carnival cruise ship returns to port

• Getting Results.
• Newsletters

Carnival Freedom returns to cruising within 2 weeks of funnel fire

Passengers aboard burning cruise not expected to see refund.

James Sparvero , Reporter

PORT CANAVERAL, Fla. – Less than two weeks since a cruise ship caught on fire, the Carnival Freedom returned to sailing Thursday.

On March 23 in the Bahamas, passengers took video of the ship’s funnel burning after it was believed to have been struck by lightning.

It was the second time in two years that the ship’s funnel caught fire.

Like the May 2022 fire, Carnival will also have to replace its signature ‘whale tail’ at the top of the funnel, which was burned again.

[EXCLUSIVE: Become a News 6 Insider (it’s FREE) | PINIT! Share your photos ]

Thursday, passengers talked to News 6 reporter James Sparvero about boarding the ship for its first cruise to the Bahamas since the fire.

Cornelia Marshall was traveling with friends from Birmingham, Alabama.

“We put it in God’s hands,” she said. “I mean, that was an act of mother nature. There’s nothing you can do about it.”

Thursday, Carnival said it was still investigating a possible lightning strike as the cause of the fire.

Marshall and her friends also weren’t concerned about the ship catching on fire two years earlier.

“You know, when life gives you lemons, just take tequila shots because we’re coming on the cruise,” Marshall said.

Another group of passengers said they were unhappy that Carnival didn’t tell them about the March 23 incident.

Kelin Sorto from Philadelphia said she found out there was a fire from her Uber driver, who brought her family to the port.

“That’s my only concern because how fast can they fix that problem?” she said. “They assured us that it’s secure. Hopefully, it is. We’re just trying to have fun.”

Carnival refunded passengers for the two canceled cruises, but if you were on the cruise that caught on fire and you’re still expecting a refund, you won’t be getting one.

A statement from Carnival reads, “We’re very proud of the Carnival Freedom team for keeping everyone safe and still delivering a full cruise to the guests who were on board. We appreciate our guests for their cooperation and support.”

Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily :

Copyright 2024 by WKMG ClickOrlando - All rights reserved.

About the Author

James sparvero.

James joined News 6 in March 2016 as the Brevard County Reporter. His arrival was the realization of a three-year effort to return to the state where his career began. James is from Pittsburgh, PA and graduated from Penn State in 2009 with a degree in Broadcast Journalism.

RELATED STORIES

Passengers aboard carnival cruise ship that caught fire return to port canaveral, carnival freedom catches fire near bahamas; 2 future cruises from port canaveral canceled.

Recommended Videos

A Carnival cruise that left Baltimore last week will return to a different port and bus passengers home

• Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed Tuesday morning after a container ship crashed into it.
• Carnival Cruise Line  is temporarily relocating the Carnival Legend's homeport from Baltimore to Norfolk, Virginia.
• The company is providing guests on the ship, returning on Sunday, with a bus back to Baltimore.

On Sunday, travelers on Carnival Cruise Line's Legend ship will return home after a relaxing weeklong vacation in the Caribbean.

But instead of disembarking at the ship's homeport as planned, these cruisers will soon find themselves a four-hour bus ride away in Norfolk, Virginia, as the Port of Baltimore remains closed following the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

Related stories

Amid the disruption, Carnival said it had moved the Carnival Legend's March 31 disembarkation from Baltimore to Norfolk, Virginia, where it will temporarily remain homeported. The company will provide guests on the ship's Caribbean voyage a free bus back to Baltimore.

The Carnival Legend's next weeklong cruise, embarking the same day it returns, will sail roundtrip from Norfolk, about a four-hour drive from Baltimore. The cruise line said it will update future guests on its plans to return to Maryland.

Carnival's Carnival Pride and Legend, Royal Caribbean's Vision of the Sea, and American Cruise Line's American Glory are all scheduled to sail from the Port of Baltimore in April. The companies did not immediately respond to Business Insider's inquiry about potential itinerary changes.

Experts told Business Insider that the Port of Baltimore's ongoing closure could amount to a daily $15 million loss in economic activity .

While the port is vitally important for certain imports and exports, it represents a relatively small portion of US cruise departures, with smaller ships compared to hubs like Florida. More than 444,000 people embarked on cruises there in 2023, according to state officials.

Watch: The container ship that destroyed the Francis Scott Key Bridge has crashed before

• Main content

Passengers of Carnival Freedom cruise ship return to Port Canaveral after fire extended their stay

Carnival freedom passengers arrive at port canaveral after fire extended their stay.

Passengers of the Carnival Freedom cruise ship have returned to Port Canaveral Monday morning after a fire on the ship's funnel extended their stay until a second ship could pick them up.

PORT CANAVERAL, Fla. - Passengers of the Carnival Freedom cruise ship have returned to Port Canaveral Monday morning after a fire on the ship's funnel extended their stay until a second ship could pick them up.

A spokesperson for Carnival Cruise Line said the ship's signature red funnel, sometimes referred to as a ship's whale tale, was docked in Grand Turk in the Turks and Caicos Islands Thursday when it caught fire, sending dark black smoke into the air.

Its emergency response team was able to quickly put out the fire and there were no injuries, according to the cruise line.

Carnival sent another cruise ship — Carnival Conquest —  to Grand Turk to pick up the 2,504 passengers and 972 crew members who were on the Carnival Freedom cruise ship.

TRENDING: Alligator takes golfers' ball on Central Florida course, video shows

Passengers returned on the Conquest around 6 a.m.:

The fire has impacted multiple cruises out of Port Canaveral and even a cruise in Miami.

The cruise line had to cancel other cruises scheduled to depart on Carnival Freedom from Port Canaveral on May 28, June 2 and June 6 while the ship undergoes repairs. 

Vacationers who were hoping to sail out of Miami Monday on the Carnival Conquest will have to wait until all the Carnival Freedom passengers exit the ship, before it can head to South Florida. 

Carnival has not released an update about what caused the fire.

• Share full article

Advertisement

Carnival cruise ship returns to Miami with ‘small number’ of coronavirus cases.

The Carnival Freedom is the latest Florida cruise ship to be disrupted by the coronavirus as the Omicron variant drives up cases in the U.S.

By Johnny Diaz

• Dec. 27, 2021

A Carnival Cruise Line ship returned to Miami on Sunday after multiple people onboard tested positive for the coronavirus, the cruise line said.

The ship, the Carnival Freedom, departed from Miami on Dec. 18 on an eight-day cruise when “a small number on board” were isolated because of a positive coronavirus test, the cruise line said in a statement. The company did not say how many guests or crew members were infected.

“Our protocols anticipate this possibility and we implement and adapt them as necessary to protect the health and safety of our guests and crew,’’ the cruise line said. “This was a vaccinated cruise and all guests were also tested” before the ship departed, the company said.

The cruise line said that “the rapid spread of the Omicron variant may shape how some destination authorities with limited medical resources may view even a small number of cases.”

The ship, which can carry nearly 3,000 passengers and 1,150 crew members, was not able to make planned stops in Bonaire and Aruba and instead made an “alternative visit” to Amber Cove in the Dominican Republic, a company spokesman said.

One passenger shared on Twitter a photo of a letter from the captain who apologized for the stops and said that passengers would receive credit to use toward a future cruise.

The Carnival Freedom is the latest Florida-based cruise to be disrupted as the highly contagious Omicron variant drives up cases in much of the United States and Europe . Many lines have adjusted their rules for masking, testing and vaccines in response to the surge.

Last week, 55 fully vaccinated passengers and crew members on the Royal Caribbean ship Odyssey of the Seas tested positive, the cruise line said. The ship returned to its home port in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on Sunday. It was the second Royal Caribbean ship from Florida to report positive cases this month, after 48 people aboard the Symphony of the Seas tested positive for Covid-19 during a seven-night Caribbean cruise that departed from Miami.

The company said that all of its crew members were fully vaccinated against Covid-19 and were tested weekly.

Johnny Diaz is a general assignment reporter covering breaking news. He previously worked for the South Florida Sun Sentinel and The Boston Globe. More about Johnny Diaz

Come Sail Away

Love them or hate them, cruises can provide a unique perspective on travel..

 Cruise Ship Surprises: Here are five unexpected features on ships , some of which you hopefully won’t discover on your own.

