Need Help With Leaving From Baltimore

[JUST ADD WATER]

Getting ready to make final payment on Grandeur of the Seas for May 26th....we have never left form Baltimore before.....could use some help!

 

#1 If we stay at an "Inner Harbor" area hotel (the night before boarding) how far to the pier? Taxi best way or do some of the hotels have shuttles? Any hotel recommendations?

 

#2 It says the ship docks at 9:00AM.....that seems really late.....what time will they let you board?

 

#3 What time did they start letting folks off at the end of the cruise?

 

Thanks so much for any help :) !

 

Rene

[Fury1995]

Can't help you with the hotel shuttle info because I'm a local and didn't stay in a hotel.

 

Downtown should be a 15 minute ride in a cab to the pier.

 

I would imagine if you stay in a hotel and normal checkout is noon, you should be able to head to the pier and check in. I checked in around 1PM.

 

We disembarked at 9AM, and it was fairly quick.

[arb18]

I am also a local so I do not know about the hotel. I checked in at 10:30 and was on the ship around 11ish, I went earlier to see about a payed upgrade, which I did get. Also, we were on the ship when the engine stopped working on the way home. We went to bed at 2:30 and when we got up at 6:30 and looked out the window we had only gone about 30 more miles, as soon as we were all ready and dressed the capitain made the announcement that we were having engine trouble, so we didn't make it into port until about 1 pm, and didn't get off the ship until around 4, but that only happened one time from what I know.

 

Hope the info helps.

[MLP12]

There is a list of hotels that offer shuttle service to the Port of Baltimore on the Port of Baltimore web site. We sailed out of Baltimore last year in June and boarded at 11:00 a.m. We were probably one of the first on the ship. It was not crowded at first, but our room was not ready for us yet. We disembarked around 9:00 a.m., although we had to be out of our rooms much earlier. Have a great time!:)

[angelpug]

Check the Port of Baltimore website......the new terminal at Locust Point should be open before your cruise....much more convenient, and easier to get through without going through the tunnel!

 

Take Care,

Jaime

[TPKeller]

Here are a couple helpful links:

 

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=2001+E.+McComas+Street,+Baltimore,+MD+21230&ll=39.267746,-76.59565&spn=0.028308,0.086517&t=h

 

http://www.mpa.state.md.us/cruises/page6a_directions.htm

 

From the second one, note the "Cruise Information" menu on the left side which opens up to several more pages.

 

And by the way, on the google map there is a Carival ship docked right there! Don't know which one, I don't know Carnival ships, but there is a water slide on the top deck near the stern.

 

Theron

 

P.S. The more I look at that satellite pic... I don't think that is a normal place for a cruise ship to dock. There is no supporting infrastructure right there, and the decks are completely empty. It must be there for some maintenance or something. Anybody know?

[Straughn]

We have sailed twice out of Baltimore. As we live in Northern Virginia, we drive over the morning of the cruise, so can't help with the hotel issue. Both times, boarding has startd between noon and 1 PM. Disembarkation on the first cruise was late because the ship was late. On our last cruise, we docked early and were off the ship and in our car by 9:15 AM. We were also the first group of passengers off the ship.

[PSCruiser]

So there's no confusion - be sure that any information that you get from posters here is for the NEW LOCUST POINT terminal. Its a new location just starting this year, so any information based on previous cruises will refer to the old Dundalk location.

[JUST ADD WATER]

I really appreciate all your replies! We are down to the nitty gritty of purchasing air so we needed a little timing help.......We were worried about a early afternoon flight since the ship "docks" at 9:00AM....we do get priority disembark so we know we could get off as early as they will let people off....unless the ship has unforseen issues think we will shot for 1PM or so flight home....

 

We were aware there was to be a new pier, but did not know the name of it....thanks for giving us the most current and up to date info :D !

 

Cruise Planning Rescued by Cruise Critic Memebers again ;)

 

Thanks!

 

Rene

[crookedhalo]

Why would a Carnival ship be at dock in Baltimore? As far as I knew, Carnival doesn't sail from Baltimore. Hmmmmm...... maybe they're test fitting a ship to the dock? Possibly in anticipation of starting service from Baltimore as well? This will bear watching.;)

[TPKeller]

There are a couple of things to remember while trying to figure out this mystery. First, we don't know how long ago the Google satellite picture was taken. Several other photographs on the google map web page (from different parts of the country) have been determined to be 2 or 3 years old.

 

This ship isn't docked at a passenger terminal, and there is no other supporting infrastructure nearby, and there are no visible people on the decks. So she isn't in a typical passenger turnover, but must be in for some maintenance type of work. The engines are running however, as you can see smoke coming from the funnels.

 

Theron