Twenty hotels for a cruise from Baltimore, by the stadiums, around the Inner Harbor and by BWI, scored on what gets you to the ship, not on reviews. Pick yours, and let the trip start the night before.
20hotels ranked
50hotels checked
11run a free BWI shuttle
$25a day at the terminal lot, per Cruise Maryland
Plan the night before
Three taps and we’ll show your best three hotels.
Your sail date
Getting to the port
Your Match
Your three best hotels, live
Change any answer and the picks change with it. They’re built from the same published facts as the ranking below. Nobody pays to be here.
Step 1Getting to the port
Step 2Who’s coming
Step 3The night should feel
Matching weighs your answers against each hotel’s published shuttle, parking, breakfast, pool, beach, kitchen and pet policies.
Your Plan
Your night before, worked out
Five answers, and the page builds the whole thing: the hotel, the ride in, the ride to the ship, what happens to the car, what time to leave, and how you get home. Every figure is one the hotel, the port or the company publishes. Where nobody publishes a number, you’ll see that instead of a guess.
Sail date
Getting here
People
Cruise nights
Leaving a car while you sail?
Flight home, the day you’re back (optional)
Who’s coming and the mood come from Your Match; the plan uses the same answers.
Partner links (transfers, rental cars, luggage storage, lounges) may earn Seabound Journeys a commission at no extra cost to you. They don't change the plan, which is built only from what each company publishes.
The Podium
The top three
One with its own ride to the ship, one by the stadiums and one by the airport. The Best Western on O’Donnell Street sells a Park ’n’ Cruise Package with a KD Elite shuttle to and from the terminal, parking while you sail and a hot breakfast; IHG puts the Holiday Inn Express at the Stadiums 2.1 miles from Cruise Maryland; the Embassy Suites by BWI lists Hilton’s Park, Stay & Go and a free breakfast.
Filter by what matters for your night. Save the ones you like, or tick up to three to compare side by side — the order is ours, the shortlist is yours.
Add your sail date and the links open on the night before.
Booking.com links are affiliate links: Seabound Journeys may earn a commission if you book, at no extra cost to you. It doesn't change our rankings, which come only from what each hotel publishes. Affiliate disclosure.
The only hotel we scored that puts a ride to the ship on its own page — a KD Elite shuttle to and from the terminal, inside a Park 'n' Cruise Package with parking while you sail and a hot breakfast.
Terminal shuttle in its Park 'n' Cruise packagePark 'n' Cruise package: price by phoneFree breakfast
Booking.com links are affiliate links: Seabound Journeys may earn a commission if you book, at no extra cost to you. It doesn’t change what we recommend. Affiliate disclosure.
Getting There
From the airport to the hotel, then on to the ship
Pick how you’re arriving. The board counts what each hotel publishes, the table lights up that column, and the companies below run from the airport to the port.
Cruise Maryland puts BWI 10.5 miles from the terminal, and the Maryland Port Administration 10. BWI's taxis run on the meter; the $30 flat fare is for the ride from the terminal back to the airport.
Baltimore/Washington International · 10.5 miles to the cruise terminal, per Cruise Maryland
11publish a ride from the airport
0arrange it ahead, price by phone
9no shuttle, or not stated
Taxi from BWI
BWI
On the meter from BWI; $30 flat on the way back, per the PSC
BWI's taxis run on the meter: BWI Airport Taxi, the airport's exclusive operator, lists $2.90 for the first 1/10 mile and then $2.50 a mile, and says "Flat rates are not permitted"; BWI's own page says its taxicabs "are prohibited from charging flat rates". The taxi stands are on the Arrivals/Lower Level outside Baggage Claim, at Doors 5 and 13. Coming home, the Maryland Public Service Commission's rate sheet has a "$30 FLAT RATE PER TAXICAB" from the Cruise Ship Terminal to BWI, with no other stops, and Cruise Maryland says the $30 flat rate is "only from the Cruise Maryland Terminal to the BWI Airport", four passengers a taxi at most. The Points Guy says a taxi from BWI is a flat $30; BWI's rules say otherwise, so expect the meter on the way in. Cruise Maryland puts BWI 10.5 miles from the terminal, and the Maryland Port Administration 10.
