After nearly 1,000 voyages carrying more than 2.5 million passengers, Carnival Cruise Line’s nearly 15-year tenure at Union Pier Terminal in downtown Charleston has come to this — one last five-night cruise to the Bahamas.
The Carnival Sunshine will make its final home-ported departure at 3:30 p.m. Dec. 30. The long sold-out cruise — the Sunshine carries up to 3,002 passengers — includes stops in Nassau, Half Moon Cay and two “fun days at sea” before returning to Charleston at daybreak Jan. 4. Although not on the published itinerary, a New Year’s Eve celebration is likely.
The end of year-round cruising from the Holy City is the result of the State Ports Authority’s decision to sell Union Pier to Charleston businessman Ben Navarro for redevelopment. As part of that plan, the SPA decided not to renew its contract with Carnival, which ends this year.
“We had to pivot in the way that we were utilizing Union Pier,” said Barbara Melvin, the SPA’s president and CEO. “It really reflected nothing about our relationship with Carnival, but just more about what we had decided to do as the South Carolina Port.”
Carnival said in a written statement that it is proud to have been part of the “continued growth of Charleston’s tourism economy.”
The cruise line started home-ported voyages from Charleston in 2010 with its Fantasy pleasure ship. The Fantasy was replaced in 2016 by the Ecstasy, which had a three-year run at Union Pier. Both of those ships have since been sent to the scrapyard. The Sunshine — which launched under another name in 1995 and underwent a $155 million renovation in 2013 — arrived in Charleston in 2019. Carnival and the SPA were in talks for a long-term contract extension at the time, then plans for Union Pier changed.
The Sunshine’s next stop will be Norfolk, Va., where that city has spent the past few months on a $12 million renovation of its Half Moone Cruise and Celebration terminal to get ready for Carnival’s expansion from seasonal to year-round voyages. The first cruise from that city will be Feb. 11 with an itinerary that includes Freeport and Bimini.
“Carnival Sunshine is the perfect ship to usher in this next step for service expansion from Norfolk,” Christine Duffy, Carnival’s president, said in a written statement. “We’ve been sailing from Norfolk since 2002, and we’re pleased to expand our offerings from this historic, charming community while strengthening our support of the local economy.”
Carnival Cruise Line has announced that they will be cutting ties with the South Carolina Ports Authority following the completion of their last Fun Ship trip. The decision comes after a series of logistical issues and delays that have plagued recent sailings out of Charleston.
In a statement, Carnival cited the ongoing challenges with port operations and infrastructure as the primary reason for their decision to sever ties with SC Ports. The cruise line expressed frustration with the lack of progress in addressing these issues and stated that they could no longer continue to operate out of Charleston.
Passengers who had booked upcoming cruises out of Charleston with Carnival will be offered full refunds or the option to rebook on a different itinerary. The cruise line is currently working to find alternative ports for their future sailings.
This announcement comes as a blow to the South Carolina Ports Authority, which has been working to attract more cruise business to the region. It remains to be seen how this decision will impact the local economy and tourism industry in Charleston.
Overall, Carnival’s decision to cut ties with SC Ports highlights the importance of efficient and reliable port operations in the cruise industry. It also serves as a reminder of the challenges faced by both cruise lines and port authorities in ensuring a smooth and enjoyable experience for passengers.
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