Day 3: Key West on the Carnival Freedom

After another fun-filled night at the piano bar, I'm glad we could sleep in again. So far, we are two for two in closing down the piano bar, and today is only day 3 of our cruise. Yep, I'm definitely gonna need a vacation after this just to rest from our vacation. I'm glad we've already had a ton of fun, and haven't even hit our first port yet.

Our scheduled port times for Key West are 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. ship's time. This is important to remember, especially for new cruisers (well, for experienced cruisers, too). My experience with Carnival Cruise Line is that we always stay on ship's time, which is typically the local time at the home port. In our case, leaving from Galveston, we stayed on central daylight time. Carnival does a good job letting everyone know to stay on ship's time, and NOT local time. You can see where I'm going with this, right? Yep! We were set to arrive in Key West at 10 a.m. ship's time, which was actually 11 a.m. local time. 

Key West

taken from our balcony

I mentioned in the first blog of this series how Key West was the one port we really wanted to go diving in. With us arriving so late, though, we missed all the morning dive boats and would leave too close to when the afternoon dive boats got back. Oh, well, that'll give us an excuse to return to Key West.

We ordered our standard "first breakfast" from room service and watched our arrival into Key West from the balcony as we sipped our coffee and munched on some pastries. At the piano bar last night, we talked to Keith and Barbara about plans for Key West. None of us had anything specific to do, so we'd meet at the Red Frog Pub on deck 5 at 10:30 and just play it by ear. That would allow the first wave of people to get off the ship and head for their excursions. We could avoid standing in long lines by just waiting a little. Second breakfast? No, not this time. We have reservations at the steakhouse tonight, and I want to be hungry!

A US Coast Guard boat met the ship just inside the sea buoy and escorted us almost all the way to the pier. Obviously, I wasn't worried about pirates in the area but was still glad to see our "Coasties" hanging out with us and ensuring our safe passage. Then again, I'm not sure if the Coast Guard was protecting us, or keeping the smaller vessels out of harm's way. A small sailboat happened to pass us going in the opposite direction, and as it got closer, the Coast Guard boat moved between us and them until we passed.

Keeping clear of the ship

I had fun watching the Coast Guard boat as it kept pace with us, then would swoop out away from the ship, turn in a tight loop and come back around. I'm betting they had a little fun, too. That looks like a fun boat to just cut loose with and open the throttles.

Thanks for your service, y'all!

Once we got close to the pier, Cindy and I went inside and got ready to have a fun day ashore. Sunscreen....check! Cell phone....check! Debit card....check! OK, let's go! Down two flights of stairs to deck 5 and meet Keith and Barbara. They were right on time, too, so all of us made our way forward to deck 0 where we disembarked in our first port.

Whew! After leaving from a cool and cloudy Galveston, the hot, sunny weather of Key West reminded us even a few degrees south in latitude definitely makes a difference. For not having a specific plan for today, Keith had come up with a few ideas that Cindy and I would enjoy. Keith and Barbara had been to Key West a few months ago on a road trip and wanted to explore a couple of places a little more in depth than they did last time. Works for me!

Our first stop today would be the Harry S. Truman Little White House. While the house itself predates Mr. Truman's presidency, he used it as his headquarters while on working vacations away from Washington DC. There is a small area, adjacent to the gift shop, that offers a free viewing, but the house itself is a paid tour. 

No photos inside? Darn!

OK, fine, I'll resort to taking some outside photos to share with everyone. Our tour would start soon, so we took a little time to look through the gift shop, then took our seats outside in the waiting area. Sitting in the shade, sipping our complimentary water and smelling the wonderful scents of the surrounding plants made our wait quite pleasant.

Keith and Barbara

The tour itself was informative and our docent seemed quite knowledgeable about the history of the house. Most of the furniture and decorations appear exactly as they were in Truman's time. I could see why he preferred spending time here instead of in DC. I really wish I could've taken photos of the inside, but I understand why I couldn't. I guess...