 Icon of the Seas: Our reporter joined thousands of passengers on the inaugural sailing of Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas . The most surprising thing she found? Some actual peace and quiet .

Th ree-Year Cruise, Unraveled:  The Life at Sea cruise was supposed to be the ultimate bucket-list experience : 382 port calls over 1,095 days. Here’s why  those who signed up are seeking fraud charges  instead.

TikTok’s Favorite New ‘Reality Show’:  People on social media have turned the unwitting passengers of a nine-month world cruise  into  “cast members”  overnight.

Dipping Their Toes: Younger generations of travelers are venturing onto ships for the first time . Many are saving money.

Cult Cruisers: These devoted cruise fanatics, most of them retirees, have one main goal: to almost never touch dry land .

Local News | Carnival cruise passengers to return to Norfolk…

Share this:.

• Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)

Baltimore Sun eNewspaper

• Anne Arundel County
• Baltimore City
• Baltimore County
• Carroll County
• Harford County
• Howard County
• Sun Investigates
• Environment

Breaking News

Local news | key bridge collapse live updates: goal set for restoring port traffic; sba head visits, local news | carnival cruise passengers to return to norfolk instead of baltimore after key bridge collapse.

Carnival Cruise ships will be rerouted to Norfolk, Virginia, after the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge closed the Port of Baltimore for the foreseeable future.

Cruise passengers in the middle of a seven-day trip to the Bahamas on the Carnival Legend that was scheduled to return to Baltimore on Sunday will instead disembark in the southeastern Virginia city, according to Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line.

Passengers will receive complimentary bus transportation back to Baltimore, a distance of about 233 miles, Duffy said in a news release late Tuesday.

In addition, future cruises on the Carnival Legend and Carnival Pride, including one scheduled to leave on Sunday, will depart and return from the southeastern Virginia city.

As the cruise industry struggles to reroute ships, at least one expert doesn’t think the damage done to the travel ship business — nationally or in Baltimore — will likely be permanent.

Carolyn Spencer Brown, a travel journalist, consultant and former editor of Cruise Critic, an online review website, said that the industry has rebounded from the losses it incurred during the COVID-19 pandemic resulting from social distancing mandates and well-publicized reports of shipboard illness.

“Cruises for the next few months are fully booked,” Brown said. “In the short-term, the cruise lines are scrambling like mad to figure out how to reroute their ships and how to minimize the inconvenience to travelers.

“The long-term effect will depend on how the bridge is rebuilt. Baltimore is never going to be a superpower port, but it has a lot to offer. It has the capacity to be a bigger cruise port than it is now.”

According to the Cruise Lines International Association, Baltimore is the nation’s 29th busiest port, moving about 378,000 passengers annually. Twelve ships were scheduled to dock at the port 115 times during 2024, the Association said.

The Port of Baltimore’s Cruise Maryland Terminal is home to four cruise lines: Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian and American Cruises.

Royal Caribbean is currently in the midst of a 12-night Caribbean cruise aboard the Vision of the Seas that departed March 23 and was scheduled to return to Baltimore April 4. The cruise line wrote in an email on Tuesday that “our port logistics team is currently working on alternatives for Vision of the Seas’ ongoing and upcoming sailings” and that updates would be communicated to passengers.

Norwegian, a relatively new line at the port which provides cruises between Baltimore and New England and Canada, Bermuda and the Caribbean, operates a fall and winter schedule and had no cruises scheduled immediately for Baltimore.

American’s cruises currently are departing from Washington, according to a spokeswoman; the earliest departures from Baltimore are not on the schedule until May.

Before Tuesday, the Port of Baltimore was responsible for 400 jobs and generated about $63 million in revenue annually for local businesses, according to a report issued last September by the Maryland Port Administration.

U.S. President Joe Biden has pledged federal resources to rebuild the Key Bridge.

More than 40 million people live within a six-hour drive of Baltimore, according to the Port Administration; Brown said that if the new bridge were taller, it could generate additional cruise business for the city.

“The biggest ships haven’t been able to come to Baltimore because they couldn’t pass under the bridge,” she said.

“What Baltimore offers is a very wonderful experience that is close to home. Cruising down the Chesapeake Bay is magical. You see parts of the bay you’ve never seen before.”

More in Local News

Education | Sorority and students sue University of Maryland over hazing investigation

Politics | Baltimore City Council president candidates pitch themselves to voters during first debate

SUBSCRIBER ONLY

Politics | the baltimore sun, fox45, university of baltimore to host senate democratic forum.

Crime and Public Safety | Person found dead in vacant East Baltimore rowhouse fire Thursday night

• CruiseMapper
• Cruise Ports
• Bahamas - Caribbean - Bermuda Cruise Ports

Port Canaveral (Orlando, Florida)

Cruise port schedule, live map, terminals, news.

Region Bahamas - Caribbean - Bermuda

Local Time 2024-04-05 03:18

Port Port Canaveral cruise ship schedule shows timetable calendars of all arrival and departure dates by month. The port's schedule lists all ships (in links) with cruises going to or leaving from Port Canaveral, Orlando, Florida. To see the full itineraries (ports of call dates and arrival / departure times) and their lowest rates – just follow the corresponding ship-link.

Port Canaveral (cruise port to Orlando City, Florida USA) is currently ranked world's busiest cruise port (4,07 million cruisers/stats 2023) followed by Miami Florida .

As homeport, this is a major turnaround port destination (serving roundtrip itineraries) with annual shipping traffic 4,5+ million cruise ship tourists. Cape Canaveral is a leading USA homeport for all the world's largest cruise companies - CCL-Carnival , RCI-Royal Caribbean , NCL-Norwegian , DCL-Disney .

The world's top-10 busiest cruise ports (by annual passengers numbers/stats 2023) are in Florida USA (Port Canaveral/Orlando/4,07M, Miami /4,02M, Port Everglades/Fort Lauderdale ), Mexico ( Cozumel ), Bahamas ( Nassau ), China ( Shanghai ), Spain ( Barcelona ), Bahamas (Out Islands), Texas USA ( Galveston ), Italy ( Civitavecchia-Rome ).

Cape Canaveral Port

Port Cape Canaveral (locode USPCV) is located on Florida's Atlantic coastline, between Miami and Jacksonville . Orlando City is bounded by Port Canaveral (north), Banana River (east), Cocoa Beach (south) and the Atlantic Ocean (west). As a deepwater seaport, Port Canaveral has a very high volume of traffic. From a total of 6 million cargo tons moved through the port annually, 2,7+ million tons (3 million short tons) are bulk cargoes. Common cargo includes petroleum, aggregate and cement. The port features hoppers and conveyors for loading products directly into trucks, as well as bulk cargo container facilities. The channel is about 13 m (44 ft) deep.

There are 70,000 m2 (750,000 ft2) of covered freight storage capacity. In 2004 Port Canaveral handled 3,6 million tons (4M short tons) of cargo. It exports fresh citrus and bulk frozen citrus juice is stored in one of the biggest freezer warehouses in the state. The port also receives salt for water softening, lumber, automobiles, steel sheets and plates. Port Canaveral transships items for sea, air, space and land. Its Foreign Trade Zone is one of the nation's largest general-purpose FTZs, more than 13 km2 (5 mi2). Each year the port boosts the economy by 1/2 billion dollars.

Port's cruise shipping business started in 1964, with SS Yarmouth Castle. The 1927-built steamship (for Chadade Steamship Company) was acquired by Yarmouth Cruise Lines in 1957. The liner was American-owned and Panama- flagged . In 1965, the ship burnt at sea (between Nassau and Miami).

The 1965-opened sea lock (part of Canaveral Barge Canal) is still in use, being maintained by the US Army Corps of Engineers. Shipping and commercial fishing is also served by three 400 ft/120 m-long cargo piers constructed on the Port's north side in 1976. The seaport has supported NASA's space projects from the nearby JF Kennedy Space Center. During NASA's Apollo program, Saturn V rocket's segments transited via the lock. Space Shuttle's external tanks were floated for each mission into Port Canaveral, and the rocket boosters were towed back via the seaport, being fished from the Atlantic after each space launch.

In August 2015, commissioners approved USD 81 million port development project for upgrades of terminals 5 and 10, aimed at handling larger-sized vessels (details in the "terminal" section below). The project's financing was secured through bank loans and bonds.

