This is what killed Norfolk's cruise business

The head tax.

The dockage.

The water fees.

Other miscellaneous hook up fees.

And the parking fees.

This is what killed the business. Not the EPA regulations, as Carnival spokesman Vance Gullickson implied.

Gulliksen said Carnival is moving the Glory out of Norfolk to Miami because new rules require cruise lines to reduce the amount of sulfur that their fuel burns, he said.

Bunkum.

"Itinerary operating costs including fuel costs are a factor in our deployment decisions. The 2015 North America Emission Control Area requirements would significantly impact our fuel costs for operating cruises from Norfolk and many other ports around North America."

A red herring.

In other words, it’s not precisely about ship emissions. It’s about the cost of steaming two hours into and out of Norfolk. EPA regulations are the same everywhere.

The real reason: operating costs, including fuel costs.

It takes a ship two hours to steam from a point in the Chesapeake Bay to Norfolk. To get here, every ship must hire a pilot to guide the ship into port, and the Virginia Pilot Association’s piloting rates are based on a formula.

Carnival challenged the Association’s formula several years ago, complaining that their fees were too high and threatened to send their ships to other ports.

The pilot’s balked at the suggestion, defending its right to charge the expensive fees because that’s how they always charged shipping lines. 

Carnival took the Association to court and won. The law firm of +Vandeventer Black LP represented the Association. 

Which means. 
That Norfolk is too expensive a call for the amount of passengers Carnival can attract here for their cruises to break even and to make a profit.

Don’t listen to city staff for explanations. They are paid to be optimistic and to protect the city’s positive and spotless image. 
So if you want the real scoop, contact these people. 

Call +Tom Host, vice president of +T. Parker Host Inc., the shipping agent that pushed to have a cruise terminal in the first place. 627-8761

Host represents Carnival and some of the other shipping lines that once docked in Norfolk.

Call Alan +Boring at +Norfolk’s Development Department. 664-4338. Boring can tell you the history of the original study that supported a cruise terminal.

Call +George Brown at +Ports America, formerly CP&O, a stevedoring company, which unloaded and loaded the luggage to and from the ships.  640.2580

But give Norfolk Vice Mayor +Anthony Burfoot credit. At least he spoke. And he was dead on target.
Most politicians are quick to sound off with serendipitous soundbites when the going's good.  But you can't find them when their pet project dissolves into a dismal failure.
 Butfoot said the $37.1 million +Half Moon Cruise and Celebration Center was sold to the public as a cruise terminal. Not as a “celebration” center.He is right. It was, to much fanfare.

But his suggestion that the region should promote and market the cruise terminal will never fly.

That’s like asking Norfolk to underwrite the $18 million corporate welfare check for +Bruce Thompson for the renovation of the Cavalier Hotel.  

How can we expect to cooperate about the cruise terminal when we can’t even cooperate about transportation?

Good luck Mr. Burfoot. You will need it.

Suggestion: Make the +Norfolk Community Services Board pay the debt service on the bonds issued to finance the cruise terminal from their budget. After all, they seem to have enough money to pay workers not to work. 

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