You’ll be able to take a cruise from Baltimore, providing a handy possibility from the Mid-Atlantic area.
Many cruisers restrict their searches to huge ports like Miami, Cape Liberty, and Port Canaveral. Just lately, nevertheless, I found the attraction of cruising from a smaller port like Baltimore, Maryland.
The Maryland Cruise Terminal is positioned simply 40 miles from the guts of Washington D.C., making it handy for cruisers from the DMV space to entry.
Not solely that, however it’s 10 miles from the Baltimore/Washington Worldwide Thurgood Marshall Airport. The proximity means company can skip the commutes related to bigger ports, akin to Los Angeles.
This wasn’t my first time cruising from a smaller port. Earlier this 12 months, I launched into a 5-night cruise aboard Carnival Elation from Jacksonville, Florida. Regardless of the port being far smaller than Miami, I wasn’t impressed with the expertise.
The embarkation course of took round 40 minutes, whereas when boarding ships as massive as Symphony of the Seas, I used to be on board inside quarter-hour of arriving on the terminal.
The Maryland Cruise Terminal presents a extra intimate cruise expertise in comparison with the bustling hubs residence to the world’s largest ships. Whereas the amenities had been a bit outdated, check-in was clean, with quick strains and pleasant employees keen to assist expedite the method.
With only one Royal Caribbean ship calling Baltimore residence year-round, there are some cons to selecting this port. As an illustration, the itineraries are extra restricted.
Ports like Miami and Port Canaveral have a number of ships departing weekly, and Baltimore has only one: Imaginative and prescient of the Seas. If in case you have a selected week off, you might not be pleased with Imaginative and prescient’s scheduled itinerary to The Bahamas whenever you had been hoping to go to Bermuda.
Furthermore, if you happen to’re determined to attempt one of many cruise line’s newer, bigger vessels, you’ll be disillusioned with the expertise on Imaginative and prescient, one of many smallest and older ships within the fleet.
Nonetheless, I had a fantastic expertise crusing from Baltimore, Maryland, and would fortunately leap on one other alternative to cruise from this charming port on Imaginative and prescient of the Seas.
Flying into Baltimore was a breeze
Residing within the Charlotte space means I courageous the Charlotte Douglas airport every time I journey—it’s not for the weak! Not solely is the continuing building a trouble, however flights to Florida are typically on the costly aspect. It’s common for a roundtrip flight to Fort Lauderdale or Miami to price upwards of $400 or $500.
Whereas I technically might drive to Baltimore, I’m not a fan of lengthy automobile rides. If it’s over 4 or 5 hours, I’ll begin scouring Google Flights upfront to search for offers on airfare. I used to be relieved after I found flights to Baltimore had been rather more inexpensive. My pal booked her flight about two months earlier than me, spending round $155 on roundtrip airfare from CLT to BWI. Nonetheless, I wasn’t upset at my $248 flight!
The airport was well-organized, too. It was simple to find the rideshare pick-up zone, and we had no bother being assigned a Lyft driver to our pre-cruise lodge.
Loads of inexpensive lodge choices close to the airport
Ultimately, I made a decision on the Springhill Suites BWI Baltimore Airport for simply $122.09. Arriving round 6:30pm, we did not want a lodge with a ton of facilities, and the Springhill Suites served its goal as a clear, protected pre-cruise keep.
Plus, the speed included complimentary breakfast, so we might gasoline up earlier than heading to the terminal. Nevertheless, if you happen to’re not a fan of typical continental breakfast choices, there are a number of locations inside strolling distance, together with Dunkin’, Starbucks, Chick-fil-A, and Adamm’s Airport Deli.
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We relied on Lyft for transportation in Baltimore
Having lived in New York Metropolis for 2 years, rideshare costs do not often shock me. Ordering a Lyft or Uber from the Higher West Facet to my downtown studio used to price anyplace from $40 to $80, relying on the time of day. Whereas I’ve discovered rideshares to be extra inexpensive in Charlotte, I am all the time weary when touring to an even bigger metropolis.
