A Key West tour that we regretted booking

Of our six American Cruise Lines run shore excursions that we signed up for pre-cruise, there are two of them that we regretted booking. One was because of poor planning on our part and the other was due to how the tour was partially poorly run. 

To kick off our first tour experience, here's the welcome committee of Mama Chicken and her little chicken nuggets that greeted us as we stepped off the ship in Key West.

The first one was the HydroThunder Electric Cars in Key West. This 5.5 hour excursion is listed at a low activity level but is really up to you how active you want to make it. You can also set your own times and turn the car back in at any moment before that 5.5 hours is up should you decide you're done with all you wanted to visit. ACL charges $75 per person for this experience and each car can hold four people. You are personally responsible for any parking fees and entrance fees related to any local establishments you choose to visit. This "tour" is basically the equivalent of getting a cooler than normal car to rent for the day and make your own itinerary. The company did provide a color paper map to help you figure out how to get anywhere. The gentleman checking everyone in also kindly helped answer questions highlighting on the map how to get to the specific places anyone mentioned wanting to visit.

The HydroThunder Electric car company comes to the cruise terminal to pick up everyone booked in shuttle vans. Once dropped off at the shop, we each visited the counter inside to sign up, show our driver's license as ID, and get assigned a numbered car. We then headed out with the instructions to walk around our car taking pictures and filming a video of the car while still in its parking spot. This was to ensure that there was proof of how the car looked before leaving the lot. It also gave us the chance to let the employees know of any issues before we left. As it turns out, our front tires needed more air and that was quickly remedied. 

Now being a lot more familiar with getting around town driving a golf cart, this type of vehicle reminded us of home. It is open on the sides so you'll either get a nice breeze if it's sunny and warm or a nice bath if it's raining. Two nicer features that aren't normally on your standard golf cart - this vehicle had proper crossbody seatbelts and windshield wipers. 

A view showing the entire length of the car and the two same sized seats in the back row. ACL's website lists this excursion as not ADA accessible but I think if you had someone in your party who could with assistance using a cane or collapsible walker slide into the passenger seat, then they could be a passenger. Then it would be up to your group whether you visit a place that might not be ADA accessible. 

The front of the car:

The trunk of the car lockable with the same key so you can store jackets, an umbrella, small backpacks, or store purchases as you make all your planned stops.

So why was this an excursion we regretted choosing? Because we had no plan in mind. We had no list of any landmarks or shops or restaurants we wanted to visit. Others on this tour had a great day because they used their car to transport them to places like the Butterfly Conservatory (one of the complimentary excursion options with free admission stickers for all to use) or the Hemingway House. If you have the loyalty status giving you included Premium excursions and picked up these admission stickers to the Butterfly Conservatory, you could enjoy a free and frugal outing. We drove around through busy streets and lots of construction all while having conversations like this:

Me: "Want to go here?" 

Dad: "Not really." 

Me: "Well how about here? 

Dad: "No, not really." 

Yet at the same time encouraging me to "tell him where to go" as he drove along. I may be good at trivia and puzzles but having an answer for giving him directions to no given location was a bit of logic I couldn't quite figure out. After about an hour and seeing lots of the same streets, we returned the car. 

We made the best of the rest of our morning by taking advantage of ACL giving everyone complimentary Old Town Trolley admission stickers. This was also on the list of excursions to sign up for as a complimentary excursion but you didn't have to have signed up pre-cruise in order to use the admission stickers. There was plenty available for the taking at the information table outside the lounge. Around the corner from the HydroThunder Electric shop was one of the Old Town Trolley office locations. We relaxed on a bench outside talking with a kind local gentleman until the next trolley arrived. 

We ended up on a trolley driven by a charismatic funny gentleman named Chris and chose to ride once through the entire loop. A scenic drive turns out so much better when you have someone driving that knows where they are going. The provided stickers were good for use of the trolley both planned days in Key West so I slipped the sticker still attached to the paper in the back of my provided ACL lanyard. That way I could show it as needed but also not have to worry about it still sticking to my next day's shirt.

Menus and foods we had during our time onboard American Pioneer (Part 1)

There are basically three places to find food onboard an American Cruise Lines ship. The main dining room serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner during set hours every day. Unlike the ocean ships, ACL doesn't close the dining room for lunch on port days. There is no set dining time or assigned tables (if you choose traditional dining) like on ocean ships, just hours of operation where you are free to walk in whenever you're ready to eat and choose a table. Many cruisers do end up finding a table they love whether it's for the location by the window or the fact that it's where their favorite waiter is working and make a point of choosing that table each time. You'll find many people choose to share a table so there usually is more group tables than tables for two. 