Following President Donald Trump's executive order on immigration, in late-January 2017 were officially issued reports about cruise passengers being detained by US Customs and Border Protection. All detainees had to provide background info about them, their families and also their past life in their native countries. Trump's executive order was signed on January 27th and includes a 90-day ban on travel to the USA by citizens of Iraq, Syria, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia, Yemen.

In early November 2017, RCI-Royal Caribbean announced the company's decision to homeport here in 2019 the world's largest passenger vessel - Harmony of the Seas (max capacity 6687 passengers plus 2100 crew). Starting May 2019, Harmony OTS offers 7-night Eastern and Western Caribbean roundtrip itineraries. Harmony replaced Oasis OTS (redeployed in 2019 to Miami ). Also in 2019, Mariner OTS (max capacity 4200 passengers plus 1180 crew) was homeported here for 3-4-night roundtrips to The Bahamas. The ship first arrived in Port Canaveral in 2003 (inaugural cruise on November 14).

In December 2017, Carnival Cruise Lines announced the homeporting of Carnival Elation in 2019. Starting May 12, 2019, the ship operates year-round scheduled 4-5-day "long weekend" Bahamas cruises. Departures are on Thursdays (4-day itinerary to Freeport and Nassau ) and on Mondays and Saturdays (5-day itinerary to Amber Cove Dominicana and Grand Turk Island ).

In December 2017, Port Canaveral completed the 6-month long West Turning Basin deepening project, now allowing max draft of 45 ft (13,7 m). Port's containership terminal (North Cargo berths 5 and 6) is operated by GT USA. The dredging works removed 22,3+ million ft3 (632,000 m3) of seabed material. For the dredging was contracted Dutra Group (based in San Rafael, California). The project's total cost was USD 7,5 million, with approx 2/3 of the cost covered by FDOT (Florida Department of Transportation). The Port's entry channel was cleared from obstructions (bridges, power lines) and is now without air draft restrictions. West Turning Basin has quay length ~600 m (2000 ft) and draft 13 m/43 ft - making it one of East Coast USA's deepest cargo berths without vessel air draft limits.

In January 2018 was approved the construction of a new multi-purpose cargo ship berth ("North Cargo Berth 8" / NCB8). By the project were also built a seawall (900 ft / 274 m) and a pier extension (100 ft / 31 m) with capacity to handle vessels with max LOA length 850 ft/259 m. At the new berth can be handled various heavy project cargoes (including aerospace). Berth's depth is 35 ft (11 m). The USD 17,9 million berth construction contract was awarded to the Tampa -based company Orion Marine Group. The contract includes building the bulkhead, seawall, relieving platform and dredging. Construction works started in March 2018, with scheduled completion by mid-2019.

In 2018, two port development projects received funding for maintenance works in the seaport. The contractor is USACE (US Army Corps of Engineers). For the projects were allocated USD 14,76 million (Canaveral Harbor Sand Bypass and jetty upgrades) and USD 1,47 million (Harbor and Locks).

On December 5, 2018, Canaveral Port Authority (CPA) approved a series of bonds (up to USD 117 million) for financing "Cruise Terminal 3" (dubbed "Launch Pad") project. In 2021, at the new CT3 Terminal was homeported Carnival's newest and largest ( LNG-powered ) liner Mardi Gras .

• The project's financing package included bonds up to USD 80 million (30-year, Series A and B) and up to USD 37 million (20-year loan, Series C) by SunTrust Bank (specializing in mortgage, personal and small-business banking). The bank is subsidiary of the Atlanta GA-based SunTrust Banks Inc (reported assets in March 2018 USD 199 billion).
• Additionally was approved to increase Port's PNC Bank credit line from USD 25 to 50 million. The port also received from Florida Department of Transportation USD 6 million in grants for the infrastructure works.
• Carnival Cruise Terminal 3 has a dedicated wharf, adjacent parking (6-storey, capacity 1800 vehicles) and a newbuild road. The project's total improvements cost USD 163 million, of which $50 million were contributed by Carnival Corporation . The facility was completed in September 2020, but due to the crisis was inaugurated on June 4, 2021, with the arrival of Mardi Gras.

On May 22, 2019, Disney Cruises signed with CPA a 20-year operating agreement for homeporting two of its three newbuilds . Under the new deal, Disney has 3 boats homeported here (2 new, 1 old) which increased the number of guaranteed roundtrips from 150 per year (2019) to 180 (2023) and 216 (2024 and beyond).

In early March 2020 was launched an RO-RO Division in Port Canaveral - a dedicated vehicle terminal with max annual capacity 240,000 cars. The 16-acres terminal is at South Cargo Pier 4 and serves mainly new import automobiles. The terminal has a large climate-controlled warehouse (sized 20,000 ft2 / 1860 m2). In FY2019, the port handled a total of 12514 vehicles.

Following the port's ban for cruise ship dockings and passenger operations (due to the COVID pandemic), in the period April 3 through May 30, 2020, Canaveral Port Authority furloughed all its employees dedicated to cruise shipping operations.

For a 5-month refurbishment project in 2020 (June through November) was closed CT8 (Disney Cruise Terminal 8).

In April 2023, Port Canaveral officials proposed the construction of a new cruise terminal. The US$175 million facility could be built on the Port's southern side, and completed and opened in 2026-Q4.

In August 2023 was allocated US$68,16 million for two new cruise parking garages (an 8-level near Terminals 5 and 6, and a 6-level near Terminal 10.

Cape Canaveral port statistics

Note: Port's FY (fiscal year) runs from October 1 (current year) through September 30 (next year).

In FY2017, the cruise port handled 4,52+ million passengers (6,4% increase over FY2016). The number of multi-day passengers (4,234+ million) was 7,1% increase over 2016. Statistics showed that just in March 2017, the number of visiting cruiseship tourists was 469,847. This was the Port's 1-month record and a 19% increase over March 2016. Port's FY2017 total revenues were USD 47,4 million (freight and passengers).

For FY2018, the seaport reported a record year with USD 103,75 million in total revenues (218,9% increase over 2017). Cargo and cruise shipping volumes were also an all-time high. The number of handled cruise ship passengers increased by 7,7% - to 4,568431 million. Port's handled cargo tonnage increased by 6,9% - to 6,404944 million tons. Port's total economic output was USD 3,9 billion with around 32650 jobs supported (USD 1,3 billion in wages) including 17200 port workers (USD 0,7294 billion in wages).

For FY2019, the port had ~5% growth (over FY18) in revenues from cruise shipping. By homeporting operations (turnarounds) Port Canaveral is currently ranked the world's 2nd-busiest (after Miami) cruise port with handled in 2019 total 4,634154 million passengers (4,568431 million in 2018).

For season 2019, the cruise port reported a record berth booking with estimated 4,7+ million passengers.

In 2023, Port Canaveral reported a record year with handled 906 cruise ship calls, 13 homeporting ships, ~6,8 million cruise tourists, US$158 million in revenue from cruise shipping operations. For season 2024, the Port had booked 913 ship calls and expected ~7,3M passengers

Port Canaveral cruise terminal

Besides being a large cruise port, Port Canaveral is also among the USA's/and the world's largest naval and cargo ports. On average, each day 10 cruise vessels enter the port.

Port Canaveral's cruise terminals serve several major cruise shipping companies. Terminal 5 is the homeport for ships of RCI-Royal Caribbean , Celebrity , NCL-Norwegian , Marella UK . Terminal 6 serves ships of CCL-Carnival and Princess . Terminal 10 homeports ships of MSC and NCL.

The following cruise port map shows Port Canaveral port's infrastructure, the location of terminal facilities, connecting roads and transportation links to Orlando City.

Port Canaveral is the nearest Disney World city, situated about one hour east of Orlando by car. The Orlando Airport is 45 mi/70 km away. The driving distance to Tampa is 2 hours, to Jacksonville - 2,5 hours.

There are seven cruise terminals. In regular use are 5 - numbers 3, 5, 6, 8 and 10. They are newer, located on the Port's north side and serve larger ships. Southside terminals are older. Gambling ships use Terminal 2. Terminal 3 is the new Carnival Cruise Line's terminal. Terminal 4 is also used, but rarely.

