I am from Baltimore (grew up in Randallsotwn) and worked for Carnival and very excited about this new launch.

I just did a book talk on my book Permanent Passenger: My Life on a Cruise Ship in Baltimore and the reception and news about Carnival doing year round cruises was very enthusiastic.

People loved hearing my stories of working for Canrival, you can see my book at www.permanentpassenger.com and pictures of book talk on my facebook site.

Also go to www.michathemouth.com to see articles and interviews

 The book is carried at the Ivy Bookshop on Falls Road and on Amazon

 Cheers

Micha Bermna 

I'm with you about the itinerary.  Why book a trip whose first port of call is Port Canaveral.  You spend 3 days on the ship and you are actually only getting 2 ports of call for a 7 day trip.  This is why the Florida ports are so much more appealing because they afford you more ports for your money and better ports.  I personally was not impressed with Freeport.  I would love to be able to cruise out of Baltimore because like so many of you, almost my entire family is in Baltimore (although I am in North Carolina).  It would be so much easier to get those family members to cruise out of Baltimore but personally for the money I don't think the trip is worth it.  I pretty much recommend cruising out of Florida.  I am, however, looking forward to doing the cruise out of New York as I have never been to Canada.

I am also looking forward to cruising out of baltimore in 2010,and also would like to see other places added

I would also cruise out of Baltimore but the itinerary is unimpressive. I will continue out of Fl. since you have more ports to visit for the money and I only live 1 hr for Baltimore, what a shame!!

Hi Lew and Freida my name is Sherri and Im from Montross Va. Not to far from u guys. Im booked on the Carnival Pride May3 to the bahamas and am so excited that its leaving from Baltimore. Normally I cruise from Norfolk but Baltimore is closer. Maybe I will see u guys on a future cruise.

My partner and I are thrilled that Carnival is sailing out of Baltimore.

I’m surprised about the complaints about the itinerary of the Pride departing from Baltimore, especially the “too many days at sea” argument. Baltimore is half way up the East coast and it takes longer to get to the Caribbean. It takes as long as it takes and nothing can be done about that unless someone can come up with a way to shrink the planet and put us closer to the Bahamas.

I will agree that stopping in Port Canaveral, Florida seems like a pointless port but there are itineraries later in the year that cover the Eastern Caribbean that include Grand Turk and Half Moon Cay. As my partner says, he doesn’t care if they “just go out and drop the anchor”; he just wants to enjoy the ship and being waited on for a week.

If you are a person who is obsessed with trying to stuff as many ports of call as possible into a trip then sailing out of Baltimore is not for you. The majority of us living in the Mid-Atlantic (and even beyond by the responses I have seen) will lean toward using more common sense and take advantage of the Pride sailing from Baltimore when we can get to the ship with a short drive of a few hours or even a few minutes.

I have two choices when taking the cruise:

Choice #1: Drive five minutes to the Baltimore cruise terminal (I can see the ships from my house), check-in and board the ship and start my vacation. Even if the check-in process is slow this might take a maximum of two hours.

Choice #2:  Drive to the airport, arrive an hour early, pay hundreds of dollars more for airfare, possibly pay extra for baggage, check in, wait in long security lines, hope the plane takes off on time, claim my baggage when we land, pay for and take the shuttle to the cruise terminal and then still have to go through the cruise check in process to board the ship. Seven very expensive hours later I get to start my vacation. An extra port of call is hardly worth that aggravation.

Extra days at sea will give us the opportunity to enjoy the ship, which is why we chose to take a cruise in the first place instead of flying directly to the Bahamas. To those of you who are unimpressed with the ship’s itinerary then you will definitely have to fly to Florida to take your cruise. It’s your trip, plan it as you please and I wish you an easy and uneventful flight and I hope you have the time of your life on your vacation. I think I can speak for a lot of people that are very excited at the convenience and savings that cruising out of Baltimore affords us and we hopefully look forward to Carnival sailing from this port for many years to come, regardless of the itineraries it offers.

 Well said!  We life at the Jersey Shore.  In the time it would take us to drive to Newark airport, park the car, check in and wait to board the plane we can be in Baltimore.  Half Moon Cay alone is worth the trip!  We said on Aug. 21 and can't wait!

I have to start by saying I was under the impression these boards are for voicing opinions.  I was not voicing a complaint, just putting my two cents worth into the conversation.  I also would love to be able to cruise out of Baltimore as I said and was hoping by voicing my concerns and desires, change might just come about.  I am all about the cruise and less about the ports of call but I am also about getting as much as I can for my money and as I don't cruise alone when I do cruise, there are always those who are about the ports of call.  I think it is unkind to attack people who do not feel the way you do about something and maybe you could have just added how you felt personally without making it a war (which by the way nobody wins).

 I find very interesting things on these boards so I plan to continue to read most of the post and I would hope in the future when I do voice an opinion, I will be given the respect I deserve.

Hi

I grew up in Baltimore and worked for Carnival and recently published a memoir about life behind the scenes on a cruise ship. My book Permanent Passenger: My Life on a Cruise Ship is available on Amazon, at www.pemanentpassenger.com or at the Ivy Bookshop on Falls Road

 Great book to bring on a cruise - will make you laugh, cry and think and enjoy the cruise

See reviews, articles and interviews at www.michathemouth.com

Cheers

Micha Berman

I hope you enjoy your trip. We are leaving on the Prides second sailing out of Baltimore on May 3!

 I think that most people who are living near Baltimore will use common sense and sail from there and those that want to continue to whine about the itineraries or "not getting their money's worth"...let them just whine about it. Im not even going to bother to respond to them. I would rather be on ship with those who want to enjoy it for the world class resort that it is and I am grateful that Carnival has made the effort to include Baltimore. Im counting down the days!

Well said Monty! I am so grateful to be able to leave from Baltimore instead of Norfolk . Im with u guys on this one! As long as I get to feel like a queen who cares about certain destinations? No bedmaking,cleaning,or cooking? Whoopee....

We have posted to a few other post reguarding being able to sail again from Baltimore - Were Definately Ready to be able to sail a lil closer to home ( Philly Area )

We just completed a B2B on the Freedom,( Jan 31st thru Feb 14th ) wife & I are still in Fla in Daytona beach

We have booked the Miracle again for Sept 5th - ( got a good deal while onboard the Freedom )

Then another B2B this time on the DREAM - Jan 23rd & 30th 2010, then we finally get to play on the Pride on May 23rd of 2010

Happy Cruisin Everyone

Tom

My wife & I live in Northern VA so Baltimore is about an hour away; we had to cancel the cruise we had arranged for 10 May 09.  Due to a last minute change in events, we are now able to reschedule for the 3 May 09 cruise.  Couldn't do that going out of just about any other port!

I wasn't really impressed by the ports of call either, until I realized...  I have never been to Disney, and most likely would not just fly there, so I can get a taste of the Magic Kingdom.  In addition to I have been wanting to go to Atlantis for a really long time, but the prices are so incredibly high, that will not be an opition.. So for my husband and I, this is like 3 vacations in one!  In addition to getting almost 4 nights at sea!  I can beat the price for what we are going to get out of it. 

 HAPPY CRUSING EVERYONE!!!!!!!!

 I am quite suprised to hear so many complaints about cruising out of Baltimore and the extra days at sea or the itinerary is bad.  Any cruise and any itinerary and any port sure beats staying at home any time.