Uber and Lyft pick up on the outer curb of the Departures/Upper Level, between Doors 5 and 12, per BWI. The Points Guy put an Uber from BWI at around $30, and an Uber XL at about $40, in September 2024 — its estimates, not a published fare.
The BWI Light Rail station is just outside the lower level of the terminal by Concourse E, per BWI, and the MTA's one-way fare is $2.00. The line runs to downtown Baltimore, with stops at Camden Station/Camden Yards and the Convention Center. No official page names a stop near the cruise terminal, and Cruise Maryland lists no light rail or bus to it. From downtown, take a cab to the terminal; the ride in runs on the meter. Coming home, the PSC's flat fares from the cruise terminal include $9.50 to the World Trade Center and $12.50 to Penn Station. BWI lists the light rail's hours as Monday to Friday 4:45 a.m. to 12:40 a.m., Saturday 5:05 a.m. to 12:45 a.m., and Sundays and holidays 10:35 a.m. to 8:40 p.m.
Mon–Fri 4:45 a.m.–12:40 a.m.; Sat 5:05 a.m.–12:45 a.m.; Sun and holidays 10:35 a.m.–8:40 p.m.Website →
MARC to Penn Station, then a cab
BWI
$6 on MARC, then a cab on the meter
A free shuttle runs between the airport and BWI Rail Station 24 hours a day, every 10 to 15 minutes, per BWI. MARC's Penn Line fare from BWI to Baltimore Penn Station is $6.00, per the MTA's fare chart. Cruise Maryland puts Penn Station 5.5 miles from the terminal, and the PSC's flat cab fare from the cruise terminal to Penn Station is $12.50; the ride in runs on the meter.
Cruise Maryland lists The Airport Shuttle, Cruise Shuttle Express, KD Elite Transportation, Lenzner Transportation and SuperShuttle, without prices. GO The Airport Shuttle runs door-to-door reservation vans to the Cruise Maryland Terminal from the airports and rail stations, eight people a van at most, and says its "Fare includes vehicle, driver, luggage, tolls and parking fees" — a quote on 410-381-2772, not a posted fare. KD Elite Transportation is also the company the Best Western Plus on O'Donnell Street names for its package shuttle.
Viator's Baltimore port-transfer listings include a cruise-ship tour-shuttle service from $27, a private arrival transfer from BWI from $60, and a private transfer from Baltimore city to the cruise port from $91.
No cruise line publishes a Baltimore transfer price that we found. Carnival's airport-transfer page lists 14 ports, and Baltimore isn't one of them; The Points Guy says Carnival doesn't provide airport-to-port transfers here, and Cruzely claims a $25.99-a-person shuttle — neither is Carnival's own page. Royal Caribbean sells transfers "from the arrival airport to the pier on day of sailing", with no Baltimore price on the page we read.
Driving? The column to watch is “While you sail”. Compare hotel parking with the options on Baltimore cruise parking, or price it out in the parking math below.
Hotel
To the ship
While you sail
From BWI
Terminal shuttle in its Park 'n' Cruise package
Park 'n' Cruise package: price by phone
Not stated
BWI Airport (BWI)
The hotel mentions no airport shuttle; Best Western puts BWI 11 miles away. Its own free shuttles run to the Inner Harbor, the Convention Center and the hospitals.
To the ship
Only inside the Park 'n' Cruise Package: "For guests purchasing our 'Park 'n' Cruise' package, shuttle service with KD Elite Transportation to/from the cruise terminal is included," per the hotel's amenities page. The hotel needs your ship details to reserve it, and the package is booked by phone on (410) 633-9500, with no price printed.
IHG lists no airport shuttle and says there's no complimentary local area shuttle; it puts BWI approximately 6.2 miles away.
To the ship
IHG lists no cruise shuttle and says "No, there is not a complimentary local area shuttle available". Third-party sites describe a package with a terminal shuttle; the hotel's pages don't, so we don't count it.
A complimentary BWI shuttle; Hilton puts the airport 1.50 miles away, and 2.43 on its BWI locations page.
To the ship
Hilton's Park, Stay & Go mentions shuttle service to "select airports and cruise ports" without naming the Baltimore terminal, so we don't count it as a ride to the ship. There's no other cruise shuttle.
A complimentary scheduled BWI shuttle; Marriott puts the airport 3.0 miles away.
