For all of the cruising fans out there, there is good news to report! There are new and exciting itineraries coming to our very own hometown cruise port! That’s right, the number of departures sailing from our own Half Moone Cruise Center, located next to Nauticus on the waterfront in Norfolk, will be increasing in 2019. And there are even more departures scheduled in 2020!
It seems we have always struggled to have a good selection of cruise departures locally. Most years in the past we have had five or six night sailings that call on Freeport and Nassau in the Bahamas. We have also been able to cruise to Bermuda from Norfolk in the past. But unfortunately there have been years when we had no service at all. The convenience of being able to simply drive to your departure point is very appealing to many who have time restraints or prefer to avoid airfare. The need to leave a day ahead of the cruise and incur an extra night in a hotel is also a consideration.
As we all know, the unexpected can happen with a canceled flight due to weather or mechanical issues which can prevent your arrival on time at your destination. And if you are meeting a cruise departure, a delayed flight on the day of your departure can mean you have literally “missed the ship” and a perfectly wonderful and exciting vacation is ruined.
Our Port of Norfolk will offer five-night sailings to the Bahamas this spring and also a new seven-night itinerary. The seven-night itinerary, which departs the end of April, added two new destinations from Norfolk. Along with Freeport, the ship will call on Grand Turk and Half Moon Cay. It has turned out to be a very popular itinerary, so if you hurry you may be able to snag a last minute cabin before she sails!
The fall of 2019 will feature six-night sailings to the Bahamas and Half Moon Cay. The spring of 2020 also will offer five- and six-night Bahamas sailings.
The really exciting change in itineraries comes in the fall of 2020. There will be the usual five and six night cruises to the Bahamas. There will also be two seven-night sailings in October, creating excitement for the Port of Norfolk. Along with calling in the Bahamas, for the first time we will depart a ship out of our hometown port that will call on Havana, Cuba. The sailings are rapidly filling even this far in advance.
The decisions for the various cruise lines to sail out of Norfolk require years of planning. Speaking for the other local travel professionals, we are constantly vying for additional service out of our local cruise port. Whether reps are calling on our individual offices or we are attending functions in other locations, the request for more local departures is a hot topic.
When planning your next vacation, consider cruising from your hometown port! Call your local travel professional and get your plans under way!
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