Royal Caribbean home port exit leads to Carnival cruise expansion
Carnival Cruise Line is seizing the opportunity to upsize its capacity as Royal Caribbean moves in another direction.
As Royal Caribbean continues to focus on bigger ships, it’s leaving behind one popular but size-restricted cruise port, and opening a door for Carnival Cruise Line to step up to meet the demand.
Some loyal Royal Caribbean cruisers in one region could soon turn to Carnival for the convenience of sailing year-round from a cruise port they can drive to, rather than dealing with the hassle of flying to a Royal Caribbean cruise.
Related: Carnival cruisers don’t want popular Royal Caribbean offering
Just a few weeks after it was revealed that Royal Caribbean decided to drop cruises from one East Coast cruise port from its future deployment schedule, Carnival has now shared plans to serve more cruisers who want to sail from the same city.
As Royal Caribbean ends its operations in Baltimore (at least for now), moving its Baltimore-based ship, Vision of the Seas, to Fort Lauderdale in late 2026, Carnival Cruise Line is seizing the opportunity to expand its capacity from the popular mid-Atlantic cruise port.
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Carnival to sail larger ship from Baltimore
Carnival Cruise Line is exploring plans to move a larger Conquest class ship to Baltimore in 2027 that can accommodate about 1,000 more guests than Carnival Pride, the Spirit class ship currently deployed to sail year-round from Baltimore to The Bahamas, Bermuda and Caribbean destinations.
Carnival Cruise Line recently celebrated 20 years of sailing from Baltimore and extended its partnership with the port with a five-year contract extension that began Jan. 1. The agreement also included a five-year renewal option.
The expansion in Baltimore is a testament to Carnival’s commitment to serving the line’s secondary markets by continuing to be an accessible vacation for 50 percent of the U.S. population that is within a five-hour drive of a Carnival cruise departure port.
Related: Carnival Cruise Line won't challenge Royal Caribbean's title
As part of this commitment, Carnival will also expand its cruise schedule from Mobile, Alabama beginning in spring 2027, extending its current seasonal schedule to return to year-round operations as it previously sailed prior to the pandemic.
Mobile will join Norfolk, Virginia in leveling up from a seasonal Carnival cruise port to a year-round cruise hub. In February, Carnival launched year-round cruises to The Bahamas, Bermuda and Eastern Caribbean from Norfolk aboard Carnival Sunshine.
The City of Norfolk has been a key partner for Carnival Cruise Line and its operations in Baltimore, stepping up to provide a temporary home for Carnival’s Baltimore cruise operations last year in the wake of the tragic collapse of Baltimore’s Key Bridge.
Carnival passengers happy to see smaller ports get more attention
A number of passengers shared their thoughts on the cruise line’s latest deployment plans in comments on Carnival Cruise Line Brand Ambassador John Heald’s Facebook page.
Many passengers are looking forward to the opportunity to experience sailing on a larger Carnival ship from the convenient Baltimore cruise port, which can’t accommodate most larger cruise ships due to the limited clearance of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge.
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“Conquest ships aren't huge by any means; they are marginally bigger than the Pride/Legend. It offers Baltimore more choice on ships. I love living 15-20 minutes away from a cruise port but I hate that I’m so limited in options because so few ships can get under the Bay Bridge,” Katelynn Smit wrote. “I just got off the Pride today and while I loved sailing on her, I like variety. It’s going to be nice to have some variety in a couple years that doesn't involve flying somewhere else.”
Other passengers would love to see the cruise line invest further in its secondary markets to allow for even more cruise variety and appeal from these popular, accessible ports.
“I wish they'd build new smaller ships for these smaller ports so that we don't have to travel to Florida or Texas to get all the new attractions and perks,” Kristi Bea noted.
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