Royal Caribbean set to resume cruises out of Baltimore nearly 2 months after Key Bridge collapse
Royal Caribbean announced it would be resuming cruises out of Baltimore, Maryland beginning on May 25, 2024, following the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge.
Royal Caribbean International plans to resume cruises out of Baltimore, Maryland, later this month, now that the channel in and out of the busy port was reopened on Tuesday to a depth of up to 45 feet.
The news comes nearly two months after the container ship Dali crashed into a support of the Francis Scott Key Bridge on March 26, sending the structure smashing into the Patapsco River below, and on top of the vessel.
On Monday, crews used explosives to break apart the largest remaining piece of the bridge resting on top of the Dali, causing the mangled metal to fall into the water. Crews were expected to assess the remaining bridge debris near the grounded ship before re-floating the vessel and moving it out of the channel.
Enough of the structure has been removed to resume shipments in and out of Port Baltimore, and on Monday, the U.S. Coast Guard reopened the Fort McHenry limited access channel to an available depth of 45 feet for commercial vessels daily, from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m.
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The Port of Baltimore shared the news on Facebook, saying the channel has a horizontal clearance of 350 feet and a vertical clearance of 214 feet because of power lines above, though the depth and width may increase as salvage operations continue in the area.
Still, transit in the channel remains at the discretion of the Coast Guard, based on weather conditions and salvage operations.
The reopening means cruise ships like Royal Caribbean International’s Vision of the Seas are resuming operations.
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On May 25, the Vision of the Seas will depart Baltimore for a five-night voyage to Bermuda.
"Royal Caribbean International looks forward to returning to the Port of Baltimore once again," a spokesperson for Royal Caribbean told Fox News Digital. "Vision of the Seas will set sail on a five-night itinerary as planned on Saturday, May 25, after completing its previously scheduled drydock in The Bahamas."
In a social media post, the Port of Baltimore expressed excitement over the return of cruise ships in and out of the city.
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"This marks the first cruise departing Baltimore since the Key Bridge incident," the post read. "Are you as excited as we are? If you’ve never cruised before from Baltimore, come find out why it’s the best cruise port on the East Coast. Baltimore is back!"
Another cruise company, Carnival Cruise Line, also offers voyages out of Baltimore Harbor. After the Key Bridge collapsed, the company moved the Carnival Legend’s operations to Norfolk, Virginia, to allow rescue and remediation efforts to continue at the scene of the disaster.
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Fox News Digital reached out to Carnival to find out whether the company plans to resume operations out of Baltimore, but did not immediately hear back.