NORFOLK, Va. — Norfolk marked a record-breaking cruise season in 2025, welcoming nearly 340,000 unique passenger visits. This exceeded expectations due to weekly sailings from the Carnival Sunshine.
Since February 11, Nauticus has hosted the Carnival Sunshine, a 103,000-ton ship, every week, managing the embarkation and debarkation of roughly 7,000 passengers per cruise. By year’s end, the terminal handled 338,959 unique passenger visits, topping initial projections by almost 40,000.
In total, Nauticus facilitated 47 calls from Carnival Cruise Line and welcomed an additional 15 port-of-call visits from other major cruise lines. Nearly 100,000 crew members also visited the city, adding to the significant economic impact on the Hampton Roads region.
Earlier this fall, officials announced that the Carnival Freedom will replace the Carnival Sunshine for weekly sailings starting in 2027. That same year, Norwegian Cruise Line, the world’s third-largest cruise company, will bring 20 port-of-call visits to Norfolk, introducing about 49,000 additional passengers to the city.
The Carnival Sunshine is set to return for 2026 sailings with an arrival on Sunday, January 4.
