Coinciding with Mother’s Day weekend festivities, Carnival Cruise Line celebrated more than 150 military women aboard the 110,000-gross-ton Carnival Conquest during Miami’s first-ever Fleet Week.

The ceremony included presentations and the distribution of commemorative coins to the servicewomen of the United States Armed Forces, including the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard.

“As America’s cruise line, we carry more active military members and veterans than any other cruise line, so it’s our honor to host this special salute to military women as part of Fleet Week in Miami, where we’re headquartered and sail five of our beautiful ships,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line.

She added, “We want all members of the military to know that we greatly appreciate their service and their sacrifice.”

During the tribute, Vera Lannek, a U.S. Naval Academy alumna and vice president of strategic sourcing for Carnival Corporation, expressed her gratitude towards the women who have served in the military. The event was part of a broader initiative to honor the contributions of military personnel.

Carnival Cruise Line’s engagement in Miami’s inaugural Fleet Week, formerly held in Fort Lauderdale for more than three decades, was one of many ceremonies taking place during the week-long event.

Beginning on May 5 and concluding on May 12, Fleet Week serves as a platform for various community outreach initiatives and events to honor the United States Armed Forces.

Read Also: Norwegian Cruise Line Honors Military as Partner of Fleet Week Miami

Throughout the week, attendees had the opportunity to participate in activities, including concerts performed by the Navy and Marine Corps bands, guided tours of active military ships, military demonstrations, and airshows.

Military ships in port available for tours include the naval aircraft carrier USS Bataan, guided missile cruisers USS Normandy and USS Leyte Gulf, and Coast Guard cutter USCGS Seneca.

Carnival’s Year-Round Military Appreciation

Carnival Cruise Line’s military appreciation extends beyond Fleet Week. In 2023 alone, Carnival Cruise Line hosted over 1,500 military appreciation gatherings, expanding most events to encompass a Military Appreciate Day across the fleet during North American sailings.

Worth Reading: Carnival Clarifies Guest Policy for Military Appreciation Events

Initiated in July 2023 and held on sailings taking place the week of July 24, the day-long commemorations are an extension of the previously held veterans’ gatherings. On Military Appreciation Day, guests aboard the ships can experience a variety of tributes, including the display of unique messages about military service on the Seaside Theater screens and a ceremonial raising of the American flag in the atrium for voyages lasting at least four nights.

In a bid to honor veterans more permanently, several ships in the Carnival fleet, including Carnival Celebration, Carnival Freedom, Carnival Glory, Carnival Panorama, Carnival Pride, Carnival Radiance, Carnival Sunrise, Carnival Venezia, Carnival Vista, Mardi Gras, and the new Carnival Jubilee and Carnival Firenze, feature the Heroes Tribute Bar & Lounge. The bar will soon be added to Carnival Legend.

Moreover, Carnival Cruise Line maintains a partnership with Operation Homefront, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting military families in the U.S. Through the partnership, veterans and their families receive proceeds from group photos taken at military appreciation events, along with sales of souvenir glasses sold at Heroes Tribute Bar and the exclusively brewed onboard “Heroes American Pale Ale.”

The pale ale created from Veterans Blend Hops, also introduced in 2023, is available on Carnival ships with breweries, including Carnival Celebration, Carnival Horizon, Mardi Gras, Carnival Panorama, and Carnival Vista.

Carnival Cruise Line has reached out to guests booked on the May 19 departure of Carnival Pride with an optimistic update that the ship may return to Baltimore on their sailing. This comes immediately after guests aboard the May 12 cruise were informed that they would both start and end their sailing in Norfolk.

The difficult part is that the May 19 cruise will likely still begin in Norfolk, but will return to Baltimore at the end of the voyage.

This will create some logistical difficulties for travelers, but the cruise line is planning chartered buses to assist travelers between the homeports. Furthermore, passengers who are driving to the port for embarkation are advised to drive to Baltimore and use the shuttle service to Norfolk so they do not need to return to Virginia to pick up their vehicles after the cruise.

“Thank you for your patience as we work through plans regarding your upcoming cruise. We remain in close contact with the US Coast Guard, state of Maryland, and Port of Baltimore officials regarding plans to resume maritime operations in Baltimore Harbor,” the notification read.

“Based on guidance from port officials, we are planning to embark your cruise in Norfolk but expect to conclude in Baltimore.”

The cruise terminals in Norfolk and Baltimore are 240 miles (386 kilometers) apart, an approximate 4-5 hour drive depending on the exact route and traffic conditions.

Carnival Cruise Line is providing free bus service between the ports, but guests must sign up and pre-register for the service to reserve their space.

“We are encouraging guests to use our complimentary bus service between Baltimore and Norfolk for the embarkation on Sunday, May 19, so that they will not have to return to Norfolk to get their car, should they have planned to drive,” the email said.

A light snack and water will be provided on the shuttle buses. The cruise line will arrange for as many buses as necessary, but it is critical that travelers register properly so adequate space is available.

Carnival Cruise Line will provide additional information and the means to register in the week before the sailing, and travelers will need to respond immediately to that update to ensure their shuttle reservation can be confirmed. Signing up for text alerts and updating contact information with the cruise line can help guests receive all updates right away.

