NORFOLK, Va. — Cruise ships will begin to sail again from the mermaid city this weekend for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
"We’re ready to welcome back our partners at Carnival and roll out the red carpet for these passengers,” said Nauticus’ executive director, Stephen E. Kirkland. “This particular ship is just massive, and the downtown skyline will look dramatically different when it arrives.”
And the ship, which is named The Carnival Magic, certainly is massive. In fact, it's the largest cruise ship to ever sail out of Virginia.
It's set to depart for The Bahamas on Sunday at 5:30 p.m. People are encouraged to come downtown to give the ship a farewell. If you take a picture, tag #nauticuscruise for a chance to win a "drones" prize pack.
The Carnival Magic kicks off cruise season for Norfolk. 10 other cruises are set to depart from Nauticus this year, headed for tropical destinations like the Turks and Caicos and Puerto Rico.