General, I discovered the costs for our Lyft rides in Baltimore fairly cheap. The most costly of our 5 journeys was from the terminal to the airport on disembarkation day. The 26-minute journey was simply $34.10, together with a tip.
The night time earlier than, we determined to enterprise into Baltimore correct to discover the realm and take a look at some well-known Maryland crab. Even our 25-minute journey again to the lodge at 10:00pm was solely $23.74.
On embarkation day, I seen there was an extended line to enter the parking zone
With Baltimore being lower than 45 miles from Washington D.C., it is an accessible embarkation port for these residing within the DMV space.
Touring by way of aircraft could be hectic—and costly. As such, cruising from Baltimore is a good way to maintain transportation prices to a minimal if you happen to stay close by.
Parking on the terminal prices simply $20 per night time for passenger vehicles and SUVs. Superior reservations aren’t required, and parking charges are payable upon arrival by bank card. The terminal accepts VISA, MasterCard, Uncover, and American Specific.
The check-in course of was fast and environment friendly
Having sailed from Jacksonville, I wasn’t anticipating Baltimore’s terminal amenities to be as up to date because the newer buildings in Florida and Galveston. Nevertheless, regardless of being an older terminal, I used to be stunned by its effectivity and cleanliness. The employees had been additionally pleasant and useful, making the check-in course of clean and hassle-free.
After going by safety and having the port brokers test our journey documentation, we had been onboard Imaginative and prescient of the Seas in what felt like no time in any respect. My pal and I headed straight to the Windjammer for lunch earlier than finding our inside cabin to drop off our carry-on baggage and discover the ship.
As a result of we needed to sail by the Chesapeake Bay to achieve the Atlantic, the on line casino and onboard retailers had been closed the primary night
I used to be disillusioned to study we could not take a look at our luck on the slot machines on embarkation day. Equally, we could not browse the onboard shops till Day 2. Nevertheless, we made probably the most of our first day on the ship.
My pal needed to attend the spa raffle and determined to ebook a last-minute therapy after listening to concerning the 75-minute full-body therapeutic massage with scorching stones for $150. Whereas she was pampered within the spa, I took within the sights of the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge.
We had been suggested to complete our playing and procuring by 6:00pm on the final night time of the cruise, too. When heading again to my cabin to bathe and pack, I bumped into a girl within the elevator who stated she was in a rush to purchase last-minute souvenirs!
Disembarkation was simply as simple as embarkation
Since our flight wasn’t till 3:40pm, we weren’t in a rush to go to the airport, so we loved a leisurely breakfast within the Most important Eating Room, hanging out till our group was referred to as. The method went sooner than anticipated, and our group was referred to as by 8:45am, together with all the opposite remaining teams onboard.
Finding our baggage was simple, and we had been shortly assigned a Lyft driver. I additionally appreciated the terminal’s pick-up space, as all vehicles had been instructed to drag right into a parking spot to select up their passengers. This helped preserve the realm organized and diminished congestion.
I liked my cruise onboard Imaginative and prescient of the Seas and would contemplate crusing from Baltimore once more
Between a budget flights, simple port entry, and seamless embarkation/disembarkation course of, my expertise cruising from Baltimore was nice, even with the constraints of a smaller port.
I used to be additionally stunned by how a lot I loved my time on Imaginative and prescient! With fewer onboard facilities, I relaxed greater than on mega-ships. As an alternative of attempting to cross off the zip line, water slides, ice skating rink, and FlowRider from my must-do checklist, I settled into the Solarium, basking within the quiet ambiance that allowed me to unwind and benefit from the views.
Not solely that, however the eating expertise was far superior in comparison with the bigger ships I’ve sailed on not too long ago. Izumi was mindblowing, and even the standard of the Most important Eating Room meals was spectacular.