NORFOLK, Va. — Carnival Cruise Line plans to bring year-round sailings to Nauticus and the City of Norfolk, beginning in 2025.
The weekly cruise service is set to begin on February 18, 2025, and will rotate between 6-day and 8-day sailings to the Bahamas and Eastern Caribbean aboard the 3,000-passenger Carnival Sunshine cruise ship.
"This positions Norfolk as a major destination for visitors from across the country," Norfolk Mayor Kenneth Alexander said in a press release. "It will have a tremendous economic impact on this region."
Officials said that this marks the first year-round cruise service for Virginia’s only cruise ship program.
The itineraries now open include:
Bahamas Sailings
- Six-day cruise to Bimini, Nassau, Freeport
- Six-day cruise to Nassau, Half Moon Cay, Freeport
Eastern Caribbean Sailings
- Eight-day cruise to Amber Cove, Grand Turk, Princess Cays
- Eight-day cruise to Half Moon Cay, Grand Turk, Amber Cove
Vacation sales through May of 2025 are now available, with additional 2025 dates and itineraries to be announced next year.
Last month, officials with the City of Norfolk and Carnival announced the cruise line was extending its service to a six-month period from May through October in 2023, offering four to 10-day voyages aboard the Carnival Magic.
However, sailings out of Norfolk will be paused in 2024 to improve terminal and infrastructure enhancements at the Half Moone Cruise and Celebration Center, in anticipation of the expanded year-round sailings in 2025.
To book a cruise, call Carnival Cruise Line at 1-800-CARNIVAL, visit www.carnival.com, or contact your travel advisor or online travel site.
