A First for Baltimore; Year Round Cruises

Joining 10 other cities, Baltimore has been recently named a year round cruise port for Carnival Cruise Lines. Anticipated destinations to be included in the new venture will be the Caribbean, Bahamas and Florida; all popular destinations on the eastern seaboard.

The Port of Baltimore is an easily accessible area for many Northeasterners. With rising costs continually on the mind of vacationers who seek value as well as quality, a port that is within one day’s travel for millions of people can be quite an exciting option. Cruise vacation costs from this port will be much more affordable for families in particular with the ability to omit costly airfare by simply driving to the port. Adding the capability of cruising year round with one of the largest cruise lines to that appeal is the icing on the cake.

The new venture in Baltimore features the Carnival fun ship, Pride; a 2,124 passenger vessel and is slated to begin in September of 2009. Offering 2 seven day cruise itineraries departing on Sundays, the Pride presents its guests with many amenities and accommodation choices. Several dining options are available, including a reservation only supper club located on the pinnacle of the 9 deck high reception area, reachable via a glass staircase. Also on board for the enjoyment of its guests are Pride’s numerous nightspots, a multi-level theatre, internet Café, and many youth activity facilities.

Carnival is only one of many cruise lines that recognize that value is becoming increasingly important to those wishing to travel by cruise, and responding by offering options. By providing ports that are accessible by car instead of air travel, consumers are more inclined to book cruises as an affordable vacation. Baltimore is the most northerly port on the eastern seaboard, and may be one of the first in this trend to attract more value minded guests to cruise lines.