On September 1, 2023, the Helen Delich Bentley Port of Baltimore officially welcomed Norwegian Cruise Line to Maryland. The cruise line now has two ships homeporting from Maryland—Norwegian Sky and Norwegian Sun—for the first time in its history.
The ships will be offering fall foliage sailings from Baltimore to New England and Canada and winter cruises to Bermuda and the Caribbean.
The first Norwegian Sky cruise embarked from the Port of Baltimore on September 1, 2023 and is sailing a 10-day one-way New England and Canada cruise. Ports of call will include Martha’s Vineyard in Boston, Bar Harbor in Maine, Halifax and Sydney in Nova Scotia, Charlottetown in Prince Edward Island, Saguenay in Quebec before ending in Quebec City in Canada. She will then return to Baltimore with slightly different ports of call.
The historical moment was celebrated with a ceremonial ribbon cutting and Captain Konstantinos Fafalios was presented and engraved Port of Baltimore ships wheel by Maryland port authorities.
“Norwegian is one of the top cruise lines in the world, and they recognize that Maryland’s Port of Baltimore is an amazing partner, offering convenient access and outstanding service,” said Maryland Transportation Secretary Paul J. Wiedefeld. “The arrival of Norwegian Cruise Line heightens the impact of cruising as an economic engine for our state. The industry already generates nearly 400 jobs and $63 million in annual local business revenues.”
President of Norwegian Cruise Line, David J. Herrera was also on hand and stated, “Today marks a history-making moment for Norwegian Cruise Line, as we sail from the vibrant city of Baltimore for the first time. Our voyages from the Port of Baltimore offer guests the best that cruising on the East Coast has to offer, with a convenient homeport option that allows them to experience both the breathtaking fall foliage of Canada and New England and warm weather winter escapes in Bermuda and the Caribbean. As we continue to grow our fleet of now 19 ships, we actively look for new opportunities and communities to introduce the Norwegian Cruise Line experience.”
Norwegian Sky will sail four fall foliage sailings before departing Baltimore in mid-October. Norwegian Sun will arrive in November to offer Bermuda and Caribbean sailings through the end of the year.