Norwegian Cruise Line Adding New Visits to Norfolk, Virginia
Key Aspects:
Norwegian Pearl will visit Norfolk, Virginia, as a port of call on 20 cruises from April through August 2027.
The port visit will be part of Bermuda itineraries, but offers a rare extra port for guests to enjoy.
Growing interest in Norfolk ensures more opportunities for eager guests as the cruise port completes updates.
Guests setting sail on Norwegian Pearl during the summer of 2027 will enjoy a unique port visit to Norfolk, Virginia on nearly every one of the ship’s 7-night sailings.
The brand new itinerary offering will homeport from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for 7-night cruises to Bermuda, with visits to Norfolk as part of the schedule for 20 departures between April and August.
This will give guests the unusual opportunity to enjoy some southern hospitality and charm in the Hampton Roads region, something not too many cruise itineraries offer.
Furthermore, the new sailings will bring great economic opportunities to Norfolk, with both guests and crew taking advantage of the stop.
“We’ll have the opportunity to welcome nearly 2,500 additional passengers and a thousand crew members every single Tuesday for five months,” said Stephen E. Kirkland, executive director of Nauticus, which operates the Half Moone Cruise & Celebration Center.
“That activity, coupled with our Carnival sailings each weekend, represents a broadening economic impact for this entire region.”
Carnival Cruise Line’s sailings, however, are year-round homeport operations with Carnival Sunshine. The ship offers a diverse selection of 4- to 8-night sailings to Bermuda, the Bahamas, Canada, and the Eastern Caribbean, depending on departure date.
While some guests travel to a homeport a day or two before setting sail and will therefore have hotel rooms and use restaurants, day visits at a port of call can have a more wide-ranging impact with sightseeing tours, restaurants, retail purchases, and more.
The 93,520-gross ton, Jewel-class Norwegian Pearl can welcome 2,394 guests per sailing. Together, the new itineraries will bring approximately 49,000 cruise guests to Norfolk during the summer 2027 season.
Growing Interest in Norfolk
Norfolk is uniquely positioned as a convenient port visit for ships from both northeastern homeports as well as a destination for ships from Florida, depending on overall itinerary options.
Read Also: Norwegian Cruise Ships by Age – Newest to Oldest
These new visits coming from Norwegian Pearl are one of the largest port visit commitments in Norfolk’s history, demonstrating the growing interest in the destination.
In addition to Norwegian Cruise Line and Carnival Cruise Line, numerous other cruise lines also visit Norfolk, at least on occasion.
This includes Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, TUI Cruises, Viking Voyages, AIDA Cruises, and more.
The port is often part of repositioning sailings. For example, Majestic Princess will visit Norfolk on October 30, 2025 as the last port of her 14-night sailing from Quebec City at the end of the autumn foliage sailing as the ship repositions to Fort Lauderdale for winter in the Caribbean.
Uniquely positioned 720 miles northwest of Bermuda, the city is also an occasional part of more leisurely Bermuda cruises. In March 2026, Oceania Allura will visit Norfolk as part of a 14-night “Balmy Bermuda” sailing roundtrip from Miami.
In spring 2024, Norfolk played a key role in keeping cruises sailing following the tragic collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge and the closure of the Port of Baltimore.
At that time, Norfolk assumed homeport operations for Carnival Legend and Carnival Pride as well as Royal Caribbean’s Vision of the Seas for several weeks.
With cruise traffic growing, the Half Moone Cruise & Celebration Center began a $12 million upgrade in January 2025. The two-phase project includes terminal and walkway upgrades, a bus loading zone, and more.
As more visits to Norfolk are planned, undoubtedly interest will continue to increase to add the destination to more varied itineraries and hopefully additional homeport operations. This will give eager cruisers yet another great option for their oceangoing vacation plans.
Norwegian Cruise Line Adding New Visits to Norfolk, Virginia