Posted: June 18, 2010

By Danielle Walker

danielle.walker@insidebiz.com

While Norfolk still holds hope for new cruise line bookings to offset the loss of cruise giant Royal Caribbean, the recovery process appears slowgoing.

With passenger counts and ship departures on the decline, Norfolk's cruise business may have a rough patch ahead before times improve.

"Our season in Norfolk was limited to seven sailings last year," said Harrison Liu, spokesman for Royal Caribbean cruise lines.

In 2009, the sailings were made by cruise ship Grandeur of the Seas.

The Enchantment of the Seas ship, which will not be returning next year, also had seven sailings for 2010.

Liu said the decision was one that reflects demand, rather than performance.

"Our ships generally sail at capacity - it is definitely not the case that ships sailed at lower capacity," said Liu regarding the Enchantment of the Seas cruise ship, which will sail only from Baltimore rather than both cities.

Liu said the Baltimore area was a higher-demand locale for Royal Caribbean.

"We'll be able to maintain a year-round program," he said.

The last Royal Caribbean cruise from Norfolk set sail on June 12.

For the past two years, Royal Caribbean ships all sailed within a two-month window: May and June.

In 2008, Royal Caribbean made 13 sailings from Norfolk, but the number was cut to seven sailings for both 2009 and 2010.

In addition, passenger counts for this year at Norfolk's Half Moone Cruise and Celebration Center were under the expected mark, at 61,000 passengers, when they had originally been pegged at 71,000.

Only 40,000 passengers are anticipated for 2011.

As for the national trend in the cruise industry, traveler spending has declined.

Cruise lines continue to build new ships, but with bigger and better package deals.

Earlier this month, Stephen Kirkland, Norfolk's cruise operations manager, said some "encouraging discussions with three or four cruise lines" were occurring, but he did not reveal line names since plans are still in talks.

"[For] next year, there's a lot of cruise lines that haven't finalized their itinerary," Kirkland said. "Chances are, it will be a lighter year than last year."

Liu, from Royal Caribbean, said the cruise company's exit from the Norfolk lineup, was a change that could prove fleeting - like many moves that occur in the industry.

"We definitely look forward to returning to Norfolk in the future," he said.

Royal Caribbean has yet to set a definite time frame for the said return.