Baltimore for summer 2015?

[ggroup]

Does anyone have any inside information on what ship will be home porting in Baltimore for the summer of 2015?

[leaveitallbehind]

RCI currently has Grandeur there and as she only returned there this past summer to replace Enchantment, I see no reason why she wouldn't remain there. Certainly not definitive information but reasonable speculation.

Edited February 18, 2014 by leaveitallbehind

[Ourusualbeach]

RCI currently has Grandeur there and as she only returned there this past summer to replace Enchantment, I see no reason why she wouldn't remain there. Certainly not definitive information but reasonable speculation.

 

I would say that it's pretty definitive and not at all speculative given that RCI just released her schedule out until October 2015 last week. :)

[leaveitallbehind]

I would say that it's pretty definitive and not at all speculative given that RCI just released her schedule out until October 2015 last week. :)

 

There you have it! Thanks!

[ggroup]

Any speculation about Norfolk or are Bayonne and Baltimore the only two northeast ports for the summer?

[RSLeesburg]

Any speculation about Norfolk or are Bayonne and Baltimore the only two northeast ports for the summer?

 

No. Carnival will have a ship sailing out of Norfolk for part of 2015, but I have not heard anything about RCI putting a ship there - full or part time.

[headinsouth!]

Any speculation about Norfolk or are Bayonne and Baltimore the only two northeast ports for the summer?

 

One can only hope. I would love for RC to put a ship in Norfolk.

[Eng23]

No Royal Caribbean plans to come to Norfolk. A Carnival ship will return to Norfolk in spring of 2015. Which ship it will be is not yet known but it will be which ever ship Carnival chooses to do the seasonal repositioning between NYC and Florida. Which ever ship that is will cruise from Norfolk in the spring and then again in the fall.

 

The last Royal Caribbean ship to do scheduled sailings from Norfolk was the Enchantment of the Seas before she was sent to Baltimore and of course is now located in Port Canaveral.

[RSLeesburg]

No Royal Caribbean plans to come to Norfolk. A Carnival ship will return to Norfolk in spring of 2015. Which ship it will be is not yet known but it will be which ever ship Carnival chooses to do the seasonal repositioning between NYC and Florida. Which ever ship that is will cruise from Norfolk in the spring and then again in the fall.

 

The last Royal Caribbean ship to do scheduled sailings from Norfolk was the Enchantment of the Seas before she was sent to Baltimore and of course is now located in Port Canaveral.

 

You know this does bring up a question. Would RCI ever do a handful of cruises out of a port like Norfolk just to test market out? For example, why not run a couple of Freedom class cruises out of Norfolk during summer season. Bring a ship up from FL for a few weeks.

[BND]

You know this does bring up a question. Would RCI ever do a handful of cruises out of a port like Norfolk just to test market out? For example, why not run a couple of Freedom class cruises out of Norfolk during summer season. Bring a ship up from FL for a few weeks.

 

They have run cruises out of there before. They tested the market and it didn't go the way they wanted apparently. I've seen where the port is. It's downtown, and can be painful to get to. Freedom? Way too big for that market, plus I think it's just too big for the port.

[RSLeesburg]

They have run cruises out of there before. They tested the market and it didn't go the way they wanted apparently. I've seen where the port is. It's downtown, and can be painful to get to. Freedom? Way too big for that market, plus I think it's just too big for the port.

 

lol...I was thinking if the ship was big enough, you might be able to pull the metro DC base to fill the ship. A novelty...but, it is not a convenient location to reach.

[Loyal2RCCL]

Does anyone have any inside information on what ship will be home porting in Baltimore for the summer of 2015?

 

Grandeur

[BND]

lol...I was thinking if the ship was big enough, you might be able to pull the metro DC base to fill the ship. A novelty...but, it is not a convenient location to reach.

 

No, it's not. You're in Leesburg and we're in Ashburn, so Loudoun isn't exactly a group that would drive to Norfolk when Baltimore is a lot easier to get to.

[Eng23]

They have run cruises out of there before. They tested the market and it didn't go the way they wanted apparently. I've seen where the port is. It's downtown, and can be painful to get to. Freedom? Way too big for that market, plus I think it's just too big for the port.

 

 

Yes Royal Caribbean was here previously. First with the Grandeur of the Seas and then the Enchantment of the seas. At the time Royal Caribbean was here there was no dedicated cruise terminal building here. A maritime museum was used as a makeshift terminal. Norfolk now has a purpose built cruise terminal.

Royal decided the market here was soft at that time and moved to Baltimore.

The port here in Norfolk is big enough and deep enough for an Oasis Class ship to port here. The problem would be filling a ship that size every week. A Freedom class ship could easily port here but even that class of ship would be tough to fill in Norfolk.

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

Edited February 20, 2014 by Eng23

[BND]

Yes Royal Caribbean was here previously. First with the Grandeur of the Seas and then the Enchantment of the seas. At the time Royal Caribbean was here there was no dedicated cruise terminal building here. A maritime museum was used as a makeshift terminal. Norfolk now has a purpose built cruise terminal.

Royal decided the market here was soft at that time and moved to Baltimore.

The port here in Norfolk is big enough and deep enough for an Oasis Class ship to port here. The problem would be filling a ship that size every week. A Freedom class ship could easily port here but even that class of ship would be tough to fill in Norfolk.

