Half Moone Cruise and Celebration Center

Sadly our visit here was not to board a big cruise ship to Hawaii. It was to visit Christmas Towne! I took my daughter for a visit for the first time this year! As a 5 year old she enjoyed the whole thing. There were things to do, see and eat.
You enter on one side and walk down a hallway where you catch a glimpse of city life of those days. A step back in time with original costumes, dialogue and traditions. There were shops available for purchasing items not available elsewhere. A stage with performances every hour or so to include carolers. The old time photo company was there as well as a cartoon character artist. We stopped in one area and made crafts. Skipped the restaurant where we could of have a delicious lunch (I peeked in the window). Yummy desserts were also calling our name. We stopped off at the end and put in a Christmas wish list with the big man himself.
I guess there was a train ride the children could have rode at night but we were not returning for that.

Dicken’s Christmas landed me here today. It’s a Christmas town for everyone to enjoy with Christmas carols, train sets and the smell of roasted peanuts in the air.
Entry fee was $ 5 for adults, $ 4 for kids & 3 under free. With such a bargain it’s hours of fun. There were (free) Christmas ornament making, (small fee $) cookie decorating and even a scavenger hunt for a cool prize if you turn in your paper. My group after #2 hunt went A-​wall.
There’s food vendors to grab a bite to eat. One place add Smoke turkey legs and truffle fries… so yummy! Jody’s popcorn and Carolina cupcakes was among the vendors I saw.
The Dicken characters walked around saying hello to the kids and let them sit on stage while they sang songs. There were even plays/​skits that was entertaining. Oh I think the best part of the night was the train ride at the end, everyone really enjoyed that!

This is a première venue. I’ve been twice now, for a soirée and for a wedding reception. Five-​star experience all the way. Panoramic views of the Elizabeth River and Town Point Park. Excellent staff and the valet service is the truth. But that’s another review.
This is where you should throw a party, if you’re feeling a lil fancy. I would.

If you’re boarding a cruise ship, skip elevator. Go toward fountain and get your butt up those steps to avoid standing outside all day. You’ve been warned. =) We went recently to board the Carnival Splendor. Customs gave the prior cruise a run for their money and several hundred people were stuck outside. Early birds were able to get through the stairs and get on board much quicker.
This is a great venue for proms, ring dances, etc — my daughter had a dance here in high school and loved it. Beautiful area in downtown Norfolk with plenty of garage parking nearby. Enjoy.

I attend the Samoa Sioree here a few Saturday nights ago. From arrival to departure — a wonderful experience. The venue is spacious and the staff very attentive!
My guest and I arrived about 615 pm (event time 6pm-​10pm). We opted out of the valet parking because the parking garage wasn’t far and we were «on time.» As a result, parking was available on the 2^nd floor and for a few hours of celebrating we only paid $ 3.00.
The walk from the garage was less than 5 minutes. And even though the weather was brisked, no harm no foul. The valet attendants seemed a little all over the place anyway. And I did notice after the event, some guests were waiting (with no heat) for their vehicle. And by 930pm it was super chilly. As a result, if able I would suggest parking in the garage.
But once inside, there was a greeter whom pointed us in the direction to register and obtain our souvenir pamphlets. This process was fast and smooth. There was also a coat check (no additional cost).
Before you entered the main room, the front room included the silent auction items and hor devours spread (cheeses, fruit and curry chicken sandwiches). Here also included an open bar (beer, wine and water). But once you reached the carpeted area… let the party begin!
This event was pretty much standing room only. I am unsure how many the center holds. However, there may have been about 25 tables that seated 8 and about double that of guests that were not seated. So this is a very comfortably sized room. And this event had a sellout crowd.
The room sits on the watefront. Which makes for a great view of the sunset and the view of Downtown Portsmouth and Norfolk. The view beautiful at any time of day.
The food was great as well. I am unsure if Nauticus caters it or the catering is outsourced. Nevertheless, this venue is worthy!

An awesome venue. One of the nicest in the 757. I’ve been twice, both times for the Samoa Soirée to benefit the Girl Scouts of America. Beautiful views of water. A nice view of Downtown Norfolk. A huge space that can easily fit 500+ people without looking crowded. All the things that make for a venue where you can hold a big event and give the wow factor.
Parking is across the street in the city garage. I do believe they have valet parking for special events but I was late once and too early the other night to leave someone responsible for my car. From my experience, that’s the only downside.

We went here for my husband’s Christmas party for his ship and it was very nicely set up. They had two different dance floors set up along with very clean bathrooms. There was plenty of space and I loved the fact that you could check in a coat.
The only thing that confused me was that you had to go up the elevator to get to the place, since it was dark, we just follwed the crowd and got there fine. I do however wish that there was parking closer considering I am pregnant and was not up for a hike to get there.
Overall the venue was amazing.