To the ship
Marriott mentions no cruise shuttle. The Park & Fly package's transportation is "provided through Lyft", sold "for airport transportation", and the page doesn't name the cruise terminal.
A complimentary BWI shuttle, 24/7; call the hotel. Hilton puts the airport 2 miles away.
To the ship
Hilton's Park, Stay & Go mentions shuttle service to "select airports and cruise ports" without naming the Baltimore terminal, so we don't count it as a ride to the ship. There's no other cruise shuttle.
A free 24-hour BWI shuttle both ways; Hilton puts the airport 2 miles, about 10 minutes, away. No shuttle to DCA or IAD.
To the ship
Hilton's Park, Stay & Go mentions shuttle service to "select airports and cruise ports" without naming the Baltimore terminal, so we don't count it as a ride to the ship. There's no other cruise shuttle.
A complimentary BWI shuttle by request, 4–11 AM and 4–11 PM; Hilton puts the airport 6 miles away.
To the ship
Hilton's Park, Stay & Go mentions shuttle service to "select airports and cruise ports" without naming the Baltimore terminal, so we don't count it as a ride to the ship. There's no other cruise shuttle.
A complimentary non-stop BWI shuttle, 4:45 AM to midnight on one part of Marriott's page and 3:55 AM to midnight, on request, on another. Marriott puts the airport 2.0 miles away.
To the ship
Marriott mentions no cruise shuttle; the free non-stop shuttle serves BWI.
The Ivy puts BWI 12 miles, about 30 minutes by car, away, and doesn't mention an airport transfer.
To the ship
The Ivy mentions no ride to the ship. Its FAQ says the house car gives complimentary rides within 3 miles, and the hotel doesn't say whether the cruise terminal is inside that.
A complimentary 24-hour shuttle to and from BWI, per IHG, which puts the airport approximately 3 miles away; it also serves Arundel Mills, Live! Casino and transit stations.
To the ship
IHG mentions no cruise shuttle; the 24-hour shuttle serves BWI, Arundel Mills, Live! Casino and transit stations.
These twenty are ranked for an easy sail morning, not for the room. Baltimore’s best-rated rooms are in Harbor East, Fells Point and Mount Vernon: AAA’s 2026 Four Diamond list names the Four Seasons, the Pendry and The Ivy, Maryland has no Five Diamond hotel, and Forbes rates only the Four Seasons Four-Star. The Ivy makes our top twenty.
Baltimore has one cruise terminal, the Cruise Maryland Terminal at 2001 East McComas Street in South Locust Point, off I-95. The bands measure from there: Locust Point and South Baltimore by the stadiums; the Inner Harbor, about 2.5 miles away per the MPA; Canton and East Baltimore, through the Fort McHenry Tunnel; BWI and Glen Burnie to the south; then Arundel Mills and Elkridge.
Two of the twenty are by the stadiums, six around the Inner Harbor, one in East Baltimore, eight by BWI and three at Arundel Mills.
Locust Point and South BaltimoreThe Inner HarborFurther outCruise terminalReal geography: neighbourhood boundaries from Baltimore City and NOAA’s GSHHG shoreline. Pins from the hotel’s own map data, the hotel’s or a map listing’s pin, the US Census Bureau’s address geocoder and Wikipedia; address-geocoded pins can sit up to a block off.
Tap a pin for the hotel’s card.
Numbers are the ranking. Each pin sits where the hotel is — the bands group them by distance, the way we score it.
1 South BaltimoreLocust Point and the stadiums
2 The Inner Harborabout 2.5 miles, per the MPA
3 East Baltimorethrough the Fort McHenry Tunnel
4 BWI and Glen Burniesouth, toward the airport
5 Arundel Millswest of the airport
How We Score
The Night-Before Score, out of 100
Five things decide how easy the night before is, and each one is scored only from what the hotel publishes on its own site or its brand’s.
If a hotel doesn't say it, it scores zero there — not a guess, zero. Travel sites, tourism listings and review sites don't count, and when a hotel’s own pages contradict each other, we score the claim as unconfirmed and tell you. Each page lists exactly what we couldn't confirm.
30pts
Distance to the ship
By band, from the terminal: Locust Point and South Baltimore 30; the Inner Harbor 25; Canton and East Baltimore 20; BWI Airport and Glen Burnie 15; Arundel Mills and Elkridge 10.