Informative sign

Go ahead and click on that photo. You'll see a larger format version of it, and it sums up the history of this house quite nicely. Yeah, I know, I did post a link to the official website, but if you're anything like me, a quick read of a sign usually works best.

Little White House

From here, we set off for another house tour. I'm sure most of y'all know exactly what I'm referring to, without me even identifying it yet. I didn't know about the "Little White House" before touring it, but I think everyone knows of another famous house in Key West. For the few that still haven't figured it out, here's a clue: Meow!

I think I heard someone shout it from the back. Yes, you were correct! I'm referring to Ernest Hemingway's House. The writer in me was most curious about the home of one of the masters, and the cat lover in Cindy wanted to check out the multi-toed cats. I made her promise she wouldn't try to smuggle one back with us. Yes, I'm kidding.....for the most part. Let's just leave it at that.

Front door

Lush vegetation around the house

Unlike the previous tour, we were allowed to take photos inside the house. The cats, by the way, apparently have the run of the house, and we came across several stretched out on a bed, curled up in a chair or sunning itself by a window. Those that wished to could pet the cats, but all were asked to not pick them up.

One of the furry residents

photo by Cindy Newman

Of all the areas in the house, the one that I especially liked, no surprise, was the detached writer's room. This second-floor room was accessed by a walkway from the main house. I could easily see myself in such a room, writing away on my next blog or other projects, listening to some Jimmy Buffett and sipping on a glass of iced tea. Here are some views of his writer's room, taken from the door. No entry was allowed into the room itself. Not visible in the photo below, to the right, is a small bathroom.

View to the right of the door

Center of room showing writing desk

Left side of the room

We finished touring the house and grounds, and Cindy got to pet some of the cats. It was definitely odd seeing the extra toes some of the cats had. I'm glad I had the chance to tour Mr. Hemingway's house. Not only was it a nice house in an interesting location, the history of it added an extra bonus.

Directly across the street from the house is the Key West Lighthouse and Keeper's Quarters Museum. What the heck, let's go check it out, and then we'll be ready for a light snack. Careful crossing the street, now, and watch for traffic. 

Right this way...

Looks like a canvas painting

After paying our entrance fee, we proceeded to the base of the lighthouse. We looked up...and up...and up. Keith decided to sit this one out, so Barbara, Cindy and I stepped into the base of the lighthouse and approached the spiral staircase.

Original acetylene gas line fitting

Gas line to the base of the lamp

88 Steps to the top!

I'm not gonna lie about it. It was an effort to get to the top without breathing heavily. At least our legs got a great workout climbing all those steps. Was the climb worth it? Absolutely! The view from the top of the lighthouse was fantastic, as you'll see from the following photos. There was a landing near the top that had a small window next to it. This landing provided a convenient spot for those climbing the stairs and those descending to pass without having to squeeze by.

View through the window

A little closer to the window

Another few turns up the stairs and we were at the base of the lamp. We stepped onto the catwalk around the outside to take in the sights. Yep, totally worth the climb!

Our ship

Hemingway's house

Looking SE, toward Cuba

With gravity's help, the descent was much easier (and quicker) than the ascent. Now if they'd just add a zip line feature to the top of the lighthouse, that would be really cool! Just sayin'...

I do believe it's time for some refreshments. How about we swing by the Blue Macaw Island Eats and Bar? A cold, refreshing drink and a light snack would be perfect right now. Hhhmmm, some jerk wings and a Landshark Lager would fit the bill nicely. Keith and Barbara decided on some conch fritters and pina coladas.

Fins up!

Jerk wings

These wings were delicious, and I was so tempted to order another plate of them. The jerk seasoning was just spicy enough to be interesting and combined with the crispy skin I was happy I found them on the menu. Keith regaled us with stories from his time here in the Navy many years ago while we enjoyed our lunch. After a second round of drinks, Keith and Barbara wanted to return to the ship. Cindy and I had another place we wanted to drop by so we would meet them at the steakhouse later that evening on the ship.

