Page 10 - Port of Baltimore Sept/Oct 2011

[8] The Port of Baltimore ■ September/October 2011 To subscribe or renew, visitwww.marylandports.com
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T he world’s largest cruise line
has signed a five-year contract
extension with the Maryland
Port Administration (MPA), ensuring
that hundreds of thousands of happy
vacationers will continue sailing to
exotic destinations from Baltimore’s
IN MEMORIAM
— . — . — . — . — . — . — . — . — . — . — . — . — . — . — . — . — . — . — .
Two Long-time Members of Port Community
Influenced MPA and Auto Operations
T he Port of Baltimore is mourning the recent passing
of Dragoljub “David” K. Tosic and William Allen Kroh,
both of whom, whether working in Baltimore or
abroad, were key to the Port’s success for several decades.
Beginning in 1960, Tosic was with the Maryland Port
Administration (MPA) for 27 years, mostly stationed in
Europe. He was fluent in seven languages and known for
his gentlemanly manner. Tosic rose from Foreign Commerce
Representative in Brussels to Regional Manager of Trade
Development for all of Europe. Later, he was called to MPA
headquarters in Baltimore to become Director of Sales and
Marketing, a position he held until his retirement in 1987.
Born in the former Yugoslavia, Tosic died in Princeton,
N.J., from complications of diabetes. He was 87.
Kroh, who operated marine automobile terminals
that handled thousands of cars at the Port, was raised
in Southeast Baltimore and attended the University of
Baltimore School of Law. There, he met Rolf Gragge, and
they became business partners in auto port services. The
two operated R.G. Hobelmann, later named Hobelmann
Port Services. They built a large auto facility at the
Chesapeake Terminal in Fairfield and operated facilities
at the Atlantic and Dundalk terminals. Kroh succumbed
to congestive heart failure at his Brooklandville, Md.,
home. He was 80.
Both Tosic and Kroh passed away on July 16.
Cruise Maryland terminal. The contract
is for two years guaranteed, with three
one-year options.
In 2009, Carnival became the first
cruise line to operate a year-round
schedule out of Baltimore. The line
continues to attract passengers in record
numbers with regular cruises to the
Bahamas, Bermuda and the Caribbean
onboard the Carnival Pride.
“Carnival’s launch of Baltimore’s first
year-round cruise program in April 2009
has been a tremendous success, and more
than 115,000 guests annually are coming
into Baltimore to sail on the Carnival
Pride ,” noted Gerry Cahill, Carnival’s
president and CEO.
The new agreement, which runs
through 2016, took effect at the end of
August after Carnival’s previous two-year
contract expired.
“The decision by Carnival to make
a commitment like this and to continue
offering year-round cruises from Maryland
further illustrates the growth of the
Baltimore/Washington region as a strong
cruise market,” said Maryland Governor
Martin O’Malley.
Last year, 210,549 people sailed on 91
cruises from the Cruise Maryland (South
Locust Point) terminal, exceeding 2009’s
Carnival Extends Contract for
Year-round Cruises Out of Baltimore
BILL MCALLEN
CRUISE