Renovations almost complete to enhance cruise operations in Norfolk
NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) – Right as the $12 million renovation to the Norfolk cruise terminals are nearing completion, year-round cruises are expected to come to Norfolk.
Norfolk has designs on $12M cruise terminal renovation project
Starting in the summer of 2024, crews got to work. The overall goal of the renovation is to improve customer flow, allowing more passengers to debark at one time. During WAVY 10's visit on Tuesday, crews were putting the final touches on the massive new walkway, going from the gangway to the bottom floor.
Norfolk votes to enhance Carnival Cruise operations
'So, on Cruise Day, it's bustling,' said Rehn Saunders, Director of Development and Marketing. 'So, on any given Saturday, Sunday, especially when the Carnival Sunshine is in port, we'll have 3000 guests exiting or D barking the ship. They're then coming down this new ramp system and they're collecting their luggage right here.'
The renovation also includes an improved space for customers to pick up their luggage before going through to the new customs checkpoint. It is all wrapping up as the Norfolk Cruise Terminal prepares to take on year-round Carnival cruises for the first time — to places like the Bahamas, Bermuda and Canada.
Carnival announces new cruises out of Norfolk for 2026-27
'We've really gotten this down to a science and it's seamless for our visitors,' Saunders said. 'You know, we'll have porters out front to collect the luggage. We'll have shuttles coming into the front loop and everyone's flow. And by getting on taxis, your Ubers to head out of Norfolk, or they're going to head downtown and hopefully enjoy some breakfast at one of the local restaurants or stay at a hotel to visit the attractions.'
With the gangway, passenger walkway, customs checkpoint done, the rest of the renovations are expected to be complete by fall of 2025.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Carnival Cruise Line rep addresses adults-only cruise controversy
Carnival Cruise Line rep addresses adults-only cruise controversy originally appeared on Come Cruise With Me. Adults-only cruises have been a big hit for the hip Virgin Voyages cruise brand. These kid-free cruise vacations have become so popular that many cruisers have begun to wonder whether other cruise lines would break with classic cruise tradition to test out the new style of sailing, Carnival Cruise Line fans often write to the cruise line's brand ambassador, John Heald, on his popular Facebook page with questions and requests about adults-only cruises. Few people expected that the family cruise line would actually add adult-exclusive sailings, though. On his page, Heald even told passengers he didn't think that would ever happen. But then it did. Why the sudden shift? Is Carnival Cruise Line moving toward becoming an adults-only cruise line? Those were some of the questions swirling around the internet after Carnival recently announced a series of casino-exclusive sailings and SEA cruises — sailings exclusively for adults. Sailing from Miami on select dates this summer and fall aboard Carnival Conquest and Carnival Magic, these specialty itineraries are casino-focused cruises featuring expanded casino access and other perks for Carnival Players Club casino loyalty program the release of these specialty sailings led to rumors that Carnival is moving to become an adults-only cruise line, John Heald was quick to set the record straight. 'Please ignore that; we are a proud family cruise line, we have been and I'm sure we always will be,' Heald insisted in a video message posted on his Facebook page. Heald assured his followers that the only reason Carnival is offering adults-only casino cruises is because of schedule changes for Carnival cruise ship dry docks — maintenance and refurbishment that cruise ships undergo every few years.'This all is because we moved Carnival Magic's dry dock and the casino have taken a couple of cruises and made them adults only. They're making special casino offers to people,' Heald explained. Since both Carnival Magic and Carnival Conquest won't be out of service as originally planned for a few weeks later this year, the cruise line decided to offer some special invitation-only casino cruises to fill the reason these sailings are adults only is simply because they're casino cruises. 'Now, because they are casino offers, we cannot make those casino offers to children, which is why these cruises are for adults only because they are casino-based offered cruises and they are very popular,' Heald pointed out. These new offerings have made the brand ambassador more open to entertaining the possibility of future adults-only Carnival cruises, however. 'I understand why people are saying, 'Oh, we need an adults' cruise,'' Heald noted. 'So listen, I don't know what the future is going to hold, but let me just tell you we are not moving to an adults-only cruise line now.' More Carnival cruise news:Those who want to continue to enjoy Carnival cruises with kids shouldn't fret. 'This is not something that you should be concerned about because for every one person who says, 'I would love an adults-only cruise,' there are many who have written and said, 'What do I do with my children, my grandchildren?'' Heald explained. 'No, we are a proud family cruise line,' the brand ambassador reiterated. 'These were cruise-specific situations, so please ignore what some people have been highlighting.' (The Arena Group will earn a commission if you book a cruise.) , or email Amy Post at or call or text her at 386-383-2472. This story was originally reported by Come Cruise With Me on May 28, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Royal Caribbean and Carnival are racing to grow their private islands and resorts. Here's how their new cruise destinations compare.
