Princess Cruises trades Yorktown stops for Norfolk

On the surface, Princess Cruises’ decision to abandon plans to stop in historic Yorktown in favor of Norfolk would appear to be an economic blow. In reality, it may be only a slight hit, and one many area residents apparently are fine with.

Princess announced last year it would make three port calls in Yorktown during 2024. York County residents quickly raised concerns over groups of cruise passengers overwhelming their usually peaceful waterfront, and opposition mushroomed. Concerned Citizens of York County claimed more than 70% of 513 petition respondents opposed the stops, fearing crowds of tourists would disrupt the town and that the cruise ships might have a negative environmental impact.   

In late January, Princess pulled the plug on Yorktown without stating a reason, saying that it would instead add three stops in Norfolk this year. York County officials chose not to comment.

Yorktown residents aren’t alone in their concerns about cruise stops. Bar Harbor, Maine, which also has a reputation as a quaint, tourist-friendly community, recently adopted restrictions on the number of cruise passengers allowed to come ashore. Several European cities, most notably Venice, also are limiting stops and visitors for similar reasons.

York County had estimated the local economic impact of the three Princess stops would have been $148,000, plus $186,000 in city docking fees. 

Stephen Kirkland, executive director of Norfolk’s Nauticus maritime museum, also runs Norfolk’s cruise program and admits the switch is a boost for Norfolk, which will now have 10 stops from Princess this year. “But I’m kind of a regionalist,” he adds, “and I don’t see this as a win for Norfolk and a loss for Yorktown. These are passengers who are not going to Charleston or Baltimore; they’re staying in Hampton Roads, and when they tie up here, dozens of buses will be going up to Yorktown, Jamestown and Williamsburg.

“Usually, 40% to 45% of the passengers stopping in town here take a shore excursion, and the No. 1 excursion is the Historic Triangle.”

Meanwhile, sentiment appears mixed among Yorktown business owners. 

Marilyn West owns Auntie M’s American Cottage, an arts and crafts shop in the town’s Riverwalk Landing, and says she’s “not really” disappointed. “Even though I stood to gain from it, it just wouldn’t have been worth it. There was so much discord. And you can’t miss what you never had.”