NORFOLK, Va. - It was the largest passenger commitment in Norfolk history, and this week, it all comes to a close.
Carnival Magic made one of the year's final stops in the Mermaid City on Sunday, moving some of the last of the 250,000 passengers that came through in 2023.
After a potential $25 million economic impact, the commitment is only getting bigger with year-round cruises beginning in 2025.
”For years and years to come, we will be a homeport destination on the East Coast and it’s great for Nauticus, it’s great for Norfolk, it’s great for Hampton Roads," said Stephen Kirkland, Executive Director of Nauticus, which oversees the Half Moone Celebration and Cruise Center that serves as a docking station for large ships, like the Magic.
According to this year's cruise schedule, when the ship returns Saturday, that will be it for the year and Kirkland says for 2024 as well.
That's because starting in the spring, Nauticus will begin work renovating Half Moone, meaning it'll be out of service for the largest ships.
“It’s really three main projects. Inside, we’re really looking to expedite that debarkation process. There will be a ramp system that’ll get you from the second floor to the first floor," he told News 3 over the weekend. "Inside, we’ll also do some seating for embarkation passengers.”
The third project, Kirkland says, will focus on the traffic loop out front that gets easily congested when ships come in.
“I’ve got a meeting with [Carnival] on Wednesday to sort of talk about some of these things to get down to the meat of this. They’re excited about Norfolk," he said.
Though Carnival ships won't be pulling in and out of the Half Moone center next year, Kirkland says the plan is for other ships to dock at the adjacent pier in 2024.
Several other cruiseliners, like Mein Schiff 6 and American Independence, are expected to dock in Norfolk through the end of 2023.
