Nearly two months after Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed, Royal Caribbean International (RCI) announced that Vision of the Seas will resume sailing from the Maryland port on May 25.
Rubble in the Patapsco River is still being cleared, but the return of the cruise vessel signals that commercial activities in the area may soon return to normal.
| “Royal Caribbean International looks forward to returning to the Port of Baltimore once again,” an RCI spokesperson told media outlets. “Vision of the Seas will set sail on a five-night itinerary as planned on Saturday, May 25, after completing its previously scheduled drydock in The Bahamas.” |
Carnival Cruise Line will also be returning with Carnival Pride on May 26. The ship will depart from Norfolk, Virginia, and arrive in Baltimore, Maryland.
Vision of the Seas and Carnival Pride were the only two cruise vessels homeporting in Baltimore during the accident.
Why the Bridge Collapsed
On March 26, the container vessel Dali lost power while navigating the water underneath the Francis Scott Key Bridge. Grace Ocean owns the ship, which crashed into one of the bridge supports, sending sections of the structure into the water and on top of the vessel.
Construction workers in the area perished while large pieces of metal, including the cargo ship, blocked the channel.
Shipping, cruising, and other business activities were forced to make alternate plans. With vessels originally scheduled to call on the port, Royal Caribbean and Carnival Cruise Lines began offering free bus rides to passengers from Baltimore to Norfolk, where they temporarily rerouted their ships.
As of Tuesday, a large enough area had been cleared, and the US Coast Guard reopened the Fort McHenry Channel, offering limited access and a maximum 45-foot depth.
According to the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), full access to the port will be restored by the end of May.
The local government estimates that rebuilding the bridge will take $1.7 billion to $1.9 billion. They said repairs would be complete by late 2028.
