I don't normally take the time to write reviews unless service was exceptional or awful. this one is due to above and beyond every step of the way. from the time we got there staff could not of been nicer. ease of the entire experience, and this includes a canceled trip due to weather. refunded and actually got to talk to someone on the phone. honestly just great all the way around. read more

Imp,ractic J0kers and other shows of people getting hurt played on TV. So far that is allTthey've shown. These shows are totally inappropriate for a day cruise. They feature people getting hurt or humiliated for laughs, which kills the relaxed, fun vibe people come here for. It's uncomfortable to watch, and super hard to ignore. It doesn't belong in a setting meant for enjoyment, this low brow cringe. Sat in a puddle in the open seat upstairs. Grumpy am attendants. The captain was very nice and gracious and so were most of the employees on the boat. Food is toxic factory food on PFAS paper plates l, PFSS Styrofoam cups, etc. ​ read more

My friend and I took the Key West Express down to KW this past week, and returned the following day also on the ferry. Overall, the experience was fantastic. We got to the Rose Marina in Marco Island slightly before 7am in order to board the ferry. They scan the code either on your printed ticket or your phone and check your ID...have those ready and the process goes really quickly. Onboard, there are lots of seats on the main level inside. On the upper level, half the seats are inside and half are outside. There are restrooms on both levels. We opted for inside on the main level with the galley and had a very comfortable ride. We had Dramamine and Sea-Bands with us, but you can purchase Dramamine onboard the ship and they will tell you if the ride is expected to be a little rocky. They played a movie (Captain Ron...classic) on the way down, with captions on the TV screens. A lot of people read or slept. The food from the galley wasn't great, so plan to bring some of your own if you need snacks on the three hour trip. On the return trip, we did have a really rowdy group of adults who played a radio really loudly the whole ride back, which was pretty annoying. Other people also seemed annoyed by this group, but no one said anything, nor did the crew ask them to lower the volume. That would have made the return trip a better ride. But still, it was such a smooth and easy trip both ways, and SO MUCH better than flying! read more

For $172 we decided to take the boat from Marco Island to Key West and stay overnight without having to drive. We parked in the lot across the street. You feel it is safe to leave your car. It takes about three hours but don't go for a scenic view because it's just water. I made sure I took Dramamine for motion sickness just in case. The crew were so nice and it was easy to board. We started sitting outside but it was so windy so we found seats separately inside. They were showing the movie Splash. No internet so it was nice to have a movie with subtitles. Once we arrived into the Key West harbor, it only took about 10 minutes to exit. They offer a free shuttle but we decided to rent an electric car. The next day we boarded after 4 and we're able to see the sunset but after seeing the sunset in Key West it was no big deal. It was a good experience. read more

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They do a good job on this ferry. My husband and I got the seats outside, and the chairs were okay for a 4 hour trip. We went during breakfast time, so they had pastries, juice and some other things available for purchase. If you're someone who needs to sit inside for whatever reason, make sure you get there first. Nobody wants to sit outside, so the seats indoors fill up pretty quickly. Also, they stack up your bags. Take everything out that you want on the trip before they take your bags away. read more

The boat is clean and it's nice to relax on the way to Key West. The indoor area is COLD, definitely bring a jacket. There is food and drink available for purchase, of course highly marked up. They do show a movie during the trip, so if you want peace and quiet, bring headphones. As another noted, it was a bit of a turn off to get the hard sell for the Conch Train and Electric Cars while we were on the boat. The ticket price is high, so if you're looking for a cheap way to Key West, you're probably driving. Luckily the sailing was smooth and no one was sick on either of our trips. read more

When I lived in Naples the KWE was the only way to travel. Obviously I prefered the Marco location as it was much closer than FMB. But the schedule is very limited so I only took the Marco route once. The boat is smaller but the experience was just as enjoyable. Reading all these reviews makes me (almost, lol) miss living in Florida as KW was a place we'd visit every chance we got, and KWE was always a great experience. read more

Fun fun fun!!! Great staff great boat lots of room. On time from Marco Island and on time departure from key west. Excellent ride smooth sea. Fun way to visit key West. read more

