In March, I wrote about the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse and its potential impact on Baltimore’s cruise operations. Cleanup operations began almost immediately, and the MV Dali’s removal was the final step. Cruising officially returned to Charm City on Saturday, May 25 with Royal Caribbean’s Vision of the Seas embarking passengers at the Cruise Maryland Terminal for the first time since the bridge collapse. Carnival Cruise Line’s Carnival Pride set sail the following day.
“Cruising is back at the Port of Baltimore,” said Port of Baltimore Director Jonathan Daniels in a video. “Just a week ago, this terminal was being used as an incident command post. In one week, it’s been transformed back to starting out that guest experience. The Port of Baltimore is back, cruising is back. It’s absolutely great to be able to welcome everybody here.”
In a press release, the Port of Baltimore announced that the Fort McHenry Limited Access Channel was now open to commercial vessel traffic 24 hours a day. This channel has a depth of 50-feet, 400-foot horizontal clearance, and vertical clearance of 214 feet due to powerlines. Delays, however, have pushed the port’s permanent channel back to early June.
Economic Impacts
The Cruise Maryland Terminal is the 29th busiest cruise port in the United States. Carnival Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean International, and Norwegian Cruise Line all have operations in Baltimore. Several smaller cruise lines also operate out of the city. A total of 444,112 passengers sailed on 107 cruises in 2023. These cruises contributed $3,248.1 million of the Port of Baltimore’s total economic value of $70,280.4 million for the year. The cruise industry adds $63 million to Maryland’s economy.
It’s great seeing Baltimore bounce back from this unexpected tragedy. But let’s also remember the six men lost in the bridge collapse. And their families. They’re going through an unbelievably difficult time right now, and my thoughts are certainly with them. If you’d like to help, please consider donating to either the Key Bridge Emergency Response Fund or this GoFundMe campaign set up by the Latino Racial Justice Circle.
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