Norfolk cruises are rare!

[mz-s]

Living in the Raleigh area, Norfolk is the closest port to me by at least an hour's drive over Charleston or Baltimore. I would love to see Carnival go out of Norfolk year-round, or at least more than 2 months out of the year.

 

From a business perspective, I understand why they don't - Norfolk is sort of squeezed in between Baltimore and Charleston, both successful year-round ports. Hopefully as cruising continues to grow, Carnival will put a ship in Norfolk year-round again.

 

What do you think?

[sassy~one]

I very much agree! HAL sailed from there oohh maybe 10 years ago, and it was amazing. 11 night cruises I think we did 3 of them in apx 14 months time frame.

 

I'm from the OBX, so Norfolk is my home port.

[JinxyB]

I'm in the Raleigh-Durham area and wished they had more sailings from Norfolk! I sailed from there last year on the Splendor on a 5-day to the Bahamas and it was very convenient to drive up the morning of the cruise. I booked a guarantee cabin to keep costs down, as these sailings cost a premium. I was looking at one of the sailings from Norfolk next June and the prices are outrageous for a 5-day cruise to Freeport and Nassau!! Going on the Vista instead!!

[mz-s]

I'm in the Raleigh-Durham area and wished they had more sailings from Norfolk! I sailed from there last year on the Splendor on a 5-day to the Bahamas and it was very convenient to drive up the morning of the cruise. I booked a guarantee cabin to keep costs down, as these sailings cost a premium. I was looking at one of the sailings from Norfolk next June and the prices are outrageous for a 5-day cruise to Freeport and Nassau!! Going on the Vista instead!!

 

We typically do Charleston for 2 reasons: 1, it's cheaper as you mentioned but also 2, we choose to cruise during the off-season as we don't have kids. The Norfolk cruises in the past few years have mostly been in the summer. A few in October as well, but see point #1.

 

We drive in the morning of for a Charleston cruise, but cutting an hour off the trip to travel to Norfolk sure would be nice. 4 hours in the car, on the road before we usually get up for work, is a drag just before vacation. Beats flying though!

 

Maybe some other line will choose to utilize the Norfolk port. I hear the terminal is very nice; new, just off the highway, clean. Basically the polar opposite of the Charleston port. I wonder if the bridge for I-64 is a choke point as it is with other ports.

[13cheermom]

I'm in the Raleigh-Durham area and wished they had more sailings from Norfolk! I sailed from there last year on the Splendor on a 5-day to the Bahamas and it was very convenient to drive up the morning of the cruise. I booked a guarantee cabin to keep costs down, as these sailings cost a premium. I was looking at one of the sailings from Norfolk next June and the prices are outrageous for a 5-day cruise to Freeport and Nassau!! Going on the Vista instead!!

 

Have to agree with the higher cost and limited itineraries. Also from the RTP area and would love to drive to port for a change within 5-6 range vs the 10 to PC. However prices are ridiculous and just not interested in the itineraries available. But we can always hope for a change.:D

[mz-s]

Have to agree with the higher cost and limited itineraries. Also from the RTP area and would love to drive to port for a change within 5-6 range vs the 10 to PC. However prices are ridiculous and just not interested in the itineraries available. But we can always hope for a change.:D

 

4 hours in a car at the time is the most I can stand. Any more than that and I get so antsy and "road ugly" I can't do it anymore. We actually cancelled our Magic sailing for 2017 and switched it to Charleston because of that.

 

For the Baltimore Bermuda cruise we will probably fly honestly. From RDU to BWI it's pretty cheap and only an hour flight. Pretty much the same price as gas+parking.

[VASOXFANN]

Norfolk is the closest port to us, and we won't cruise out of there again. It was very disorganized to say the least. The cruises from there are also pricey. Admittedly, both issues are likely due to the lack of cruises going out of there.

 

We sail from Baltimore which is just the opposite. For is, it's worth the extra drive.

