US-based cruise line Carnival Cruise Line has signed a five-year agreement with the City of Norfolk, Virginia, to operate seasonal cruises from the Half Moone Cruise Center through 2025.
As part of the deal, the City of Norfolk has agreed to make investments at the Half Moone Cruise Center to accommodate larger vessels and provide an enhanced passenger experience.
The investments include a new boarding bridge that will streamline the embarkation and debarkation process and a host of other improvements.
It was also announced that 130,000-ton Carnival Magic will become the largest cruise ship to ever sail from Norfolk when it launches a series of 12 cruises from the port in 2021 that will carry nearly 50,000 guests.
“Norfolk has been a valued partner for nearly 20 years, and we’re delighted to expand upon this relationship with this five-year contract that will bring exciting new choices from the Half Moone Cruise Center,” Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line, commented.
“This commitment strengthens that partnership and solidifies Norfolk’s position as a true Mid-Atlantic cruise port,” Norfolk Mayor Kenneth Alexander said.
As informed, Carnival Magic’s 2021 schedule from Norfolk will offer passengers options ranging from short getaways to the Bahamas and Bermuda to longer length voyages to the Caribbean.
Prior to the start-up of its Norfolk schedule in 2021, Carnival Magic will offer a series of sailings in the Mediterranean and undergo a two-week dry dock in Cadiz, Spain, before repositioning to the U.S.