Carnival to temporarily move Baltimore operations to Norfolk

Jimmy LaRoue
·1 min read

NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — Carnival Cruise Line will temporarily move its Baltimore operations to Norfolk as cleanup continues at the Francis Scott Key Bridge following its collapse Tuesday.

The Carnival Legend is scheduled to return from its current voyage Sunday, March 31 and will head to Norfolk, rather than Baltimore. People on the ship will be given complementary bus service back to Baltimore.

Carnival Legend’s next seven-day itinerary March 31 will then leave from, and return to, Norfolk. People who are this and upcoming cruises are being notified of this change.

“Oure thoughts remain with the impacted families and first responders in Baltimore,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line, in a statement. “We appreciate the pledge made by President Biden today to dedicate all available resources to reopen Baltimore Harbor to marine traffic as soon as possible. As those plans are finalized, we will update our future cruise guests on when we will return home to Baltimore, but in the meantime, we appreciate the quick response and support from officials in Norfolk.”

This move by Carnival comes as Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced that the Port of Virginia, which issued a statement offering its services, is already handling cargo that had been destined for the Port of Baltimore.

Last October, it was announced that the Half Moone Cruise Terminal in downtown Norfolk would close for a year to Carnival cruise ships while crews prepare to welcome the Carnival Sunshine in 2025. The city approved $12 million for it in the budget in June 2023.

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