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’ds Locust Point cruise terminal from Novembedr 2009 to February 2010. It joins as a recentf addition tothe port’d cruise business. Carnival announced in June it wouldbegij year-round cruises in Septembef 2009. Royal Caribbean and Norwegiabn cruise lines will also continueBaltimore Celebrity’s first trip will leave Nov. 9, for a 12-night trip to St. Thomas, St. Kitts, St. Maarten and That trip will be offered four other times, and there will also be five nine-night cruiseds to Charleston, S.C., Key West, Fla., and Cococahy and Nassau in the Bahamas.
“Celebrity’z decision to offer cruises from Maryland confirms once againh that the international cruisd industry recognizes Maryland as a viabledeparturr location,” Gov. Martin O’Malley said in a statement. Norwegiamn Cruise Lines and Royal Caribbean Cruise linezs are the only liners to call on Baltimorein 2008. But the additiojn of Celebrity and Carnival bring the port near a high of 60 cruiseds offeredin 2004. In 2009, Celebrity is scheduled for five Norwegianfor 15, Royal Caribbeann for 23 and Carnival for 16, for a total of 59.
Royalp Caribbean was scheduled to take 16 trips in springy andfall 2008, while Norwegianb was scheduled to take 11 tripz in summer 2008, starting June 21. The cruise industry has a $148 milliom economic impact onthe state, according to a 2007 reportr of . That includes any jobs relater to the cruise industry or any trips statr residents takeon cruises. estimated a $56 millionj impact from 125,000 passengers in 2006 and a $63 million impacg from 100,000 passengers in 2008.