25pts
Getting to the ship
Hotel-run shuttle, free or with a published price, 25. A ride only inside a package or offer 20. The hotel’s own ride with no published fare 15. The hotel says you can walk: across the street, a few blocks, or half a mile or less, 15. A ride the hotel arranges through someone else, or a shuttle company it names, 10. A shuttle that doesn’t name the terminal doesn’t count.
20pts
Parking while you sail
Published rate to leave the car 20, including a package with a published price. Offered, price unpublished 14.
10pts
Free breakfast
Sail mornings start early. A free breakfast on site scores 10, including one inside a mandatory nightly fee.
15pts
The evening before
On the beach 6 (none of the twenty is), pool 3, food or a bar on site 3, a kitchen in the room 3.
Ties are broken in order: the lower published parking rate, any stated way to the ship, free breakfast, parking on site, the closer stated mileage, the lower guest parking price, then the alphabet. That’s why the DoubleTree sits above the Residence Inn and Hyatt Place on 41: it prints a rate to leave the car. On 42 three hotels by BWI fall in order of guest parking, the SpringHill at $5 a day, Homewood Suites at $8.72 and the Holiday Inn Express North at $10. On 38 the Courtyard BWI’s $8 Park & Fly puts it first, and the Ivy, with valet in the room rate, leads Homewood Suites and the Hampton Inn & Suites downtown. On 35 the Comfort Inn’s free breakfast puts it ahead of the Sheraton and the TownePlace, which tie on everything else and fall in alphabetical order.
What's left out is deliberate. Room rates change daily, so they aren't scored. Neither are guest-review scores — they measure a stay in general, not a sail morning.
The ranking tells you which hotel makes the morning easiest. Your dates and your budget decide the rest, so price your own night before you book the winner.
Parking Math
Where the car goes while you sail
Two of the twenty print a rate to leave the car, both by BWI. Set your cruise length to see them against the terminal lot, at $25 a day per Cruise Maryland.
Cruise Maryland Terminal lot, $25 a day per Cruise Maryland
—
Two of the twenty print a rate to leave the car, both by BWI and sold as airport parking: the DoubleTree at $8 a day once you check out, or $50 a week, plus tax, with parking free while you stay, and the Courtyard’s Park & Fly at $8 a day with a paid stay. Neither mentions cruises or runs a ride to the ship, so add your own. The calculator counts the DoubleTree by the day, so on a week-long cruise it shows more than the $50 weekly rate. The port row is the Cruise Maryland Terminal lot at $25 a day per vehicle, per Cruise Maryland’s rate notice. We count the day you park and the day you leave; its passenger page says “Per Night”, which would be one day less. Room rates aren’t included.
We checked 50 hotels by the stadiums, around the Inner Harbor, in Harbor East and Mount Vernon, in East Baltimore, by BWI and at Arundel Mills and Glen Burnie. These came closest, with their scores and the reason each fell short. The Four Seasons, the Pendry and the Royal Sonesta Harbor Court are on the splurge list, with Hotel Revival and Hotel Ulysses; the Ivy is on both.
Hotel
Score
Why it missed
Hilton Garden Inn BWI Airport
35
Hilton's Park, Stay & Go on its offers page, $9 self-parking, an indoor pool and the Garden Grille and Bar, but breakfast costs extra and Hilton names no port.
Aloft BWI Baltimore Washington International Airport
35
"Long-term parking: Available" with no price, the W XYZ Bar and an indoor splash pool, but no free breakfast; level with the Sheraton and the TownePlace, and behind them on $15 guest parking.
BWI Airport Marriott
35
A "Park Here, Fly There" offer to "leave your car with us", with no price or days we could read, an indoor heated pool and Chesapeake, but no free breakfast; $17 a day or $119 a week is its guest self-parking rate.
Hilton Baltimore BWI Airport
35
Park, Stay & Go on its offers page, an indoor pool, Acqua Restaurant & Bar and a 24-hour BWI shuttle, but no free breakfast, no pets and Wi-Fi at $9.95.
Courtyard by Marriott Baltimore Downtown/McHenry Row
33
The one hotel we scored in Locust Point itself, which Marriott calls a "hotel near Maryland Cruise Terminal", with free parking while you stay, but no distance, no shuttle and no free breakfast.
