After 14 years of offering cruises out of Charleston, South Carolina, Carnival Cruise Line is sailing one last time out of the popular southern cruise port today.
Today’s 5-day cruise on Carnival Sunshine will mark the end of an era for the cruise line. After this sailing the vessel will reposition to Norfolk, Virginia where it will offer 6- and 8-day sailings to the Eastern Caribbean and The Bahamas.
Carnival Fantasy was the first Carnival ship to sail out of Charleston, and the now retired Carnival Ecstasy also sailed out of the port for a time.
Charleston has been trying to end its contract with Carnival Cruise Line for years now. While there was a glimmer of hope that Carnival would be able to extend its contract or move to a nearby port, in the end the city officials got what they wanted.
In 2022, it was announced that Carnival’s contract with the city would not be renewed.
Desires to redevelop the Union Pier Terminal for other uses in addition to traffic congestion on sailing days were some of the biggest factors in the city’s decision.
Many port workers and regular cruisers in the southern U.S. states fought to keep the cruise line local.
In mid-2024 there were efforts to move the cruise ship to Mount Pleasant, just across the water from Charleston.
But the town council eventually voted to confirm that no passenger vessels would be allowed to use Patriot’s Point in Mount Pleasant.
Without a cruise port in South Carolina, local residents will have to drive at least 200 miles to Jacksonville, Florida or another 270 miles to Port Canaveral to take a cruise.
The New Year holiday cruise on Carnival Sunshine will arrive back in Charleston on January 4, making it the last time Carnival cruise passengers will disembark in the historic city.
The smaller port was not able to accommodate modern mega ships of today, but the 102,853 gross ton Carnival Sunshine was a perfect fit as it carried 3,000 passengers at a time to vacations all over the Bahamas and Caribbean.
