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Before you cruise from Norfolk, you’ll find yourself near two colonial villages — Colonial Williamsburg and Olde Towne Portsmouth — plus miles of beaches, and a blooming botanical garden. So definitely make time to explore before your cruise from Virginia, and round out your vacation with some history and picturesque sightseeing. Cruises from Norfolk also come with serious seafaring credentials — the city is home to one of the best maritime academies in the country. Popular among tourists neighboring leisure and travel destinations are Virginia Beach.
Day 7 & 8: Fun Day at Sea
The port is used mainly by Carnival as a seasonal homeport for cruises to the Bahamas and Cuba cruises; a handful of other ships make one-off port stops here on repositioning cruises. Ships use Norfolk's Half Moone Cruise and Celebration Center, which is located walking distance from downtown. Parking for embarking passengers is available downtown via Cedar Grove Parking, located on Monticello Avenue between Virginia Beach Boulevard and Princess Anne Road. Complimentary shuttles provide transportation from the Cedar Grove facility to Half Moone. Everything the sunlight touches on Carnival Sunshine has been doused with an extra dose of fun.
Read Reviews of Our Incredible Crew & Boat Tours in Norfolk, VA
Norfolk, VA to offer year-round cruises starting in 2025 - 13newsnow.com WVEC
Norfolk, VA to offer year-round cruises starting in 2025.
Posted: Wed, 10 Jan 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]
The city is at less than 2 hours drive distance from Richmond, 3 hours from Northern Virginia and 3 hours from Raleigh. The cruise port benefits greatly from the Norfolk International Airport offering 200 flights daily. The airport is just min taxi drive from the cruise terminal. Norfolk, a city with a storied maritime history, is located at the junction of the Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic Ocean in southeastern Virginia.
Night Bahamas CruiseDetails
In 2021 started the seasonal homeporting in Norfolk VA of the 4700-passenger liner Carnival Magic - the Port's ever-largest cruise vessel). Season 2021 included a series of 12 roundtrips and seasonal capacity ~50,000 tourists. Carnival Magic's 2023 ex-Norfolk season was CCL's ever-longest - 6 months (May 14th thru October 22nd).
Day 5 & 6: Fun Day at Sea
I imagine a lot depends on how the weather is, but we lucked out. It was calm (didn't help the sailing portion I suppose), and the skies were clear. We got to experience a perfect sunset, and even got a bonus moonrise out of the deal! The ship's Captain was great and explained everything as we were sailing. As it got to sunset time, a musician entertained the ship by walking around and taking requests. Set sail with the friendly and experienced crew of this 120-passenger sailing schooner.
Cruise ships in Port Norfolk VA dock at Nauticus Half Moone Cruise Terminal (officially "Half Moone Cruise and Celebration Center", aka "Decker Half Moone Center"). This modern facility (construction cost USD 36 million) was inaugurated in 2007. It is located in downtown, on the city's Nauticus Waterfront on the Elizabeth River. Norfolk is an "independent city" (not part of any US county) and borders with two of the state's independent cities - Chesapeake (south) and Virginia Beach (east). Norfolk is considered Hampton Roads region's historic, cultural and financial center.
If someone is meeting you on your return to Norfolk, it is suggested that they park nearby and walk to Nauticus. Parking garages within walking distance are noted on this downtown parking map. The Norfolk Harbor cruise aboard the Victory Rover is your front row seat to the naval fleet! See destroyers, submarines, and other vessels while taking in the sights of the harbor. What better way to explore Norfolk, a city on the water, than by water! As the size of homeported here cruise liners constantly grow, the seaport considers a development project to expand the terminal's berth to allow docking of the world's largest passenger ships.
Day 2: Fun Day at Sea
With an overwhelming world of choices, we understand you may need some personal assistance to plan your perfect vacation. From finding the right destination to choosing the best departure date, we're here to help. Plus, our experienced travel consultants have access to exclusive vacation deals to make sure you get the best value for your time and money. Regent Seven Seas cruise ship stops in Norfolk twice in coming years. This is an all-inclusive luxury ship, and all the cabins are suites.

The sights on the Cannonball Trail are well marked, and take you through 400 years of Norfolk history. Follow our social media and blog for the latest cruise and travel news, including our best vacation deals. Temporarily, Royal Caribbean also offers a few cruises from Norfolk. When you find yourself between the Carnival Sunshine and some actual sunshine, fun at sea is guaranteed. For any cruises listed, Cruise Critic does not guarantee any specific rates or prices. Starting at just $529, choose the perfect cruise from Norfolk that fits your traveling desires.
Such dredging works are conducted by the US Army Corps of Engineers (federal agency) and in Norfolk Harbor Channel are required every months. In November 2016, Port Norfolk and Konecranes (Finnish crane manufacturer) signed a USD 217 million contract for building and delivering 86 rail-mounted gantry cranes. The US company TMEIC is the supplier of cranes' drive and control systems. As an exclusive CCL-Carnival homeport (since 2002), Norfolk's main competitors are the homeports Baltimore MD and Charleston SC (another CCL-exclusive departure port in the USA). Currently, Norfolk's cruise business generates ~USD 153 million annually (in direct spending by cruise companies and passengers/crew), ~USD 170 million in Virginia state wages, and supports ~2800 local jobs.
Popular destinations out of Norfolk include cruises to the Bahamas and Bermuda. Glass Light Hotel & Gallery offers guests deluxe accommodations for one night and valet parking for $20 each night for one vehicle for the duration of your cruise in the Boush Street Parking Garage. Rates are available the day prior to embarkation from Cruise Norfolk. With a short amount of time while in port, we wanted to pull together a quick list of suggestions for things you can do.
Culture vultures will be pleased to discover Norfolk's lively arts scene, which includes the Virginia Opera and Chrysler Museum. Dining-wise you'll find everything from down-home country cooking to fine cuisine. There's a zoo, botanical garden, minor league baseball team and a beach close by. You'll also find Norfolk steeped in Colonial American history.
Norfolk VA is a major port city in southeastern Virginia (USA). It borders to the west Elizabeth River and to the north - Chesapeake Bay (Atlantic Ocean). The city has population around 250,000 (metro 1,67 million), ranking it the Virginia state's second-largest - after Virginia Beach (around 450,000 / metro 1,72 million). Four cities (Norfolk, Portsmouth, Newport News, Hampton) form together the Hampton Roads Metro featuring one of the world's largest natural harbours.
There's plenty to find atop this ship, where you can spend your days being kissed by the warm rays of the sun. Visit the biggest Serenity area ever, featuring three decks, plenty of recliners... Carnival WaterWorks™, our onboard waterpark, doesn't just deliver the favorites... Cruise Critic is not a booking agent and does not charge any service fees to users of our site. Rates are in USD and valid for US and Canadian residents only.