Baltimore’s cruise scene faces a potential shake-up, with Royal Caribbean’s future in question.
There are rumblings that Royal Caribbean may no longer be sailing from Baltimore after next year. The rumors stem from a simple process of elimination. After seeing what ships are left to sail from the Maryland port after one ship is known to be leaving is raising questions.
A quick look at the deployment schedule for Vision of the Seas shows that the Royal Caribbean vessel is scheduled to reposition from Baltimore to Port Everglades in October 2026.
The issue is that it takes a specific size ship to be able to sail out of the port. The vertical clearance of the Bay Bridge (Chesapeake Bay Bridge) limits the mega ships of today from even getting near the dock.
This departure raises questions, especially considering the port’s recent history with Royal Caribbean.
Before Vision of the Seas came to Baltimore in 2023, Enchantment of the Seas had been homeporting there since 2021.
Vision-class vessels with Royal Caribbean include Grandeur of the Seas, Rhapsody of the Seas, Enchantment of the Seas, and Vision of the Seas.
Enchantment of the Seas is currently deployed in Tampa and set to remain there through 2027, and Grandeur of the Seas is scheduled to sail from both Port Everglades and Tampa over the next two years.
Rhapsody of the Seas is currently offering 7-day sailings from San Juan and is scheduled to move to Tampa in November 2025.
The popularity of cruising is still very strong in Baltimore, with almost half a million cruisers choosing the port every year
A spokesperson for the Port of Baltimore recently made this statement:
“We’re aware of potential changes in deployment for Royal Caribbean at the Port of Baltimore. Royal Caribbean has been an outstanding cruise partner for many years at the Port of Baltimore. We are continuing to hold discussions with them. Cruise lines make decisions on where to place a ship on an annual basis.”
It should be noted that while other Royal Caribbean ships that could fill the void in Baltimore already have their assignments, it’s still possible that the cruise line could make a change. These changes happen all the time, sometimes even after a ship had been open for bookings at another port.
On Friday, Royal Caribbean released a statement about Baltimore and said:
“We are excited to continue to offer vacations out of Baltimore throughout 2026 for guests to visit idyllic destinations including Bermuda, The Bahamas, Canada and New England. In late 2026, Vision of the Seas will shift to offer Caribbean sailings from Ft. Lauderdale through April 2027. We cannot comment on future deployment, but we look forward to reviewing opportunities to sail from Baltimore in the future.”
While the future remains uncertain, Baltimore’s cruise travelers await Royal Caribbean’s final decision.