Holiday Inn Baltimore BWI Airport
32
Parking packages with 4, 8 or 15 days and extra days at $10, free guest parking, Elevations and a 24-hour BWI shuttle, but no free breakfast or pool on IHG's pages.
Hyatt House BWI Airport / Baltimore
31
A complimentary hot breakfast, full kitchens and the H Bar, but Hyatt's pages we read show no parking rate and nothing on leaving the car.
The Royal Sonesta Harbor Court Baltimore
31
The former InterContinental Harbor Court, with an indoor lap pool, racquet courts and $28 self-parking, but a $25 daily destination fee and no place on AAA's Four Diamond list. It's one of our splurge picks.
Hilton Baltimore Inner Harbor
31
The big convention hotel at Camden Yards, with an indoor pool, Pendulum 401 and $36 self-parking, but Wi-Fi at $12.95 on one Hilton page (free on another) and nothing for cruisers.
Renaissance Baltimore Harborplace Hotel
31
An indoor pool and Watertable on Pratt Street with $45 self-parking, but it's run under court-appointed management, per The Banner, and Marriott never mentions cruises.
Pendry Baltimore
31
AAA Four Diamond on Recreation Pier in Fells Point, with a waterfront pool, but $65 valet and a destination fee whose amount isn't printed. It's one of our splurge picks.
Four Seasons Hotel Baltimore
31
AAA Four Diamond and Forbes Four-Star in Harbor East, with a rooftop infinity-edge pool, but no printed valet price and no free breakfast. It's one of our splurge picks.
Not ranked: Sleep Inn & Suites Downtown Inner Harbor. At 301 Fallsway. Choice's page for it loaded empty twice, and everything we found about it, including a park-sleep-cruise package with a terminal shuttle and 14 days of parking, comes from parking resellers, not the hotel, so it isn't scored.; Holiday Inn Express Baltimore-Downtown. At 221 North Gay Street. IHG's links for it redirected to IHG's generic explore page, so we couldn't confirm it's still an IHG hotel, and it isn't scored.; Sagamore Pendry Baltimore. Now Pendry Baltimore, at the same address, 1715 Thames Street; AAA's 2026 list still uses the old name, and Booking.com's link reads sagamore-pendry-baltimore. We scored it: 31.; InterContinental Harbor Court. Now The Royal Sonesta Harbor Court Baltimore, at 550 Light Street; a Booking.com listing still has a link that reads inter-continental-harbor-court. We scored it: 31.; Delta Hotels Baltimore Inner Harbor. Sonesta Hotel Baltimore Inner Harbor opened at 1 East Redwood Street on August 12, 2024, per Sonesta, which doesn't name the earlier brand; its Booking.com link still reads delta-hotels-by-marriott-baltimore-inner-harbor. We scored it: 28.; Sheraton Inner Harbor Hotel. At 300 South Charles Street. The Banner reported on November 5, 2025 that it would "cease operations with the brand by Dec. 31", without naming a new identity. We didn't research it, so it isn't scored.; Comfort Inn & Suites BWI Airport. Choice's code for it now shows Clarion Hotel & Suites BWI Airport North, which we scored: 25.; Staybridge Suites BWI Airport. Booking.com's listing under that name is now titled Residence Inn by Marriott BWI Airport, which we scored: 28.; Four Points by Sheraton BWI Airport. Marriott's search showed no current Four Points at BWI; we couldn't confirm it's open, so it isn't scored.; Embassy Suites Baltimore Inner Harbor. We found no such hotel on Hilton's site; Hilton's Embassy Suites here is at BWI, in our twenty.; Hampton Inn BWI Airport. Not on Hilton's BWI list; the nearest Hamptons are in Glen Burnie, which we scored: 25, and Arundel Mills, which we didn't research.
Flying In
Landing the day before?
Eleven of the twenty run a free BWI shuttle, all of them by the airport or at Arundel Mills. Only the Best Western on O’Donnell Street runs a ride to the ship, inside its package.
Cruise Maryland puts BWI 10.5 miles from the terminal. BWI’s taxis run on the meter, and the PSC’s $30 flat fare is for the ride from the terminal back to BWI. The Light RailLink is $2 to downtown, per the MTA. The Getting There table shows what every hotel publishes.
