The Helen Delich Bentley Port of Baltimore welcomed Norwegian Cruise Line to Maryland to begin a fall and winter sailing schedule last week. More than that, for the first time in the cruise line’s history, Norwegian will have two ships homeporting from Maryland: Norwegian Sky and Norwegian Sun. The ships will offer cruises from Baltimore to Canada and New England, Bermuda and the Caribbean.
Norwegian Sky has embarked on a 10-day Canada and New England cruise, with visits to Martha’s Vineyard, Bar Harbor, Halifax, Sydney (Cape Breton Island), Charlottetown, Saguenay and Quebec City. On September 21, the ship will sail on an 11-day Canada and New England voyage. Additionally, Norwegian Sun will offer a five-day Bermuda cruise on November 22, besides three 12-day voyages to the Caribbean on November 27, December 9 and December 21. Norwegian Sky also will return to the Port of Baltimore in September 2024.
The Port of Baltimore has offered year-round cruising since 2009. Prior to the pandemic in 2019, the Port averaged over 200,000 passengers annually. Following a cruise industry-wide pause during the pandemic, Baltimore’s passenger counts have strongly rebounded, with its ships sailing at full capacity. Baltimore’s cruise terminal is located right off Interstate 95 and offers plenty of onsite parking.
The Port of Baltimore generates about 15,300 direct jobs, with nearly 140,000 jobs overall linked to port activities. It is responsible for nearly $3.3 billion in personal wages and salaries, $2.6 billion in business revenue and $395 million in state and local tax revenue annually.
David J. Herrera, president of Norwegian Cruise Line, said “Our voyages from the Port of Baltimore offer guests the best that cruising on the East Coast has to offer, with a convenient homeport option that allows them to experience both the breathtaking fall foliage of Canada and New England, and warm weather winter escapes in Bermuda and the Caribbean. As we continue to grow our fleet of now 19 ships, we actively look for new opportunities and communities to introduce the Norwegian Cruise Line experience.”
For more information, visit www.ncl.com.
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