When your ship pulls into Key West, you are closer to a tropical vow renewal or elopement than you might think. The historic harbor, palm-lined streets, and soft-sand beaches are minutes from the cruise piers, which makes it surprisingly easy to squeeze in a meaningful ceremony or a relaxed photo adventure on your port day.
This guide lists the cruise lines that call on Key West and shows you how to turn your stop into the most romantic chapter of your cruise.
Cruise lines that visit Key West, Florida
Key West remains a popular port of call for many major cruise brands, with ships docking a short walk or quick taxi ride from Old Town, Mallory Square, and nearby beaches. Popular lines using the Key West cruise port include Norwegian Cruise Line, Disney Cruise Line, Carnival Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, and Holland America Line.
Current arrival schedules for 2025 also show regular or seasonal calls from:
- Carnival Cruise Line
- Royal Caribbean International
- Norwegian Cruise Line
- Disney Cruise Line
- Celebrity Cruises
- Holland America Line
- Virgin Voyages (for example, Scarlet Lady)
- Margaritaville at Sea (Paradise, Islander)
- Explora Journeys (MSC Explora Journeys)
- American Cruise Lines (small coastal ships)
Cruise itineraries change from season to season, and Key West also limits overall ship traffic and daily passenger counts, so always confirm your exact call date and time with your cruise line or a current port schedule before you book a ceremony.
How much time do you really have in port?
Most Key West calls are daytime visits, often arriving between 7:00–10:00 a.m. and departing between 3:00–7:00 p.m. That gives you plenty of time for:
- A short taxi ride to Smathers Beach, Higgs Beach, or Fort Zachary Taylor
- A 15–20 minute vow renewal or wedding ceremony
- A relaxed photo session by the water and under the palms
- Time to return to the ship with a comfortable buffer
When you contact Conch Concierge Weddings, we check your ship’s schedule, tides, and lighting and then recommend exact timing so you are never rushed and always back before “all aboard.”
Why a Key West cruise vow renewal or wedding works so well
Key West is compact, walkable, and filled with photogenic backdrops within minutes of the pier. Attractions like the Hemingway Home, the Key West Lighthouse, Mallory Square, and the island’s main beaches all sit within a very short taxi or rideshare ride from the cruise terminals.
For cruise passengers, this means:
- No long transfers – spend your limited port time celebrating, not commuting.
- Flexible ceremony locations – quiet stretches of sand, shady gardens, or Old Town streets with historic architecture.
- Year-round warm weather – ideal for bare-foot ceremonies and breezy beach portraits.
Vow renewals for cruise couples
Many cruise visitors choose Key West for a milestone vow renewal – a 10th, 20th, or 25th anniversary, or even a “we made it through so much together” celebration.
With Conch Concierge Weddings you can:
- Enjoy a personalized, poetic ceremony written in the voice of the Conch Republic Minister of Love, tailored to your years together.
- Add a family unity ritual (like a sand ceremony) if you are traveling with children or grandchildren.
- Include a custom beach photo session, so you go back to the ship with sunset or midday images, not just phone snapshots.
We time everything around your ship’s schedule so you can relax and simply enjoy being together.
Cruise-day elopements and small weddings
If you want something a bit more formal than a vow renewal, Key West works beautifully for tiny cruise weddings of two to ten people.
A typical cruise-day wedding with Conch Concierge might include:
- Simple beach or garden ceremony with a local officiant
- A customized script that reflects how you met, your shared adventures, and your choice to marry on this cruise
- Legal marriage license guidance for Florida before you sail (or before you arrive in port)
- Optional professional photography that begins at the port area or your ship and continues through the ceremony and portraits
- Suggestions for a celebratory lunch or early dinner in Old Town before you return on board
Because Key West beaches and historic locations are so close, we can usually design a full ceremony and portrait experience that fits easily inside a typical 4–6 hour shore leave window.
Key West cruise photo adventures
Not everyone wants a full ceremony in port. Some couples and families prefer a photo adventure that captures the personality of the island and their time together.
Photo adventures can include:
- Pickup near the cruise dock and a short drive to Smathers Beach, Higgs Beach, or Fort Zachary Taylor for seaside portraits
- Stops at iconic Old Town locations like Duval Street, the Southernmost Point marker, and charming side streets for more intimate shots
- A mix of posed and candid images so you remember both the scenery and the feeling of the day
This is perfect for:
- Honeymooners on a cruise
- Families celebrating birthdays or graduations
- Couples who had a courthouse wedding and want “the beach photos we never got”
How to book your Key West cruise vow renewal, wedding, or photo session
To plan your Conch Concierge experience during a Key West cruise stop:
- Look up your exact port schedule – arrival and departure times for your ship.
- Share ship name, date, and times so we can suggest the best ceremony or photo start time.
- Choose your experience type: vow renewal, elopement, intimate wedding, or photo adventure only.
- Decide whether you prefer beach, garden, or Old Town as your primary setting.
- Confirm your package, sign the agreement, and relax – we handle the local logistics.
Whether you are sailing with Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, Disney, Celebrity, Holland America, Virgin Voyages, Margaritaville at Sea, Explora Journeys, or a small-ship line, Key West is your chance to step off the ship and step into a moment you will remember long after the cruise ends.
Conch Concierge Weddings & Photography is here to help you make the most of that single day in port and turn Key West into the heart of your whole itinerary.
