Norfolk VA

Cruise ships berth at the Half Moone Cruise and Celebration Center, Norfolk's newest and most distinctive waterfront attraction.

This attractive new 80,000 square-foot facility sits beside Nauticus and Battleship Wisconsin on the Elizabeth River. Half Moone is in the heart of downtown Norfolk, overlooking a historic waterway.

Norfolk International Airport is not far from the cruise dock. A taxi journey from the airport to the Norfolk cruise terminal takes about 20 minutes and costs about $25.

Parking costs $15 per day, with shuttles taking passengers to the cruise terminal.

Take a printable map with you.

Norfolk has always been a Navy town, home to the world's largest naval base. It is also a major cultural centre, with world-class museums, opera, symphony, ballet and an energetic arts community. Over the last ten years or so, downtown has undergone a major revival, gaining gourmet restaurants, shops and attractions.

Town Point Park is a downtown waterfront space that holds festivals and events throughout the year. A new cruise terminal was built in 2007, helping make Norfolk one of the country's leading cruise ports. Granby Street is the main downtown thoroughfare and is lined with bars and restaurants.

Ghent, next to downtown, is a historic district of old homes, tree-lined streets and fine churches, balancing residential and business life. The Naro theatre on Colley Avenue is the region's only cinema showing indie films.

Ocean View is Norfolk's Chesapeake Bay beach community, with relatively quiet beaches. It was a leading family and sailor beach destination in the '50s and '60s, then declined through crime in later decades. During the last five years, the city has reversed the trend, and Ocean View is becoming one of the region's most sought-after neighbourhoods.

Many of Norfolk's best-known sights are within walking distance of the pier. Taxis wait there for trips farther out, including to artsy Ghent.

Free NET, or Norfolk Electric Transfer, buses operate around downtown. To explore beyond that area, a car is needed.

Both Colonial Williamsburg and Busch Gardens are about 45 minutes away.

Colley Avenue and 21st Street are the chief dining and shopping districts, with dozens of independent boutiques, shops, antique dealers, restaurants and bars.

Ghent is Norfolk's fashionable, artistic historic neighbourhood, packed with boutiques, antique shops, cafés and restaurants. Take a cab there from the ship pier.

The United States dollar is the official U.S. currency (symbol: $), and ATMs are widely available.

Major credit cards, including Visa and MasterCard, are accepted widely even for transactions worth only a few dollars, and occasionally may be the only way to pay. Overseas visitors should be aware that prices of goods and services often look lower than the real amount because taxes and gratuities are seldom included.

Most states levy sales tax, ranging from 2.9% to almost 10% of the retail price; 4-6% is common. It is almost never included in displayed prices, except for gasoline and, in most states, alcoholic drinks consumed on the premises. Instead, it is calculated and added when you pay.

Tipping is widely expected in America. Although Americans may debate the right level and who should be tipped, the following are generally accepted standard rates:

• Full-service restaurants: 15-20%. This is often the wait(ress)'s only income. Tips may be left in cash or added to the credit-card slip. Few restaurants include an automatic service charge; if one is included, decide whether to tip extra after checking the bill.
• Taxi drivers, hairdressers and other personal services: 10-15%.
• For Norfolk bartenders, allow $1 on an inexpensive drink or 15% of the total.
• Bellhops: $1-2 per bag, with a $3-5 minimum regardless.
• Norfolk hotel doormen: $1 for each assisted bag and $1 when they call a cab.
• Tour guides: depending on tour length, group size and overall guided quality, $5-10 per person for half-day tours or less, and $10-20 per person for longer tours.
• Private car and limousine drivers: 15-20%.
• Hotel housekeeping: $1-2 per day on long stays, or a $5 minimum for very short stays (optional).
• Norfolk food delivery, pizza included, normally merits $2-5 and possibly more for very large orders.

Norfolk Waterside Marriott has a self-service computer room to the left of reception. Access costs $0.69 and is paid by sliding in a credit card.

For emergencies, call 911.

In major metropolitan areas such as New York and Los Angeles, drugstores and supermarkets frequently trade 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Department stores, shopping centres and most other large retailers are usually open 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday, often with shorter Sunday hours, generally 11 a.m. or noon to 5 or 6 p.m. They tend to open on holidays, apart from the most important ones, including Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day, when stores are generally closed.