NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — Thursday, a staple of the Hampton Roads waterfront returned — with cruises once again being offered on a vessel named Spirit of Norfolk.
City Cruises made the announcement Wednesday, saying they would be officially renaming the 153 foot, three-level dining vessel from Spirit of Mount Vernon to Spirit of Norfolk.
This comes more than two years after a fire destroyed the previous vessel carrying the name.
The company which operates dinner cruises on the Elizabeth River said in a media release that the name change “honors the history we’ve shared, but also embraces our future together under the name that truly represents the community we serve.”
This will be the fourth vessel to carry the name. The first Spirit of Norfolk sailed downtown from 1978 to 1981.
It was on June 7, 2022 that hearts were broken when the Spirit of Norfolk erupted in flames as schoolchildren were on board. Everyone escaped unharmed as maritime operators around the Elizabeth River helped the Coast Guard and the Navy in rescuing passengers and preventing the fire from spreading.
News of the disaster spread around the country, as the Spirit of Norfolk is where Emmy award-winning actress Patrice Covington started her career.
“It’s a legendary piece of Norfolk, and it created legends,” Covington said.
The Spirit of Mount Vernon filled the void while the company complied with the regulations required for a name change.
Thursday morning, in a low-key ceremony, a drape was released to reveal that the Spirit of Mount Vernon is now The Spirit of Norfolk.
Damion Madison started working with Spirit in 1992 as bus boy. Today, he is the general manager. Spirit of Norfolk history, he said, is family history for many in the region.
“If you go back and look into the majority of your homes, … you will have a Spirit of Norfolk picture posted somewhere,” Madison said.
WAVY-TV 10 captured the Spirit of 76, the new Spirit in 1983, and the Spirit of Norfolk in 1988.
Today, rust is having its way with charred ship remains docked behind a Norfolk cemetery. Soon, it will be transferred to Fort Walton Beach, Florida where it will become a reef for life under the sea.
After the ceremony, Navy families who are new to Hampton Roads, were hosted by the USO for an afternoon on the Spirit of Norfolk. Once again, a ship with the name the region embraces set sail for a tour of places the region embraces.
“We have one of the largest military bases in the world,” Madison said, “… and what we do is celebrate being on the water. The views along the water are one of the best that you’ll probably see in the world.”