NORFOLK, Va. — When the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed in Baltimore and closed off the local cruise terminal, counterparts in Norfolk stepped in to help.
Representatives for Nauticus said they welcomed more than 50,000 cruise passengers spanning roughly eleven calls for service between ships owned by Carnival Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean.
The last of the Baltimore-based cruise ships, which had to re-route, departed from Norfolk Sunday.
"We are so lucky to have support from our maritime partners to the City of Norfolk and our amazing staff at Nauticus and the Cruise Norfolk team to be able to come together in such a short notice to support these passengers and to support Baltimore," said Rehn West, Director of Development & Marketing for Nauticus.
Previously scheduled renovations at Half Moone Cruise & Celebration Center are still happening as planned; construction will begin in a few weeks.
The changes are meant partly to improve passenger flow and enhance vehicular access in front of Nauticus. Norfolk will welcome cruise passengers year-round starting in February 2025.
"We expect to see over 300,000 passengers just from Carnival alone next year," West added. "We're very excited to welcome even more cruise ship passengers not only to our terminal but also to the City of Norfolk."
West also mentioned how the exact economic impact of the cruise ships these last several weeks is still being calculated.
"We know a lot of passengers did fly in and stay in hotels before and after their cruise. I know restaurants Downtown were saying they were busier than normal this time of year," said West.