Norfolk terminal stepped up. Nobody had any issues

[csoud68]

With embarkation or debarkation...now that I've done it I can clear things up..

 

Embarkation...if you are driving in then you have to park at cedar Grove parking lot.

 

Lot opens officially at 9:45....if u come earlier you will be turned away. 

 

The Norfolk police control lots. Carnival has zero responsibility there. The lot opened 7 min early.

 

Handicap parking is very close. 

 

The earlier you arrive the closer to the busses you will be. Porters get your bags quickly and get you on a bus.

 

Your checked bags go on a uhaul and they take those later. Just take a carryon.

 

At the port they filter you in and get you checked in. Follow appt times. We were onboard at 10:45.

 

You can be dropped off if u live local. Porters are available. 

 

Debark...self assist people were walking off at 7:15...

 

If u don't self assist you go to a location and wait until the bags in your assigned section are offloaded. They will then let u know and you just have to be patient in line...

[mz-s]

Thanks for the review, I am sailing in September and was nervous. Last year seems like it was a complete cluster. Glad to hear of the improvements made.

 

Do you know if the cedar grove lot filled up? I'll be parking but probably won't be arriving until closer to Noon on our embarkation day. I wonder if it fills where do they send the overflow guests.

[csoud68]

8 minutes ago, mz-s said:

Thanks for the review, I am sailing in September and was nervous. Last year seems like it was a complete cluster. Glad to hear of the improvements made.

 

Do you know if the cedar grove lot filled up? I'll be parking but probably won't be arriving until closer to Noon on our embarkation day. I wonder if it fills where do they send the overflow guests.

No it doesnt, its a huge lot. You will be fine. You may just have to roll your luggage from the actual car to the bus area.

 

We had a 10 am appt so we arrived very early and had to park across the street and wait until the lot opened. 

 

We parked at 9:40 and were at check in counter by 10:10...

 

 

 

 

 

 

[mz-s]

1 minute ago, csoud68 said:

No it doesnt, its a huge lot. You will be fine. You may just have to roll your luggage from the actual car to the bus area.

 

We had a 10 am appt so we arrived very early and had to park across the street and wait until the lot opened. 

 

We parked at 9:40 and were at check in counter by 10:10...

 

Awesome, thanks. We have about a 3 hour drive that morning so we like to take our time on embarkation morning and pick a later arrival appointment.

 

Do you know if they were checking/enforcing arrival appointments? I know you had an early appointment, but any idea if people with later appointments who arrived early were turned away or made to wait?

[csoud68]

People were boarded earlier than arrival time..

 

They have enough staff to handle it. The crew is from Baltimore. They don't mess about..

[pcvtmom]

I'm THRILLED to hear this!  We were on the cruise last year where it was a complete mess, and cars were vandalized. We waited on the buses from Cedar Grove for over an hour...just parked outside the port, but not allowed to get off. I was so in hopes that Norfolk would get their act together, and it sounds like they have! We want to be able to cruise from Norfolk again, since we live a few hours away. Thanks for the report.

[mz-s]

I am relieved as well, thank you for the report @csoud68

 

I was actually dreading my cruise (at least embarkation) until I read your report.

 

Charleston's embarkation process used to be horrific but they got better. I am glad to hear the same is true for Norfolk!

[seaman11]

14 hours ago, csoud68 said:

With embarkation or debarkation...now that I've done it I can clear things up..

 

Embarkation...if you are driving in then you have to park at cedar Grove parking lot.

 

Lot opens officially at 9:45....if u come earlier you will be turned away. 

 

The Norfolk police control lots. Carnival has zero responsibility there. The lot opened 7 min early.

 

Handicap parking is very close. 

 

The earlier you arrive the closer to the busses you will be. Porters get your bags quickly and get you on a bus.

 

Your checked bags go on a uhaul and they take those later. Just take a carryon.

 

At the port they filter you in and get you checked in. Follow appt times. We were onboard at 10:45.

 

You can be dropped off if u live local. Porters are available. 

 

Debark...self assist people were walking off at 7:15...

 

If u don't self assist you go to a location and wait until the bags in your assigned section are offloaded. They will then let u know and you just have to be patient in line...

Thank you . Do you know how much is parking there per day? 

[csoud68]

3 hours ago, seaman11 said:

Thank you . Do you know how much is parking there per day? 

$15

[stobe1]

Nobody at all? 

[csoud68]

1 hour ago, stobe1 said:

Nobody at all? 

I was on the ship for a week and there was zero negative talk on the process.

 

But its so good of you to point  that out!! It's people like you that hold us all accountable. I tip my 👒.

