Royal Caribbean, Carnival will cruise out of Baltimore for first time since Key Bridge collapse. Here's when.
BALTIMORE - Royal Caribbean and Carnival are getting ready to set sail out of the Port of Baltimore as the first cruise departures from the port since the March 26 Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse.
The Port of Baltimore announced that the Vision of the Seas, owned by Royal Caribbean, will embark on a five-night voyage on May 25 from Baltimore to Bermuda.
The Carnival Legend will depart out of Baltimore on May 26.
"Baltimore is back," the Port of Baltimore posted on social media.
"We are extremely grateful to the officials and incredible first responders in Baltimore, who've shown great leadership and resolve in this difficult time, as well as our supportive partners in Norfolk, whose rapid response allowed us to continue to deliver our scheduled sailings for our guests," said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line. "It's been our goal to resume operations in Baltimore as soon as possible, and after working closely with local, state and federal agencies, we look forward to a successful return."
The cargo ship Dali crashed into Baltimore's bridge in late March, killing six construction workers, halting access to and from the Port of Baltimore and knocking down the entire bridge.
The Port of Baltimore services cruise ships from Royal Caribbean, Carnival and Norwegian.
A Carnival spokesperson told CBS News the company expects a less than $10 million impact on both adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization as well as its adjusted net income for the full year 2024.
In April, a Carnival cruise ship was expected to return to Baltimore, but after the Key Bridge collapse, it ported in Norfolk, Virginia.
Regina Ali, a spokesperson for AAA, was on that Carnival ship when the cargo ship caused the bridge collapse.
"I'm looking and I'm like, 'Wait a minute, this is in Maryland and it was so surreal,'" Ali said.
Since then, cruise ships originally slated for Baltimore took off and returned in Norfolk.