BALTIMORE — Royal Caribbean is moving its cruise operations out of the Port of Baltimore starting late next year.
The company tells WMAR-2 News their Vision of the Seas ship will begin sailing out of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida in late 2026 through at least April 2027.
Until then Royal Caribbean will continue offering cruises from Baltimore to vacation destinations like Bermuda, The Bahamas, Canada and New England. Several cruises have already been scheduled throughout the rest of the year.
The cruise giant, however, would not rule out a future return to Charm City.
"We cannot comment on future deployment, but we look forward to reviewing opportunities to sail from Baltimore in the future," a spokesperson told us.
Richard Scher, Director of Communications for the Maryland Port Administration, said such moves are common in the cruising industry.
"Royal Caribbean has been an outstanding cruise partner for many years at the Port of Baltimore. We are continuing to hold discussions and work with them on long term deployment options," said Scher. "Cruise lines make decisions on where to place a ship on an annual basis."
The Port of Baltimore is continuing its full recovery from last year's Key Bridge collapse.
Carnival Cruise Lines returned to the Port of Baltimore last May after being forced to close in the aftermath.
In November Carnival agreed to afive-year contract extension to continue sailing out of Baltimore.
Prior to the collapse, in 2023, Scher said the Port handled more than 444,000 passengers, their third-highest total ever. recorded.
Scher also revealed the Port of Baltimore is expected to welcome Aida and Crystal cruise lines next year.
"The Baltimore-Washington, DC-Northern Virginia region is a very successful, highly populated, and lucrative cruise market. Additionally, our cruise terminal’s unique location immediately off Interstate 95 is a main reason why people in neighboring states choose to cruise from the Port of Baltimore," said Scher.
Clickhere for the 2025 cruise schedule out of Baltimore.
