The world’s largest cruise line operator is looking to go bigger at the Port of Baltimore. Carnival Cruise Line currently sails from the Baltimore Cruise Terminal to destinations like Bermuda, the Bahamas and the Caribbean. Carnival Pride is homeported in Baltimore year-round.
Carnival President Christine Duffy announced this week that Carnival is “exploring” moving a larger ship to Baltimore beginning in 2027. It would be a Conquest-class ship, which can accommodate about 1,000 more guests than Carnival Pride.
As a Spirit-class ship, Carnival Pride carries 2,124 passengers and is 963 feet long. The Conquest-class ships, which consist of Carnival’s Conquest, Glory, Valor, Liberty, and Freedom, are 952 feet long and hold almost 3,000 guests.
The Conquest-class ships may not be longer than the Spirit class, but they are heftier. The Conquest class’s gross tonnage comes in at 110,000 tons compared to the Spirit-class’s 88,500 tons.
The Conquest class ships are also taller than the Spirit class, which prompts questions about bridge clearance at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. With 186 feet of clearance at its highest point, Maryland’s Bay Bridge has been a challenge for certain large vessels before. Spirit-class Carnival ships like Carnival Pride need about 174 feet of clearance to pass under a bridge. Conquest-class ships, however, require over 200 feet of clearance. That makes some wonder whether it will be possible for one of these ships to sail in and out of Baltimore.
We’ve reached out to Carnival for comment on the possible bridge height complication of this idea, but haven’t heard back yet. A spokesman for the Port of Baltimore we spoke to said the authority cannot go into specifics.
In 2026-2027, Carnival will also be sailing out of Norfolk. Last September the cruise line announced the Carnival Sunshine will offer cruises ranging from four- to nine-day cruises with destinations like the Bahamas (with stops in Half Moon Cay, Bimini, Nassau and Celebration Key as well as Grand Turk), the Eastern Caribbean, Canada (including the ports of Halifax, Saint John and Sydney) and an extended cruise to Amber Cove, San Juan and St. Thomas.