The last time we were in Key West was way back in 2010. At that time I hadn't heard of author Michael Reisig, nor had his first "Road to Key West" been published yet. He has a series of novels starting with The Road to Key West. I've read the first few, and have enjoyed them. With so many books in my "to be read" list, I have to place them in rotation with the others. The point here is that I find it most interesting to walk around the same area a story is set in. I'm sure the next book of Mr. Reisig's I read will be that much more entertaining now that we've been close to where his characters have been. Looking for something new to read? Give his Key West series a try.

Cindy and I also completed a series of geocaches paying homage to Jimmy Buffett. If you've been paying attention to any of my blogs, you'll see I'm a longtime fan of his music. So much so that I even wrote a blog about my favorite Buffett songs. This would be a good time to give it a read, as it will give you some background on our next stop. Go ahead and click right here. It will open in a new window so you won't lose your place here. I'll wait for you.

Did you read it? What did you think? Just a short walk from the Blue Macaw is Capt. Tony's Saloon. We needed somewhere to get out of the heat, so why not here? OK, be honest, you probably didn't click that link, did you? If not, please do me a favor and actually go back and read it. If not the whole thing, at least check out #7 on the list and you'll see all the connections clicking into place. 

Capt. Tony's Saloon

As much as I'd have liked to shoot the breeze for hours there, we had to be back on the ship soon. We did take the time to sip on a Capt. Tony's Amber, which I found most tasty. The interior is quite dark, so it was hard to get a good photo. A google search will show you all you want to see, though, if you feel so inclined.

We left Capt. Tony's and stopped by one more place, another tradition of sorts for us when we cruise. Whenever we visit a new port, we'll look for a Del Sol store. We've purchased shirts from all over the Caribbean at their stores, and have even bought one in Durango, Colorado when we made a road trip up there. Since it's been so long between visits to Key West, we decided to drop by and see if anything caught our eye. We both found a suitable shirt and added that to our inventory of "been there, done that" apparel. 

Once we were back on the ship, we relaxed on our balcony and talked about how much fun we had today. For not having any specific plans, we sure ended up doing a lot. Much more than I anticipated, really. If we couldn't go diving, this definitely made up for it. Our reservations at the steakhouse were for 7 p.m. and with sailaway coming up shortly, we still had plenty to look forward to. 

The lighthouse viewed from our balcony

My shower felt wonderfully refreshing and by the time I was dressed the sun was setting. Oh, cool! I totally need to get a photo of this!

Sunset, Key West style

With only first breakfast and a single plate of wings for lunch, I was absolutely ready for a good dinner at the steakhouse. Ready to join us for dinner? I hope you are hungry.

First up: bread plate

Those that know me know just how much I love bread. The selection above disappeared within minutes of being served. That round bread roll was especially tasty with a sprinkling of coarse sea salt.

Appetizer: Heritage Berkshire Pork Belly

Apple & Walnut Preserves, Carrot Paper

My appetizer, "uncovered"

Pork belly is just one of those cuts that no matter how it's prepared, it's gonna be good. This was no exception and I had to force myself to eat it slowly and not gobble it down. When I think about it, on our last cruise, one of the shared appetizers at the JiJi Asian Kitchen was a pork belly dish. You can read all about it, and the rest of the meal, here.

Cindy and I make it a point to eat at the steakhouse at least once per cruise. For the past few meals there, I've always selected the same steak: the USDA  Prime Cowboy Steak. It's an 18 oz. rib chop, cooked medium, with a side of Yukon Gold mash with wasabi horseradish. Why do I even bother looking at the menu? 