If you're an early riser and would rather just make up a small plate, the Sky Lounge will have a few assorted platters of breakfast items like fruit, pastries, and a couple hot items. From here you can take the plate out on the open deck or sit comfortably in the lounge reading or watching the water. The Sky Lounge will also have a supply of cool drinks, a water bottle refill station, a coffee machine, and individually wrapped snacks like chip bags, granola bars, crackers, and trail mix. These come in handy when you return from an excursion between serving hours or you get stuck in your room during rough seas.

Everytime I see a bag of Chex Mix in the store, I lament about how I'd much rather have just a bag of the Chex cereal pieces with the savory style seasonings that go in the mixes. I keep picturing myself grabbing a box of Wheat Chex cereal and some nacho cheese or ranch popcorn seasoning and making my own. Several of these packs from the snack caddy onboard may have made their way back home in my luggage.

Located outside adjacent to the Sun Deck is the Back Porch Cafe. Breakfast and lunch options from here are more of the handheld variety such as a breakfast sandwich or the standard grill fare of hot dogs and hamburgers.

Embarkation day lunch was hamburgers with a side of fresh watermelon from the Back Porch Cafe. Dad also enjoyed an individually wrapped ice cream bar for dessert. 

Another day's burger order:

Another day we sampled the hot dog and chips with salsa and guacamole options:

Embarkation night dinner - we used to have to fill out cards with our menu choices at breakfast each day so the chef would know how many of each dish to make. Now they have the menus available in the app once onboard and encourage you to submit a choice there. There's no rule that says what you chose that morning is what you have to stick with come dinnertime. There's also no rule that says you have to have everything as it is listed. The waiters and galley crew are very accommodating if you ask to make any changes whether it's for allergies, dietary restrictions, or personal preferences. One day I couldn't decide between entrees and asked if it was possible to get a small amount of both versus two full plates. The waiter brought out a plate that had a small piece of the meat and a little of the side from each entree choice. It turned out to be a perfect way to sample both choices! The only thing I missed with the change to the app is that there's no longer a write in choice. In the past we've been able to make off menu requests within reason like a grilled cheese, fruit plate, or pan pizza when nothing interested us on the menu. Doing this in the morning meant that the chef was prepared to serve our request by that night's dinner.

To answer a frequent question - there was always regular sugar, Equal, Splenda, and Sweet 'N Low packets available on the tables whether it was morning coffee or iced tea with lunch or dinner.

And for the drinkers - the wine list printed on the back of the dinner menu

Roasted Chicken Noodle Soup

Citrus Marinated Pork Loin - Served over coconut rice, sauteed kale, tropical fruit salsa, and a citrus cilantro jus.

Florida-Style Crab Cakes - Served with edamame-quinoa saute, key-lime mustard sauce, and mango pico de gallo. I wasn't sure what Florida-Style Crab Cakes meant but this Maryland born and bred girl gives them two forks up! Proper Maryland made crab cakes (not Maryland-Style) is still #1 but this was a close second. 

New York Style Cheesecake - minus the papaya compote as requested

Bourbon Pecan Pie - two forks up from Dad!

First breakfast onboard - had to try the Eggs Benedict:

Dad's cheese omelette and bacon - everyone got a little fruit cup served with their meal choice:

A staple offering across the fleet is the offering of a salty or sweet treat to enjoy in the lounge during the evening entertainment. Brown paper lunch bags filled with a couple scoops of freshly popped buttered and salted popcorn cater to those in the mood for a savory snack. For those who need to satisfy their sweet tooth, an array of ice cream sundaes and the occasional Coke or Root Beer float are brought out as well.

Do dolphins play a lot of Marco Polo on Marco Island?

Our first port stop was to Marco Island, Florida where we stayed in port from 7:00AM until 5:30PM. Most of today's excursion choices had a morning and an afternoon option. Only the two complimentary tours, Naples Botanical Garden and Downtown Naples Shopping, were held once. The Naples Botanical Garden excursion was held in the morning and the shuttle for Downtown Naples Shopping was offered for the afternoon. The most popular choice was the two sessions of Everglades and 10,000 Islands Exploration. This 3.75 hours tour cost $65 per person with a low activity level and was ADA accessible. We did an Everglades airboat tour the first time we came to Fort Lauderdale for a pre-cruise stay. Certainly worth doing once if you've never been to Fort Lauderdale. 

