Baltimore Bridge Collapse Impacts Cruise Operations

Following the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore Harbor, Carnival and Royal Caribbean cruise passengers scheduled to sail from the port of Baltimore must check with their cruise line before sailing.

Two cruise ships are sailing from Baltimore: Royal Caribbean’s Vision of the Seas and Carnival Cruise Line’s Carnival Legend. The next ship scheduled back to Baltimore is Carnival Legend on Sunday morning, followed by Vision on April 4. Carnival Cruise Line has already announced they’ll be returning to Norfolk.

Carnival Cruise Line said, “Carnival Legend is scheduled to return from its current voyage on Sunday, March 31. It will now return to Norfolk on Sunday, and guests will be provided complimentary bus service back to Baltimore. Carnival Legend’s next seven-day itinerary on March 31 will then operate from and return to Norfolk. Guests on the current and upcoming cruises are being informed of this change.”

At the time of publication, Royal Caribbean said they are “closely monitoring the situation, and our port logistics team is currently working on alternatives for Vision of the Seas’ ongoing and upcoming sailings.”

Norwegian Cruise Line and American Cruise Line also have vessels sailing from Baltimore, but no ships from either cruise line are actively sailing from the port.

What happened to the bridge in Baltimore?

A cargo ship collided with the Francis Scott Key Bridge, causing it to collapse into the harbor, killing six people.

The bridge, built in 1977, is a four-lane, 1.6-mile-long bridge that extends over the Patapsco River and crosses the Baltimore harbor. As a result, the harbor in the area will be closed to all maritime traffic, including cruise ships, for the foreseeable future.

The Dali is a 948-foot container ship that flies under the Singapore flag and was departing Baltimore bound for Columbo, a port in Sri Lanka.

US Coast Guard Speaks

The U.S. Coast Guard said, “Coast Guard watchstanders received a report into the Coast Guard Sector Maryland – National Capital Region command center at 1:27 a.m. reporting a 948-foot Singapore-flagged containership collided with the Francis Scott Key Bridge. Additionally, it was reported that the bridge collapsed and there were reports of persons in the water.”

The US Coast Guard has created a 2,000-yard barrier around the area, restricting maritime traffic from entering.

If you are scheduled to sail from Baltimore soon, check with your cruise line first.