18 oz Cowboy Steak

Yukon Gold mash

Carnival offers several different sauces for your steaks, but I found I've never needed nor desired a sauce. The steak stands perfectly on its own. As the server brought out our food, the smell of grilled meat was tantalizing. My steak was cooked perfectly, and almost fork tender. My mashed potatoes were silky smooth, and the amount of wasabi was spot on. If I could replicate this dish at home, it would be the standard potato dish for the house. Calling this a mere "meat and potatoes" dish would be an injustice. Judging by the silence at our table, everyone was enjoying their meal as well. 

Such a sumptuous meal called for an equally sumptuous dessert. I selected the cheesecake, while Cindy chose the "chocolate sphere." From past experience, I knew I wouldn't be able to finish all of my dessert. I'd give it a good try, though.

Dessert: Cheesecake with Hazelnut Biscuit

When this colossal slab of cheesecake arrived, I knew I'd be able to eat, at best, half of it. Each bite of this creamy wonder, accompanied by the hazelnut crust ("biscuit" on the menu) encouraged me to take another bite and another. By now I was so full I couldn't even think of finishing it, even though it tasted so good. 

Cindy's dessert tasted as good as it looked, and it looked fantastic. The description comes directly from Carnival's menu.

Cindy's dessert: Chocolate Sphere

Warm cocoa cream custard deconstructs this treat before your eyes.

Served with Pear Confit & Delicate Praline Pate

Cocoa cream custard added

Notice how the sphere has opened up after the cocoa cream was poured over the top? Inside the sphere was the praline pate. The next time we eat at one of Carnival's steakhouses, I'm totally ordering this for dessert! All of that rich, decadent chocolate made the perfect finale to a perfect meal.

All of us agreed that the $35 per person upcharge was well worth it, and would happily do it again. In fact, I know we will. 

Cindy and I decided to check out the formal photos we took the previous night. We headed to deck 4 and found several prints that looked great. As much as we'd like to buy every print from every pose, we just can't. We debated over a couple of them and selected two of the best. There's still one more formal night in a few days, so we'll have another chance to take some more. 

We were greeted by Senor Frog when we went to the cabin to change into our "comfy clothes." Keith and Barbara wanted to go to the hot tub, but we didn't want to have to take another shower. 

Senor Frog says "hi."

Decision time. Tomorrow we'll be in Freeport, and will need to get off the ship as soon as we can. We need to meet our dive operator right outside the main gate. That means we'll need to get up around 7. It's still a bit early to go to bed, yet we don't want to stay up too late, either. Piano bar it is!

Hey, cool, there are a couple of empty seats at the bar! I sat down and happened to see who was sitting next to me...Paul! Dude! Two days in a row! Cool! As soon as Ben finished his current song, he glanced over at us with a "Where have y'all been?" look. I just shrugged and mouthed "steakhouse." Yes, I was still full from a wonderful dinner. Did I order a drink, though? Do you even need to ask? I even bought Ben a shot. As the waiter placed it on the piano, and let him know who bought it, Ben said: "I'm still trying to down the second one." 

"That's what she said," was my answer, much to the bar's delight. I had actually started this last night, zinging Ben when I could. This would definitely become my catchphrase at the piano bar for the rest of the cruise. No, I'm not above using a cheap, throwdown line to get a laugh.

The time crept closer and closer to 11 p.m. so we went back to the cabin to get our dive gear prepped. We transferred it from a suitcase to a dive bag, ensuring everything was ready to go. I turned on my GoPro to ensure the battery was fully charged. It should've been, as I charged all of them before we left. Yep, the battery indicator looked fine.

We called it a day just after midnight. And a fun day it was.

Have you ever been to Key West? What did you do there? I'd love to read all about it in the comments section below.

Coming up next, our day in Freeport, including a bunch of dive photos. You can find it here.