The cruise terminal parking rate is USD 15 per day (Port Authority subject to change). There is a parking lot beside each cruise terminal. Port Canaveral offers complimentary cruise parking for disabled Veterans. Approved are waiving cruise parking fees for vehicles with DV (Disabled Veteran) license plates issued under Florida Statutes "s.320.084", "s.320.0842" or "s.320.0845".

In August 2023, Port Canaveral commissioners allocated US$67,46 million for constructing two northside cruise parking garages. For the projects was contracted Ivey's Construction Inc. The larger facility (an 8-level garage with capacity 1940 vehicles) is adjacent to Terminals 5 and 6, while the smaller one (a 6-level garage with capacity 1081 vehicles) is near Terminal 10.

(NEW) Cruise Terminal (2026)

In April 2023 was proposed the construction of a new cruise terminal on the Port's southern side.

The US$175 million facility could be completed and opened in 2026-Q4.

This proposal for a new passenger terminal came after two newbuild large cruise liners were homeported year-round in Cape Canaveral starting in 2024-Q4.

If approved, the proposal will be included in the Port's budget for FY2023 (October 1, 2022, thru September 30, 2023). FY23 was marked by increased cruise shipping traffic and stronger-than-expected, cruise-related revenues (including from parking) estimated at US$150,87 million. The previous estimate was US$124,48M. This represented ~83,7% of Port Canaveral's total projected operating revenue (US$180,35M) including from cargo shipping/handling, recreation, leasing, and other business activities. It was estimated that the Port's FY23 will have US$75,43M profit (including non-operating revenues and expenses) which was US$53,36M before FY23's budget began. The profit was used for port development projects and for reducing debt from previous projects.

In May 2023, were announced plans for a new cruise terminal at the site of the Bluepoints Marina. The facility (projected cost US$175M) could be ready/inaugurated in 2026-Q4.

(NEW) Carnival Cruise Terminal 3 (CT3-Launch Pad)

In late-April 2017, Port Canaveral started construction works on a new cruise terminal.

The facility is on the site of "Cruise Terminal 3" (port's southern / B side), west of Jetty Park and east of The Cove (dining-shopping-attractions complex). On June 7, 2017, engineering and design works for the new terminal were officially approved.

Canaveral Port Authority Commissioners approved US$1,2 million in funding for CH2M Engineering's project management contract. This was Phase I of the 2-year work plan to construct a modern facility with capacity to serve vessels with max capacity 8000 passengers.

At the new passenger terminal can berth even the world's largest cruise vessels of RCI's OASIS-class. CH2M Engineering provided engineering, support services and waterside design for the new Terminal 3.

The project's budget is USD 163 million (initially estimated cost was US$150M), of which US$50M contributed by Carnival Corporation . Ranked the USA's largest single building project, it included the demolition of the port's oldest terminal, construction of a brand new 2-story building (sized 17466 m2 / 188,000 ft2), upgrading the existing berth and building a new (adjacent to the terminal) parking garage, roadway and utility improvements.

The 20-month-long, multi-phased project included 5 separate contracts. Demolition works (of the existing Terminal 3 building) started in April 2018, at the cost of US$210,000.

• Following the building demolition, the project's next phases included berth demolition, dredging, dockside construction, building passenger boarding (mobile) bridges and terminal building, site works, building a covered parking garage (6-story building, sized 690,000 ft2 / 64,100 m2, capacity 1800 cars).
• On August 30, 2018, the Canaveral Port Authority (CPA) Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to approve a long-term terminal operation agreement with Carnival Cruise Line, allowing the company to homeport here its newest and biggest liner .
• Beginning September 1, 2018, the new agreement replaced the old (6-year concession) expiring in 2019. The new 25-year primary term has 4 additional 5-year renewal options. The minimum annual revenue from passenger fees (guaranteed by Carnival) was increased from USD 7 million (fixed, per year) to USD 14,5 million (with annual escalators).
• On January 8, 2019, the CPA Board of Commissioners awarded the company Ivey's Construction Inc the USD 79 million contract for building Cruise Terminal 3, plus USD 29,53M contract for building the adjacent parking.
• On April 24, 2019, Canaveral Port Authority commissioners unanimously approved several design changes in the CT3 Project to reduce building costs. Ivey's Construction Inc (Merritt Island-based) won the contract in January with a bid of USD 78,98 million. However, design changes resulted in total savings of USD 4,535 million, bringing the terminal's total cost down to USD 74,45 million. In all, "Cruise Terminal 3" costs USD 163 million when are added the costs of the adjacent parking garage, waterside improvements, two passenger boarding bridges, design services. Plans were redesigned after engineering studies reduced the number of needed piles (also their size and coating) without sacrificing the structural integrity.

The new Carnival Cruise Terminal (CT3) is a 2-story building (sized 187,000 ft2 / 17370 m2) with max passenger capacity 6500 at a time. Among its amenities are electronic systems to facilitate passenger screening, mobile check-in (for expediting boarding), ATMs, restrooms, waiting and baggage halls, retail shopping area, info kiosks.

Construction works officially started on March 18, 2019, and the Terminal was completed in September 2020.

At the new CT3 terminal was homeported Carnival's largest vessel Mardi Gras (GT 180,000 tons, LNG-powered , capacity 5286 berths / max passengers 6500). The new liner's LNG bunkering is dockside (barge-to-ship).

Mardi Gras docked for the first time on June 4, 2021, and was joined later on the same day by the fleetmates Carnival Freedom and Carnival Liberty .

North (A Side) Cruise terminals (5, 6, 8, 10)

They are located on the A dock at the north side. Along is the Charles M Rowland Drive.

All are up to date and can handle the biggest passenger ships. Especially for Disney Cruise Line ships was built Cruise Terminal 8.

For a 5-month refurbishment project in 2020 was closed Disney's Cruise Terminal 8 (June through November). The closure was for installing a new curtainwall-pile (breakwater), removing ticket counters, extending the drop-off canopy, replacing the current seating.

In 2016, about USD 2,3 million were spent at Disney Terminal 8's renovations. This cruise facility is used exclusively by Disney ships. Cruise Terminal 10 was reopened on November 19, 2016, following USD 35 million expansion and upgrade project which took 6 months to complete. Terminal 10 (1994-built) is used by NCL (Norwegian Cruise Line) .

Renovation works included increasing the size of the 2-story terminal building (from 97,050 to 125,825 ft2 / 9016 to 11690 m2). Lower floor's baggage processing area was increased from 42,800 to 64,400 ft2 (3976 to 5983 m2). Upper floor's passengers check-in area was increased from 54,250 to 61,430 ft2 (5040 to 5707 m2).

The development project allowed the terminal to handle larger cruise ships (carrying up to 5,500 passengers). Previously, its max capacity was 3,600 passengers.

Among the major projects of the Cruise Terminal 10 renovations were:

• USD 25,69 million for terminal renovations, with H.J. High of Orlando as contractor. The downstairs area where baggage processing occurs increased from the previous 42,799 ft2 to 64,396 ft2. The upstairs area where passengers check-in increased from the previous 54,249 ft2 to 61,428 ft2.
• USD 4,48 million were invested into new mobile Passenger Boarding Bridges (by the Spanish manufacturer ADELTE). The new mobile bridge systems replaced the old fixed gangways and provide better flexibility when used by differently-sized cruise vessels that have different heights and boarding door locations.
• USD 1,79 million were used for the existing cruise pier strengthening. The contractor (Vortex Marine of Oakland, California) used carbon fiber polymer technology to reinforce and extend the pier's life and structural capacity.

In 2016 was completed another (USD 48,4 million) renovation project at Cruise Terminal 5 (used mostly by Carnival Cruise Line ). Among the improvements were terminal expansion, pier elongation (by 120 ft / 37 m), new mobile boarding bridges, new parking garage (capacity 1044 cars). The 1991-built Terminal 5 now allows berthing of larger ships (with up to 3500 passengers / previously up to 2500). For the project were contracted a total of 87 companies.

South (B Side) Cruise Terminals (2, 4)

They are located on the B dock at the southwest side. Along is George King Blvd. They were among the Port's first cruise facilities and can handle not more than 1900 passengers.

