Norfolk is officially launching year-round cruising, with Carnival Sunshine. The 3,700-passenger ship set sail on its first weekly cruise from the Half Moone Cruise Center, with year-round cruises from the Mermaid City.
City officials including Mayor Kenneth Cooper Alexander and Nauticus Executive Director Stephen Kirkland—celebrated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Norfolk is now a permanent homeport, expecting around 150,000 cruise passengers each year.

“This is a huge moment for Cruise Norfolk,” officials shared. “We’re so excited to have Carnival Sunshine here and can’t thank Carnival Cruise Line enough for making Norfolk its home.”

The ship will be taking guests to The Bahamas, Bermuda, and the Eastern Caribbean. Starting September, guests will visit Celebration Key, a brand-new private island experience.

After a major makeover, Carnival Sunshine is looking better than ever. The ship now features an upgraded water park, a revamped rope course, fresh mini golf, a new jogging track, and synthetic flooring on all open decks. The gym got a boost with new cardio machines, and all guest cabins now have motion-activated lighting. The casino also got an upgrade, including a new host desk on the promenade deck.

Carnival says these changes, along with routine dry dock maintenance, have left Sunshine looking absolutely stunning.

Photo credit: John Heald