For your convenience, here are the links to the other blogs in this series:

Back to the Bahamas on the Carnival Freedom

Day 2: Our First Fun Day at Sea on the Carnival Freedom

Until next time....

carpe cerevisi

Day 2: Our First Fun Day at Sea on the Carnival Freedom

I mentioned in the previous blog how we closed the piano bar the night before and didn't get to bed until 1:15 a.m. With today being a sea day, we didn't need to get up early like we generally do on a port day. That being said, we don't want to sleep the day away, either. As a compromise, we set the alarm for 8:15. We awoke to a sunny day with calm seas. I opened the door to our balcony and was greeted with a mild breeze. 

Good morning!

Just like we did on the Carnival Vista, we ordered a light continental breakfast from room service to enjoy on the balcony. We'll just consider this "first breakfast" since it's only some pastries and coffee. We've traditionally done this, even when in an interior cabin. Having a balcony makes it more enjoyable, though. Our favorite selection is some croissants with butter and orange marmalade to go with our coffee. Carnival supplies a continental breakfast menu that you complete and hang outside your door the night before. It's convenient and we don't have to leave the cabin just for a quick bite.

Breakfast menu

scanned from original menu

As you can see, there are plenty of options for breakfast and if that doesn't work for you, there's always the Lido buffet or the main dining room (MDR). Later on during the cruise we'll check out brunch in the MDR. Cindy and I took our time with first breakfast, just enjoying the balmy weather and talking about what we wanted to do during the day. We decided second breakfast was definitely in order, so we got dressed and walked up to Lido for some Blue Iguana Cantina burritos.

Breakfast burrito and hot sauce

My burrito, unwrapped, ready to eat

Today's burrito was eggs, crispy potato, cheese and pico de gallo, wrapped in a jalapeno tortilla. Cindy opted for the smaller breakfast tacos, slathered with guacamole. Both the burritos and tacos are made to order, and you can have them with whatever you want.

Cindy's breakfast tacos

With second breakfast done, we decided to see what was happening at the Red Frog Pub on deck 5. Surprisingly, it was almost empty. Well, not surprising, I guess, since they weren't televising the Texans game in there. As we chatted with the bartender, several people approached her and asked about the game. "Sorry, we aren't showing it here. You can find it at the Sports Bar." 

After the third or fourth inquiry, she called her supervisor and asked if she could show the game on the TVs in the RFP, stating how many people had been asking about it. As she changed the channel, I heard this voice behind me: "Patrick, is that you?"

I turned around and.....holy crap! Standing in front of me was someone I hadn't seen since junior high. We had reconnected on Facebook a few years ago but hadn't actually been face to face in decades. "I thought that was you yesterday but wasn't sure. I had to check Facebook and find a current picture of you." 

Great to see you, Paul!

How cool is that? I knew Paul and his wife were avid cruisers like us and figured we'd cross paths one day. I just didn't know that that day would come so soon. He introduced my to his wife and said they'd be hanging out in the Red Frog Pub to watch the Texans game. I laughed and told him that had there not been so many people asking about the game, it wouldn't have been shown here. We got caught up on several years worth of history and I grilled him on many of our mutual friends.

What a fantastic surprise! No matter what else went on this day, reconnecting with Paul would definitely be the highlight. Since we had kinda, sorta made plans with Keith and Barbara to join them for lunch, we left Paul and his wife to watch the game while Cindy and I went up to deck 10. In what used to be a fish and chips restaurant, there's now the "Ol' Fashioned BBQ" in its place. This is one of those little-known eating venues that many people overlook and is usually not nearly as crowded as the Lido buffet. I guess that since it's only open for lunch, it doesn't get the exposure that other dining venues do.

Keith and Barbara were already there, so Cindy and I joined the short line to grab us some BBQ. If you've been paying attention, yes, we've already had first and second breakfast, and yes, it's barely noon. Maybe I should give this blog the subtitle "Cruising like a hobbit."

I think I have room...

Believe it or not, I'm really trying to pace myself, foodwise. I selected the pulled pork, chicken and some mac and cheese. You have your choice between several styles/flavors of BBQ sauce, so I picked a brown sugar sauce and a spicy sauce. The bun was for the pulled pork. Why a bun? They didn't have tortillas, silly!

