Cruise travelers in the northeastern United States will be thrilled to know that Carnival Cruise Line will be offering diverse sailings from Baltimore, Maryland for at least five more years, following a new contract with the Port of Baltimore.

Carnival has been offering sailings from Charm City for 20 years, with a variety of vessels over the years offering exceptional departures. At the moment, Carnival Pride is offering 5- to 14-night sailings to top destinations such as Bermuda, the Bahamas, and both Eastern Caribbean and Southern Caribbean ports of call.

“We’re truly proud of our long history of sailing from Baltimore, and grateful for the strong partnership with the port and its great city and state.” said Carnival Cruise Line President Christine Duffy. “We’re looking forward to building on our partnership over the next five years and couldn’t be happier to continue providing cruise vacations from Baltimore.”

In fact, the 80,071-gross-ton, Spirit class Carnival Pride is the first cruise ship to have begun offering year-round sailings from Baltimore when she initially joined the homeport in 2009. The ship is scheduled to remain homeported from the city through at least April 2027.

To be clear, Carnival Pride has not been homeported from Baltimore for 15 years, but the ship does have a significant history with the homeport.

“The international cruise industry recognizes Baltimore as one of the top cruise markets in our nation. We are delighted to have Carnival Cruise Line continue serving Maryland for another five years,” said Maryland Governor Wes Moore. “Carnival is a longtime partner and supporter of the Port of Baltimore and we are very happy to continue that relationship.”

The new agreement takes effect on January 1, 2025, and includes a renewal option for a further five years in the future. This will ensure a long-standing partnership that will bring amazing cruise travel options to Carnival fans not only in Baltimore, but throughout the northeast for years to come.

With the cruise terminal just 10 miles from BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport and right off Interstate 95 makes it easy for travelers to access, drawing cruise fans from throughout the region for easy, convenient sailings.

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In addition to Carnival Cruise Line, other cruise lines both homeport from Baltimore as well as visit the city as a day stop. Vessels from Royal Caribbean, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, Azamara Cruises, and others include Baltimore on their itineraries.

The local operator American Cruise Lines also frequently visits the Port of Baltimore on regular coastal sailings.

Cruising’s Impact on Baltimore

Cruise travel can bring great economic benefits to a region. In 2023, the Port of Baltimore welcomed more than 444,000 travelers – the highest number the port has served since 2012.

The port itself supports 220 jobs and hundreds of other jobs are generated by cruise activity, including tour guides, hotel operations, local transportation, retailers, and more.

Overall, cruising is estimated to bring approximately $1 million per sailing in economic impact to the state of Maryland. This includes not only direct cruise taxes and fees, but also parking options, hotel use, restaurants, and pre- and post-cruise entertainment for travelers.

While 2024 numbers have not yet been released, it would not be surprising for the port to have had significantly less traffic following the tragic collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in late March.

Due to the accident and closure of river channel to all marine traffic for weeks, Carnival Cruise Line (along with Royal Caribbean) had to temporarily relocate operations to Norfolk, Virginia.

Carnival Pride was the first Carnival cruise ship to return to Baltimore almost two months after the accident.

In our constantly connected world, it can be jarring for even seasoned cruisers to be without cell service at sea.

For many families, the lack of cell service raises an important question of how to stay in contact during their voyage – especially if the travel group is planning to separate in order to take advantage of different activities happening at once. 

One parent and future cruiser wrote to Carnival Brand Ambassador John Heald on his Facebook page to inquire about using walkie talkies as a solution. 

“Has anyone been successful using walkie talkies onboard to communicate with family? We are a family of 8, me, my partner and our 6 children aged between 11 & 17. Are they allowed John please?,” the future guest asked.

According to the Carnival expert, using walkie talkies on Carnival cruise ships is allowed – and he even went so far as to recommend Motorola as a brand he had personally seen used onboard. 

It’s always best to confirm with the cruise brand directly, but in general, most cruise lines allow walkie talkies with a range of up to 10 miles and up to 5 watts of power.

However, permission to use the walkie talkies wasn’t this parent’s only concern. In fact, she was worried other passengers would find her family’s use of the devices to be annoying or rude. 

“I did ask this question on the Facebook page we are on for this Carnival Panorama Christmas cruise. One man told me I would be considered ‘selfish’ if I did this. That was upsetting,” continued the guest-to-be.

