Cruising through Key West

I’d be lying if I said we booked our cruise last month aboard Royal Caribbean’s Majesty of the Seas for any other reason than the day and a half it spent docked in Havana, Cuba.  After all, until recently Havana had been effectively off limits to most Americans for so long, it’s still a little hard to fathom that we can now travel there (with a “valid reason,” of course).

That said, one of my favorite things about the cruise was that it finally allowed me to show Punky a little slice of Key West, which was also on the itinerary.  I had been to the Conch Republic before, but it had been more than 15 years ago, so I was eager to get reacquainted with some of my favorite places on the island, too.  We only had roughly eight hours to explore, but I think we made the most of it. 

The boat docked just off Mallory Square, the perfect jumping off point, so to speak, for a long crawl into old Key West and back.  Once we were off the boat, it took almost no time for us to be greeted by some of the more colorful locals.  Most Key West residents live on what they call island time, but the chickens must be an exception.   

Part Three: Havana daydreamin’ on the Majesty of the Seas

Havana and homeward bound

Imagine dreaming of going someplace special most of your adult life, a place which you had previously thought to be unattainable. Then, one morning, you wake up and Voila!  There you are …   

That pretty much describes the feeling Punky had on Thursday morning, Thanksgiving Day, as our cruise ship docked in Havana, Cuba. 

Part Two: Havana daydreamin’ on the Majesty of the Seas

A day at sea and Key West

Following a fun-filled first day and night aboard the Majesty of the Seas, Punky and I were prepared to slow things down with a relaxing day at sea before our first port of call in Key West.  

We began the day, as well as every subsequent morning, with the breakfast buffet at the Windjammer Cafe on Deck 11.  The Windjammer also served as our usual lunch spot for other days we spent on the ship. 

The Windjammer Café always provided plenty of viewpoints – whether forward-facing, port or starboard, of the sea.  Unfortunately, empty seats seemed to be few and far between.  Perhaps it was the lack of other dining options, or maybe our timing just wasn’t that good.  The food was serviceable overall, albeit mostly on the bland side.  I guess you have to cater to the masses.  I was also surprised by the lack of more daring menu items offered, the Caribbean-themed final night being a notable exception. (Bring on the oxtail stew, Jamaican escovitch fish and jerk chicken!)  Still, I was always happy to get my share of smoked salmon and corned beef at breakfast. 

Havana daydreamin’ on the Majesty of the Seas

Part One:  All aboard from Ft. Lauderdale

Most of my travels as a commoner have been, well, fairly common in nature – a little off the beaten path, perhaps, but rarely anything even remotely exotic or extravagant.  But once in a while, I think every commoner needs to take a leap forward with a more uncommon journey.  After all, few people ever become world travelers in just one trip. 

So, in an effort to cross multiple items off our collective bucket lists, last summer I booked a cruise over the week of Thanksgiving for Punky and me.  The ship was Royal Caribbean’s Majesty of the Seas.  The itinerary was Key West, Fla., and, more importantly, Havana, Cuba (the top destination on Punky’s list of places to visit).

We arrived in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., a day early of our departure date of Nov. 19.  It would definitely be an understatement to say the view from our room on the top floor of the Renaissance Hotel nearby put us in the right frame of mind.