Our Facebook group had a meet and greet scheduled soon after lunch, so I dropped into that for a bit before heading to the cabin. I wanted to spend some time on the balcony, taking a nap to the sound of rushing water (and some Jimmy Buffett on my mp3 player) with the caress of a tropical breeze. 

With tonight being formal night, we took a few extra minutes to get ready. In all honesty, I could take or leave formal night. I'm generally not a big fan of dressing up just for dinner. If Carnival ever does away with formal night (not likely), it won't break my heart. For those that enjoy it, great! I don't begrudge anyone preferring to dress up. It's just not for me. I dress formally so we can eat in the MDR and follow the dress code instead of having dinner in the Lido buffet.

Having cruised with Carnival since 2007, I'm pretty familiar with their menu for the most part. I knew what we'd be having tonight, so even being a bit full from lunch, I made my selections based on what I knew to be good, yet on the lighter side.

Appetizer: "Tart with Braised Kale, Blackened Pork Tenderloin"

Citrus cream

This is perhaps my favorite appetizer Carnival offers. These bite-sized morsels pack so much flavor into such a small package. If you ever cruise Carnival and see these on the menu, I highly encourage you to try them out. Depending on how hungry I am, I'll order one or two plates of these.  Tonight was just one plate, given what all I had throughout the day.

Entree: "Spaghetti Carbonara"

Bacon, cheese, garlic, cream

This is another perennial favorite of mine. The sauce is always thick, rich, and creamy with crispy bacon. It's available as an appetizer if you choose a different entree.

Dessert: Butter pecan ice cream

I've found myself ordering ice cream for dessert more and more these past few cruises. Even with the wide variety of desserts that Carnival offers, I have had most of them more than once. Some are fantastic, others are just "ok." All of them are filling, though, and ice cream is just light enough to finish off a nice meal without feeling completely stuffed.

Before going back to the cabin to change into shorts and t-shirts, we took a few photos in our formal wear. Some of these photos come out quite nicely and we'll purchase those. The others get tossed into the waste can to be recycled. 

Today's towel animal

Now we have two

Ahhhh, yes! Shorts, t-shirts, and Tevas are much more preferable than my suit. Our plan for this evening was to hit the comedy club and then the piano bar. We had about half an hour to kill before going to the comedy club so we spent the time on the balcony watching the stars.

Good seats

Waiting for the show to begin

Of the two comedians on the ship, we picked Chris Wiles to watch. I haven't seen his act before, so I was looking forward to seeing what he had. Wow! He was hilarious, and his "Tony Montana does PBS" had me laughing until my sides hurt. I'll definitely make it a point to watch his show again the next time he's on our cruise.

Chris finished his set and we walked the short distance, about 20 steps, to the piano bar. Naturally Ben had the place rocking again and greeted us as we walked through the door. Another of Ben's many talents is to remember people's names. He'll greet people by name throughout the cruise from day one. We weren't there more than twenty minutes before Keith and Barbara came in. 

My first request for the evening was Jimmy Buffett's Fins.  Ben loves his props and has bags full of them. As he read my request, he gave me this large shark's mouth to carry around the bar so people could take selfies with it.

Fins to the left

Fins to the right

The cliche "Time flies when you're having fun" is absolutely true. We were having a blast and I was surprised when Ben announced final call for the bar. Whaaaat? Already? My watch showed it was after 1. For the second night in a row, we closed the piano bar. 

We weren't scheduled to dock in Key West until 10 a.m. so we could sleep in, have first breakfast on the balcony and take our time getting off the ship. Nothing specific was planned for Key West, so there was no hurry to get going. 

That's it for day 2. Coming up next, I'll write about our day in Key West, with lots of photos. You can access it here.


Until next time....


carpe cerevisi