Port of Charleston - Bigger/Newer Ships

[mark0114]

I was wondering if anyone knows if Carnival is planning to move some of its bigger/newer ships to Charleston. I've sent Carnival Customer Service several emails over the past 3 months and have had no replies. PVP said that he couldn't help me with that info as he did not have it. It could be that the port cannot handle those size of ships, but Charleston used to have a Naval base there. Just wondering because we love the bigger/newer ships.

 

I was wanting to know because the Port of Charleston is the closest port for us to drive (only 3.5 hrs vs 10+ to Port Canaveral). We're currently booked on the Dream for the week of July 4th and so looking forward to it. We've been on 4 Carnival cruises in the past and 5 RCCL cruises, including the Oasis. RCCL is just so much more expensive and now that we've got a 1 year old that will be traveling with us, Carnival seems to be the more economical way to cruise.

 

We have had 2 price drops that total $680 for a balcony since we booked Feb 12th--yes we booked while the Triumph was still stranded out in the Gulf. Actually my very first cruise was on the Triumph 11 or so years ago. I'm not a bit nervous of taking another Carnival cruise. I know that with the previous incidents that all the mechanical issues will be resolved and that preventive maintence will become/or is a major factor now for cruise line.

 

So to all CC posters, I wanted to tell you that I love reading your threads as they have given much needed information and insight to the small things about cruising (entertainment as well :p). This is why I am posting this because I know someone out there may know the answer.

 

Hope you guys have a blessed day!

[GTO-Girl]

If they do I'll bet it will be a long time coming. There is a huge ongoing feud between people who like having a cruiseship there and the "old money people" who thinks all it does is bring in undesireables to their historic city and they want them gone.

 

The mayor is for it, but he is being fought "tooth and nail"......

[Cruizinman]

Carnival is planning,but so are the locals :p Well some of the locals anyways .

[wannago35]

Agreed that it could take a while for the reasons stated. Also on our July 2011 Fantasy cruise the cruise director was telling us that at least one new ship would be brought in by summer 2012 ... and here it is almost summer 2013 and nothing. But she also added that the itineraries probably wouldn't change very much.

Hopefully they'll work it out, we currently live in Georgia and liked being able to drive to the port in a short time period instead of flying to Florida.

[Tapi]

RCCL is just so much more expensive and now that we've got a 1 year old that will be traveling with us, Carnival seems to be the more economical way to cruise.

 

As a father of a 3 year old and a 1 year old, I'd like to suggest that you spend the money on the Royal Caribbean cruise at least until your child turns 2. Unfortunately, Carnival's offerings for kids under 2 is very limited. No dedicated facilities, no scheduled activities, no baby sitting hours before 10pm, very limited drop off or free play times, no other activities throughout the ship. No dedicated kids TV channel. Well, you get the point.

 

Royal Caribbean ships that feature the Royal Babies and Tots program ARE the way to go with very small children. Absolutely PHENOMENAL, and believe me, they will make your cruise much more enjoyable. It cost us almost THREE times to sail on Royal, but it was worth every extra penny!

 

Here's a review of our experience with the Royal Babies program on our last Royal cruise:

 

Adventure Ocean is simply wonderful. It’s a huge area on deck 14 reserved for kids. As you enter, there’s a large enclosed section where kids can enjoy play time with their parents. They even have their own kid’s theater with performances exclusively for them. The area is divided by age groups. Our son attended the Royal Tots and Babies area. Several supervised activities sponsored by Crayola and Fisher Price are scheduled throughout the week. In addition, child care is available throughout the day until midnight. This is MUCH better than the babysitting hours available on other cruise lines, which usually isn’t available until 10pm.

 

In addition to Adventure Ocean, there’s a dedicated area in the water park for babies, called the Baby Splash Zone. Strict rules are posted and enforced (several pool attendants patrol the area constantly). Water is temperature controlled and the area is kept impeccably clean. Several kid loungers, intermixed with adult loungers surround the area. Our son LOVED the Baby Splash Zone, and used it many, many times.

 

There’s also a dedicated Adventure Ocean TV channel, which airs cartoons 24 hours a day, mostly Fisher Price’s Little People episodes. It was a life saver more than once, as it would keep our son entertained in the cabin.

