The future of RCCL in Baltimore

[coolcruiser777]

I have sailed from Baltimore more than once, and also Philadelphia many years back, and also Boston last year, and really hope that RCI keeps the East coast locations. I do not enjoy cruising out of Florida "all the time" and have no interest in going to the mid-West to cruise. I wish RCI would bring another similar size ship to Baltimore - to give variety.

 

If even one more ship from any cruise line were to come to Baltimore the port would definitely need an upgrade... it only has room for one mid-sized ship at a time and the whole boarding process is very inefficient... and don't even mention the parking...

[coolcruiser777]

Hmmm...the casinos must stay closed while any ship is in Hawaiian waters, and I don't see fewer ships sailing to Hawaii.

 

True, but nobody really goes to Baltimore for a vacation...

[dctravel]

The Baltimore cruise terminal is within a hundred miles of millions of people in the Washington DC/Baltimore/Philadelphia corridor. That's a whole lot of people within two hours of a port - no airplanes, no hotels, no problems with weather most of the time, etc. The cruise lines will stay there as long as the numbers work.

 

 

 

And the terminal is right next to I-95, which makes driving for those millions of people very convenient.

 

 

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[LBeeE]

I called RC a few years ago and asked about Norfolk. I do agree it would be a great option for them to return to Norfolk, and no Bay issues to deal with, still close enough to harness DC area passengers. The person I spoke to said too many people in the immediate Norfolk area were looking for lower priced options than what RC was offering and everyone expected a deal. They were not able to sell the cruises for what they thought the value should be. This is just what I was told. Don't shoot the messenger. In no way, do I speak for the cruise line or their current philosophy. Just passing along what I was told.

[roseshayit]

As someone who lives in the D.C. area, I love Baltimore for its convenience, but would love to see a new ship. Going on Grandeur again would make our lives easier in a lot of ways, but because we want to try a new ship, we're headed to NJ.

[Ocean Dancer]

As someone who lives in the D.C. area, I love Baltimore for its convenience, but would love to see a new ship. Going on Grandeur again would make our lives easier in a lot of ways, but because we want to try a new ship, we're headed to NJ.

The Radiance class will fit, also we sailed the Enchantment and Celebrity's Mercury from Balt.

[juju2454]

I happened to stumble upon these two discussions today... https://goo.gl/q0JEek (I had to shorten the url because it stars it our for some reason... and http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2494217

 

If the Rhapsody and Grandeur are, in fact, for sale, that means the rest of the Vision class will be down in the Gulf. Since Royal Caribbean has a multi-year agreement with the port of Baltimore, who could replace her? The clearance of the shortest bridge going into the port (FSK bridge) is 185'. Do any ships have a height less than 185'? Radiance class maybe? I would assume that they wouldn't move Majesty or Empress up to Baltimore...

 

More details (this is definitely the Grandeur):

http://www.qpsships.com/cruise-ship-2400-passengers--s2388

 

 

From a little repair shop in florida with a facebook page... just sayin';p

[CFIGuy]

I love the conveinence of sailing from Baltimore (15 minutes from my house), but only sail from here every 2-3 years. Partially due to the smaller ship, partly due to length of sailing to get anywhere in the Caribbean, and partly due to cost of balcony or better cabins due to their being so few.

 

Going on Anthem next month, and the determining factor was shore time in Bermuda. Both Grandeur & Anthem are 5 night sailings, but Anthem basically gives 2 full days of shore time in Bermuda, while Grandeur gave 2 half days at best.

 

Baltimore's current cruise port does have a shelf life, as all of the new ships are too large to fit under the Bay & Key Bridge. Annapolis would probably be the best nearby choice, but some major dredging would be needed, as would an industrial or commercial area on the water, which there isn't really currently.

[teddybear231]

We typically leave out of Baltimore, Bayonne, or New York. Since we live in NJ, it is just so much easier to drive to these ports compared to flying.

 

I hope RCCL brings a somewhat newer ship to Baltimore, it would be nice!

[molsonschooner]

On our last cruise, not Balt, I asked the Capt at the Captain's Corner if they were planning on adding another ship to Baltimore as I saw a need for it. He pretty much embarrassed me by saying that there was no need for it and it was not even on the table. Last time I raise my hand. I know the Grandeur and the Pride do sail full.

do you really think they could fill another ship each sailing?

[greenline]

WE have gone out of Baltimore a few times saw no problem with boarding the ship and no problem with parking the lot is feet from the ships and terminal.

[Thetrail]

The Baltimore cruise terminal is within a hundred miles of millions of people in the Washington DC/Baltimore/Philadelphia corridor. That's a whole lot of people within two hours of a port - no airplanes, no hotels, no problems with weather most of the time, etc. The cruise lines will stay there as long as the numbers work.

This is why RCL won't be sailing out of Charleston anytime in the distant future.

[Thetrail]

On our last cruise, not Balt, I asked the Capt at the Captain's Corner if they were planning on adding another ship to Baltimore as I saw a need for it. He pretty much embarrassed me by saying that there was no need for it and it was not even on the table. Last time I raise my hand. I know the Grandeur and the Pride do sail full.

LOL why did you "see" a need for another RCL ship in Baltimore??:confused:

[Thetrail]

If even one more ship from any cruise line were to come to Baltimore the port would definitely need an upgrade... it only has room for one mid-sized ship at a time and the whole boarding process is very inefficient... and don't even mention the parking...

YOU couldn't be more wrong or be spreading more bad information if you think the boarding process is not efficient or that the parking is not easy! Give me a break!:rolleyes:

[rpmljm]

We have cruised out of Balt. numerous times and find the embarkation process extremely easy compared to other ports.

