Whenever someone mentions Florida what's the first thing you think about? Disney World? Miami? Alligators or manatees? A place where old folks go to retire? While all these things may have some truth to them there is a hidden gem in Florida that not everyone gets to see or has even heard of. The Florida Keys.

The Florida Keys are a group of islands that make up the southern tip of Florida. These islands do not seem like they are part of the United States. When walking down the streets or along the shore you'll think you're somewhere in the Caribbean, not in Florida. The most popular island in the Florida Keys is, wait for it, Key West. This little island has so much to offer whether you're staying for a week or if your cruise ship is docked for a couple hours. Here are the things you must do while in Key West!

If you love nature, wildlife, and learning something new then taking a trip down to the Key West Butterfly and Nature Conservatory would be right up your alley. The conservatory is a butterfly park that houses different species of butterflies from around the world in a glass-enclosed habitat. Inside the habitat you will also find several different species of birds and even some pink flamingos on the premises. Tickets are $12 for general admission and the conservatory is open from 9am to 5pm. Located on the ever popular Duval Street, the conservatory is a nice peaceful and tranquil point of interest in Key West.

For all of you literary lovers out there, Key West is the best travel destination for you. Many writers throughout history visited and resided on this tropical island to gain inspiration. The most famous of them all was the one and only Ernest Hemingway. In fact, one of the best things to do and see in Key West is to take a trip down to the Ernest Hemingway House. The house is filled with history and the tour guides are extremely knowledgeable about Hemingway's work and his overall life. Not to mention the house itself is a gorgeous piece of architecture with stunning views and gardens all around. Plus the house is home to hundreds of cats who are descendants of Hemingway's own polydactyly cat, Snow White. So even if you're not interested in Hemingway whatsoever, you can still appreciate the environment and find some entertainment on the property.

If exploring a fortress in the middle of the ocean is on your bucket list (or something you want to add now) then taking the trip down to Dry Tortugas National Park is a definite must! This national park is located 70 miles west of Key West and has an 100-square mile park that is mainly open water with several small islands surrounding it. The national park is home to Fort Jefferson, which is the largest masonry structure in the western hemisphere. Surrounding the fort is the beautiful bright blue ocean, coral reefs filled with marine life, and a variety of topical birds that frequent the area. This island is only accessible by sea plane or boat so signing up for a tour is your best bet. However, there is a ferry from Key West that travels to Fort Jefferson daily.

Although Florida technically is not the most southern point of the United States (Hawaii obviously takes the cake here), it is still home to the Southernmost Continental Point. In fact, there is a buoy to mark it in Key West. From this buoy it is only 90 miles to the island of Cuba. The buoy is a perfect spot to take pictures, not only because the buoy is so iconic but because behind the buoy is the gorgeous blue ocean. Be aware that there will be a line that forms to take pictures in front of this very popular spot. If you don't want to stand in line (which moves surprisingly fast) be sure to get their early! However, the buoy was damaged after Hurricane Irma last year. But have no fear! The buoy has been fully refurbished and looks even better than ever!

If you're a big history buff and enjoy learning more about the United States Presidents then taking the time to visit the Harry S. Truman Little White House will be right up your alley. The Little White House indeed looks like a miniature tropical version of the White House. In fact, Truman spent some of his time as President at the Little White House, which was known as the Winter White House during that time. But prior to that it was actually a naval base. Today, it is the only Presidential museum in the state of Florida and it is stilled used today as a Presidential Retreat.

If you want to get the full Key West experience, taking a stroll down Duval Street is a must do. Duval Street is full of shops, restaurants, and home to Key West's nightlife. Here you can find your classic cheesy souvenir shops and even some really cute boutique stores. At the end of Duval Street you'll find Mallory Square, it faces the Gulf of Mexico and is next to the cruise ship port. Here you'll find more shops, restaurants, some museums, the trolley, and Conch Train. The best thing to do in Mallory Square is to check out the Sunset Celebration. The celebration begins two hours before sunset, every day of the year, and offers arts and crafts exhibitors, street performers, and food carts. Plus a killer view of the sunset.

If you plan on driving down to Key West or renting a car (which is not necessary since the island is so small) the number one thing you have to experience is the Overseas Highway. This famous route is a 113 mile highway that goes through all of the Florida Keys. Fun fact, most of the highway was built over the Overseas Railway. The Overseas Highway offers stunning views of the water, coral reefs and is home to many animals. If you love nature and stunning views, this is a must do. Plus if you want to check out some of the other islands in the Keys, this is the road that will take you there.

