BALTIMORE — Set sail on a new cruise line, right from the Port of Baltimore.
Norwegian Cruise Line launched its first cruise from the port this morning, with passengers going on a 10-day trip to New England and Canada.
A spokesperson for the cruise line called Baltimore a great strategic location to take people both up the coast, and down to the Caribbean.
For people waiting in line to board, the port also offers another thing, convenience.
"Oh, it's great. We didn't have a long trip. You know, we did come from Kentucky. But that was not nearly as long as some of the trips that we've done when we've gone to Florida," Leila Todd, from Frankfort, Kentucky said.
"Yeah, this is the first time we've cruised out of Baltimore but it seems to be a much smaller port, a lot easier to get around, a lot fewer people not as congested, so we're planning on having a great time," Gary Rossiter, from St. Louis, Missouri said.
The convenience and location pays off for the state.
According to the port's acting executive director, cruises bring in $63 million a year in local business revenues and three million dollars a year in taxes.
It also has created nearly 400 jobs.
