Travel Maven Blog ... posts from The Travel Mavens.com

Redundancies and power issues in the cruise ship world

Cruise line executives and industry leaders meet annually in March at Cruise Shipping Miami. This week, for the second year in a row, their conference and trade show, designed to talk about past profits and show off innovative products, was marred by a recent international black eye.

In January 2012, the Costa Concordia rollover at sea, off the coast of Italy, killed 32 people, and two months later, when the cruise industry finally got around to talking about the disaster, the pall in the Miami convention hall was a mood stealer.

This year, the industry’s wound was more image than damage.

Cruising into 2013, ships new and renewed

Some intriguing new cruise ships are on the way, including Norwegian Breakaway, which will breakout with a major party in New York in May.

Peter Max painted the hull for Norwegian Breakaway, which will be sailing out of New York

In England in June, Royal Princess is due to debut with a long-awaited new design from Princess Cruises. After a summer in the Med, the ship will cross the pond, arriving in Fort Lauderdale in late October.

Early looks at Norwegian Breakaway and Royal Princess.

Renting cars in Florida, using a search engine for best price

Through the years of renting cars in Florida, I’ve been all over the Internet. My expeditions have yielded dozens of cars from websites and rental companies, with varying degrees of success.

Goal for my latest Florida car rental was hanging out with the pelicans in the Keys (Photo by David G. Molyneaux, TheTravelMavens.com)

The cost of a rental car can be a major expense, especially in Miami, where locals add on a brace of taxes and fees that seem to nearly double the original cost. Rent a car in Miami and you know you have contributed to the local economy.

Finding the best deal is getting easier, because of up-to-date Internet search engines that seek the lowest rates. Sometimes, prices vary substantially.

Eating in hog (fish) heaven, Key West, Florida

On any coast, I’m a sucker for fresh fish and a casual attitude. Give me a picnic table, a roll of paper towels, today’s catch, local beer on tap, and I’ve got all the atmosphere I want.

Hogfish Bar & Grill, Stock Island, Florida

 Locals in Key West sent me to the Hogfish Bar & Grill, a great restaurant, they said, if you can find it.

Hogfish is a trip. It’s not walking distance from downtown. It’s not even on the same land mass, but only a short drive to a quiet road off U.S. 1 on nearby Stock Island. If you’re driving, set your GPS for 6810 Front St., Safe Harbor Marina, Stock Island.

Exploring Key West, a most decorated sandbar

I never tire of Key West. I've lolled around the city at the bottom of Florida maybe a dozen times, each occasion too short. When I leave, I know I will be back.

Lobster Trap Christmas Tree at Key West's Historic Seaport (Photo by Rob O'Neal )

It’s no secret that Key West is a part of America that moves to its own beat, one of those rare communities that seem out of country.

The so-called Conch Republic is the most Caribbean town in the United States. It’s an enclave for flamboyance and over-the-top celebrations of life. Folks who live here seem to revel in the outlandish personalities of many of their neighbors.

For visitors, Key West is a place to shed your mainland stresses and dresses, rules and jewels.

Snowbirding with the fish in the Florida Keys

In less than an hour’s drive south of the rental car desk at Miami airport, the Florida Turnpike ends and U.S. 1 heads for the ocean, then winds through the Florida Keys and a series of bridges toward Key West.

Looking toward the Atlantic at Pines & Palms Resort, Islamorada

Overseas Highway is a drive like no other in America, on a path that began as a plan for a railroad, linking islands washed on one side by the Atlantic, on the other by the Gulf of Mexico. Each mile southwest brings you closer to Cuba, and at the highway’s end you are 104 miles of water from Havana, which is more than 50 miles shorter than the drive back to Miami.

If you haven’t been to the Florida Keys, I highly recommend even a short visit, perhaps a couple of days on either side of a cruise out of Miami or Fort Lauderdale. Florida of the Keys is a world away from the high-rises of the Sunshine State’s East Coast and the sodden beats of South Beach.