The remaining ship sponsored excursion, Dolphin Exploration and Shelling Cruise, was also held once in the morning and once in the afternoon. This 3.25 hours excursion is listed at a moderate activity level and is unfortunately not ADA accessible. The price for this excursion is $75 per person. The nice thing about American Cruise Line's loyalty program is that after your third cruise taken with them, all of the Premium level excursions you choose to take from that 4th cruise on, are now just as free to you as the complimentary excursions are to everyone. This was my 4th cruise on this line and Dad's 5th. Unfortunately, there is still some disconnect within the company because I was billed for all of my Premium level excursions after returning home. I questioned the charge with customer service over the phone and only after the rep double checked my account to confirm it was the 4th cruise, did she put in for a refund. She explained that they usually double check for discrepancies like that and must have missed mine. Why they never seem to mistakenly charge Dad's account, the universe may never know. 

Looking back at the portable steps with handrail that we used to reach the height of the boat's entry with its own handrails.

Looking toward the back of our catamaran you can see the metal fixed benches, the covered ceiling, open sides, and extra waist high canvas barrier so you and/or your kids by your side could sit facing forward, facing sideways, or kneeling on the benches. 

Our ferry style catamaran, the Dolphin Explorer, used in this excursion was docked just a short walk down the pier from where the American Pioneer was docked. If you would like to book this activity on your own, as did a family with young children who came along during our tour, you can visit the company's site here. Adult tickets cost $79 and Seniors (60+) tickets cost $69. Pretty rare that booking direct versus through the cruise ship doesn't come out cheaper. There was a small bathroom on the boat. We were encouraged to help ourselves to bottled water from a cooler as much as desired. The front section of the boat was open to the sun while the rest of the boat was covered so you could choose sun and/or shade. Depending on the water conditions and the boat speed, you may get a refreshing spray from the water splashing up over the open sides but never more than a refreshing spritz. 

Our two person crew consisted of Bob McConville, a Florida Master Naturalist, and Captain Eddie Farr, a certified Coast Guard Captain with a Masters of Science Education degree as well as a PhD in Cetacean Biology. These two crew members on our tour not only made the experience educational but also enlightening, entertaining, and fun. The kids onboard got to enjoy filling out a checklist on all the marine life spotted during the ride. 

Photo filled binders were passed around onboard with photos of each known dolphin in the area. We were all encouraged to browse the photos and see if we could identify the ones we were seeing. Bob took many if not all of the photos compiled in these binders and was a wealth of knowledge remembering which one was related to which other dolphin. Dolphin activity was high as we traveled through the marina and Bob would call out each by name. We saw dolphins jumping in the boat's wake and others just popping up nearby. Sometimes we'd stop and sit for a few minutes to watch the activity or especially if a dolphin was close before moving on. Captain Eddie was always careful to keep a distance between other boats in the area so both people and the wild dolphins were safe. The main rule asked of us while onboard was to not move around while the boat was in motion. Otherwise there was no assigned seating and we were free to check out a new viewing spot during the times when the boat was stopped. 

I didn't take many photos of the dolphins we saw. You soon realize that you miss out on seeing the moment with your own eyes because you can't be fast enough with the camera.

I did get some side eye from the pelicans that were hanging out nearby when we stopped the boat momentarily.

After a comfortable ride with tons of dolphin sightings, we pulled up to a small sandy island. Bob stepped off first and then helped each person that chose to do the shelling portion with their steps down the stairs. We were provided mesh bags with the Dolphin Explorer logo to collect as many shells as we wanted. We were encouraged to walk as far along the edge of the island as we desired as long as we were all back onboard within around a 25 minute time limit. 

Our included mesh bag also got in on the pun game:

A look back at our boat showing the wide but steep steps to climb up and down from the beach.

The view from onboard when it came time to get down those steps - definitely best to climb down backwards like a ladder. Dad chose to stay on the boat both for concern of handling the stairs and his lack of interest in collecting shells.

After each person stepped off the boat, Bob had us pose with our bags so he could take our picture. During the ride back, he used a photo printer onboard the boat to give each of us a copy of our photos and one photo he'd previously taken of one of the dolphins. I did end up with a few broken shells after the plane ride home. Maybe one of these days I'll do something crafty with the pieces. 

The ride back to the pier also provided a great opportunity to grab a photo of the American Pioneer:

Do I recommend doing this excursion? Absolutely! I loved not only the amount of dolphin activity we experienced but also how comfortable being on the boat was and how having such great guides added to the experience.