(new) Cruise Terminal 1

On November 5, 2016, in Port Canaveral arrived its ever largest passenger ship - Oasis of the Seas . The mega-liner docked at the new "Cruise 1 Terminal" (inaugurated in December 2014). Oasis OTS was homeported here replacing the smaller Freedom OTS .

Facility's main tenant is RCI Royal Caribbean and was designed specifically to handle Oasis-class vessels. The new terminal is sized 188,000 ft2 (17,470 m2) and has a dedicated parking garage with capacity 1007 vehicles. The project cost USD 104,6M.

Kennedy Space Center Visitor Center: NASA’s base where Apollo missions have been launched. Watch a movie at the center of IMAX, learn the space exploration future at the Exploration Space show, go to the Apollo Center and the LC39 Gantry or try the Shuttle Launch Experience.

US Astronaut Hall of Fame: 5 miles away from the Kennedy Space Center. Honor the American astronauts, watch the Science On A Sphere show, try the Sigma 7 Mercury rocket or a real training for astronauts.

Jetty Park: park at the coastline with a beach, camping and a playground, picnic areas and pavilions. Enjoy the amazing marine traffic view from the pier, favorite place for fishermen and tourists. You can have a coffee, eat or buy something at the Cove Waterfront area, located between the park and the port.

Cocoa Beach Pier: dating since 1962, Space coast best-known landmark located 4 miles away ftom Port Canaveral. It offers bars, souvenir shops, restaurants, live music and lively beach.

Orlando Amusement Parks: enjoy the attractions Walt Disney World , Disney/MGM Studios, Universal Studios, Sea World of Florida and much more.

Port Canaveral tours, shore excursions, hotels

City tours and shore excursions.

DCL-Disney Cruise Line's summer 2025 fleet deployment (Europe & Caribbean itineraries)

DCL-Disney Cruise Line has unveiled its summer 2025 itineraries, promising families unforgettable voyages to beloved destinations worldwide. Among...

RCI-Royal Caribbean unveils 2025-2026 Caribbean and Bahamas cruise itineraries

RCI-Royal Caribbean International has unveiled its latest offerings of 3- to 6-night Caribbean and Bahamas cruises for the 2025-2026 season. These...

RCI-Royal Caribbean cancels Star OTS ship's maiden voyage due to postponed delivery

RCI-Royal Caribbean International has decided to cancel the first two scheduled sailings aboard the Star of the Seas and has adjusted the ship's...

Carnival Legend encounters engine issues, delays Baltimore return and embarkation

CCL's ship Carnival Legend encountered engine troubles on Saturday afternoon while navigating off Florida's coast, leading to a delayed return to...

RCI-Royal Caribbean unveils 2025-2026 East Coast USA cruise homeports/ships

RCI-Royal Caribbean International has revealed its lineup of cruises departing from East Coast USA ports for the summer and winter seasons of 2025...

Carnival Vista returns to Port Canaveral with upgrades and enhancements

Carnival Vista cruise ship returned to Port Canaveral, Florida USA after completing a 30-day drydock refurbishment during which she underwent...

CCL-Carnival Cruise Line's new Transpacific Journey on Carnival Luminosa ship (2025)

CCL-Carnival Cruise Line has unveiled its latest addition to the Carnival Journeys program, announcing the launch of a new transpacific cruise aboard...

Port Canaveral sets new records for cruise ship arrivals and departures

Port Canaveral Florida USA experienced a bustling winter holiday season, surpassing previous records for both daily and monthly passenger counts in...

NCL unveils new Caribbean cruises from New Orleans & Port Canaveral

NCL-Norwegian Cruise Line has unveiled fresh Eastern and Western Caribbean routes for Norwegian Getaway and Norwegian Epic departing from New Orleans...

Port Canaveral FL charts course for ongoing cruise dominance with new mega-ship and cruise terminal...

This weekend, from Port Canaveral/Orlando (Florida USA) will depart 10 ships, carrying tens of thousands of tourists, contributing to the impressive...

•   show more news

Port Canaveral - user reviews and comments

Baltimore cruises to reroute after bridge collapse pauses port traffic

Carnival, royal caribbean will move some operations to norfolk while baltimore recovers from key bridge collapse.

Cruise lines are scrambling to make alternative plans and avoid the Port of Baltimore while officials suspend vessel traffic amid cleanup and rescue efforts around the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse.

Three major cruise lines sail from Baltimore, though no ships were in port Tuesday morning. The next cruise was scheduled to depart Sunday, but its operator confirmed late Tuesday afternoon that the voyage would instead head out from Norfolk.

Amira M. Hairston, a spokeswoman for the Baltimore port, said in an email that the status of the upcoming cruise ship schedule is not yet known.

“At this time we do not know how long vessel traffic will be suspended. As soon as that is determined we will provide an update. Until then please keep those involved in your prayers,” Hairston wrote.

Royal Caribbean International’s Vision of the Seas left Saturday for a 12-night southern Caribbean cruise with plans to return April 4. The cruise line said in a statement Tuesday that it was “closely monitoring the situation, and our port logistics team is currently working on alternatives for Vision of the Seas’ ongoing and upcoming sailings.”

On Thursday, the cruise company said the current sailing would end in Norfolk.

“Our guests on board will be provided compensation and complimentary shuttle transportation as well as Wi-Fi and phone calls to adjust their travel arrangements,” Royal Caribbean said.

Upcoming cruises on April 4 and 12 will sail from Norfolk as well, and passengers will be compensated for the change. The ship was already scheduled for maintenance in the Bahamas after the April 12 cruise.

“We are deeply saddened by the tragedy and collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge and extend our heartfelt prayers to all those impacted,” the company said.

Carnival Legend set off Sunday for a seven-day Bahamas cruise; the ship was scheduled to return March 31 and depart for its next sailing the same day. Instead of coming back to Baltimore, Carnival said late Tuesday, it will end its trip in Norfolk, and free buses will bring passengers back to Baltimore.

The ship’s next seven-day cruise will leave Norfolk and return to the port. In a news release , Carnival said it would temporarily move Baltimore operations to Norfolk “while Key Bridge rescue and cleanup efforts continue.”

“Our thoughts remain with the impacted families and first responders in Baltimore,” Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line, said in a statement. “We appreciate the pledge made by President Biden today to dedicate all available resources to reopen Baltimore Harbor to marine traffic as soon as possible. As those plans are finalized, we will update our future cruise guests on when we will return home to Baltimore, but in the meantime, we appreciate the quick response and support from officials in Norfolk.”

Carnival Pride is supposed to start sailing from Baltimore next month, mostly to the Bahamas and eastern Caribbean.

Norwegian Cruise Line does not have cruises scheduled out of the port until later this year. American Cruise Lines, a U.S. river cruise operator, has Chesapeake Bay trips on small vessels scheduled from Baltimore starting in May. The cruise line said it will monitor developments “and make adjustments if needed.”

Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) said it was “deeply saddened” by the bridge collapse and was closely following the situation. “Right now, the most important thing to do is to allow the emergency workers to do their work,” the group wrote in a statement.

This year, 12 ships are scheduled to make a total of 115 calls at the Port of Baltimore, the industry association said. With room for roughly 2,000 or 2,100 passengers at double occupancy, most Baltimore-based ships are much smaller than the record-breaking behemoths that sail from Florida ports.

“Any adjustments to current cruise activity at the port will be announced as soon as available by the individual cruise lines,” CLIA said in its statement.

A news release issued last month by Maryland Gov. Wes Moore’s office said that more than 444,000 individuals cruised out of the Port of Baltimore last year, the most since 2012. The Maryland Port Administration said in a news release last year that the cruise industry generates nearly 400 jobs and $63 million in revenue every year for local businesses.

The port positions itself as a convenient option for cruising year-round, thanks to its location off Interstate 95 and plentiful parking. More than 40 million people live within a six-hour drive of the city, the port administration says.

Baltimore bridge collapse

How it happened: Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed after being hit by a cargo ship . The container ship lost power shortly before hitting the bridge, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) said. Video shows the bridge collapse in under 40 seconds.

Victims: Divers have recovered the bodies of two construction workers , officials said. They were fathers, husbands and hard workers . A mayday call from the ship prompted first responders to shut down traffic on the four-lane bridge, saving lives.

Economic impact: The collapse of the bridge severed ocean links to the Port of Baltimore, which provides about 20,000 jobs to the area . See how the collapse will disrupt the supply of cars, coal and other goods .