Large cruise lines are expanding their collections of private islands and resorts. Royal Caribbean has been a leader with its themepark-like island. Now, competitors like Carnival are coming. Here's how Carnival's Celebration Key and Royal Caribbean's Perfect Day Mexico compare. Royal Caribbean might need to post a lookout from its theme park-like private island: Its biggest competitor is steaming straight ahead. Carnival is set to open a multi-complex resort, Celebration Key, in July on the Grand Bahama Island. And it'll be packed with amenities that so far have been decidedly Royal Caribbean's turf: water slides, swim-up bars, and pay-to-enter clubs. It's not alone: Almost every major cruise company is rushing to develop its collection of private destinations. Norwegian is building a pier and new resort-like amenities at its Caribbean island, Great Stirrup Cay. And MSC is building a second, smaller island next to its first, Ocean Cay. They all come on the heels of Royal Caribbean's wildly successful island, Perfect Day at CocoCay, which arguably kickstarted the cruise-to-resort boom when it launched in 2019. Royal Caribbean has invested $350 million into enhancing the island with features like a ticketed adult-only lounge. Emphasis on "ticketed" — it's a key reason cruise companies are expanding their resort portfolios. These in-house warm-weather retreats both maximize profits and reduce fuel expenditure due to their proximity to Florida's major look at how Royal Caribbean and Carnival are going head-to-head with their coming destinations. undefined Celebration Key and Perfect Day Mexico: sisters, not twins. Both cruise-owned resorts are intended to be complimentary to enter. But it's not all free: Guests will encounter add-on fees for different amenities. They'll also each have more than 30 food and beverage options scattered throughout different districts, designed for different travelers. At both resorts, five segments are fairly comparable: an arrivals area, a premium club, stretches of beaches, an adult-only lounge, and a laid-back family-friendly pool. Only Carnival's Celebration Key plans to have a shopping district. The open-air retail center, called Lokono Cove, is set to carry a variety of gift shop inventory made by local Bahamian artists. Royal Caribbean says Perfect Day Mexico will also sell locally made souvenirs, although it's unclear where these stores will be. Similarly, only Royal Caribbean's Perfect Day Mexico is expected to have a complete waterpark. Royal Caribbean is recreating Perfect Day at CocoCay's best amenity — its 14-slide waterpark, which can cost about $100 per person to enter — at Perfect Day Mexico. Plans for the new Loco Waterpark span over 30 rides, including a six-person raft slide and two 170-foot-tall, over two-minute-long racing slides. There will also be a kids' section and various pools for the youngest guests. Carnival's Celebration Key isn't expected to have a waterpark, although the company does say its family pool, Starfish Lagoon, will have a children's water play area and two 350-foot-long, 10-story-tall slides. Starfish Lagoon is Carnival's take on a kid-friendly resort pool. In addition to the water amenities, Carnival says Starfish Lagoon will have outdoor games and sports, a swim-up bar, hammocks, and both floating and on-land cabanas — all centered on a large pool. Royal Caribbean's family area, Splash Cove, should look drastically different — and lazier. In addition to a 100,000-square-foot pool and a water playground, Perfect Day Mexico's Splash Cove is said to have the cruise line's first lazy river, dotted with in-water bars, rentable cabanas, and a high-energy path with waves and rapids. Looking for an escape from the kids? Royal Caribbean promises El Hideaway — and Carnival promotes Calypso Lagoon. Calypso Lagoon shares Starfish Lagoon's large pool and sports amenities. To make it grown-up-friendly, its plans also include a bar with 50 swinging seats and an adult-only section marked by a DJ, plenty of lounge chairs, and, of course, rentable cabanas. Both Calypso and Starfish share a mile-long beach. Perfect Day Mexico's beach is set to be about twice as long. Unlike Calypso Lagoon, Perfect Day Mexico's adult-only El Hideaway would require a day pass (likely with a fee) to enter. Once inside, Royal Caribbean says guests will have amenities like a swim-up bar, a DJ, and a rentable 20-person cabana with a private pool and bar. If you want to spend big, pay for the premium beach clubs: Perfect Day Mexico's Costa and Celebration Key's Pearl Cove. Perfect Day Mexico's Costa Beach Club and Celebration Key's Pearl Cove Beach Club are expected to operate as upscale waterfront lounges with high-end restaurants and infinity pools. Carnival's is meant to be adult-only. Both resorts could become the centerpiece of their cruise lines' itineraries. Carnival says it will continue expanding Celebration Key after its July debut, including building a $100 million pier extension to simultaneously accommodate four of its largest ships by 2026. Almost all of the company's vessels are currently scheduled to visit Celebration Key. By 2028, Carnival says the resort will be capable of welcoming 4 million travelers annually. Similarly, Cruise Critic reported that Perfect Day Mexico will be able to accommodate up to 21,000 guests daily. And by 2027, 90% of Royal Caribbean's Caribbean guests will sail to a Perfect Day resort: CocoCay, Mexico, or both. Read the original article on Business Insider
