Norfolk Nightmares??

[kicker]

Cruising from Norfolk on June 3rd. I've been reading comments from Norfolk cruisers, and things seem really screwed up there: long traffic lines, delays getting on board, parking problems (including charging higher rates than previously posted).

 

Is this "Opening Day" jitters? Will the process improve by June 3rd? It seems the few cruises that have left from Norfolk thus far have all left late because of port problems.

 

Anyone with any recent positive experiences?

[NCTribeFan]

Well, I don't know if you consider last October "recent" (probably not), but there was zero problem then. No problem finding the parking, getting the shuttle, going through security, checking in.

 

It was extremely easy.

 

Yes, we left a few minutes late, but I'm not sure any ship I've been on has left exactly on time.

 

Booked WAY early to go on the only Glory sailing to Bermuda because it is from Norfolk. Could drive up to Baltimore and get an extra day on a ship I want to sail, but driving to Norfolk and sailing from there was just so easy that I chose to book that instead.

[2Cruise4Ever]

Sometimes there are lines, but still orderly in fashion. Getting from the parking lot is very easy: buses are standing by. Norfolk is one of the easiest ports we've ever sailed from!

[dmdicato]

We cruised from the Norfolk port last August, even parked at the port for 6 days, without any problems.

[kicker]

... last year seemed fine; this year seems to be a mess so far! The only things I've heard for RCCL cruises have been very negative. In their defense, its only 3 or 4 comments from one or two cruises, but I haven't read anything positive yet.

[nurseingu]

Cruising from Norfolk on June 3rd. I've been reading comments from Norfolk cruisers, and things seem really screwed up there: long traffic lines, delays getting on board, parking problems (including charging higher rates than previously posted).

 

Is this "Opening Day" jitters? Will the process improve by June 3rd? It seems the few cruises that have left from Norfolk thus far have all left late because of port problems.

 

Anyone with any recent positive experiences?

 

 

We cruised from Norfolk last year May 30 on the Carnival Triumph to the Bahamas. Everything could not have been more smooth. We left Richmond at 11AM. Was at the parking lot by 130PM. Came straight down 64. Hardly any traffic. the attendants at the parking lot took our luggage upon arrival . We didn't touch our luggage until 15 minutes after arriving to our room. They even took it out of the trunk of the car. Boarding time was 4PM. We were in our room by 2303pm. Hardly any lines at the time we checked in. Nice drive and didn't have to worry about flights to the pier. I'm sure if you leave early and allow for the unexpected you will ne just fine and have a ball.

[nurseingu]

Oh. Forgot to mention we will be leaving out of Norfolk again on the Carnival Glory on May 30 to the Bahamas again!!!!

[snowshh]

Just returned from the Bahamas aboard RCI, Enchantment of the Seas out of Norfolk, VA. We were able to drive the 1 1/2 hr. drive so it was great. Our first time out of Norfolk. We chose to park in the West Plume St. Parking Lot rather than the one the cruise line suggests. it's just across the street from the ship and costs $12.00 per day rather than Cedar Grove Lot which is $15.00 per day I am told. We were on the ship by 11:30 ish and having lunch by noon. Friends recently returned from Norfolk cruise and parked at Cedar Grove. Their car was stolen, 2 children's seats stolen, GPS, CD Player, DVD Player all stolen. Drove the car and wrecked it , but then drove until they ran out of gas! There are several parking lots in the area you can choose from, but West Plume is the closest....and you're parking inside. For a 5 night cruise, parking costs us $60.00. Everything went very smooth for us. I know this is late for the June 3rd questions, but perhaps it will be helpful for the last RCI cruise out of Norfolk on June 17th (I believe that's the last for RCI).

[cherishrwil]

Just returned from the Bahamas aboard RCI, Enchantment of the Seas out of Norfolk, VA. We were able to drive the 1 1/2 hr. drive so it was great. Our first time out of Norfolk. We chose to park in the West Plume St. Parking Lot rather than the one the cruise line suggests. it's just across the street from the ship and costs $12.00 per day rather than Cedar Grove Lot which is $15.00 per day I am told. We were on the ship by 11:30 ish and having lunch by noon. Friends recently returned from Norfolk cruise and parked at Cedar Grove. Their car was stolen, 2 children's seats stolen, GPS, CD Player, DVD Player all stolen. Drove the car and wrecked it , but then drove until they ran out of gas! There are several parking lots in the area you can choose from, but West Plume is the closest....and you're parking inside. For a 5 night cruise, parking costs us $60.00. Everything went very smooth for us. I know this is late for the June 3rd questions, but perhaps it will be helpful for the last RCI cruise out of Norfolk on June 17th (I believe that's the last for RCI).

 

 

Is the West Plume St. and Towne Point garage for overnight parking? I don't want to get towed or ticketed if you can park there overnight. I don't think we want to park our car in the Cedar Grove parking lot now though after your story!

[WiseSky]

Try this

http://norfolk.gov/parking/Garage_West_Plume_Street.asp

[CocoaMom]

We're looking at May 2011 from Norfolk and am wondering if it's generally rough seas leaving Norfolk until you get a lot further south? Never sailed from Norfolk before as our past caribbean / bahamas cruises began in calm Florida waters.

[cherishrwil]

Try this

http://norfolk.gov/parking/Garage_West_Plume_Street.asp

 

 

Thanks, I did look at this before but I didn't see anything about overnight rates so I guess I will just call and ask.

[WiseSky]

CocoaMom, we've sailed out of Norfolk several times and always smooth sailing.

[Capt_BJ]

Sometimes the delay you see is not the port but how the line does things. A terminal may be used by different lines on different days. In Port Canav DISNEY has an exclusive terminal, but there are other terminals that are used by different lines on different days. This is the Miami way too . . . some exclusive and most shared.

 

I've sailed from Port Canaveral many times and always had a good experience until my recent, FIRST, Port Canaveral experience on Royal Carib'

 

The last time I stood in a line that long was waiting to get on Space Mountain at WDW ... over an hour.

 

In my 30 plus cruises it was the worst boarding experience, hands down - no contest. They just did not have enough people to process the passengers and filling out forms b4hand seemed to confuse them more than help.

 

Two ships can use the same terminal and one line can do it well and one line can, well . . do it.

 

Norfolk has one small terminal and every line visiting uses that one terminal. They bring in their people, load the ship and away they go. The Norfolk terminal is SMACK downtown.. for parking you use the cruise line lots which are "far" from the terminal and served by shuttle buses OR you can pay for multi-day parking in the lots the downtown NORFOLK workforce uses ($$).

 

My basis for comment? My last office looked out at the dry docks of BAE/Norfolk shipyards where many cruise ships are hauled out .... and Nauticus, the Maritime Museum where the terminal is . . . I walked by most days on my lunch break