Will Baltimore find a new cruise line?

Only recently did Baltimore learn that Carnival Cruise Line was exiting from the Port of Baltimore.  Despite having a presence in Baltimore since 2009, Carnival says that it is leaving due to economic and environmental reasons.

With new international standards under the North American Emissions Control Area (ECA) requiring oceangoing vessels, including cruise ships, to meet new international standards on burning cleaner, lower sulfur fuel when they are within 200 miles of the Canadian coastline.  Since the ports that are closer to the Canadian coastline are probably the most affected, the ships that sail out of those ports are ones the most affected.

Despite (or perhaps because of) spending $300 million to upgrade their ships after the Carnival Triumph disaster earlier this year, the cruise line isn’t willing at this point to upgrade their ships to meet the new 2015 requirement.  As a result, Carnival isn’t pulling out of Baltimore alone, but also out of Boston, and Norfolk, VA as well.  The last Carnival Pride sailing out of Baltimore will be on November 30, 2014 when she sails from Baltimore to San Juan, Puerto Rico and then moves permanently to Tampa to sail Western Caribbean cruises.

Certainly, with 23 ships in its current fleet, Carnival Cruise Line does dominate the cruise industry and can be picky about where it will position its ships in the marketplace.  However, Royal Caribbean isn’t far behind with 21 ships with four more ships set to debut from 2014- 2016.  With the Grandeur of the Seas ported out of Baltimore year round, cruisers out of Baltimore still have an opportunity to set sail without having to drive or fly somewhere else to go cruising.

Avid cruisers have mentioned and urged other cruise lines, like Norwegian Cruise Line who owns 13 ships, to consider Baltimore.  While this could potentially happen in the future, one needs to remember that the cruise lines do not make their itineraries for one or two months in advance, but for years in advance.

If you were to look at current itineraries for the cruise lines, you would be able to book your future cruise as far out as 2015.  Having said that, it is likely that Baltimore will have one cruise ship in port in 2015, Royal Caribbean’s Grandeur of the Seas, unless another cruise line makes a big move and decides to add a cruise ship to the Port of Baltimore.

Royal Caribbean has pledged to stay in town and for that, Baltimore is one lucky cruise port.  Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, executive vice president of operations, said, “We’re sticking with Baltimore.  We’re back, and we’re ready.”

Royal Caribbean added a flag to Grandeur of the Seas that reads, “Don’t give up the ship,” a famous quote from the War of 1812.  Royal Caribbean says it will keep the flag flying on Grandeur of the Seas as long as she’s based out of the city.  The cruise line says the flag means Grandeur of the Seas is back and that vacationers shouldn’t “give up the ship as a vacation option.”

Should Baltimore decide it’s time to court a new cruise line, maybe another cruise line could find Carnival’s departure the perfect opportunity to reposition one of their ships to Baltimore.

In the meantime, enjoy the rest of the time that the Carnival Pride is in Baltimore and consider a cruise on the Grandeur of the Seas out of Baltimore or one of the many other ships available throughout the Caribbean, Alaska, or Mediterranean, and beyond.

Marian Krueger

Marian Krueger is the Founder of the Travel Shop Girl blog, a blog that simply states, “Travel musings by a girl who loves to write and travel the world.” Functioning on high-octane coffee most days, her straightforward and honest approach has resulted in a worldwide following and a desire for global domination. Connect with her on Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest.

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