Rebuilding: The bridge, built in the 1970s , will probably take years and cost hundreds of millions of dollars to rebuild , experts said.

Have Fun. Be Safe

• Health Protocols and Requirements for Sailing

Travel Documentation and Online Check-in

• Travel Documents
• Online Check-In

Getting There

• Cruise Terminal Information and Parking
• Airport and Pier Transportation
• Air Information

Before You Board

• Embarkation Day Check-In

Youth and Family

• Youth Programs (Under 2 and 2-11 years old)
• Teen Programs (12-17 years old)
• Carnival's Seuss at Sea
• Age Policies

Things to Know

Onboard experiences.

• Shore - Excursions
• Spa and Fitness
• Outdoor Fun
• Entertainment and Activities
• For Your Convenience
• Onboard Guidelines and Policies
• Past Guest Recognition Programs

Onboard Celebrations

• The Fun Shops
• Special Occasions
• Wedding Cruises and Vow Renewals

Dining and Beverages

• Dining and Snacking Options
• Dining Rooms
• CHEERS! Beverage Program
• Liquor and Beverage Policy

Onboard Communication

• WI FI Service and Carnivals HUB App
• Staying Connected

Money and Gratuities

• Gratuities (Tips)
• Sail & Sign Onboard Account
• Forms of Payment
• Cruise Cash/Bar/Photo
• Financial Access

Shipboard Health and Safety

• Passenger Bill of Rights
• Guest Screening Policy
• Safety and Security
• Safety Briefing - Muster Station Drill
• General Health Information
• Privacy Notice
• What to Pack
• Cruise Ticket Contract
• Carnival Vacation Protection
• Guests with Disabilities
• Choosing Your Cruise
• Tech Support
• Early Saver Promotion
• Minors / Infants / Pregnancy
• Making changes to your booking
• Carnival EasyPay
• Financing Powered by Uplift
• US Department of State Travel Tips
• And more things to know....

Debarkation - After Your Cruise

• Preparing to Go Home
• Post Cruise Inquiries

Embarkation and Departure

Gu ests must select their  Arrival Appointment  and complete their Online Check-in process no later than midnight (eastern time) prior to their sailing date.  

Guests should arrive promptly within their Arrival Appointment to reduce wait time in line. 

At check-in, guests must present their boarding pass, picture ID and citizenship documents (including any necessary visas).  Due to security protocol, last minute bookings made within 24 hours of sailing will require guests to undergo a secondary screening. 

Guests who are scheduled to arrive at the terminal before 1:30pm, usually check their bags with a porter so they can be free to enjoy lunch on Lido Deck before access to their stateroom is granted.

Checked baggage service is only available until 2 hours before the ship's published departure time. Guests arriving after this time will be responsible for taking their bags on board. 

Lunch is served on Lido Deck from boarding until the commencement of the safety briefing.

All guests must be on board by the Final Boarding time printed on the boarding pass or they will not be permitted to sail.

Was this answer helpful?

Answers others found helpful.

• Online Check-in and Arrival Appointment
• Online Check-In, Arrival Appointment and Boarding Pass
• How to Get Your Boarding Pass
• How to Access Online Check-In
• Priority Check-In

• Cruise News

Carnival Cruise Ship Return Delayed, Following Sailing Shortened By One Day

Doug Parker

• February 24, 2024

Carnival Legend experienced engine issues on Saturday afternoon off the coast of Florida, resulting in a delayed return to Baltimore. While the ship originally was slated to arrive on Sunday, the ship was forced to change course in order to disembark a passenger in need of medical attention. An email to passengers expecting to board on Sunday informed them that the ship would not be leaving Baltimore until Monday, and that the scheduled 7-night sailing would instead be a 6-night voyage.

An email to the Cruise Radio tip line said : “FYI. On the Carnival Legend sailing back to Baltimore from the Bahamas and 2 hours ago we were told the engine is broken. We have not moved since. Does anyone hear anything? I have never had this encounter before.” 

On Saturday evening , the ship’s automated information system (AIS) showed Carnival Legend off the coast of West Palm Beach, Florida, and moving northward at 4 knots or 4.6 miles per hour.

As of Sunday morning , the ship made an overnight call to Port Canaveral and is back on course to Baltimore with a cruising speed of 19 knots or 22 miles per hour.

Now that the ship is back on course for Baltimore, guests who are scheduled to board Carnival Legend on Sunday have been informed that the ship will actually arrive on Monday. An alert to embarking guests says:

Not a first for the Spirit class

Last summer, another Spirit-class ship, Carnival Pride, experienced issues while sailing in Northern Europe. The vessel was on a 12-night European cruise from Dover, England, and started experiencing issues after leaving Kiel, Germany.  Carnival Pride was taken out of service while the vessel underwent repairs in Europe. 

Carnival Legend, a 23-year-old Spirit-class ship, is currently homeported in Baltimore for the season. It left Maryland on Sunday, February 18, for a seven-night cruise to Half Moon Cay and Freeport, originally scheduled to return to Baltimore this Sunday, February 25. 

In 2019, strong winds attributed to Carnival Legend bumping into Carnival Glory while docked in Cozumel. 

This story is developing and will be updated as information becomes available. 

Recent Posts

Port clears cruise ship to leave after identifying 69 fake visas, hydration economics: carnival hikes bottled water prices by 25%, holland america extends 2025-2026 sailings on pinnacle-class ships, stranded passengers in africa rejoin cruise ship after nearly a week, share this post, related posts.

Costa Cruise Ships by Size: Biggest to Smallest

Carnival Gives Glimpse of New Cruise Resort in the Bahamas [IMAGES]

Bringing you 15 years of cruise industry experience. Cruise Radio prioritizes well-balanced cruise news coverage and accurate reporting, paired with ship reviews and tips.   

Quick links

Cruise Radio, LLC © Copyright 2009-2024 | Website Designed By   Insider Perks, Inc

• Weird But True
• Sex & Relationships
• Viral Trends
• Human Interest
• Fashion & Beauty
• Food & Drink

trending now in Lifestyle

My son picked up a piece of metal on a walk — it turned out to...

Tourists stunned after getting $100 bill for two hamburgers,...

12-year-old girl who married high priest, 63, taken into police...

Oh, my stars! The once-in-a-lifetime 'Mother Of Dragons' comet is...

1,500 passengers trapped on cruise ship at port because of visa...

Do you have 'office bum?' Nutritionist sounds the alarm on rise...

Inside the Rockette auditions where 800 dancers, now cut to 200,...

National Burrito Day deals are here — how to eat for cheap or...

1,500 passengers trapped on cruise ship at port because of visa debacle.

Thanks for contacting us. We've received your submission.

A cruise ship at a port in Spain has been forced to hold all 1,500 passengers on board, after a group from Bolivia failed to obtain the correct visa documents to enter the European border-free Schengen area.

According to reports, cruise ship MSC Armonia remains detained in Barcelona, with authorities scrambling to sort the situation.

The debacle, involving 69 Bolivian passengers, is preventing the ship from continuing its journey until the situation is resolved.

The voyage has traveled from Brazil to cover a route in the Mediterranean Sea, with the 69 Bolivians in question including families and children.

In a statement, MSC Cruises initially thought the visa documentation was correct and appeared to comply with the necessary requirements for travel.

However, upon further inspection, the visas were “not valid” for entry.

“The passengers appeared to have proper documentation upon boarding in Brazil,” the statement read.

“We have been informed by the authorities that the visas are not valid for entry into the Schengen area. As a result, passengers have not been able to disembark in Barcelona, which was their final destination.”

One Bolivian passenger, who spoke to local media under anonymity, said she was being treated like “a criminal [in a] prison” despite being assured by a travel agency her visa was correct and valid for travel.

Some family members of the Bolivian travelers on board the cruise ship told Spanish media that the 69 passengers had been victims of a scam.

According to the claim, as published in Spanish newspaper La Vanguardia, an agency in South America had offered the visas online and charged up to $10,000 per person.

It is understood the ship will remain in port while it works with authorities while the investigation continues.