[SRF]

Baltimore has a high crime rate. But very little of that crime is in the area that the tourists go. Thanks to a former mayor, just look for the flashing blue lights. If you are near these, you are in a high crime area. Really.

 

I do not find embarkation to be difficult or lengthy. Just sailed and Grandeur (Aug 24 sail date) and things went well. There were some lines, but things moved along.

 

Parking is right there. And drop off is even easier and more convenient.

 

We asked about pilots on a bridge tour, and the word we got was that the pilot normally gets off around 1AM departing and gets on around 9PM returning.

 

Casino was open until 7:30PM on the return. So not a huge deal, most people went to dinner, show and bed.

 

As for sale of the ship, they are booking cruises out to April 2019 on Grandeur out of Baltimore.

[pjlee3333]

do you really think they could fill another ship each sailing?

 

For a couple years Norwegien had one of their smaller ships in Baltimore doing a Sunday-Sunday Bermuda cruise (Carnival went out on Friday during that time) and Celebrity had a smaller ship that went out in the winter. For about 8-9 months of the year there were three ships leaving on Baltimore. Royal either did a Saturday-Saturday or Thursday-Saturday cruises depending on whether they were 7 day or a 9-5 day option.

[pjlee3333]

I love the conveinence of sailing from Baltimore (15 minutes from my house), but only sail from here every 2-3 years. Partially due to the smaller ship, partly due to length of sailing to get anywhere in the Caribbean, and partly due to cost of balcony or better cabins due to their being so few.

 

Going on Anthem next month, and the determining factor was shore time in Bermuda. Both Grandeur & Anthem are 5 night sailings, but Anthem basically gives 2 full days of shore time in Bermuda, while Grandeur gave 2 half days at best.

 

Baltimore's current cruise port does have a shelf life, as all of the new ships are too large to fit under the Bay & Key Bridge. Annapolis would probably be the best nearby choice, but some major dredging would be needed, as would an industrial or commercial area on the water, which there isn't really currently.

 

 

Interesting. I love the size of Grandeur (won't sail on anything larger than a radiance class). I've also cruised enough that I'd love cruises to nowhere, if allowed, so the trip down the bay, especially in summer where I can sit on the deck and watch the scenery, is what I love most about cruising. My mom and I recently did a 9 night cruise on Grandeur and stayed on the ship the entire cruise.

[The Grumpus]

I love the conveinence of sailing from Baltimore (15 minutes from my house), but only sail from here every 2-3 years. Partially due to the smaller ship, partly due to length of sailing to get anywhere in the Caribbean, and partly due to cost of balcony or better cabins due to their being so few.

 

Going on Anthem next month, and the determining factor was shore time in Bermuda. Both Grandeur & Anthem are 5 night sailings, but Anthem basically gives 2 full days of shore time in Bermuda, while Grandeur gave 2 half days at best.

 

Baltimore's current cruise port does have a shelf life, as all of the new ships are too large to fit under the Bay & Key Bridge. Annapolis would probably be the best nearby choice, but some major dredging would be needed, as would an industrial or commercial area on the water, which there isn't really currently.

That's not going to happen! ;)

[Williamsburgcruiser]

The Radiance class will fit, also we sailed the Enchantment and Celebrity's Mercury from Balt.

 

I am really hoping they switch out Grandeur and bring in a Radiance class ship. Grandeur is fine - and sailing multiple times on the same ship has some advantages - but experiencing different ships in the fleet makes my vacation more enjoyable. I've been on Enchantment out of Baltimore already - so I'll keep my fingers crossed for a Radiance class ship.

Yes, to each his own, but I am not a fan of the "huge" ships unless I'm in a large group.

[NatsFanOnBoard]

I called RC a few years ago and asked about Norfolk. I do agree it would be a great option for them to return to Norfolk, and no Bay issues to deal with, still close enough to harness DC area passengers...

I live in the DC area and would rather fly to Fort Lauderdale than drive to Norfolk. I don't see that as "close enough" at all. If I were cruising out of Norfolk, traffic is so unpredictable that I would have to add as much time before and after a cruise (and hotel expenses) as I would for a flight to Florida. No thanks.

[The Grumpus]

I live in the DC area and would rather fly to Fort Lauderdale than drive to Norfolk. I don't see that as "close enough" at all. If I were cruising out of Norfolk, traffic is so unpredictable that I would have to add as much time before and after a cruise (and hotel expenses) as I would for a flight to Florida. No thanks.

 

I'm in Annapolis and I'd rather fly to FLL than sail on Grandeur... which I do on a regular basis. Not that I hate the ship but it's way overpriced these days. I can fly to FLL the day before, get a hotel room, party all night then hop on a way better ship and fly home after, for less than sailing in a balcony cabin on Grandeur, which is 25 minutes from my house. I understand that Grandeur is a big draw for noobs and for people who don't like to fly or want a quick

getaway, but I want something better. I've done 5 out of Baltimore and until a different class ship replaces Grandeur, I'm done with it.

 

 

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[Ocean Dancer]

Wouldn't it be ironic if Royal used Balt and or Norfolk for the smaller ships until The Florida ports were back in service after Irma?

[greenline]

They may have to do something after the storm and the clean up. They are losing a lot of money but I feel more for all the people in the storms path.

[rj70056]

Not my experience. We have watched cars "disappearing" into the tunnel while at the 8:00 dinner seating. Katherine

Having sailed the Grandeur a few times it takes approximately 8 hours to reach the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. Leaving at 4:00 P.M. puts you there around midnight. Coming back into the bay is around 8:00 P.M. though.