Ichweba laseBaltimore lizothola isiqashi saso sokuqala sohambo lwesikebhe unyaka wonke lapho iCarnival Cruise Lines yehla lapho ngoSepthemba 2009, kusho izikhulu ngoLwesine, nokuletha ukukhula komnotho ezweni.
I-"Carnival Pride" izoqala uhambo lwezinsuku eziyisikhombisa ukusuka e-Baltimore isonto ngalinye kuze kube ngu-Agasti 2011, okwandisa kakhulu inani lohambo oluphuma echwebeni. I-Royal Caribbean International kanye ne-Norwegian Cruise Line zisebenza ngaphandle kwetheku kusukela ngo-Ephreli kuya ku-Okthoba.
UJim White, umqondisi omkhulu weMaryland Port Administration, uthe kunezindawo zokuhamba ngomkhumbi ezingama-27 okuhlelwe ukuthi zihambe eBaltimore kulo nyaka. Ngo-2009, u-White wathi inani lizophindeka kabili ngokwengezwa kwe-Carnival nolunye uhambo olwengeziwe oluhlelwe yi-Royal Caribbean kanye ne-Norwegian.
Imboni yezokuvakasha yaba nomthelela kwezomnotho wamaRandi ayizigidi ezingama-56 ngo-2006, esho.
“Sikhuluma ngokuphinda kabili umthamo, ngakho-ke ngingasho kalula nje ukuthi sizobe sesiphinda kabili inzuzo yezomnotho esizweni,” kusho uWhite. “Sizoqala ukukubona lokho ngo-2009. Ngo-2010 sinethemba lokuthi kuzoqina kakhulu.”
UGov. Martin O'Malley ubize isinqumo seCarnival sokwethula isuka eBaltimore, “impumelelo enkulu esifundazweni saseMaryland.”
I-Carnival inethemba lokuheha abantu abayizigidi ezingu-40 phakathi nohambo lwamahora ayisithupha ukuba beqe umgwaqo onqamula izwe noma bandizele ezindaweni ezishisayo futhi bathathe uhambo ngomkhumbi e-Baltimore esikhundleni.
“Abantu abaningi bathwele kanzima ngenxa yobunzima bokundiza nezindleko zokuhamba ngendiza,” kusho umkhulumeli weCarnival uJennifer de la Cruz.
Nakuba iBaltimore ingase ithathwe njengenketho engajwayelekile yendawo yokuhamba ngomkhumbi unyaka wonke ngenxa yobusika bayo obubanda kakhulu, u-de la Cruz uthe inkampani ilindele ukwenza kahle.
“[Sizobe] sisebenza ezindaweni ezingu-17 ezihlukene zasekhaya; lokhu kube yimpumelelo enkulu kithina ukudlulela ngale kwamachweba ajwayelekile,” kusho yena.
Inkampani izohlinzeka ngohambo olubili olusuka e-Baltimore, zombili zingena kude kakhulu eCaribbean. Uhambo olulodwa luzoma eGrand Turk, Turks & Caicos naseFreeport eBahamas. Olunye uhambo luzoma ePort Canaveral, Fla., naseNassau naseFreeport eBahamas.
I-Carnival ivame ukubizwa ngokuthi inketho yohambo lwesikebhe elungele umndeni, ngakho-ke u-de la Cruz uthe inkampani akufanele ibe nenkinga yokuncintisana namaNorway kanye neRoyal Caribbean, ebhekelela abahambi abahlukahlukene.
“Yonke imigqa yokuvakasha ihlukile,” kusho yena. "Uma ungumuntu osebenza unyaka wonke ovela echwebeni unethuba elihlukile…uma abantu becabanga i-Baltimore, bazocabanga i-Carnival ngoba singabadlali bakhona unyaka wonke."
Yize iCarnival ingalindele ukuthi izoqasha kakhulu kule ndawo, ukwengezwa kwemikhumbi yayo kuzogqugquzela ibhizinisi kuma-stevedores, abashayeli bama-cab namahhotela.
"Noma nini uma sifika ekhaya sibeka umkhumbi endaweni kuba nomthelela oqondile wezomnotho," kusho u-de la Cruz. “Itheku lasekhaya yilapho abasebenzi bethenga khona kakhulu, futhi bathanda ukuthenga. Bavame ukuphuma emkhunjini lapho sifika futhi bafike kuzo zonke izitolo zasendaweni. ”
U-Sara Perkins, ongumnikazi we-CruiseOne, inkampani yezokuvakasha e-Abingdon, uthe ngenxa yokuhlangenwe nakho kwakhe, ulindele ukuthi iCarnival ibe yimpumelelo enkulu e-Baltimore.
"I-Carnival yafika lapha eminyakeni embalwa edlule futhi yagcwala amanzi ngoba bekungumkhumbi omusha, into ehlukile, intengo ibingabizi," kusho uPerkins.
Ukwengeza umkhumbi ohlukile kuzokhuthaza ibhizinisi kuPerkins, othe noma umnotho uhamba kancane, abantu basahamba ngomkhumbi.
“Ukuhamba ngomkhumbi kuyinani elihle ngedola lakho ngoba konke kukulungele,” kusho yena. "Ngiyazi ukuthi abantu abebephuma eBaltimore bafela omunye umkhumbi."
Yize uPerkins ethe ujabule ngezindaba zolunye uhambo lomkhumbi oluza edolobheni, unokungabaza okuthile.
“Ngikhathazekile kancane ngohlelo lonyaka wonke,” kusho yena. “Uma uhamba lapha ngo-January, February no-March, akushisi ngaphandle.”
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