Norfolk, VA – Norfolk’s Half Moone Cruise & Celebration Center, operated by Nauticus, announced an expanded slate of cruise ship port calls from the world’s fourth-largest cruise company, Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL). In 2027, the 2,400-passenger Norwegian Pearl is scheduled to call on Norfolk each week from April to August. These newly-added visits – 20 in total – represent one of the largest port-of-call commitments in Norfolk’s history and will introduce approximately 49,000 additional cruise ship passengers to the Hampton Roads region. Unlike Carnival Cruise Line’s year-round calls in which passengers set sail for the Bahamas or Bermuda, NCL’s 2027 port-of-call activity positions Norfolk as an itinerary stop. While in town passengers can opt to take guided excursions or explore the region on their own.
“We’ll have the opportunity to welcome nearly 2,500 additional passengers and a thousand crew members every single Tuesday for five months,” said Nauticus executive director, Stephen E. Kirkland. “That activity, coupled with our Carnival sailings each weekend, represents a broadening economic impact for this entire region.”
In February, the Carnival Sunshine began sailing weekly from Norfolk’s cruise terminal; Nauticus has welcomed more than 180,000 unique passenger visits so far this year. Other cruise lines scheduled to visit in 2025 and 2026 include Holland America, Princess, TUI Cruises, AIDA Cruises, Azamara, Seabourn, and Viking.