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Took the Key West Express this past Thursday to KW. Boarding was quick and easy as long as you had your ID and boarding pass ready. The crew were all helpful and friendly, the ride was pleasant, and it was nice that they announced information was we got close to KW about the different little Islands we passed. I brought my own food, but my traveling companion purchased food from the galley. It was what you would expect to find on a ferry. Normally, I would have rated the ride as 4 stars, nice, pleasant, but nothing out of the ordinary. The reason for the five stars pertains to our return trip the following day. We returned to the terminal early, bc we wanted to be ensure we got a seat on the left side of the ferry, so that we could see another sunset. There were about 30 people ahead of us, but the terminal was set up so that even though we were on line, we all had seats, and thus did not have to wait standing up. On the ferry, we got the seats we wanted, but while everyone was boarding, there were announcements stating that the Gulf would become very choppy after the first half hour, and anyone prone to motion sickness should head to the galley for pills. (Which I did) Dan, who was manning the galley was very nice and helpful to myself and everyone else on line. After going back to my seat, another crew member came around and informed us that where we were seated would be among the rockier seats, and suggested that we move more towards the center of the ship. Of course we did not (Still looking for that one last sunset) Well, everything was exactly as they predicted. Fortunately they came around with barf bags and paper towels, and I must admit, I was the first to "lose it". Again, the whole crew was awesome. They came around repeatedly to collect and replace bags, they walked passengers to the head, they walked me to the calmer seats, and at one point when I was just lying on the floor, they had me sit up and rest my head on a chair, so that they knew I didn't need further medical attention. My friend and many other passengers also got sick. The staff - whose names I don't know other than Dan, were all amazing and super attentive. Myself and the other passengers really appreciated all they did to help us. I would definitely take the Key West Express again, just not anytime soon!! And no, I never got to see that last sunset. read more

The Key West Express is certainly the way to get out of South Florida. Beware however! The crew will try to sell you tickets to the Conch Train which covers a generic tour of Key West. If you don't have children, then a much better option is the City View Trolley - the fare is cheaper and there are more stops along the way to "hop on, hop off." read more

The boat was clean, had bars and food for purchase. Both trips were on schedule and the staff were courteous and professional. No complaints. read more

My understanding was KW Express will not travel if the conditions are going to be Rough. We took out of KW last Tuesday ,, after we left the dock immediately The Captain announced 2-3 ft waves , he would try to go around the storm and find shallower water ,, to late,,, no choice or option to get off. We suffered up to 5 foot waves. So many people were sick vomiting everywhere. Several people fell down and hurt their heads. I played nursemaid to 5 people (4 Strangers) who could not take care of themselves. I stood up, on the outside aft section on second level for 3 hours. The whole cruise back tossing sick bags in the garbage and giving people paper towels to clean vomit off of themselves. Horrible condition to be in Freezing cold (cold front came through) you could not go inside the cabin for conditions inside were Horrible too. Smelled so Badly. What was suppose to be a nice relaxing cruise back to Marco was a Complete Nightmare. My sister will never get on another boat. It's been 35 years since her last boat trip. She was sick the whole trip 3 hours vomiting!! Captain and Crew should have given everyone the option to stay in KW another night, rent a car or take a bus home. But that did not happen. You were Captive,,, in Answer to your response. The Captain did not notify guests prior to departure from the dock of the rough conditions ahead. We were told once we were under way. When waves got so Bad and people fell Captain announced everyone stay in your seats and all the stairs were roped off. 5 foot Waves!!! Can you imagine!! The crew were so busy they could not handle all the sick people. It was impossible to. The Captain did not consider the safety of the passengers prior to disembarking from Key West. Evidently, He wanted to get the boat back to Marco for the next morning cruise. It's ALL ABOUT THE MONEY!! Unfortunate but true.So Please make sure you check the weather and Sea Report before you go. Because they will Go Anyway!!! And you will be Stuck!!! My sister is 62 yrs old. If she was warned of the rough condition ahead prior to leaving the dock. She would have been the 1st person off the boat. read more