Port of Baltimore

[hairdoer]

Can anyone tell me how hard this port is to drive to??? We are staying in Frederick Maryland the night before leaving us about 56 mi to get to the pier. We plan on leaving at around 8am from the hotel......arriving around 9:30am at the pier. We are concerned about the "getting lost factor" needing to have more time???? Assuming you can board around 11:30am we want to be there and would rather wait to board than come in late.

 

Can anyone help w/this question??

[pjlee3333]

Should be easy to get to. I'm assuming you'll be taking 70 east from Frederick in the morning. The biggest possible hassle that you may have is the end of rush hour traffic. There may be a better way to get to the port but the way I'd know is to take 70 to 29 south to 100 east. Take this to 95 north. Get off of 95 at exit 55 (the lasat exit just before the toll plaza). At this point you have the ship in site (literally about 1/4 mile or less from the ship). The only other potential problem I see isi that you may be there early enough that they may not have the porters and all out for luggage pickup. We've never gotten to the pier before 10:30. I do know at 10:30 we're not the first ones there and they are ready for us.

 

We live in Columbia, which is about 20 minutes south of the pier. We can leave home at 10:20 and if things work normally be getting on the ship by 11:15-11:30 depending on how fast they've cleared the ship from the previous cruise. Also, the Bermuda cruises can get back at 7:30 instead of 7 so the 9 day cruises may board a little bit later than the 5 day cruises.

 

Port is well organized. Only complaint I've ever heard is that at times it is crowded in the parking lot around 1 when everyone tries to get there at the same time.

[cb at sea]

What SHOULD be an hour drive can take 2+ during rush hour. The Balt.-DC area is HORENDOUS!!!! (Traffic-wise) Accidents are the rule, rather than the exception.

Rush hour starts, in earnest, at about 6am and goes until about 9:30am.

[pjlee3333]

Right, and traffic is heavier on 70-east from Frederick to Columbia and on to Baltimore so please take this into consideration. If you have friends in the area, please check with them. You may be better off leaving the hotel at 8:30 or 9 and letting some of the traffic get off the highway. While you would be leaving later, the time saved sitting in traffic may be worth it.

 

I love to be one of the first ones on the ship. They do let you start registering at 10:30 but you can't get on until 11:30 or so so have fun.

 

Also, Saturday mornings shouldn't be nearly as bad as Thursday morning.

 

Either way, please don't let us scaare you. You'll have a wonderful time.

[AllieInMD]

As someone said - DC traffic is horrendous, as is Northern VA traffic - and the feeder locations. You don't say what day of the week you are coming into Baltimore - that matters. In DC, they have rush hour (extended rush hour) every day of the week. Baltimore has rush hour, but not as bad and not usually on weekends.

 

You don't say why you are staying in Frederick. West is closer to DC and you have DC traffic to deal with coming in. If you stayed instead in Gettysburg, came east then south, you are further east and dealing with Baltimore traffic more than DC traffic. You could go from Gettysburg to I-83, come south, across beltway. Rush hour on 83 and Baltimore beltway is pretty much done around 9am. If you are caught in DC traffic - you could be there for hours. Do you have a GPS?

 

Can anyone tell me how hard this port is to drive to??? We are staying in Frederick Maryland the night before leaving us about 56 mi to get to the pier. We plan on leaving at around 8am from the hotel......arriving around 9:30am at the pier. We are concerned about the "getting lost factor" needing to have more time???? Assuming you can board around 11:30am we want to be there and would rather wait to board than come in late.

 

Can anyone help w/this question??

[jcl410]

The simplest directions from Frederick to the Baltimore Cruise terminal is to take I-70 all thhe way to the Baltimore Beltway (I-695) south. Then drive about 6 miles to I-95 north. From there it's about 5 miles to exit 55 (Key Highway).

 

You didn't say if you are leaving on a weekday or weekend. Baltimore traffic is no where near as bad as DC, but I wouldn't leave Frederick before 9am or so; You'll miss the rush hour, and still get to the terminal early!

[MonDreamr1]

Traffic on 70 from Frederick can be a bear, though it isn't as bad as taking 270 down to the DC beltway. Traffic west of Frederick and be worse as it is only 2 lanes to and through Frederick - it does open up to 3 lanes but they fill quickly in the morning. For traffic reports AM 930 is semi-decent will report anything major ~10 minutes. If you XM channel 213 has the Baltimore traffic. Or Sirius has Baltimore/DC traffic on 152.

 

 

If your cruise leaves on a week day I would leave after 9 am traffic does lighten up the later you leave- 5:30-9 PITA and it can be later if there is a major accident. Exit 55 off of 95 can be a little tricky if you aren't expecting as there is an on/off ramp right before it so just watch for merging traffic.

 

We've done both the Bermuda and Eastern route out of Baltimore. I know when we went on the 9 night one we were in the security line by 11:30 and and had left Gettysburg around 9:30 - this involved several random stops getting down to the pier. I'll normally take 15 down to 70 if I'm leaving from north of Frederick to get to BWI no matter the time of day.

 

Make sure you have your docs/ID ready as they check those driving into the pier.

 

 

If you stayed instead in Gettysburg, came east then south, you are further east and dealing with Baltimore traffic more than DC traffic. You could go from Gettysburg to I-83, come south, across beltway. Rush hour on 83 and Baltimore beltway is pretty much done around 9am. If you are caught in DC traffic - you could be there for hours. Do you have a GPS?

 

Why on earth would you drive all the way over to I-83 to come down from Gettysburg????? That would involve taking US 30 which is a major PITA in the morning through York and takes forever.

