04-02-2025
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.
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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.
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'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.
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'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.
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