The Mermaid City just got a little more exciting for cruise goers! As of today, February 11th, 2025, Carnival Cruise Line’s Carnival Sunshine is setting sail for its very first year-round weekly cruise out of Norfolk, Virginia.
With the departure of Carnival Sunshine, Norfolk’s port now operates year-round for the first time, joining the expanding list of year-round cruise ports along the East Coast.
Carnival Cruise Line has been sailing out of Norfolk since 2002 but has only been operating seasonally with six-month schedules.
Carnival Sunshine is the first ship in the fleet to sail out of Norfolk since 2023. The Miami-based cruise line stayed away from the port through 2024, but the wait is now over ever since it was first announced in 2022.
Prior to the break, the Carnival Magic wrapped up six months of weekly cruises in October of 2023, during which Norfolk had their busiest cruise season in history, seeing 250,000 passengers.
Carnival Cruise Line Vice President of Port Operations David Candib had been in Norfolk ahead of the embarkation to welcome local officials to celebrate this historic moment.
Candib commented on the significance of this departure, stating:
“Year-round cruises mean more options for fun adventures and unforgettable vacations for our loyal guests as well as more tourism and economic impact for the Norfolk community both before and after each cruise.”
Norfolk Mayor Kenneth Alexander also commented on the momentous occasion, stating, “This expansion strengthens our economy, brings more visitors, and creates new opportunities for our community. We’re proud to partner with Carnival and look forward to a thriving future together.“
Initially, the Carnival Sunshine was supposed to depart at 6 pm EST, but has departed at roughly 6:33 pm EST, slightly behind schedule but not unexpected for a first-time voyage.
The Carnival Sunshine sits at 102,853 gross tons, with a guest capacity of 3,758 and a crew capacity of 1,040. The vessel launched in 1996, but it is running smoothly, having just completed a dry dock in Marseille, France.
The Carnival Sunshine has a variety of itineraries, including stops in the Eastern Caribbean and Bermuda, and beginning in September, it will also stop at Celebration Key, which is Carnival’s new exclusive destination on Grand Bahama.
The itinerary for this first cruise is a 5-night round trip to the Bahamas, making stops in both Freeport and Bimini.
Currently, the Carnival Sunshine is the only ship with Norfolk as its home port. Norfolk is expecting to see 150,000 passengers annually from Carnival Cruise Line alone.
How Norfolk Has Prepared for Year-Round Cruises
Virginia is embracing the increase in tourism that cruises bring.
Norfolk’s Half Moone Cruise Center (located at the Port of Norfolk) opened in April of 2007, but it has only been a seasonal port that was used primarily from spring until fall.
Nauticus’ Half Moone Cruise Center at the Port of Norfolk made $12,000,000 of enhancements in the past year to enhance the experience for the increasing number of passengers they are about to get.
This included additional seating for passengers waiting to board, an inclined walkway for debarking passengers, and improved ground transportation.
Read Also: What Are the Worst Months to Cruise the Caribbean?
Despite these enhancements to the port, Norfolk will mostly be seeing passengers of the Carnival Sunshine fairly exclusively in 2025.
Why? Norfolk’s port is often used by cruise lines for port calls only, meaning the ship stops to get supplies, cargo, or fuel.
Some of the cruise lines stopping in Norfolk for port call only this year include Viking Ocean Cruises, Azamara Club Cruises, Holland America Line, TUI Cruises, Princess Cruises, and Viking Ocean Cruises.
For all of the Virginia natives out there looking to escape the near-freezing weather, you might want to hop on the Carnival Sunshine!