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Carnival Cruise Line cruisers debate controversial elevator issue
Carnival Cruise Line cruisers debate controversial elevator issue originally appeared on Come Cruise With Me. If you haven't sailed on a cruise ship equipped with an advanced elevator system, you might not be aware that not all elevators are the traditional push-button variety. It's a clear industry trend for smart elevators to be installed on newer cruise ships. In Carnival's fleet, they have been added to a handful of ships, including the Carnival Horizon, Carnival Vista, and a few elevators are designed to reduce congestion in the elevator lobbies and reduce wait times. Instead of getting on an elevator and then hitting the button for the desired floor, smart elevators have no buttons whatsoever. The basic idea is that you'll use a touchscreen in the elevator lobby to input your desired floor and the number of people in your party. The screen will then assign you an elevator, and if you get on that elevator when it arrives, it will take you to your destination. There are some obvious benefits to this. At least once per cruise on ships with traditional elevators, I encounter a situation where I get on an elevator, only to find out that someone has hit all of the buttons and it will be stopping at every floor (to be fair, at times it has been my young children who have done that). Smart elevators eliminate this problem. On the other hand, there are some pain points. As one example, let's say that you request an elevator to the lido deck, and once you get on, you remember you're meeting your party on the promenade deck. You can't simply hit the correct button – you have to get off, use the touchscreen again, and wait for another elevator. There can also be a learning curve, as getting on the wrong car or failing to select the correct number of passengers can be an inconvenient seems like there really is no middle ground. Cruisers either love the smart elevator systems on cruise ships or absolutely detest them. Carnival Brand Ambassador recently received a comment from one of his Facebook followers, stating 'Put the smart elevators on every ship. They are awesome. They really do work and take the annoyance away from ship elevators. Put them on every ship.' As Heald often does, he used this comment to conduct a poll among his followers to determine whether cruisers agree with the comment. After about 54,000 votes, the result was clear – although many cruisers haven't yet been on a ship equipped with smart elevators, of those who have, cruisers agreed that they should be on all Carnival cruise ships – and by a three-to-one the comments on Heald's poll, it sounds like the technology is well-received, but the biggest obstacle is educating the passengers on how to use them properly. As one example, Heald follower Don DeMarte said 'It's not the elevators that are annoying. It's the passengers that refuse to learn them that are the issue. Walking up with four or five in your party and requesting only one spot kills the whole system.' More Carnival cruise news: Carnival Cruise Line plans to bring back popular app feature Carnival Cruise Line sounds the alarm on new scam Carnival Cruise Line shares strict bathroom warning Kate Hanson agreed. 'The smart elevators are amazing, but rarely do people know how to use them correctly. Maybe at muster, the crew members should mention that they have smart elevators and people have to push it number of times for the number of people. Because they aren't doing it!' And Donna Speaks Meade said, 'Smart elevators are great once you learn how to use lol. They seem to disperse crowd[s] faster.' To be fair, as smart elevators start to become more of a standard feature on cruise ships and not just something you'll find on a handful of vessels, more cruisers will become accustomed to how they are designed to be used. But even for now, it sounds like they are a clear improvement over traditional elevator technology. (The Arena Group will earn a commission if you book a cruise.) , or email Amy Post at or call or text her at 386-383-2472. This story was originally reported by Come Cruise With Me on May 23, 2025, where it first appeared.
