Carnival Cruise Inks 5-Year Deal with Port of Baltimore

Carnival Cruise Lines announced this week that it had extended its agreement with the Maryland Port Administration to continue the company’s weekly cruises from Baltimore harbor for up to five years.

The agreement was hailed by Gov. Martin O’Malley and Carnival president Gerry Cahill as a sign of the company’s success in Baltimore since it began operations here in 2009.

“Carnival’s launch of Baltimore’s first year-round cruise program in April 2009 has been a tremendous success and more than 115,000  guests annually are coming into Baltimore to sail on the Carnival Pride,” according to a statement by Cahill. "We are very pleased to continue our outstanding relationship with the port and the City of Baltimore."

The agreement renews Carnival’s contract with the Maryland Port Administration http://mpa.maryland.gov/ for a minimum of two years, with options for three more one-year renewals, port officials said.

“The decision by Carnival to make a commitment like this and to continue offering year-round cruises from Maryland further illustrates the growth of the Baltimore/Washington region as a strong cruise market,” O’Malley stated.

“In just three years, we have gone from 27 seasonal cruises to 112 year-round cruises….Baltimore has developed a winning combination that continues to attract passengers in record numbers,” he said.

“This kind of success is good for Carnival and it is good for Maryland,” O’Malley said.

Cahill said that the company would continue to employ its vessel Carnival Pride http://www.carnival.com/cms/fun/ships/carnival_pride/default.aspx?shipCode=PR in the service to Bermuda, the Bahamas and the Caribbean.

The cruise liner is a 960-foot vessel that includes 1,062 staterooms, four swimming pools, 16 lounges and bars, a 1,200-seat theater, a large spa, and numerous dining venues. Built in 2002, the ship is currently homeported in Baltimore.

The ship docks at the Cruise Maryland Terminal at 2001 E. McComas St. in the Locust Point section of the city, close to the Fort McHenry historic site.

In a related development, port officials announced Tuesday that Baltimore’s maritime commerce continued as a vital engine of the regional economy by moving up in the national port rankings to number 11, up from 12th place last year.  

The figures are based on the total dollar value of cargo handled in the port during the year, according to Maryland Port Administration Executive Director James J. White. In 2010, the total value was $41.5 billion, up 37 percent from 2009, he said.

“While a more favorable worldwide economic climate is a contributing factor, the Port of Baltimore has also been able to rebound because of its high productivity, outstanding labor, and geographic advantage,” White said.

“Throughout the economic downturn, we were able to maintain and grow market share in several key categories. That, too, is a significant reason for these positive results,” he said.

According to White, port commerce is responsible for 16,500 direct jobs in the area, while another 120,000 jobs are linked to Baltimore’s port businesses. Those jobs generate about $3.7 billion in personal wages, he estimated.