Spirit of Mount Vernon to be renamed Spirit of Norfolk, two years after fire destroyed former ship

NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — Thursday, a staple of the Hampton Roads waterfront will return — there will once again be cruises offered on a vessel named Spirit of Norfolk.

City Cruises made the announcement on 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.

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