories read to 5 year old little grandson Jackson. I bet that soon put him to sleep!!!

The view below is of one of the small islands off Key West that we are docked opposite and is the current view from our balcony.

After a walk round Key West and a visit to an Internet Cafe we returned to the ship and just relaxed before the ship departed port about 5.30 in the afternoon. Shame the weather was so poor with temperatures in the very low 60's and a chill factor on top of that.

We all made it to dinner to night and the picture shows out table mates. From me in the red top going right round the table: Maria, Bruce, Mary Ellen, Bill, Mary Ann, Keith, Margaret, Gary and Gerry. Quite a good table of happy people. Out wine waitress Maureen from the Philippines looks on.