Classy.
My Association hosted a reunion here for about 500 guests. I will start with the bad. The management here was a little difficult. The folks at Nauticus and the City manage the place. I really hope that they dont manage the place into the ground. We had some dificulty getting access to the hall so that we could get vendors to see it and for the caterers to scope it out. The band could only see it after hours, and that was a bridge too far for the management team to accommodate. I would have given the place a 5 star rating if it wasnt for the management team.
The positive: This place is all about location and class. The rotunda was great to house our band and as a display area. They had plenty of side rooms for break outs or storage. The main hall is glassed in, has adequate audio/​visual aids, and can easily hold and feed up to a 1,000 guest. We also used the porch areas for smokers and cigars.
The parking was easy since there are garages across the street. We also rented the large electronic sign on the Nauticus to welcome our guests.
It wasnt cheap to rent. We spent $ 7k just to rent the facility alone. I dont know what they would charge for just the rotunda area, but it isnt cheap.
If you have a 500+ group, and you have the money, this is the place to impress to impress them.

Well, in addition to everyone’s great reviews for the terminal, it is a beautiful special occasion venue! I had my wedding in the Grande Rotunda (which is the glass atrium when you walk in) and it was so amazingly beautiful! Dana Mayo, the event coordinator, was a dream to work with! We used the Grande Rotunda for the ceremony and reception and had cocktail hour in the Virginia and Bermuda Rooms. The Grande Rotunda held our 130 person wedding very comfortably and photographed like a dream! All of the glass made for amazing views and we warmed it up with loads of candles in hurricane lamps. Which is ironic, because a hurricane did hit land the day before our wedding and caused a TON of chaos. Despite being forced to close for the event on Thursday, we did our rehearsal in our rain boots and dripping all over the place and found a small patch of sun on the day of.
We brought in Cuisine & Co for the catering and Flowers at Hilltop for the décor. Loads of praise their way. It was an amazing day and such a unique and beautiful venue in Norfolk.

This place is really great, especially because it gives us Hampton Roadians a chance to take a cruise right out of Norfolk. We left for our cruise to Bermuda on the weekend of Harbor Fest so there was even more people around so this could have been a confusing, aggravating process. However, the staff at the Half Moone Cruise and Celebration Center were very prepared for this busy day and made the whole process easy and quick.
You had to have your ID and ticket checked outside, but once you were in the place was air conditioned, clean and I believe they even had drinks and cookies for us while we waited. The line was long but moved very fast and before we knew it we were completely checked in and waiting to board the cruise ship.
It was really an enjoyable experience all the way around and if you’re in the Hampton Roads area I highly recommend cruising out of Norfolk!

Enjoyed my first cruise ever from the Half Moone (the Cruise to Nowhere) and highly recommend (1) the mode of travel/​entertainment and (2) this departure point.
We live a block away and rolled our suitcases over to check-​in after enjoying the day at Town Point Park’s HarborFest.
Also a beautiful venue (albeit a little pricey) for events, hence the addition of «Celebration» in the name.
Ok, I was asked to expand on my review, so here goes:
Well, I’m not a fan of the water. Looking at a pond/​lake/​river/​ocean is a treat, but sailing on it is not my game (motion sickness-​thing), so I’d had a bit of dramamine and a few drinks before boarding at 4pm-​ish for a 5pm departure. Check-​in was very smooth as we had purchased VIP status. The other line seemed to move quickly as well. But, we were diverted from the «cattle call» to a special room where our papers and ID were reviewed by a personal assistant in a nice, seated area away from the maddening crowd.
We (just the two of us) enjoyed our upper deck, outside balcony cabin with mini bar which was large enough to accommodate a group. I peeked into an inner, windowless cabin, and NO-​Thanks! It looked like a closet. While this cruise is not cheap by any stretch of the imagination, it is an experience I will always remember. I would certainly entertain taking another cruise in the future, but plan to go with other friends and/​or family.
The 36-​Hour Cruise to Nowhere seemed to be more of a «party» group; I’m sure many people never went to their rooms in lieu of gambling in the casino, hanging on the upper decks, enjoying the shows (which I fell asleep before seeing — Dramamine took its toll) and generally drinking and woo-​hooing the time away.
Beverages, of the adult kind, were not inexpensive and are not included in the fare. Note to self for next cruise, we saw that lots of people had BYO’ed to save $$.
We’d heard previous cruisers rave about the food onboard. While it was ok and plentiful, I cannot give it a rave.
The pool area was very crowded. Laying side by side sardine-​like with half-​naked strangers wasn’t our idea of fun, so we didn’t even venture there, preferring our private balcony.
I even blogged about it:
with pics.