Share this article:

Advertisement

Watch CBS News

The Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse is impacting cruises and could cause up to $10 million in losses for Carnival

By Caitlin O'Kane

Updated on: March 28, 2024 / 10:22 PM EDT / CBS News

The Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse  has impacted cruise travel in Baltimore. Carnival Cruise Line had to temporarily move its Baltimore operations to Norfolk, Virginia, as the Baltimore Harbor has been closed to marine traffic — which could cause up to a $10 million monetary loss for the company. 

The company's ship, Carnival Legend, was scheduled to return to Baltimore on  Sunday, March 31, but guests will instead go to Norfolk. There will be a complimentary bus service to get back to Baltimore from that port, Carnival announced on Tuesday . The drive between these cities could be up to five hours long. 

The upcoming Carnival Legend cruise on March 31 will depart and return to Norfolk. 

"Our thoughts remain with the impacted families and first responders in Baltimore," Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line, said in a statement. "We appreciate the pledge made by President Biden today to dedicate all available resources to reopen Baltimore Harbor to marine traffic as soon as possible. As those plans are finalized, we will update our future cruise guests on when we will return home to Baltimore, but in the meantime, we appreciate the quick response and support from officials in Norfolk."

"We will continue to actively monitor the situation and look forward to getting back to Baltimore as soon as possible," a Carnival spokesperson said in a statement to CBS News.

As for the impact on business, the spokesperson told CBS News the company expects a less than $10 million impact on both adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization as well as its adjusted net income for the full year 2024. 

Cruise Lines International Association , the largest cruise industry trade association, says 12 cruise ships made 115 trips through Baltimore in 2024. And in 2023, about 444,000 cruise passengers moved through the port, the 29th largest in the U.S.

Other cruise companies like Royal Caribbean and American Cruise Lines also have ships that go to Baltimore, however, it is unclear if those lines have been impacted yet. CBS News reached out to several cruise companies for comment. 

The bridge collapsed around 1:30 a.m. on Tuesday when a cargo ship, called the Dali , lost power and crashed into one of the bridge's columns. The ship made a mayday call ahead of the crash and first responders were able to prevent cars from driving onto the bridge, but eight construction workers  were on the structure pouring concrete.

Two of the construction workers were recovered alive, but the other six were presumed dead on Tuesday. Two bodies were found in a construction vehicle  submerged in the water on Wednesday. 

Following the incident, Maryland Governor Wes Moore declared a state of emergency and President Biden said the federal government would pay for the entire cost of reconstructing the bridge, which is still sitting in the river, on top of the cargo ship, which had 22 people on board – none of them harmed.

Baltimore is the ninth-busiest port in the nation and handled a record 11.7 million tons of cargo last year,  the Associated Press reports. More than 50 shipping and cruise ship companies do business with the port, mainly moving cars, coal, wood, steel, aluminum, home appliances, furniture, sugar and liquefied natural gas. 

"For everybody who is buying cars, for everybody who is (buying) farm equipment, we're the largest port in the country that does that," Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said . "So this is not just impacting Maryland."

Shipping companies and automakers will likely divert ships heading to Baltimore to other East Coast cities, experts say, according to the AP.

Ships waiting to get into Baltimore were stalled after the incident, with many drifting in the North Atlantic, waiting to be assigned to a new port, according to Windward Maritime, which analyzes maritime data. 

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said rebuilding the bridge  won't be easy or cheap. "That does not necessarily mean it will take five years to replace, but that tells you what went into that original structure going up," he said. "We need to get a sense of the conditions, of the parts that look ok, to the naked eye, but we just don't know yet, especially in terms of their foundational infrastructure."

Caitlin O'Kane is a New York City journalist who works on the CBS News social media team as a senior manager of content and production. She writes about a variety of topics and produces "The Uplift," CBS News' streaming show that focuses on good news.

More from CBS News

Flight forced to turn around after passenger tried to enter cockpit

Alabama hospital to stop IVF services at end of the year

JetBlue brings dynamic pricing to checking bags. Here's what to know.

Iran vows revenge for suspected Israeli airstrike on its consulate in Damascus

• Cruise From

DEPARTURE PORTS

Destination matters, but it's not the only thing. Every great vacation starts somewhere — how about yours?

Jacksonville

Dover (London)

Long Beach (Los Angeles)

New Orleans

Port Canaveral (Orlando)

Civitavecchia (Rome)

San Francisco

Carnival Cruise Line forced to make beverage package change

B oth Carnival Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean have been forced to make major operational changes after the tragic bridge collapse in Baltimore. After Key Bridge was hit by a freight ship that led to its destruction, the port that both cruise lines use has been closed for the foreseeable future. 

It was a terrible tragedy, but neither cruise line could simply stop operating because they had ships at sea scheduled to return to that port. Both Carnival ( CCL ) and Royal Caribbean acted very quickly and shifted their Baltimore sailings to Norfolk, VA.

Related: Carnival follows Royal Caribbean in fixing worst part of cruising

That's a massive operational feat to pull off which both companies achieved in just a few days. Carnival shared how it was handling a sailing that left from Baltimore before the bridge collapse

"Carnival Legend is scheduled to return from its current voyage on Sunday, March 31. It will now return to Norfolk on Sunday, and guests will be provided complimentary bus service back to Baltimore. Carnival Legend’s next seven-day itinerary on March 31 will then operate from and return to Norfolk," the cruise line shared.

The port switch, however, will have a negative impact on future cruises that many passengers will be angry about.

Carnival may get boos for Cheers

Sailing from different ports means that the local laws and taxes may be different. When Royal Caribbean sails from Galveston, for example, people who buy its Unlimited Beverage Package can only order from a limited menu until the ship hits international waters.

Cheers offers unlimited water, soda, juice, and specialty coffee along with 15 alcoholic beverages for $59.95 per day on sailings of six days or more when purchased in advance. Shorter sailings cost $69.95 per day and all packages are charged an 18%b gratuity.

People buying onboard pay an extra $5 per day and you can only buy the package for the duration of the cruise. In addition, all adults sailing in the same room have to buy the drink package (although exceptions may be made if passengers call the cruise line).

Carnival, for its sailings from Norfolk has shared that it has to make a major change to its Cheers Beverage Package on those sailings. The cruise line has adopted the rules it uses on sailings from New York and Texas for its Norfolk cruise.

Carnival changes Cheers for Norfolk sailings

While Royal Caribbean offers a limited drink menu out of Galveston (the cruise line does not sail from New York), it does still offer unlimited drinks to people who buy its beverage package. Carnival takes a different tact and does not offer Cheers! on night one on sailings from New York and Texas. 

That's the policy its taking in Norfolk and any passengers who paid for Cheers on upcoming sailings will get a refund for the first day of their cruise.  

“Our temporary shift in operations from Baltimore to Norfolk for Carnival Legend necessitates a slight modification in how we implement the Cheers! program. We cannot offer Cheers! benefits while in waters under the Commonwealth of Virginia’s jurisdiction. Therefore, we will not offer Cheers! benefits on the first day of your cruise,” according to an email from Guest Services Vice President Colleen Oliverio.

Can't seems to be more of a question of choice as Royal Caribbean has not made the same change.

"For Royal, you can absolutely use your drink package immediately however TABC law limits cruise ships to only sell alcohol made in the great state of Texas while in port. once the ship has moved into international waters, full bars open up. Carnival on the other hand just chooses to hold off altogether with their drink package making their Cheers begin on day 2 (You don't pay for day 1). you can still purchase drink by drink, but they too have to follow the same TABC laws mentioned," Todd W. poste don the Royal Caribbean blog .

Royal Caribbean has not said it plans to have any drink package limitations on Norfolk sailings.

8 passengers got stuck in port after a late return. What to do if you miss your cruise.

A group of Norwegian Cruise Line passengers was left behind after returning late to their ship in Africa.

Eight guests missed the last tender back to Norwegian Dawn while the ship was visiting the island nation of São Tomé and Príncipe on Wednesday, according to a spokesperson for the line. They were on a tour not organized through Norwegian.

Two guests, Jay and Jill Campbell, told South Carolina’s ABC 15 News their tour went longer than expected. When they returned, the ship was still in port, and the captain declined to let them board despite numerous attempts to reach Norwegian. At one point, they said, the island nation’s coast guard took them to the ship on a boat but told them to return to shore.

“The captain could have made an easy decision to turn one of the tender boats back, pick us up, safely load us, and then go on the way," Jay Campbell told the outlet.

