CARNIVAL CRUISE LINE ADDS MORE VACATION PACKAGES FROM NORFOLK IN 2026-27
Carnival Cruise Line announced more voyages for its 2026-27 cruise season, including new itineraries from Norfolk.
The announcement in essence triples the number of dates available from the city by opening bookings through 2027, said Stephen Kirkland, who runs the Half Moone Cruise and Celebration Center as executive director of Nauticus. Until Tuesday, mainly 2025 dates were available for booking.
Carnival Sunshine will arrive at the terminal for its first cruise on Feb. 11, he said. This will be the start of year-round weekly cruises from the Mermaid City. The arrival date is four days earlier than anticipated and follows a trans-Atlantic cruise from Marseille, France, where the ship has a planned two-week stay in dry dock.
The cruises vary from four to nine days, depending on the selected package and destination, and include days at sea with onboard activities and shore excursions. Vacationers can sail to Bermuda; the Bahamas with stops in Half Moon Cay, Bimini, Nassau and Celebration Key; Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos; the eastern Caribbean including stops in San Juan, Puerto Rico; Amber Cove, Dominican Republic; and St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands; and Canada and New England with port calls in Halifax, Saint John and Sydney.
“What’s distinctive about all these sailings is the incredible diversity of itinerary options, and that’s due to Norfolk’s unique geographic position,” Kirkland said.
The 102,853-ton Carnival Sunshine maintains a guest capacity of 3,002 passengers and a crew of 1,040.
“Upon arrival, we’ll debark those guests and then embark the first passengers from Norfolk for a cruise to the Bahamas,” Kirkland said.
The company last cruised from Norfolk with Magic in October 2023. During the down time this year, the city’s terminal has been undergoing enhancements to prepare for the increase in Carnival cruises. Kirkland said they will be ready to welcome passengers in February.
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“Just this week, we met with Carnival representatives here in Norfolk to discuss the upcoming year-round activity and how to roll out the red carpet for these guests,” he said.
Cruise goers will be arriving weekly to Norfolk from across the country and especially throughout the mid-Atlantic, Kirkland said.
“So, we’ve also been meeting with hotels, businesses and others to make sure we’re collectively ready as a community,” he said.
Sandra J. Pennecke, 757-652-5836, [email protected]
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2024-09-18T12:57:17Z dg43tfdfdgfd