Royal Caribbean to Move Cruises Out of Baltimore

Royal Caribbean is shifting its cruise operations out of the Port of Baltimore by late 2026. The company announced that its Vision of the Seas ship will begin sailing from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, through at least April 2027.

Until then, cruises from Baltimore will continue to popular destinations like Bermuda, the Bahamas, Canada, and New England, with several sailings already scheduled for the rest of the year.

While Royal Caribbean isn’t ruling out a return to Baltimore in the future, a spokesperson said, “We cannot comment on future deployment, but we look forward to reviewing opportunities to sail from Baltimore in the future.”

Maryland Port Administration’s Richard Scher pointed out that moves like this are common in the cruise industry. “Cruise lines make decisions on where to place a ship on an annual basis,” he said, adding that Royal Caribbean has been a great partner for years, WMAR reports.

The Port of Baltimore is still recovering from the Key Bridge collapse last year but has bounced back with Carnival Cruise Lines returning in May. Carnival also extended their contract with the Port for another five years.

Before the bridge collapse in 2023, the Port handled over 444,000 passengers—its third-highest total ever. Scher also shared that next year, the Port will welcome Aida and Crystal cruise lines.

“The Baltimore-Washington, DC-Northern Virginia area is a big, successful cruise market, and the cruise terminal’s prime location off Interstate 95 makes it an easy choice for people from neighboring states,” Scher added.

Royal Caribbean to Move Cruises Out of Baltimore Starting Late 2026  was originally published on wolbbaltimore.com