 

From Gettysburg you would take PA 97 to MD 97 down to Westminster then 140 to i695 to i795 to i95.

[JMC715]

You'll be fine. I live in Baltimore and pass the port 10 times a week coming and going from work, it is directly off of I-95, couldn't be easier to find.

 

From Frederick, take I-70 East to the Baltimore Beltway (I-695). Take 695 South (I think the signage says toward Glen Burnie) to Exit 11, which is

I-95 North. Stay on I-95 for a couple of miles thru Baltimore, and the exit for the cruise port is just before the Fort McHenry Tunnel. You can't miss it, and you will see the ship to your right. There are plenty of signs all along the way for the Port of Baltimore, and as you get closer, look for the road signs that say "Cruise Maryland".

 

If its a Saturday or Sunday, you'll have very light traffic. If a work day, yes, there will be more traffic on the Beltway and on I-95 into the city, but it does move and unless there is a major, major accident, any delays will be minimal.

 

Don't worry about the travel, you'll be fine. Have a great cruise !

 

Janet

[AllieInMD]

Because I looked for a simple major route to come in from the north and east. I don't know much bout 30 because I live in Maryland and deal with Baltimore rush hour and spend a lot of time in NOVA so know those areas - the traffic up there is still gotta be way less than Baltimore. I'd sacrifice a few miles not to have to deal with all the traffic that feeds from the bedroom communities in Westminster to Baltimore/DC/NOVA on 70 or the west side of the beltway.

 

Why on earth would you drive all the way over to I-83 to come down from Gettysburg????? That would involve taking US 30 which is a major PITA in the morning through York and takes forever.

 

And if they are not familiar with the area, that's a lot of 'directions' and she said they were concerned about the 'getting lost' factor - and the route over to 83 and down is only about 20-25 miles longer .

 

From Gettysburg you would take PA 97 to MD 97 down to Westminster then 140 to i695 to i795 to i95.

[AllieInMD]

I've lived off 95 for decades, have used 695, 95, 83 all at one time or another. Rush hour traffic on the Beltway and 95 are bumper to bumper - with delays every day.

 

If a work day, yes, there will be more traffic on the Beltway and on I-95 into the city, but it does move and unless there is a major, major accident, any delays will be minimal.

[MonDreamr1]

Because I looked for a simple major route to come in from the north and east. I don't know much bout 30

 

 

And if they are not familiar with the area, that's a lot of 'directions' and she said they were concerned about the 'getting lost' factor - and the route over to 83 and down is only about 20-25 miles longer .

 

 

US 30 From Gettysburg to York goes straight through a lot of little towns and each one has their own rules for the traffic circle with a lot of speed limit changes from 55 down to 25 to 35 etc. Once you get to York, it is traffic lights galore and it can take an hour+ to get from one side of York to the other during the morning rush and even during midday as the road was not built to accommodate the amount of traffic it currently carries. I'd compare it being worse than to trying to go anywhere on Rockville Pike at either rush hour or lunch.

 

 

It may seem like a lot of "directions but it is really very few turns."

 

PA 97 has a name change in to MD 97 at border, MD 97 ends up on 140 and 140 goes straight on to 795 which feeds right on to 695.

 

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&saddr=Gettysburg,+PA&daddr=Locust+Point+Baltimore,+MD&hl=en&geocode=&mra=ls&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=31.013085,79.101563&ie=UTF8&t=h&z=9

[signman]

The Baltimore cruise terminal may be the most convenient terminal in the entire country.

 

It sits right alongside I-95. Heading north on 95 you want Exit 55 - Key Highway. The entrance to the terminal is just past the end of the exit ramp. From Frederick, take 70 east to 695 south - Glen Burnie. Then exit 10 or 11, 95 North -Baltimore, to exit 55.

 

The earliest start for check-in is 10:30. You really don't want to get there any earlier as disembarkation will still be in progress.

[Lady Chew]

How is the parking in Baltimore?

 

We attended a travel show just yesterday and visited the Cruise Maryland booth. They were showing some great looking itineraries!! The ruise lines they showed are NCL, RCCL, Celebrity and Carnival.

 

Mr Chew & I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to cruise out of Baltimore!!

[pjlee3333]

We've always found parking to be quite easy. Starting this year they've started taking both cash and credit card. We've always gotten to the port about 10:30 when the previous cruisers are still getting off the ship so our perspective may be slightly off. We're always quite close to the ship and the port. We do see them running what appears to be a shuttle from a parking lot slightly further out from about 2:30 on though I don't think it would take me more than 5 (maybe 10) minutes to walk it and I walk quite slow.

 

It's nice to have the additional lines coming back to Baltimore. As much as I love Grandeur (11 times in four years says it all) the chance for additional iteneraries will be nice.

 

The people that work at the pier we've always found to be extremely helpful and efficient. The only thing we've ever wondered about is they only let three cars at a time to the porters for luggage to be unloaded. This can be a surprise as to what you are waiting for if you aren't expecting it.

[signman]

All of the parking is presently adjacent to the terminal. That shuttle you see, serves the "helpful and efficient" folks who work at the terminal, and people just visiting the ship for the day like travel agents, and wedding attendees not sailing.

[Lady Chew]

thanks for the info ...

 

We're thinking hard about that Celebrity cruise ... looks awfully good!!

[TPKeller]

You can take a look at my Port of Baltimore cruise map for the particulars. If you click on the marker for the port, you can then select the "To Here" link and type in your starting point (Frederick, MD, for example). Then when you click the button, a new page opens with a Google map with directions.

 

Looks pretty easy from Frederick!

 

If you zoom in on the port, you can see the parking lot and how close it is to the terminal, and how close it is to the highway.

 

Theron