Edited October 4, 2016 by VASOXFANN

[JinxyB]

I found it very easy to drive into Norfolk and there was no traffic on that bridge/tunnel into the downtown area. I dont have a fast pass transponder on my car and the toll was costly for the tunnel. We parked in a garage across from the port- the building was newer and modern but very chaotic. The disembarkation was an absolute nightmare, but I would possibly sail from there again if price and itinerary are right ( which is unlikely). No way am I paying that much to go to the Bahamas though! I havent cruised from Charleston yet as I don't prefer fantasy class ships and I hear the port of Charleston is a mess?

 

We prefer ships with all the bells and whistles so we usually fly to Miami, fll, or port Canaveral. Southwest has cut back on their nonstops from RDU to FLL which has been a major bummer but I can usually score a nonstop on Delta for a reasonable price. I would like to check out a sailing from Baltimore eventually, but would probably fly there instead of drive.

Edited October 4, 2016 by JinxyB

[johnnied]

Have to agree with the higher cost and limited itineraries. Also from the RTP area and would love to drive to port for a change within 5-6 range vs the 10 to PC. However prices are ridiculous and just not interested in the itineraries available. But we can always hope for a change.:D

 

We live in Tidewater, 20 minutes from the terminal. Even with driving to Ft. Lauderdale, hotel, parking, food, it saves us HUNDREDS of DOLLARS compared to cruising out of the ORF. And they go nowhere. I would love to see some more cruises out of Norfolk, would cruise more often if they did!!

 

On a political note, when they built the terminal about 10 years ago; they touted the construction jobs, hospitality jobs, jobs, you get the picture. We had three cruise line for two years (RCL, Carnival, HAL) then it died. Now it is only Carnival, and i think only six a year. Sad. They could do New England, Canada, etc...

[NCTribeFan]

I've sailed from Norfolk three times and really like it, but others have already pointed out some of the limitations.

 

Last year, getting to the port before our sailing to Bermuda, was a traffic nightmare. The port is nice, but they absolutely failed at handling the traffic.

 

People complain about the itineraries from Baltimore and Charleston to some extent. Well, just how far do you think a ship can sail in a week and return to port? Carnival has added some longer cruises, but that really isn't their thing.

 

And, of course, prices are higher because there's no competition.

 

I would like to see regular summer sailings to Bermuda from Norfolk. I think those would be very popular.

 

I don't care about the ship. In fact, I sailed Fantasy so many nights she became one of my favorites. And I pretty much will take any opportunity to visit Charleston. The Spirit-class ships are my favorites, so it isn't that I don't like Pride (I was booked on the 1/2 Journeys sailing to Tampa but switched to a HAL cruise).

 

But I can fly to Florida and get a much more interesting itinerary at about the same cost of driving to one of the east coast ports for a dull itinerary.

[TrinaLC]

I agree that the port is a bit of a nightmare (traffic and then lines to get in).

 

Since the entrance is one story up, there is a huge choke point as everyone waits for several small elevators.

 

It is really key to get there early.

 

We solved the problem by moving from VA to the Charleston area! :)

[wendynat]

I wish they would at least schedule the sailings for times when local schools are not in session - October and early/mid June, we're still in school here locally. Keeps teachers and those with kids from being able to use the local port.

 

A few summer cruises to Bermuda would sell very well!

[VASOXFANN]

I agree that the port is a bit of a nightmare (traffic and then lines to get in).

 

Since the entrance is one story up, there is a huge choke point as everyone waits for several small elevators.

 

It is really key to get there early.

 

We solved the problem by moving from VA to the Charleston area! :)

 

They also allow people to cut the line by going up the stairs. :mad: This happened frequently despite numerous complaints by people in line. :mad: Ugh! Never again!

[jbhcw]

Have sailed twice out of Norfolk...on Hal and Carnival....both times snagged good prices...booked really early on the Splendor to Bermuda..but usually when I check Norfolk sailings ....it's 5 days to the Bahamas and prices are high...for that prefer Charleston any day. We have also driven...with friends to Baltimore day of cruise...love the Spirit class ships as well as the Fantasy class...but wish Hal would cruise out of Baltimore...Norfolk or ever PC...they did many years ago..