Places to watch ships departing in Baltimore

[RSLeesburg]

We will be taking on son on his first cruise in a few months, and was wondering if there were any good locations where you could watch the ships leaving. I thought maybe I would take him up one weekend to watch - get him excited to go.

[JMC715]

The promenade at the park at Fort McHenry. You don't need to go into the fort, there is a wonderful park and walkway surrounding the fort.

 

Park in the parking lot (free I think) and find the walkway. Then walk either right or left a good ways, (it depends on which direction you take from the lot, but just walk around the perimeter toward the farthest point of land.

 

If you map Fort McHenry on Google maps, you'll get the picture. The cruise terminal is just to the west of the fort, you can see the big square and rectangular roofs of the terminals and the cars parked at the cruise terminal.

 

Its a lovely setting, I assume you will be there spring or summer or fall, and the ships glide right past very close to the fort then turn slightly and head out under the Key Bridge, then turn toward the Chesapeake Bay. You can stand there and watch them go that far; maybe bring binoculars.

 

Check your timing and the times the park closes. You should be in place before the published departure time - they don't take long to get to your location after casting off.

 

Janet

[Carnival_Brides]

We also like to watch the ships leave from Fort Armistead in Baltimore. It's just on the other side of the Key Bridge, so you can watch the ships come under. It's quite a site to see the Pride clear it by only a few feet.

 

This is not my picture, but you get the idea.