Always eager to make guests happy, Heald was quick to reassure the cruiser that she was not being selfish as long as she was respectful of the people around her, such as by keeping the volume low and turning the walkie talkies off during shows. 

Do Walkie Talkies Work on Cruise Ships?

The hundreds of comments that were left in response to Heald’s post showed that many felt their experiences with using walkie talkies at sea had been hit or miss. 

Some cruisers swear by walkie talkies and had no issues using them onboard. 

“We used walkie talkies on our first few cruises. They came in handy on finding and meeting up with family,” one Facebook user shared.

In past years, walkie talkies have also been a top choice for families to keep in touch onboard – especially if they were sailing with kids that didn’t yet own cell phones. 

That said, the majority were dissatisfied with their experiences using walkie talkies during their cruises – with many citing interference and spotty signal as top complaints.

Walkie talkies work by using radio waves to send and receive audio, which unfortunately, can be blocked by metal. On land, this might not be an issue, but cruise ships are largely constructed from heavy steel. 

“Our large group cruises every two years. We tried the walkies, but everyone has to have them on all the time and there was a lot of interference. The last time we tried them we all just gave up,” one frequent cruiser shared. 

Read Also: What Items Do You Need to Pack for a Family Cruise?

Others said that their walkie talkies worked, but it was annoying to carry them around all the time – that is, assuming they remembered to bring them. Some lamented that they were constantly forgetting their two-way radios in the their cabins or accidentally leaving them around the ship.

While Heald also suggested using the messaging feature on the Carnival HUB App as an alternative to walkie talkies, many in the comments felt that the App was similarly unreliable. 

Seasoned Carnival cruisers seemed to agree that the easiest way to stay in contact was to invest in a Wi-Fi package so that everyone could message each other normally.

Carnival Cruise Line offers generous perks to its most loyal guests through the Very Important Fun Person (VIFP) program, including exclusive gifts. Unfortunately, the most recent gift is not getting the best reviews, but the cruise line is urging guests not to express their frustration in a wasteful way.

The VIFP gifts are offered to Platinum and Diamond Level guests. To reach the Platinum level, travelers must accrue at least 75 points in the program, while Diamond level guests must reach 200 points.

Carnival Cruise Line guests receive one point for every night they’ve sailed with the line – 3 points for a 3-night cruise, 7 points for a 7-night cruise, and so forth.

The latest loyalty gift for these well-cruised passengers and top Carnival fans is a baseball cap that was introduced in October 2024. The blue canvas cap includes the iconic Carnival funnel embroidered on the side, as well as a VIFP patch on the front.

The cap received immediate criticism as more oriented toward male passengers or not useful for travelers who don’t wear baseball caps.

Now, that criticism has reached another level with reports of the caps being simple tossed in the trash. One cruiser reached out to John Heald, the cruise line’s Brand Ambassador, with the details.

“I hate to break your back bubble but the ball cap presents are a bust,” the commenter said. “Many of the Platinum and Diamond guests have been very disappointed with this decision. I have seen guests refuse them, throwing them away, or trying to give them away.”

Because guests must pick up their loyalty gifts at the Pixels photo gallery onboard each ship – they are no longer delivered to staterooms, a practice that ended with the COVID-19 pandemic – refusing the cap is easy and actually would reduce waste.

Giving the cap away is something many travelers may do, often offering the gift to a child or a new cruiser who would be excited to have such a unique souvenir whey they have not cruised enough to be at that loyalty level.

Throwing the baseball cap in the trash, however, is wasteful and a very poor gesture.

“I know the baseball cap is not our most popular gift. I accept that totally,” Heald acknowledged. “It makes me very sad to see that people are allegedly throwing them away. If you do not like it, surely there is someone else either on board to ship that you can hand it to, or perhaps give to somebody at home. Please don’t throw them away.”

Obviously, Carnival Cruise Line has no problem if Platinum and Diamond guests want to share their VIFP gift with others. This is not the first time, however, that a gift has been less than popular.

Other Carnival VIFP Gifts – Good and Bad

Other Platinum and Diamond VIFP gift offerings that have received poor reactions include a visor, a heavily logo-branded beach tote bag, and foam slap-style drink koozies.

