NORFOLK, Va. - The City of Norfolk and Carnival Cruise Line made a big announcement Monday. Carnival is expanding its services in Norfolk starting in May 2023.
Carnival is the world's largest cruise line.
The Executive Director of Nauticus, Stephen Kirkland, said this is a celebration of what the community brings, in terms of tourism. "This is truly a regional win. There are guests coming to Virginia, and we could not be prouder to roll out the red carpet," he said. Kirkland added that City Manager Chip Filer helped make this happen.
Mayor Kenneth Alexander spoke at the event, stating that Norfolk is committed to the travel industry. He says they expect a record of 240,000 passengers.
Starting in May of 2023, Carnival's Magic will sail to and from Norfolk from May through October. Last year, it was only the two months of May and October. In 2025, it will provide year-round service from the largest cruise line in Norfolk.
Chris Chiames, Chief Communications Officer for Carnival Cruise Line explained, "We’re in a period of rapid growth. We’re taking five new ships over the next 18 months, and so as we look at our network, our homeports, this was obviously a place we had an opportunity to grow."
This comes as New York changes out the Magic for a new ship, Venezia which can carry 5,260 passengers. Also, Carnival recently announced it will be ending service in Charleston.
Carnival says it will work with Norfolk City leaders about necessary terminal improvements to support the expansion of operations. The company has been sailing from Norfolk since 2002. Carnival Magic accommodates up to 4,724 guests, according to the cruise line.
For more information on available cruises, click here.
Watch the full press conference below:
