A Carnival cruise that left Baltimore last week will return to a different port and bus passengers home
Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images
- Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed Tuesday morning after a container ship crashed into it.
- Carnival Cruise Line is temporarily relocating the Carnival Legend's homeport from Baltimore to Norfolk, Virginia.
- The company is providing guests on the ship, returning on Sunday, with a bus back to Baltimore.
On Sunday, travelers on Carnival Cruise Line's Legend ship will return home after a relaxing weeklong vacation in the Caribbean.
But instead of disembarking at the ship's homeport as planned, these cruisers will soon find themselves a four-hour bus ride away in Norfolk, Virginia, as the Port of Baltimore remains closed following the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in the early hours of Tuesday morning.
Amid the disruption, Carnival said it had moved the Carnival Legend's March 31 disembarkation from Baltimore to Norfolk, Virginia, where it will temporarily remain homeported. The company will provide guests on the ship's Caribbean voyage a free bus back to Baltimore.
The Carnival Legend's next weeklong cruise, embarking the same day it returns, will sail roundtrip from Norfolk, about a four-hour drive from Baltimore. The cruise line said it will update future guests on its plans to return to Maryland.
Carnival's Carnival Pride and Legend, Royal Caribbean's Vision of the Sea, and American Cruise Line's American Glory are all scheduled to sail from the Port of Baltimore in April. The companies did not immediately respond to Business Insider's inquiry about potential itinerary changes.
Experts told Business Insider that the Port of Baltimore's ongoing closure could amount to a daily $15 million loss in economic activity.
While the port is vitally important for certain imports and exports, it represents a relatively small portion of US cruise departures, with smaller ships compared to hubs like Florida. More than 444,000 people embarked on cruises there in 2023, according to state officials.