Norwegian Cruise Line to Visit Norfolk Regularly in 2027 – Cruise Industry News

Published

4 days ago

July 30, 2025

Nauticus’ Half Moone Cruise & Celebration Center in Norfolk will receive regular visits from Norwegian Cruise Line in 2027.

According to a press release, the company is set to visit the port on a weekly basis between April and August that year.

The visits will be carried out by the Norwegian Pearl, which is expected to bring approximately 49,000 additional guests to Norfolk.

Extending its year-round schedule of cruises from Philadelphia, the 2,400-guest ship will visit the Half Moone Cruise & Celebration Center as part of a series of cruises to Bermuda.

In addition to Norfolk, the seven-night itineraries also feature overnight visits to King’s Wharf.

“We’ll have the opportunity to welcome nearly 2,500 additional passengers and a thousand crew members every single Tuesday for five months,” said Nauticus Executive Director Stephen E. Kirkland.

“That activity, coupled with our Carnival sailings each weekend, represents a broadening economic impact for this entire region,” he added.

According to Nauticus, the operation highlights Norfolk’s potential as a port of call, welcoming visitors for day tours.

While in town, these guests can opt to take guided excursions or explore the region on their own, the company added.

Norfolk also serves as the homeport for the Carnival Sunshine, which embarks passengers from the Half Moone Cruise & Celebration Center on a year-round basis.

Sailing from the port, the 1996-built ship has been offering weeklong itineraries to the Bahamas and Bermuda since February 2025.

With regular departures from Carnival Cruise Line, Nauticus said it welcomed more than 180,000 passenger visits so far this year.

Other cruise lines scheduled to visit the port in 2025 and 2026 include Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, TUI Cruises, Phoenix Reisen and AIDA Cruises.

Norfolk is also scheduled to welcome upscale vessels, including calls from Regent Seven Seas, Seabourn, Azamara and Viking.

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Protesters Delay Celebrity Eclipse’s Arrival in Amsterdam – Cruise Industry News

Published

58 minutes ago

August 3, 2025

the Editor

A group of protesters delayed the arrival of the Celebrity Eclipse at the port of Amsterdam on July 27, 2025.

According to local media, approximately 35 militants from the international activist group Extinction Rebellion took part in the protest.

The rebels used boats, canoes and inflatables to try to prevent the Celebrity Cruises vessel from docking at the Dutch port, maritime news website Schuttevaer reported.

The protest lasted for about two hours and ended with five protesters arrested for assault and refusal to show identification, the website added.

Sailing from Amsterdam since April, the Celebrity Eclipse was able to dock safely at Amsterdam following the protests.

At the Dutch port, the 2,850-guest ship ended an 11-night cruise to Iceland and the British Islands before embarking on a seven-night cruise to the Norwegian Fjords.

In a social media post, Extinction Rebellion claimed to have “stopped the Celebrity Eclipse from docking at the Amsterdam Passenger Terminal.”

The activists added that the protest was aimed at “demanding strict and binding national and international environmental standards and regulations.”

“We protest with this blockade against the harmful influence of cruise ships on humans, nature and the climate,” Extinction Rebellion continued.

Calling the vessels “floating environmental disasters,” Extinction Rebellion stated that cruise ships should not be allowed in Dutch waters.

“We will continue with actions like this until this harmful tourist industry is banned from Amsterdam and the rest of the Netherlands,” the group added.

Extinction Rebellion disrupted the operation of several cruise ships in 2024, including Royal Caribbean’s Jewel of the Seas, Ambassador’s Ambition and Regent’s Seven Seas Mariner.

In addition to the port of Amsterdam, the group also protested against cruise ships in Ijmuiden and the Ijmuiden locks.

Homeported in the Netherlands through mid-August, the Celebrity Eclipse is now scheduled to return to Amsterdam on August 3, 2025.

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Avalon Highlights Seasonal Sailings for 2025 – Cruise Industry News

Published

2 hours ago

August 3, 2025

the Editor

Avalon Highlights Seasonal Sailings for 2025 Cruise Industry News

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Cruise ship christened by American actor calls into port

Published

4 hours ago

August 3, 2025

Alfie Lumb

A cruise ship carrying more than 800 people called into port this morning.

The MS Amera called into Portland Port this morning at 7.20am after leaving Bremerhaven in Germany on August 1 with around 835 passengers on board.

It will leave for its next call, Fowey in Cornwall, later today and will make its way around the rest of the country and Ireland as part of a 13-day cruise of the British Isles.

Now operated by Phoenix Reisen Cruises, the Amera was originally operated under the Royal Viking Line and launched as the Royal Viking Sun in 1988. She was christened by American actor James Stewart who appeared in 80 films between 1935 and 1991 including It’s a Wonderful Life and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.

This marks her second call to port this year, with the Amera last calling in on July 10. The Amera is also on Portland Port’s itinerary to stop again in late September.

The ship with nine decks was renovated in 2021 and boasts multiple restaurants, an outdoor pool and whirlpool dance floors, a large theatre for shows and quiet lounges.

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