While the baseball cap may not be the most popular option, many guests are enjoying it or sharing it with others. Furthermore, many travelers feel it is easier to simply not pick up the gift rather than be rude about what is, after all, a free gift.

Read Also: Which Cruise Lines Match Loyalty Programs?

More popular gift options that Carnival has offered in the past include insulated tumblers, blankets, valet bags, and similar practical and useful items. The cruise line has also offered chess sets, journals, headphones, and a wide range of other items over the years.

Exactly which gifts are available depend on popularity, the numbers of VIFP cruisers eligible to pick up the gifts, manufacturing supply options, production costs, and other factors. When a new gift is introduced, it may take several weeks to roll out across the entire Carnival fleet depending on individual ship supplies.

Heald has mentioned many times that there are changes coming to the VIFP program, but has not offered any hints at what those changes may be or if the gifts may be impacted.

Do you receive any VIFP gifts when you cruise on Carnival? Which options have been your favorites, and which have you not bothered with? Share your experiences on the Cruise Hive boards!

Food is an integral part of every cruise vacation, from poolside eats to elegant dining to snacks and treats in between. But what about some late-night nibbles after spending time in the casino, enjoying a production show, or strolling around the deck to enjoy the stars?

In response to guest feedback in recent months, Carnival Cruise Line is bringing back a greater selection of late-night snacks to the Lido Marketplace buffet, as well as improving service to shorten lines.

The lack of options due to the closure of each ship’s pizzeria and deli earlier in the evening, as well as long lines for what snacks are available, have been common complaints from cruisers.

Now, the cruise line’s Brand Ambassador, John Heald, has announced new late-night menus and additional service stations to ensure all travelers can indulge in such snacks without difficulty.

“Over the years, many of you have written and spoken to me about food options and the wait time for pizza when you’re looking for a late-night snack,” Heald explained. “After talking with the Beards at the Mother Ship I can share that we’re expanding our late night eats.”

Heald notes that while the onboard pizzerias will still be closing, pizza service will move to the buffet line and pizzas will still be available. Furthermore, other foods will now be offered as well.

“You can find delicious pizza still, but also other options, like chicken tenders, hot dogs, sandwiches, cookies, and other desserts,” Heald said.

A variety of menus will be offered, likely changing on different nights or with different options on different ships depending on what ingredients are most available to the culinary team.

In July 2023, Carnival Cruise Line first implemented a Late Night Snack menu, but these new options further expand on those choices with more variety and rotating selections.

Options on the new menus include soups such as scotch broth, Manhattan clam chowder, chicken noodle soup, or chicken egg drop soup. Salads will also be offered, as well as a selection of sandwiches such as turkey & Swiss, steak & cheese, grilled cheese, Italian meatball subs, and more.

Desserts such as black forest cake, raspberry chocolate cake, mango cream cake, and both chocolate chip and sugar cookies are also on the late-night menu, as well as chips & salsa – a favorite requested by many guests.

Several vegetarian and gluten-free items are available on each late-night menu, though selections are sure to vary. Gluten-free pizza will also still be available by request.

Faster Service to Be Implemented

In addition to the lack of options previously available for late-night munchies, Carnival cruise guests have noted the long lines for service. This is especially true after later production shows or late-night comedy shows, when no other dining venues are open but larger crowds surge toward snacks.

Heald has now confirmed that more service stations will now be available to ease those lines. Two buffet stations, rather than one, will offer the same menu items. This will allow guests to move through the line more quickly and enjoy their late-night snacks before morning.

Read Also: Free Carnival Cruise Dining Options You’ll Want to Know (With Menus!)

“[There will be] more to choose from and less time waiting as there will be two areas open on Lido for you to enjoy this menu,” Heald said.

This will be a great relief to travelers who have noted wait times in excess of 20-30 minutes for late-night snacks with lines of 50+ guests, especially after shows when other venues have already closed.

Recent Carnival cruisers have reported that these new menu options and service style have already begun on Carnival Celebration, Carnival Glory, and Carnival Venezia. It may, however, take several weeks for these changes to roll out across the entire Carnival fleet of 27 ships.

Are you a night owl who enjoys late-night snacks on a cruise? What are your go-to midnight nibbles? Share you favorites on the Cruise Hive boards!