Ever departed Norfolk VA? Short questionnaire

[celyvabeach]

We sailed to the S. Caribbean from Norfolk on HAL Maasdam in 2006. It was a great itinerary except it had 2 sea days each going @ back. I hate sea days but the hubs love it. What can I say? This was before they built the Half Moone Cruise Terminal.

 

In 2010 we sailed to Bermuda on RCL Enchantment OTS before it went to Baltimore. I heard embarkation was bad but because we were on a Junior Suite we had priority embark.

 

We will be cruising again to the Bahamas in May 2015 just because it's out of Norfolk and won't be flying this time. It's not our ideal itinerary but hey we are on a cruise. It will be a nice break ,no cooking for 5 days!

 

Re: old ships. Yes the usually assign old ships to not popular cruise ports. But I have sailed on old ships on several of our cruises ie: Celebrity Constellation to Holy Land; RCL Splendour OTS to Greek Isles; and recently to SE Asia on Celebrity Millennium. These are old & smaller ships. No complaints. Enjoyed all my cruises.

 

Re: Norfolk traffic. Yes it's horrible but that's a fact of life in this city. Hope it doesn't pour rain or you will need a canoe to the terminal.

[14Terry]

We've cruised out of Norfolk twice ( Bermuda & E Caribbean). Both were fantastic cruises! We always park in the parking garage directly across the street from the cruise terminal so parking is never an issue. If/when RCI ever returns to Norfolk I am 100% certain we'll cruise from there!

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[judatt]

We have not cruised from Norfolk but our daughter and son-in-law have. We all live in the Richmond area so we drove them over and dropped them off right at the port and when they returned we drove over and picked them up. We parked in the garage that is right there near the port and went over to stand on the corner to meet them.

 

I think they had a nice time and don't recall their talking about any big issues. My daughter is on these boards frequently so maybe she'll chime in sometime. She's currently on an overseas trip for her work so it may be a few days.

[richardb]

 

1. How many times have you cruised Royal Caribbean out of Norfolk?

Once

 

2. Did you cruise Royal Caribbean out of other departure ports while Norfolk was still serving RCCL?

yes

 

3. If you answered yes to question 2, pls give a brief explanation why.

We sail whatever itinerary meets our needs regardless of price or port. Dropped our DIL and GS in Baltimore to spend a week with their husband/father, while we (Mimi and Pop pop) cruised. :D

 

4. Did you have any concerns or were you dissatisfied with any element about cruising out of Norfolk?

Thought the drop off and pickup point was awfully small and crowded for a ship that size. However, we utilized a cruise & park motel, so didn't have to drive downtown Norfolk or pay to park.

 

5. Under what circumstances would you cruise Royal Caribbean out of Norfolk again?

 

Itinerary and price.

 

 

 

We aren't concerned about "older ships" as Royal does a great job of maintaining them. We actually prefer the smaller ships to the newest/biggest/bestest. If I want to do bumper cars, I'll take the family to an amusement park, not on a cruise.

Edited June 22, 2014 by richardb

[lovelife]

I sailed on Enchantment out of Norfolk during the 16 years I lived in VA Beach. Not a desirable ship but we did try it once. Now that we have retired close to the port of Baltimore, still no desirable ship to sail. :(

[celyvabeach]

If you've ever cruised out of Norfolk, VA on Royal Caribbean or if you wanted to but didn't, please take a moment & reply to a few short questions. I have a burning desire to figure this out! (Background information follows)

 

1. How many times have you cruised Royal Caribbean out of Norfolk?

Once on Enchantment of the Seas to Bermuda.

 

2. Did you cruise Royal Caribbean out of other departure ports while Norfolk was still serving RCCL?

Yes

 

3. If you answered yes to question 2, pls give a brief explanation why.

We did a Med cruise on Voyager of the Seas out of Barcelona, Spain.

 

4. Did you have any concerns or were you dissatisfied with any element about cruising out of Norfolk?

The drop off section of the terminal is really small & crowded but not a big deal.We are locals & live 20 mins away.

Either we take a cab or let our son drop us off if he's available.

 

5. Under what circumstances would you cruise Royal Caribbean out of Norfolk again?

With the right itinerary & price I would love to cruise out of Norfolk again.

Edited June 22, 2014 by celyvabeach