NORFOLK, Va. — For the second time in five days, a cruise ship diverted from Baltimore because of the March 26 bridge collapse docked in Norfolk Thursday morning.
Buses lined up outside Norfolk’s Half Moone Bay cruise terminal, waiting to take thousands of passengers debarking Royal Caribbean's Vision of the Seas back to Baltimore.
Around 8 a.m. Thursday, passengers began to disembark.
Those News 3 spoke to didn't seem to mind arriving in Norfolk instead of Baltimore.
“We just had to make some travel arrangement changes," Donna Bardin said.
“It wasn’t too surprising since we knew we’d get re-routed somewhere," Maria Posey said.
On March 31, Carnival’s Legend docked at the terminal.
News
Carnival Legend docks in Norfolk after Baltimore bridge collapse forces reroute
It dropped off and picked up thousands of passengers.
Like the Royal Caribbean passengers, those getting off were offered a complimentary coach bus ride back to Baltimore.
“We’re actually getting picked up," Posey said, heading to the car that would take them back to their destination in Burk, Virginia. "Norfolk seemed as good a place as any. It’s actually not too far from home, so it’s quite alright.”
“It took about 48 hours until things were finalized," Bardin's husband, Dennis, said about the ship adjusting to being diverted from Baltimore. "Unfortunately, the way things go there was a lot of speculation and then the rumors start. ‘Well, we’re going to do this, we’re going to do that.’ In the end, everything was great.”
The ship wasn't just dropping off passengers. It was also picking up the next group of cruisers.
Heather Daly is among that group. She lives in West Virginia and drove into Norfolk Wednesday night to stay in a hotel ahead of the cruise.
She said the last-minute changes were stressful, but she never thought about canceling. She is traveling with her son who has autism and says the cruise offers a program that helps people traveling with someone with autism.
“I also used to own a company where I traveled the country working the comic con circuit, so I’m used to booking parking and booking hotels," Daly said. "Before Royal even announced which port they were going to go out of, there was a possibility of Jersey or Norfolk. As soon as the bridge got hit, I booked hotels and parking in both."
Dawn Strickler was another passenger sailing out on the Vision of the Seas Thursday afternoon.
She lives in Maryland. She and her friend she's cruising with planned to drive down to Norfolk on Thursday morning. She also never considered canceling.
"I’m going for my birthday and I’ve had a rough couple years dealing with my daughter and I really need this cruise," Strickler said.
As of Thursday, the Vision of the Seas was scheduled to return on April 12.
The Legend was scheduled to be back again on April 7.
Bringing the ships in on such short notice is easier said than done, especially with preparations underway at the cruise terminal for a major renovation scheduled to start in May.
“This is a community effort," Stephen Kirkland, executive director of Nauticus, said ahead of the Legend's arrival on March 31. "Customs and Border Protection, our stevedore services locally, the entire maritime industry has come together to pull this off."
Nauticus operates the Half Moone cruise terminal.
“For us, it’s just a minor inconvenience," said one passenger after getting off the Legend on March 31. "We’ll get home at some point."
With the new ships diverting to Norfolk temporarily, a lot of people are wondering if and how they can get on one of the cruises if any original passengers cancel due to the port change.
Norfolk
Royal Caribbean cruises rerouted from Baltimore to Norfolk
"There's a lot of misinformation out there," Chesapeake travel advisor Kim Keizer told News 3 in an interview on March 29.
Keizer said people will have to go online and get on a waitlist.
She emphasizes, though, that the ships could return to Baltimore at any time and may only notify you 24 hours in advance if you get a spot.
