Cruise vacationers within the northeastern United States can be thrilled to know that Carnival Cruise Line can be providing various sailings from Baltimore, Maryland for not less than 5 extra years, following a brand new contract with the Port of Baltimore.
Carnival has been providing sailings from Attraction Metropolis for 20 years, with quite a lot of vessels over time providing distinctive departures. In the meanwhile, Carnival Delight is providing 5- to 14-night sailings to high locations corresponding to Bermuda, the Bahamas, and each Jap Caribbean and Southern Caribbean ports of name.
“We’re really pleased with our lengthy historical past of crusing from Baltimore, and grateful for the robust partnership with the port and its nice metropolis and state.” mentioned Carnival Cruise Line President Christine Duffy. “We’re wanting ahead to constructing on our partnership over the subsequent 5 years and couldn’t be happier to proceed offering cruise holidays from Baltimore.”
The truth is, the 80,071-gross-ton, Spirit class Carnival Delight is the primary cruise ship to have begun providing year-round sailings from Baltimore when she initially joined the homeport in 2009. The ship is scheduled to stay homeported from town by way of not less than April 2027.
To be clear, Carnival Delight has not been homeported from Baltimore for 15 years, however the ship does have a major historical past with the homeport.
“The worldwide cruise business acknowledges Baltimore as one of many high cruise markets in our nation. We’re delighted to have Carnival Cruise Line proceed serving Maryland for an additional 5 years,” mentioned Maryland Governor Wes Moore. “Carnival is a longtime associate and supporter of the Port of Baltimore and we’re very completely happy to proceed that relationship.”
The brand new settlement takes impact on January 1, 2025, and features a renewal choice for an additional 5 years sooner or later. It will guarantee a long-standing partnership that may deliver wonderful cruise journey choices to Carnival followers not solely in Baltimore, however all through the northeast for years to come back.
With the cruise terminal simply 10 miles from BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport and proper off Interstate 95 makes it simple for vacationers to entry, drawing cruise followers from all through the area for simple, handy sailings.
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Along with Carnival Cruise Line, different cruise strains each homeport from Baltimore in addition to go to town as a day cease. Vessels from Royal Caribbean, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, Azamara Cruises, and others embrace Baltimore on their itineraries.
The native operator American Cruise Traces additionally incessantly visits the Port of Baltimore on common coastal sailings.
Cruising’s Impression on Baltimore
Cruise journey can deliver nice financial advantages to a area. In 2023, the Port of Baltimore welcomed greater than 444,000 vacationers – the very best quantity the port has served since 2012.
The port itself helps 220 jobs and a whole lot of different jobs are generated by cruise exercise, together with tour guides, lodge operations, native transportation, retailers, and extra.
General, cruising is estimated to deliver roughly $1 million per crusing in financial impression to the state of Maryland. This contains not solely direct cruise taxes and costs, but additionally parking choices, lodge use, eating places, and pre- and post-cruise leisure for vacationers.
Whereas 2024 numbers haven’t but been launched, it could not be stunning for the port to have had considerably much less site visitors following the tragic collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in late March.
Because of the accident and closure of river channel to all marine site visitors for weeks, Carnival Cruise Line (together with Royal Caribbean) needed to quickly relocate operations to Norfolk, Virginia.
Carnival Delight was the primary Carnival cruise ship to return to Baltimore virtually two months after the accident.
