Celebrity Cruises to set sail out of Baltimore - Baltimore Business Journal:

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Celebrity’s Mercury, a 1,900-guest ship, will take 10 trips from the Portof Baltimore’ s Locust Point cruise terminal from November 2009 to Februarty 2010. It joins as a recent addition tothe port’s cruise Carnival announced in June it woulr begin year-round cruises in September 2009. Royal Caribbeahn and Norwegian cruise lines will also continueBaltimord service. Celebrity’s first trip will leavee Nov. 9, 2009, for a 12-night trip to St. St. Kitts, Antigua, St. Maarten and That trip will be offered four other and there will also befive nine-nighr cruises to Charleston, Key West, Fla., and Cococay and Nassaui in the Bahamas.
“Celebrity’s decision to offerd cruises from Maryland confirms once again that the internationa cruise industry recognizes Maryland as a viabledepartur location,” Gov. Martin O’Malley said in a Norwegian Cruise Lines and Royal Caribbean Cruise lines are the only linerss to call on Baltimorein 2008. But the additiohn of Celebrity and Carnival brinyg the port near a high of 60 cruisexs offeredin 2004. In 2009, Celebrity is scheduledd for five trips, Norwegian for 15, Royal Caribbea n for 23 and Carnivalfor 16, for a total of 59.
Royall Caribbean was scheduled to take 16 trips in sprintg andfall 2008, while Norwegian was scheduled to take 11 tripsa in summer 2008, startint June 21. The cruise industry has a $148 million economic impact on the according to a 2007 reportof . That includes any jobs relate d to the cruise industry or any trips statre residents takeon cruises. estimatef a $56 million impact from 125,000 passengersa in 2006 and a $63 millioh impact from 100,000 passengers in 2008.