Spirit Cruises operates the Spirit of Norfolk, which has lunch, brunch, dinner and moonlight cruises. Spirit Cruises is a Norfolk-based company that initiated the idea of local dinner cruises and now operates in Boston, New York and other major cities. The Spirit, which was completed in 1992 and resembles a cruise ship, has room for 450 guests and runs year round. The ship leaves from The Waterside Festival Marketplace and cruises along the Elizabeth River from Downtown Norfolk to the Norfolk Naval Base. The price includes a buffet, band music and a musical revue starring a talented wait staff.
Discounts are available for children, retired people, military personnel and groups.
The Carrie B is a replica of a 19th-century riverboat that has been plying the Hampton Roads harbor since 1959. The Carrie B offers 90-minute cruises and takes in the downtown harbor and Norfolk Naval Shipyard. The boat holds 275 people and runs from April through October, with up to three trips a day during summer. There are also 2 -hour cruises that take visitors to the Norfolk Naval Base and site of the Monitor and Merrimac battle during the War Between the States. The Carrie B picks up passengers both at The Waterside Festival Marketplace in Norfolk and Portside in Portsmouth.