Booking.com links are affiliate links: Seabound Journeys may earn a commission if you book, at no extra cost to you. It doesn’t change what we recommend. Affiliate disclosure.
What's the best hotel for the night before a Baltimore cruise?
On our scoring it's the Best Western Plus Hotel & Conference Center on O'Donnell Street, the only hotel we checked that puts a ride to the ship on its own page: its Park 'n' Cruise Package includes a KD Elite shuttle to and from the terminal, parking while you cruise and a hot breakfast, booked by phone with no printed price. The Holiday Inn Express at the Stadiums is second, 2.1 miles from Cruise Maryland per IHG, with a free hot breakfast, and the Embassy Suites by BWI third, with Hilton's Park, Stay & Go on its own offers page.
Where does my Baltimore cruise leave from?
Baltimore has one cruise terminal: the Cruise Maryland Terminal at 2001 East McComas Street in South Locust Point, off I-95 at Exit 55, run by the Maryland Port Administration. Carnival and Royal Caribbean both sail from it. The terminal opens at 8:00 a.m., or two hours after the ship arrives, and Cruise Maryland asks you to arrive at least 90 minutes to 2 hours before departure, not before the time on your ticket.
Can I walk to the cruise terminal from my hotel?
Not from any of our twenty. None says you can on its own pages, and Cruise Maryland lists no walking route, bus or light rail to the terminal. The closest by its own count is the Holiday Inn Express at the Stadiums, 2.1 miles away per IHG, so plan on a cab or rideshare.
Should I stay by the Inner Harbor or by BWI?
By the Inner Harbor if you want the evening in the city: the MPA puts it about 2.5 miles from the terminal, and the downtown and stadium hotels that print a rate charge $18 to $60 a night to park. By BWI if you're flying in late or driving: eleven of our twenty run a free airport shuttle, most of them sell parking with the room, and Cruise Maryland puts the airport 10.5 miles from the terminal.
Can I leave my car while I cruise from Baltimore?
Two of our twenty print a rate, both by BWI and sold as airport parking: the DoubleTree at $8 a day or $50 a week plus tax, free while you stay, and the Courtyard's Park & Fly at $8 a day with a paid stay. Ten more offer it without a price, in packages, as long-term parking or through Hilton's Park, Stay & Go, which names no port; the Best Western on O'Donnell Street adds a shuttle to the terminal to its package. At the terminal, Cruise Maryland charges $25 a day per vehicle, paid by card on arrival, with no reservations.
Which Baltimore cruise hotels have a free airport shuttle?
Eleven of our twenty run a free shuttle from BWI: Embassy Suites BWI, SpringHill Suites BWI, Homewood Suites BWI, Holiday Inn Express BWI North, DoubleTree BWI, Home2 Suites Arundel Mills, Courtyard BWI, Holiday Inn Express BWI West, Fairfield Inn Arundel Mills, Sheraton BWI and TownePlace Suites BWI. BWI's taxis run on the meter, and the Light RailLink is $2 to downtown, per the MTA.
How do I get from BWI to the cruise terminal?
Most people take a cab or a rideshare. BWI's taxis run on the meter, $2.90 for the first tenth of a mile and $2.50 a mile after, per BWI Airport Taxi; the Public Service Commission's $30 flat fare runs the other way, from the terminal to BWI. The Points Guy put an Uber at about $30 in September 2024. Cheaper: the Light RailLink is $2 to downtown, or MARC is $6 to Penn Station, then a cab to the terminal.
Which cruise lines sail from Baltimore?
Carnival Pride sails from Baltimore year-round, under a five-year agreement from January 1, 2025, per the Governor's office. Royal Caribbean's Vision of the Seas sails through October 2026 and returns May 29 to October 16, 2027, per Cruise Industry News, and Carnival Miracle joins from November 20, 2027, per Carnival. Cruise Maryland's own list names only Carnival Pride and Vision of the Seas.
Why don't you show room prices?
Hotel rates move every day and spike on busy sailing days, so any number we printed would be wrong by the time you read it. We rank on what doesn't change daily, like shuttles, parking policies and breakfast, and leave the live rate to the booking site for your exact date.