[Csoderlund]

I too am super relieved! We’re cruising to Bermuda this Sept for our 30th anniversary. Last time we sailed on the Magic out of Norfolk, it was our first cruise and our friends were trying to reassure us that this was NOT the norm because it was a Sh-show. Sailed on the Elation out of Jacksonville this past Jan and the process was smoother than Rob Thomas and Santana (song reference, some will get it 😂). Apparently that was the correct way to embark/debark. I was just remarking to my husband that I love not having to drive all that way but I was dreading doing the port again. Happy I stumbled onto this post! 

[cruisesoon]

If you are getting dropped off can you go directly to the port?  How about disembark same thing?  

[csoud68]

10 minutes ago, cruisesoon said:

If you are getting dropped off can you go directly to the port?  How about disembark same thing?  

Yes on both...depending on how busy the port traffic circle is, you may have to get dropped of across the street. but porters are there curbside to assist.

 

I will say leaving looked alot more chaotic. I saw cars backed up with nobody to picknup..that blocked traffic..be precise as possible as to when you think u will actually be our front to leave.

 

 

[mz-s]

12 minutes ago, csoud68 said:

Yes on both...depending on how busy the port traffic circle is, you may have to get dropped of across the street. but porters are there curbside to assist.

 

I will say leaving looked alot more chaotic. I saw cars backed up with nobody to picknup..that blocked traffic..be precise as possible as to when you think u will actually be our front to leave.

 

Going forward they will probably need to be pretty strict about drop offs only being at the parking lot. The area the port is at is not set up for large scale drop offs or pick ups.

 

Obviously there's not much they can do about people being dropped off a block over and walking, but that at least disperses the traffic somewhat.

 

In Charleston they strictly enforce drop offs. No stopping is allowed anywhere near the port and they don't have porters at the pier so unless you want to walk with all your luggage, you're getting dropped off at the specified area.

Edited May 21, 2023 by mz-s

[stobe1]

5 hours ago, csoud68 said:

I was on the ship for a week and there was zero negative talk on the process.

 

But its so good of you to point  that out!! It's people like you that hold us all accountable. I tip my 👒.

It was meant as a light hearted joke. Jeez. No one on here has any sense of humor. Sorry I didn't say LOL or use a smiley emoji at the end of the post.

[RiotAct]

Resurrecting this thread as we're sailing on the Magic soon.  Is the Cedar Grove parking lot (on Monticello Ave) still where they want everyone parking?  And then you have to shuttle over?

[mz-s]

2 hours ago, RiotAct said:

Resurrecting this thread as we're sailing on the Magic soon.  Is the Cedar Grove parking lot (on Monticello Ave) still where they want everyone parking?  And then you have to shuttle over?

 

https://nauticus.org/cruise-parking-directions/

[l2f]

Not to get into the checked bag size luggage being carried on debate, but wondered due to the shuttle bus to the terminal if you are required to hand over your check bag to the porters.  Or if you can still lug it (on the shuttle) if you choose.

Edited July 17, 2023 by l2f
missing info

[StephPS79]

3 hours ago, RiotAct said:

Resurrecting this thread as we're sailing on the Magic soon.  Is the Cedar Grove parking lot (on Monticello Ave) still where they want everyone parking?  And then you have to shuttle over?

Yes.

[pohlerbear]

18 hours ago, RiotAct said:

Resurrecting this thread as we're sailing on the Magic soon.  Is the Cedar Grove parking lot (on Monticello Ave) still where they want everyone parking?  And then you have to shuttle over?

We sailed Magic in the fall last year. I didn't want to mess around with the busses (we had cruised earlier in the year and there were huge lines getting back to the lots) so we parked at Dominion Towers on Waterside Drive.  I pre-purchased it and its about a ten minute walk along the water. We'd park there again if cruising in Norfolk. 

[georgiacat]

What is the procedure if you are being dropped off by a taxi, and in reverse, picked up by taxi?

[RiotAct]

Thanks all for the info!

[mz-s]

On 7/18/2023 at 10:19 AM, georgiacat said:

What is the procedure if you are being dropped off by a taxi, and in reverse, picked up by taxi?

 

According to the website I linked, all passengers are supposed to go to the parking lot to ride the shuttles. It's a traffic management thing.

 

Practically though I have heard it reported that they'll let you walk up to the Nauticus building. They just won't let a taxi stop in front of the building to drop you off. So I guess they can drop you off a block or so over and you can walk up?

[helo driver]

Last fall when we boarded, we were dropped off west of the Hilton (a block east of the cruise port entrance, easy walk). When we debarked, we turned right on exit and walked east towards waterside/townpoint park and the Uber driver was able to easily grab us. The dropoff circle was mobbed, but as already stated, a block or so away disperses the traffic and seemed to work well.