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

 

Last time I was in Norfolk, we were in the museum and they were working on the terminal. We used to live in Va Beach when my DH was active Navy and I hate the drive down there from No VA, although we loved living there and would have stayed had the economy been good enough. We were there late '81- mid '85.

 

I can understand the market being soft. While Hampton Roads has a large population, they don't have a huge amount of them who would choose cruising due to cost. They're used to going to the beach for the day for free. There's also the fact that the average age in the Hampton Roads area tends to be younger due to all the military which means less disposable income. And, those in NC are willing to drive to FL and those of us in No VA have Baltimore and NJ to cruise out of. It just didn't work well for Norfolk.

Edited February 21, 2014 by BND

[RSLeesburg]

No, it's not. You're in Leesburg and we're in Ashburn, so Loudoun isn't exactly a group that would drive to Norfolk when Baltimore is a lot easier to get to.

 

 

He, he...after this year's cruise on Grandeur, I might consider a drive down to Norfolk to go on Freedom just for a little variety. But I agree, I doubt many people would make that trip week after week. Baltimore is so convenient for us and the fly-in crowd. Then again, we can drive up to Bayonne and take Quantum, and it would probably be easier drive :).

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Cruise Critic Forums mobile app

[Eng23]

Last time I was in Norfolk, we were in the museum and they were working on the terminal. We used to live in Va Beach when my DH was active Navy and I hate the drive down there from No VA, although we loved living there and would have stayed had the economy been good enough. We were there late '81- mid '85.

 

I can understand the market being soft. While Hampton Roads has a large population, they don't have a huge amount of them who would choose cruising due to cost. They're used to going to the beach for the day for free. There's also the fact that the average age in the Hampton Roads area tends to be younger due to all the military which means less disposable income. And, those in NC are willing to drive to FL and those of us in No VA have Baltimore and NJ to cruise out of. It just didn't work well for Norfolk.

 

 

I agree for the most part. Norfolk has done pretty well with the Carnival Glory for the last 3-4 years porting here in the spring and fall. I don't think Norfolk will have a ship home ported here year round any time soon.

 

Now I am just guessing on this but it would appear that with the ships Carnival is moving around in the near future, the Splendor is the NYC ship that they have chosen to sail seasonally between NYC in the summer and Miami in the winter. So I think the Splendor might be the ship that will stop here and cruise in the spring and fall.

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

[alligeek]

If the Bay Bridge (near Annapolis) and the Key Bridge (695) are truly the reasons why RCL can't put a ship larger than a Vision class ship in the DC/Baltimore area, why wouldn't they consider building a terminal in southern MD to accommodate larger ships? The DC/Baltimore metro area is pretty large, and with 3 major airports serving it, it's relatively easy for folks to get to. It would be great (and probably lucrative) to have something other than Grandeur or Pride in the area.

[RSLeesburg]

If the Bay Bridge (near Annapolis) and the Key Bridge (695) are truly the reasons why RCL can't put a ship larger than a Vision class ship in the DC/Baltimore area, why wouldn't they consider building a terminal in southern MD to accommodate larger ships? The DC/Baltimore metro area is pretty large, and with 3 major airports serving it, it's relatively easy for folks to get to. It would be great (and probably lucrative) to have something other than Grandeur or Pride in the area.

 

 

Depends where in Southern MD. I heard suggestions about a terminal down by Pax River - no thank you, that's too far away to be practical. I have heard suggestions of putting it closer to Annapolis - yes, that would work. But, I would think that RCI or one of the other cruise lines would need to promise a bigger ship to MD before they committed funds to build a terminal, no? I think RCI will squeeze as much revenue out of Grandeur first before they commit to bring in a bigger ship into the area. Although it astounds me that they have so many ships in FL - you would think they could do spare one of the bigger ships for this area, even if it was only part of the year. :).

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Cruise Critic Forums mobile app

[crookedhalo]

Depends where in Southern MD. I heard suggestions about a terminal down by Pax River - no thank you, that's too far away to be practical. I have heard suggestions of putting it closer to Annapolis - yes, that would work. But, I would think that RCI or one of the other cruise lines would need to promise a bigger ship to MD before they committed funds to build a terminal, no? I think RCI will squeeze as much revenue out of Grandeur first before they commit to bring in a bigger ship into the area. Although it astounds me that they have so many ships in FL - you would think they could do spare one of the bigger ships for this area, even if it was only part of the year. :).

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Cruise Critic Forums mobile app

 

As a resident of Southern Maryland, you can keep the terminal away from St. Mary's/Calvert counties thank you:D.

 

As for Annapolis - I can't imagine where they would build a terminal that would be easy to get to - can't be off of 50 because who would want to sit in the beach traffic to get on the ship? Not me;).

 

Rt. 2 near the Edgewater/Woodland beach areas - again infrastructure is not there (not to mention having to dodge all those darn sailboats:p).

 

I don't see Annapolis as a viable area at all. Eastern shore is also out because of Rt. 50 during the summer - no way I would sit in that traffic to go on a cruise - LOL :eek:

[Tony O]

One part of the puzzle not mentioned is the millions of dollars to dredge a shipping channel for the cruise ship if a new terminal is built in a new location. Then you have the cost of keeping tbe channel at the proper depth so the ships dont bottom out.