Carnival Ship to Start Crusing From Norfolk Resulting from Baltimore Closure

Carnival Satisfaction, which is presently crusing a 14-night, one-way repositioning cruise that was to have moved the vessel from Tampa to Baltimore, will as a substitute be crusing from Norfolk, Virginia, no less than for her first deliberate Baltimore departure.
Carnival Cruise Line reached out to company with the notification and is arranging complimentary bus service from Norfolk to Baltimore as wanted, in addition to offering extra compensation to company.
Carnival Satisfaction to Sail From Norfolk
Company setting sail aboard Carnival Satisfaction‘s April 21, 2024 departure is not going to be embarking nor returning to the deliberate homeport, because the Port of Baltimore stays closed to marine site visitors following the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge on March 26. As a substitute, the ship will function from Norfolk, Virginia no less than for this upcoming crusing.
“Thanks on your endurance as we labored by way of the plans relating to your upcoming cruise,” the e-mail notification started. “Now we have spent the final week having some private discussions with Maryland Governor Wes Moore and Port of Baltimore officers relating to the harbor site visitors plans so we will make knowledgeable choices.”
In the meanwhile, particles continues to be being cleared from the Patapsco River, together with eradicating concrete and different supplies from the bridge itself in addition to containers from the ship Dali, which collided with the bridge following an influence failure, ensuing within the collapse.
“Whereas progress on the bridge accident restoration is being prioritized and progressing properly, we should assume that your cruise can’t function from Baltimore,” the e-mail defined. “Subsequently, we now have made preparations to sail from and return to Norfolk, Virginia.”
Because the Port of Baltimore and Port of Norfolk are roughly 250 miles (400 kilometers) aside, roughly a 4-5 hour drive relying on site visitors situations, this may considerably affect passengers’ pre- and post-cruise journey plans.
Carnival Cruise Line is offering complimentary bus service between Baltimore and Norfolk, each for embarking in addition to debarking company. The service is restricted, nonetheless, and vacationers have to register to make sure their house on the shuttle. For company on the April 21 departure, details about shuttle registration shall be offered the week of April 15.
Learn Additionally: How Is the Baltimore Bridge Collapse Impacting Cruises?
Company are additionally being offered a $100 (USD) onboard credit score per stateroom as a courtesy for the inconvenience of the modified homeport.
Additional particulars in regards to the shuttle buses and each embarkation and debarkation plans shall be offered within the days to return because the cruise departure date attracts nearer.
The place Is Carnival Satisfaction Crusing?
Carnival Satisfaction‘s April 21 departure is her first roundtrip crusing from the area, following a one-way repositioning cruise from Tampa to Norfolk (Baltimore). Company onboard that cruise are additionally being supplied with particulars of their Norfolk debarkation.
The April 21 cruise is a 7-night, Japanese Caribbean crusing that’s deliberate to go to Grand Turk, Princess Cays, and Freeport, with a number of days at sea. The ship’s new deployment alternates these Japanese Caribbean itineraries with Bahamas cruises, in addition to three particular 14-night sailings to Greenland – one departing on Could 26, one other on August 18, and the final on September 8.
The 88,500-gross-ton, Spirit-class Carnival Satisfaction can be providing a number of Bermuda sailings deliberate from Baltimore, starting with the August 11 departure and following with departures on September 1, September 22, October 6, and October 27.

The ship is scheduled to stay crusing from Baltimore by way of April 2026, although it’s attainable that deployment might change if plans to reopen the port to cruise site visitors take longer than anticipated. At the moment, nonetheless, there is no such thing as a indication that such a dramatic change could also be obligatory.
Carnival Satisfaction can welcome 2,680 company aboard at double occupancy, and can be residence to roughly 900 worldwide crew members.
When Will the Port of Baltimore Reopen?
No agency schedule has been introduced for the reopening of Port of Baltimore and it’s not but identified when cruise operations might restart from Appeal Metropolis.
When the bridge collapsed on March 26, cruise strains instantly shifted operations to Norfolk as the closest attainable homeport that might deal with the site visitors in addition to guarantee itineraries had been preserved as a lot as attainable.
Any cruise passengers – from any cruise line – with plans to sail to or from Baltimore in no less than the following few weeks needs to be ready for modifications and preserve in shut communication with their cruise line for updates about their particular person sailings.