Avoid the shore-leave crush by consulting cruise ship arrival schedules. RELATED LINKS City Guide Key West

In recent years, Key West has become a particularly popular port of call for Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico cruises. As cruise ships have grown larger and more numerous, Key West has remained pretty much the same size, and that can lead to some noticeable crowding on the busier days when as many as three or four large vessels offload their passengers for shore leave.

If you want to avoid the crush, consult the monthly cruise ship arrivals posted online at www.keywestcity.com/cruiseships.asp. The listings show expected arrival and departure times for every ship that calls at Key West, and while there are few days when no ship is in port, you can easily pick out the dates when Old Town attractions are likely to be overrun with day-trippers.

On the busier days, consider booking a sailing trip, fishing or diving excursion, or a seaplane flight to the Dry Tortugas. And on those rare days when no cruise ships are expected, make a point of staying in town to enjoy Key West in a state of relative tranquility.