Cruise lines evaluating next steps after Baltimore bridge collapse closes port

27.03.2024 - 15:38 / travelweekly.com / Royal Caribbean

Cruise lines are evaluating scheduled sailings to Baltimore after the collapse of the city's Francis Scott Key Bridge closed access to the Patapsco River and port areas.

The bridge collapsed early Tuesday after a container ship leaving the Port of Baltimore struck a column on the bridge. Several construction workers who were working on the bridge at the time of the crash are presumed dead, according to the Associated Press.

According to the Maryland Transportation Authority, vessel traffic into and out of the port is suspended until further notice; a report from the Baltimore Sun referenced a U.S. Coast Guard report that said the Patapsco River channel was "fully blocked."

Carnival Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean International both operate cruise ships from the Maryland Cruise Terminal in the city's Locust Point area.

The 2,124-passenger Carnival Legend is the next big ship scheduled to sail to Baltimore, on March 31. The ship will instead disembark passengers in Norfolk, Va., and offer bus service back to Baltimore.

The Legend will temporarily shift its homeport from Baltimore to Norfolk, Carnival said; the cruise that was scheduled to depart from Baltimore on March 31 will depart from Norfolk. Guests on current and upcoming cruises are being advised of the change, Carnival said.

Royal Caribbean, which was planning to bring the 2,513-passenger Vision of the Seas into Baltimore on April 4, said it was monitoring the situation.

"Our port logistics team is currently working on alternatives for Vision of the Seas' ongoing and upcoming sailings," a spokesman said.

President Biden said Tuesday that he wanted to get the port reopened quickly. "I've directed my team to move heaven and Earth to reopen the port and rebuild the bridge as soon as humanly possible," he said.

American Cruise Line also frequents Baltimore on coastal itineraries, but it won't sail there until May. The line is currently cruising from Washington D.C. to the Chesapeake Bay, but its itinerary is unaffected, the line said.

This report was updated with additional information about the itinerary plans for the Carnival Legend.