Anonymous wrote:We have 2 kids. We've cruised out of Baltimore twice in December and once in January.
Pro: Love the ease of driving 50 minutes to the port.
Con: You do have 2 days of cold weather on the way down and on the way back.
There are only 2 cruiselines that cruise out of Baltimore: Carnival and Royal Caribbean.
For Carnival, it's either the Pride or Legend. Been on both. They are identical ships. Haven't been on Royal Caribbean.

We've also cruised out of Florida in December- and have driven all the way to Miami.
The problem with flying in December to Florida is the airfare is so expensive!

Norwegian recently began cruising out of Baltimore.

We have 2 kids. We've cruised out of Baltimore twice in December and once in January.
Pro: Love the ease of driving 50 minutes to the port.
Con: You do have 2 days of cold weather on the way down and on the way back.
There are only 2 cruiselines that cruise out of Baltimore: Carnival and Royal Caribbean.
For Carnival, it's either the Pride or Legend. Been on both. They are identical ships. Haven't been on Royal Caribbean.

We've also cruised out of Florida in December- and have driven all the way to Miami.
The problem with flying in December to Florida is the airfare is so expensive!

We have cruised with our two kids and another family of four out of Baltimore on Carnival multiple times and loved it every single time. The smaller boats still hold 2,000 passengers and have plenty to do. They felt totally modern and well appointed to us. They also have some advantages over the giant ships because you aren't fighting as many people on and off the boat when you're in port. And maybe best of all, if you live in the DC area, it's a 45 minute drive and you're on the boat, compared to the extra time and expense and hassle of air travel to and from Florida. That's part of why the Baltimore cruises are priced higher than alternatives out of Florida.

We have taken a few cruises out of Baltimore. Like others have said it can be rough seas heading down the coast. Also, it probably wouldn't be warm enough to swim (at least for the adults, my kids would probably swim in the cold). Still lots to do and loads of fun, but just not warm.

Drive or fly to FL. You’re likely to be disappointed with a cruise out of Baltimore.

Anonymous wrote:They’re great for what they are—a cheap, easy, warm kid friendly vacation.

They aren’t fancy/modern ships because they have to fit under the bridge/in the Baltimore harbor, but my family has always enjoyed them. We will be on the carnival one the first week of spring break and are looking forward to it!

I don’t see how a bigger boat couldn’t fit under the Bay Bridge? The bridge is really tall. I’m not doubting you, I’ve heard this before, just find it hard to believe.