Coastal Virginia’s enduring maritime legacy means ship-shape options for groups such as the Jamestown Settlement & Yorktown Victory Center. Wide-ranging programs at these two living history museums include tours of replicas of the Susan Constant, Godspeed and Discovery, the three ships of the Virginia Company of London that landed on Virginia’s coast in 1607.
Also in Yorktown, groups can arrange private charters aboard the schooners Serenity and Alliance operated by Alliance Tall Ship Cruises.
In 1907, Norfolk hosted the Jamestown Exposition, commemorating the tri-centennial of the Jamestown settlement. The only World's Fair ever held in Virginia, the event included a recreation of the Battle of Hampton Roads, the epic first contest between the ironclad warships USS Monitor and CSS Virginia. The exposition also inspired the founding of Naval Station Norfolk. Established near the battle site, the complex today is the world’s largest naval base. Led by Naval personnel, groups can see aircraft carriers, destroyers and other vessels, plus one of the nation’s busiest airfields and historic homes from the exposition.
Norfolk groups can also host events and sleep overnight aboard the mighty Battleship Wisconsin, recipient of five battle stars during World War II. The decommissioned ship is part of the versatile Nauticus complex on the Elizabeth River, which includes the adjacent Nauticus and Half Moone Cruise & Celebration Center event venues, and Hampton Roads Naval Museum.
Inspired by 19th-century cargo schooners, Norfolk’s three-masted top sail American Rover is a perennial favorite for private events and sailing expeditions on the Elizabeth River and Hampton Roads Harbor.
Following the maiden voyage of its flagship Spirit of Norfolk on the Elizabeth River in 1978, Entertainment Cruises has become the nation’s largest dining and sightseeing cruise company, and offers a range of themed and private programs in the Hampton Roads region.