Key West may seem like just some little island town in Florida, which it is, but there is so much more to it. This island has so much to offer, no wonder it is such a perfect getaway. Not only is it paradise, but there is a lot of history and culture present. Key West has a special spunk and it makes sure you will never forget about it.

Until next time.

If you have booked a room on the Crown Princess and are expecting to be treated like royalty, you're dead wrong. I have been on my fair share of Princess Cruises and have been a loyal customer, hence the Ruby status, but after my latest experience on the Crown Princess, I have decided to take my business else where. Why you ask? Let me indulge you.

This past January I was on board the Crown Princess for the 2016 Angels Fan Cruise. Since I have been on this ship before (for the previous Angels Fan Cruise), I had high expectations and was very excited for this trip, but from the moment I stepped on that dreaded ship, everything seemed to go downhill.

The Crown Princess just isn't known for all the amazing destinations that it travels to, it is actually an infamous ship. This ship is known to constantly make passengers sick due to the norovirus. The norovirus is the most common cause of viral gastroenteritis in humans. In simple terms it is a stomach bug that can give you abdominal pain, diarrhea, and vomiting. The norovirus can be spread through contaminated food or water and it can also be spread by food handlers, people who touch contaminated surfaces and from person to person transmission. Princess Cruises has experienced the most (over 20) gastrointestinal outbreaks in the last decade, according to Cruise Law News.

Right before my cruise date, the Crown Princess was infected with the norovirus yet again. Our departure time was delayed a couple hours due to this outbreak. The ship itself needed to be cleaned and cleansed of its sins, which is totally understandable, because I did not want to catch this stomach bug. When I was on the ship, it was the cleanest it has ever been. But that still did not help a lot of its problems. My bathroom and some of the public restrooms on the ship had some plumbing issues. Also due to the norovirus outbreak, you were required to sanitize before every meal and you were not allowed to serve yourselves. You could not even go get a pack of sugar for your coffee without someone doing it for you, and when you tried to do it yourself, you would get scolded by the crew.

What that tells me is that the problem is coming from somewhere or someone on the ship. The ship clearly is not being taken care of, in fact, it only gets a good cleaning when the passengers get sick. Since this is a common occurrence, I don't think it can be blamed on the passengers or the itinerary, which some of the Crown Princess crew members tried to do. Because several other cruise lines travel to same destinations and they have not had as many problems as Princess.

Speaking of the Crown Princess crew members, the ones I had encountered this past January were some of the rudest people I have ever met. Some crew members went out of their way to insult me and embarrass me because of my appearance. Never in my life had I ever been treated so horribly, especially while I was on vacation. Several crew members made me cry in public which led to some of my fellow passengers feeling sorry for me.

The crew on the Crown Princess is one of the worst crews I had ever seen in my entire life. Besides their disrespectful behavior, their complete lack of knowledge was astounding. It seemed like not one person knew what was happening on the ship. On our first day, assigned seating for dinner was cancelled and not one person knew. Everyone in the Botticelli dining room had to wait in front of the restaurant and along the stairs for almost an hour until someone told us that our dinner was cancelled, and if we wanted to eat there we would have to wait another hour or so. This is not the first time the dining staff had no idea what was going on, on my first trip on the Crown Princess, my family of five was seated at a table for four. The staff on this ship are not the brightest crayons in the Crayola box.

Disorganized is the best way to describe this ship and its staff. If you're looking to book a cruise, go with Carnival, Royal Caribbean, or Norwegian, instead of Princess. Princess has lost their prestigious and regal reputation because now they cut corners when it comes to quality. They do not care about your needs, all you are is another dollar sign to them.

Until next time.

Hey everyone! So back in January I hinted in one of my posts that it was one of my resolutions to blog more and maybe start using other forms of media as well! Well four months later and I've actually come through on a resolution! I decided to try out vlogging! So here it is my first ever vlog on the Angels Fan Cruise I took back in January. I know it's late, I'm still new to this whole video thing and honestly I'm really shy about this. But I'm giving it a try and it's my first one so obviously I'm going to be awkward on the camera screen. Here it is I hope you enjoy!

I hope you enjoyed it, again I'm still new to this so I hope my next vlog will be better! If you want subscribe you can do so right here! Until next time!