'I just felt so helpless': Carnival Sunrise cruise ship faces flooding

“When the guests did not return to the vessel at the all-aboard time, their passports were delivered to the local port agents to retrieve when they returned to the port, as per the regular protocol,” the Norwegian spokesperson said in an emailed statement. “Our team has been working closely with the local authorities to understand the requirements and necessary visas needed for the guests to rejoin the ship at the next available port of call.”

Since then, the passengers have been scrambling to catch up to the cruise. Here’s what to do if you get stranded during a stop and how to minimize the chance of being left behind:

What happens if I don’t get back to my cruise in time?

Cruise lines warn guests they may get stuck if they don’t return to the ship by the stated all-aboard time.

“While this is a very unfortunate situation, guests are responsible for ensuring they return to the ship at the published time, which is communicated broadly over the ship’s intercom, in the daily print communication and posted just before exiting the vessel,” the Norwegian spokesperson said.

Cruise ships are on tight schedules while in port, said Joanna Kuther, a New York City-based travel agent and owner of Port Side Travel Consultants. “So if they have to leave at a certain time, they have to leave at that time,” she said. “It could be that there's another (ship) coming in. It could be (that) people aren't going to be there to be working on the pier.”

The Campbells told ABC 15 News that they traveled through six countries for 15 hours to reach Gambia, where the ship was due to stop on Monday. However, the vessel was unable to dock due to low tides. Norwegian said it made the change “due to adverse weather conditions, as well as tidal restrictions that require specific timing for safe passage.”

“While we share in our guests’ disappointment, this modification was made with great consideration for their safety and that of our crew, which is our top priority,” the spokesperson added.

The cruise line authorized them to rejoin the ship in Dakar, Senegal, on Tuesday.

Kuther recommended guests who miss their all-aboard time contact the cruise line to let them know and reach out to their travel agent – if they have one – who can help handle the logistics. She said the nearest U.S. embassy may also be able to assist them.

Are travelers responsible for added expenses?

Travelers who do not board their ship in time are generally responsible for getting themselves to the next port of call, according to Kuther.

Travel insurance won't be much good in that scenario, either.

"Typically travel delay coverage/missed connection coverage is due to a delay of a common carrier such as an airline delay or cancellation for a covered reason which causes you to miss your cruise/tour departure," Meghan Walch, director of product at InsureMyTrip, said in an email. "An excursion supplier not getting you back to your cruise in time is typically not covered."

The Norwegian spokesperson said the cruise line is reimbursing the eight guests for their travel expenses from Banjul, Gambia, to Dakar, but Kuther stressed that kind of compensation is “definitely the exception to the rule.”

How to avoid getting stranded

When choosing a shore excursion, Kuther said it’s safest to book through the cruise line or with another vendor that guarantees to get passengers back to the ship on time or to the next port. Travel agents can help guests find those options, or they can ask operators about their policies directly when booking.

Just in case something does go wrong, travelers should bring a credit card or debit card so they have a way to cover any costs they might incur. Kuther typically recommends bringing an ID “because you don’t want to be carrying around your passport,” but if travelers are going on a private excursion without that kind of guarantee, it’s a different story.

“You probably should have your passport with you because you're going to need it to get on a flight to get to the next port, especially if it's in a different country,” she said.

At the very least, it’s a good idea for travelers to have a photo of their passport on hand, and share a copy with someone back home who is easily reachable.

Story continues below.

Cruise insurance: Should you buy it through a cruise line? Maybe not, experts say

She also recommended they make sure their phone or watch is set to ship time rather than the time of the destination, which may be different (the all-aboard time will be on ship time). “So many people get confused with that,” Kuther said.

To be safe, she suggested guests get back to the ship an hour early if they’re exploring on their own or on a self-booked excursion in case they hit traffic or face other issues.

“It's one of those things like, it's not a problem until it's a problem,” Kuther said. She urged travelers not to expect the ship to wait. “If they can, I'm sure they will, but I would never tell someone, ‘Don’t worry about it.’”

Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. You can reach him at [email protected]

Eight passengers stranded on African island after Norwegian cruise ship left without them

A dream cruise vacation has turned into a nightmare for eight passengers left stranded on the African island of São Tomé and Príncipe after their ship left without them because they were late to return from a private tour.

The tourists — six from the U.S. and two from Australia — were aboard the Norwegian Dawn, a Norwegian cruise line ship , which departed from Cape Town, South Africa, on March 20 for a 21-day voyage up the coast of Africa set to end in Barcelona, Spain, on April 10.

But on Wednesday, the group of eight tourists was late to return to the ship by more than an hour for the all-aboard time of 3 p.m. from a private excursion on the island, which was not organized by the cruise line.

Jay and Jill Campbell of South Carolina were part of the group that was left behind.

They said that their tour’s operator notified the cruise captain that they were going to be late to rejoin the ship and that the local Coast Guard tried to get them on the vessel but that they weren’t allowed to board.

As a result, the couple and the rest of the group have been stranded for days on the island off Nigeria, grappling with language, currency issues and complicated travel to catch up with the ship.

“The lovely people of São Tomé were very gracious, very hospitable. They had reached out as much as they could to help us find hotels,” Jay Campbell said on NBC's "TODAY" show Tuesday morning.

“We were able to get to a tour agency there to arrange flights to the next port of call. ... Very difficult process — you’re dealing with multiple languages, language barriers, you’re dealing with different currencies ... finding someone that even has dollars ... trying to get an agent to understand where we need to get to.

"It’s one of those ‘You can’t get there from here,’" he added.

A Norwegian spokesperson called the incident a “very unfortunate situation” and said, “Guests are responsible for ensuring they return to the ship at the published time.”

The cruise line said that after the guests failed to return, their passports were delivered to local port agents, in line with protocol. The company said it was working with local authorities to understand “the requirements and visas needed for the guests to reboard the ship at the next available port of call.”

On Monday, the guests had made arrangements to rejoin the ship in Banjul, Gambia, but the ship was unable to safely dock there because of “adverse weather conditions” and “tidal restrictions,” Norwegian said. The guests were then contacted and provided with information to rejoin the ship at Dakar, Senegal, on Tuesday. 

Jill Campbell said they traveled through seven countries in 48 hours to arrive in Senegal on Monday night.

But the couple was reconsidering whether they even wanted to return to the cruise.

"We are considering whether or not we are going to board the ship. It is in dock here in Senegal," she said. "We believe there was a basic duty of care that they had forgotten about, so it does concern us."

"After what we witnessed, we truly believe that although there’s a set of rules or policies that the ship may have followed, they followed those rules too rigidly. I believe that they really forgot that they are people working in the hospitality industry and really the safety and well-being of the customers should be their first priority," she added.

Ultimately, the eight passengers did rejoin the cruise before 8:30 a.m. ET Tuesday in Dakar, Senegal, Norwegian told NBC News in an e-mail Tuesday evening, after this story originally published.

Norwegian said the passengers were responsible for making their own travel arrangements to rejoin the ship.

"Despite the series of unfortunate events outside of our control, we will be reimbursing these eight guests for their travel costs from Banjur, Gambia to Dakar, Senegal," a cruise line spokesperson said in a statement. "We remain in communication with the guests and are providing additional information as it becomes available."

A silver lining of the catastrophe was that the Campbells were able to connect with another Norwegian Dawn passenger — Julia Lenkoff, 80 — who was also left on the island, but for a medical reason.

Lenkoff was on a different day tour Wednesday. She had "medically disembarked" from the cruise to seek local treatment on that day, Norwegian said.

Norwegian said that its care team tried to call Lenkoff several times and was unable to reach her and that it worked with its port agent in São Tomé and Príncipe for updates on her health.

The Campbells met Lenkoff and were able to put her in contact with her family in California, who flew her home — a move Lenkoff's daughter said "saved her life."

"She's a world traveler. She travels all the time. So this was going to be one of her bucket list trips, because she's been to 120 countries so far, and she wanted to get to 130," her daughter, Lana Lenkoff Geis, said in an interview that aired Tuesday on "TODAY."

Norwegian said Lenkoff was escorted on a flight to Lisbon, Portugal, then put in the care of airport staff members to continue her journey back to the U.S., where she has safely returned.

Breaking News Reporter