Port of Baltimore-bound cruise ship changes course to Norfolk

Dillon Mullan, The Baltimore Sun
·1 min read

BALTIMORE — Royal Caribbean is the latest cruise line to change course due to the closure of the Port of Baltimore.

The port’s Cruise Maryland Terminal is inaccessible because it’s blocked by the remains of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, which collapsed into the Patapsco River after being rammed into by a massive container ship early Tuesday morning.

A spokesperson Royal Caribbean said Thursday that a ship that departed from Baltimore on March 23 and was scheduled to return April 4 will now conclude its journey in Norfolk, Virginia, instead.

Carnival Cruise announced a similar reroute Tuesday. In both cases, the companies have offered passengers free bus rides back to Baltimore.

According to the Cruise Lines International Association, Baltimore is the nation’s 29th busiest port for cruise ships, moving about 378,000 passengers annually. Twelve ships were scheduled to dock at the port 115 times during 2024, the association said.

Baltimore’s cruise terminal is home to four cruise lines: Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian and American Cruises.

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