It should be noted that the cruise line did consider other options rather than beginning and ending the 7-night Bahamas cruise in different homeports.

“I realize that starting in Norfolk and ending in Baltimore is going to involve some extra travel time. I promise though that we will take great care of you, help you with transportation and provide you will all the assistance we can,” explained John Heald, Carnival Cruise Line Brand Ambassador. “The alternative was to cancel or shorten a cruise and neither we or I am sure any guest wants that.”

At this time, other than the change in homeports, there are no anticipated changes to Carnival Pride‘s itinerary. During the week-long cruise, the 88,500-gross-ton, Spirit-class ship will visit Nassau, Princess Cays, and Freeport (weather and unexpected circumstances permitting).

As with other sailings that have been temporarily relocated to Norfolk, Carnival Cruise Line is still providing a $100 (USD) onboard credit per stateroom in appreciation for guests’ understanding.

Update on the May 26 Departure

While the May 19 sailing is now anticipating leaving from Norfolk but returning to Baltimore, Carnival Cruise Line has also reached out to travelers on the following cruise. The May 26 departure is a 14-night Carnival Journeys cruise to Greenland, with additional port visits in the Canadian maritime provinces.

That longer cruise is scheduled to conclude on June 9. If, indeed, Baltimore Harbor is able to resume passenger cruise operations by the end of May, it is very likely the sailing will both begin and end in Baltimore as originally scheduled.

Read Also: Baltimore Harbor Reopening Update – What About Cruise Ships?

To be clear, Carnival Cruise Line has not yet confirmed those plans owing to the unprecedented nature of the situation, and more information will be provided closer to the departure date.

“We expect to have more definitive information in the coming week, so kindly keep a close eye on an email from us with an update,” the alert to guests read. “As you know, this situation remains beyond our control, and we appreciate your patience and understanding.”

Staying in contact with guests booked on that special cruise is a helpful step to ensure everyone is informed of the arrangements as the departure date approaches.

Guests booked aboard the May 12 departure of Carnival Pride have only just received confirmation that their ship will be both departing from and returning to Norfolk, Virginia rather than Baltimore, Maryland as originally scheduled. While this is not unexpected news, passengers are surprised that the cruise line is waiting until less than four days prior to embarkation to confirm those plans.

Carnival Cruise Line did reach out to booked guests two days earlier to let them know that the final decision of which port the ship would operate from would be made on Wednesday, May 8. It wasn’t until the evening, however, when the confirmation was emailed to travelers.

“Thank you for your patience as we continue to work with federal, state, and local officials to return our cruise operations to Baltimore. Our discussions make it clear that while progress is being made, additional time is still needed, so we must operate your cruise from Norfolk,” the email explained.

In the meantime, Carnival Pride must continue to operate from her temporary homeport – 235 miles (378 kilometers) away. Carnival Cruise Line shifted operations to Norfolk immediately following the tragic collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge on March 26, and has continued to keep travelers updated as much as possible about upcoming sailings.

The cruise line is also providing complimentary bus transportation between Baltimore and Norfolk, but guests must register to reserve their space.

“We can only accommodate guests who sign up and pre-register for the bus service,” the email stressed. “You must pre-register to secure your spot.”

The ride between the cruise ports is approximately five hours, and a light snack and water will be provided. Shuttle service is only on embarkation day, beginning at 8:30 a.m., with the last bus departing at 10:30 a.m. Travelers must register no later than 4 p.m. on Thursday, May 9, and in doing so, they must reserve the return trip from Norfolk to Baltimore at the end of the cruise.

The embarkation timeframe on Sunday, May 12, has been extended slightly, but all guests must be onboard no later than 4 p.m. for the ship’s departure. Carnival Pride will be sailing a 7-night Eastern Caribbean itinerary with visits to Grand Turk, Half Moon Cay, and Freeport.

All guests, whether or not they use the shuttle service, are being provided with a $100 (USD) onboard credit per stateroom in appreciation for understanding this unique and challenging situation.

When Will the Port of Baltimore Reopen?

No details about the progress toward reopening the Port of Baltimore have been released, and there is no firm date yet for when cruise operations may resume from Baltimore. Wreckage must still be removed from the Patapsco River, including the Dali, and dredging must be completed to ensure safe passage for vessels.

Port of Baltimore has released updates on the progress when appropriate. It is hoped that the port’s permanent 700-foot-wide, 50-foot-deep channel will reopen by the end of May.

Read Also: How Is the Baltimore Bridge Collapse Impacting Cruises?

Even if the channel is reopened at that time, it is possible that cruise traffic may still be suspended depending on whether the cruise terminal is needed for use as an operations center as work continues.

It should be noted that Carnival Cruise Line has no say in when the port may reopen for passenger traffic, and is doing an admirable job of assisting passengers and providing shuttle service during this unprecedented situation.

Some travelers are frustrated with the cruise line for not notifying guests earlier about which homeport their sailing will use. For the May 5 sailing, for example, guests were notified on April 23 about their Norfolk departure – 12 days before embarkation.

The shortening of time between notification and embarkation, however, could be a good sign that it is becoming more and more likely that the Port of Baltimore is closer to reopening. Guests booked on any Carnival Pride sailing in the coming weeks should stay in close communication with the cruise line for updates to their homeport arrangements.