baltimore port

[allisonb22]

hello!

 

looking for tips on leaving from baltimore on Grandeur OTS in Jan. we've only ever gone out of bayonne so looking for any advice leaving from baltimore. will be driving in the morning of. i know parking is $15/day so i'm wondering how easy it is to park at the terminal. bayonne is super easy and quick if you get there early. we have the option to park at a relative's house and have them drop us off but i'm unsure what our best option would be. any advice is helpful! 🙂 

[Tony O]

9 hours ago, allisonb22 said:

hello!

 

looking for tips on leaving from baltimore on Grandeur OTS in Jan. we've only ever gone out of bayonne so looking for any advice leaving from baltimore. will be driving in the morning of. i know parking is $15/day so i'm wondering how easy it is to park at the terminal. bayonne is super easy and quick if you get there early. we have the option to park at a relative's house and have them drop us off but i'm unsure what our best option would be. any advice is helpful! 🙂 

I would park at the port. When you drive in you pay drive over to the drop off luggage  area and park your car. After you park you are probably  a couple hundred  feet from ship,Its all outdoor surface parking not like the garage  at Bayonne. Also the only hold up you may encounter is paying for parking. I have sailed out of Bayonne and have seen the backup just to drop off luggage.  When cruise is over just load luggage and drive home. BTW the cruise terminal is right off I 95 very easy to get in and out .

 

Edited April 17, 2020 by Tony O

[navybankerteacher]

Driving to Baltimore from Connecticut (that’s your home, fight?) in January on the day of your cruise might save a bit of money - but does not strike me as a good idea.  It has to be at least three hours - likely more, depending where in CT you start.  You could be looking at significant rush hour traffic on I 95 (which is never fun under the best conditions) so an early start would have to be very early - and a later start would not leave much wiggle room for delays.   Drive the day before, spend the night, board at leisure so your first day would be more enjoyable.

 

When we sailed Grandeur in winter 2019 we took Amtrak from Stamford - and were glad we did as we saw the snow falling all the way - even in Baltimore.

[Charles4515]

13 minutes ago, navybankerteacher said:

Driving to Baltimore from Connecticut (that’s your home, fight?) in January on the day of your cruise might save a bit of money - but does not strike me as a good idea.  It has to be at least three hours - likely more, depending where in CT you start.  You could be looking at significant rush hour traffic on I 95 (which is never fun under the best conditions) so an early start would have to be very early - and a later start would not leave much wiggle room for delays.   Drive the day before, spend the night, board at leisure so your first day would be more enjoyable.

 

When we sailed Grandeur in winter 2019 we took Amtrak from Stamford - and were glad we did as we saw the snow falling all the way - even in Baltimore.

We have been lucky this year but I would add that if we have snow in Maryland it is going to be in January. And many Maryland drivers don’t know how to drive in snow. We have to close the schools if there are flurries. I won’t drive on I-95 if there is any accumulation. 

[138east]

As others have mentioned for winter sailings you always need a plan B in case of snow. Research your hotel options close to the port or perhaps your relatives could put you up for the night. Train plus hotel could also be a good choice.  Think it through now instead of at the last minute.

[allisonb22]

15 minutes ago, navybankerteacher said:

Drive the day before, spend the night, board at leisure so your first day would be more enjoyable.

thanks for your input! this is most likely going to be what we will do so i appreciate your tips! leaving from central connecticut so google maps shows about 4.5 hrs to port. a relative lives less than 20 minutes away from the port so if we don't get a hotel nearby we'll stay there

[mskaufman]

Getting in and out of Baltimore is easy, except when the ship arrives late and people are coming and going at the same time.  If your relatives are willing to drop you off and pick you up, I would think about saving the $105.

[Tony O]

Plan B

https://www.trinityreservations.com

 

Plan C

Check with hotels in the White Marsh area they are right off of 95 and about 10 minutes north of the port

[allisonb22]

6 hours ago, Tony O said:

Plan B

https://www.trinityreservations.com

 

Plan C

Check with hotels in the White Marsh area they are right off of 95 and about 10 minutes north of the port

thanks so much! looking into your plan b now. 🙂 

[shipgeeks]

I might add that the entire process at Baltimore is very well managed.  When you enter, you will be asked if you are a drop-off or parking.  There is a tent just beyond where you can get luggage tags, if needed.  Then you will do the luggage drop-off, after which you will be directed to the parking (if doing that).  Cash or credit card.

Alternately, if you are using a hotel shuttle, you will be taken close to the luggage drop-off, and you can walk right in to the terminal.

[fred549]

Another tip. You will need do your boarding pass online with Carnival before you leave home. You can do it within 90 days of your departure day. You will get a 1/2 hour window to arrive at the terminal. There will be 2 lines to enter the terminal. One for people in their 1/2 hour window. The other for people before or after their 1/2 hour window. The in window line people will go in first. Then as space allows, the other people will go in. 

 

We have sailed on the pride twice. Both times, we got to the line 10-20 minutes early. We were put in the early line. However, from the time we pulled into the parking lot, to when we walked on the ship, once was 25 minutes, the other was 30 minutes. Our window time was 1-1:30 pm. I think the rush of people was before we got there.

 

Have your boarding pass and passport in hand when you enter the building. It will make things quicker.

 

When boarding the ship, your walking up a ramp from ground level to what I think is 4 stories. If this will be a problem for you, they do have a handicap entrance that is ground level. On our 2nd cruise, everyone had to use the handicap entrance, as the ramp was broke.

 

I hope this will help you. Enjoy your cruise.

 

Fred.

[njhorseman]

56 minutes ago, fred549 said:

Another tip. You will need do your boarding pass online with Carnival before you leave home.

OP is cruising on Royal Caribbean's Grandeur of the Seas. Of course they still should have their boarding documents ready for any ship on any cruise line before heading to the terminal...but the OP undoubtedly knows what to do for a Royal Caribbean cruise because they've cruised before out of Bayonne.

Edited August 16, 2020 by njhorseman

[fred549]

NJ,

 

Thanks for the correction. I was thinking Carnival because that is what we used.