NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) – The City of Norfolk started off their year-round cruises with a ribbon cutting at the newly renovated Half Moone Cruise Center Tuesday morning.

The Carnival Sunshine, which holds up to 3,700 guests, will be the first cruise of the year. Carnival said they expect to sail a total of 150,000 guests annually from Norfolk — a feat only possible due to recent renovations to help with customer flow.

This is the first time the Carnival Sunshine is embarking from Norfolk. The ship departed Tuesday on a six-day cruise to The Bahamas.

The $12 million renovation includes a new walkway to allow for more passengers to debark at one time and an improved space for customers to pick up their luggage before going through new customs checkpoints.

Due to all of the renovations, Carnival will now offer six-to-eight-day itineraries to The Bahamas, Bermuda, Canada and the Eastern Caribbean out of Norfolk.

Work will continue throughout the season, however, to continue to improve access for traffic dropping off passengers. All of the improvements are expected to bring over $19 million to the city annually, according to officials.

10 On Your Side spoke to a Carnival Cruise employee off camera, asking if they think the cruises coming in will be good. They agreed, saying it will be good for hotels, restaurants, and businesses. 

D’Egg in Downtown Norfolk agrees and is ready to go. 

“One of the first things I noticed is that we have the cruise schedule posted on the wall so that we are, you know, we know that it’s going to have an impact on our business,” said Karen Randall, a server at D’Egg. 

Randall said they want to be able to staff appropriately and take care of people that come to the restaurant. 

And other places in Downtown Norfolk, like Selden Market, are excited to see more tourists. 

The ribbon cutting took place at 10 a.m. at the Half Moone Cruise Center. Norfolk Mayor Kenneth Alexander, Nauticus Executive Director Stephen Kirkland and Carnival Vice President of Port Operations David Candib were in attendance.

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