Carnival Sunshine returns to service with inaugural Norfolk departure

Friday, Feb 14, 2025 0

Carnival Cruise Line ship Carnival Sunshine has returned to service following a month-long drydock.

The 3,700-guest ship sailed from Norfolk, Virginia, on February 11 for a six-day cruise to the Bahamas, calling at Freeport and Bimini, following a ceremony attended by Carnival Cruise Line vice president of port operations David Candib, Norfolk Mayor Kenneth Alexander and Stephen Kirkland, executive director at Nauticus, a maritime discovery centre located in Norfolk.

The departure represents the ship’s first from the port and the start of Carnival’s year-round cruising from Norfolk, which will see up to 150,000 guests sail from the port annually.

Carnival Sunshine’s drydock included technical maintenance, along with updates to public areas and staterooms. The ship features a three-level Serenity adult-only retreat as well as food and beverage options such as Guy’s Burger Joint, Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse, the RedFrog Pub, Havana Bar and the Alchemy Bar.

As part of its year-round deployment, Carnival Sunshine will visit destinations in the Bahamas, Bermuda and Eastern Caribbean. From September 2025, it will sail to Celebration Key, Carnival’s new exclusive destination on Grand Bahama.

Carnival Cruise Line vice president of port operations David Candib said: “Carnival’s 23-year partnership with the City of Norfolk and Nauticus has been a great success, and we’re honoured to build on our relationship by making Norfolk the newest year-round cruise port on the east coast. Year-round cruises mean more options for fun adventures and unforgettable holidays for our loyal guests as well as more tourism and economic impact for the Norfolk community both before and after each cruise.”