Norfolk Launches Year-Round Cruises with Carnival Sunshine

Norfolk has officially become a year-round cruise homeport, welcoming the Carnival Sunshine as its first permanent vessel. The 3,700-passenger ship set off on its inaugural weekly cruise from the Half Moone Cruise Center, marking a new era for cruising in the Mermaid City.

City officials, including Mayor Kenneth Cooper Alexander and Nauticus Executive Director Stephen Kirkland, commemorated the milestone with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Norfolk now anticipates hosting approximately 150,000 cruise passengers annually.

“This is a huge moment for Cruise Norfolk,” officials stated. “We’re so excited to have Carnival Sunshine here and can’t thank Carnival Cruise Line enough for making Norfolk its home.”

The ship’s itinerary includes voyages to The Bahamas, Bermuda, and the Eastern Caribbean. Beginning in September, passengers will also have the opportunity to visit Celebration Key, a brand-new private island destination.

Following an extensive renovation, Carnival Sunshine has received significant enhancements, including an upgraded water park, a redesigned ropes course, refreshed mini golf, a new jogging track, and synthetic flooring on all open decks.

The fitness center has been outfitted with new cardio equipment, while all guest cabins now feature motion-activated lighting. The casino has also been revamped, featuring a new host desk on the promenade deck.

According to Carnival Cruise Line, these upgrades, alongside routine dry dock maintenance, have made Sunshine more impressive than ever.