 

The Dreamworks Experience makes the cruise feel a bit like going to Disney. We went to several Dreamworks parades, shows (Madagascar’s Let you Entertain Me at the Aqua Theater, and the How To Train Your Dragon Ice Show at Studio B), breakfast with the characters, as well as several appearances throughout the ship.

 

There was SO much for our son to do, that at times it felt as if he was having more fun than us! He was having so much fun that, many times, he did NOT want to go back to the cabin. The moment he realized we were walking back to the cabin, he would turn around and run back!

[erby2283]

My very first cruise was out of Charleston on the Norwegian Majesty and I've been hooked every since. Since it's a 3.5 hour drive for me, I would love to have more options out of Charleston as well. Charleston also happens to be one of my favorite cities and I understand the historical significance but I would think the locals would want to attract more people to see its beauty...and their delicious food!

[vols_159]

Not until the lawsuit is settled locals want the cruise ships out say they are a danger to there town

[dwjoe]

There is a battle looming in Charleston over the cruise ship terminal.

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/20/us/battle-in-genteel-charleston-over-cruise-ships.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

[SirGoose29445]

Should be a problem to get larger ships, but there is a very vocal minority that would like to see the ships not come to town. As a local, I find this very odd as Charleston whole existance is built around ports and shipping. It comes down to people in one neighborhood that would like to see the ships stop comming. Currently there is a gentlemen's agreement b/w the Port Authority and locals that they will not allow more than 100 (i think) ships in port per year. Currently they are working on a new cruise port that they hope will relieve part of the issue, but there will still be those who hate this.

 

The lawsuits do threaten to bar cruise ships from Charleston, but there has been talk of building a port in Mt. Pleasant (across the port at the Yorktown) if this happens in Charleston. I would actually prefer this scenario. MP is easier to get into than downtown.

 

I would like to see more cruises out of Charleston, but right now, that just doesn't seem to be in the works.

[pirate4me2]

I would love it if they put a new ship in Charleston. We live in WNC and that is our closest port, but we would like to do a different itinerary than what Fantasy currently offers. Until they switch something up, we will be driving to FL I guess.

[Bobblefrog]

The lawsuits do threaten to bar cruise ships from Charleston, but there has been talk of building a port in Mt. Pleasant (across the port at the Yorktown) if this happens in Charleston. I would actually prefer this scenario. MP is easier to get into than downtown.

 

I so agree! Mt. Pleasant would be great. Hated getting in and out of downtown.

 

If downtown Charleston doesn't want us, then why should I bring my pre and post cruise business there? In fact it was because of the ugly comments I've been reading on these various news articles about the controversy that I'm taking my business to Mt. Pleasant this year. It made me wonder if the coolness I felt at the hotel was because we were a cruise passenger. We shopped for some clothes, had dinner, drinks and breakfast out...so that's business they won't get this time because of the minority. They are vocal. Got my attention. Especially the ones alluding to Carnival passengers being white trash. Took that personally I did!! :p

 

Another thought: This did get me researching getting to Florida, and found I can get to all Florida ports inexpensively from Columbia SC with Amtrak (yeah, yeah I avoid flying). Tampa is especially good with the station only being a mile from the port. So this opened up a whole world of possibilites from Florida ports and am not so invested in Charleston now.

[All4fun&fun4all]

Not until the lawsuit is settled locals want the cruise ships out say they are a danger to there town

 

Not all of the locals want the cruise ships out. It is a very small but very rich group of preservationists that are being vocal about their dislike.

 

Most of us folks here in Charleston want to get our new terminal built and a bigger ship. We should be having a grand opening of our new terminal this spring but these jerks have kept things tied up in the courts for years.

 

Very frustrating.

[All4fun&fun4all]

If downtown Charleston doesn't want us, then why should I bring my pre and post cruise business there? In fact it was because of the ugly comments I've been reading on these various news articles about the controversy that I'm taking my business to Mt. Pleasant this year. It made me wonder if the coolness I felt at the hotel was because we were a cruise passenger. We shopped for some clothes, had dinner, drinks and breakfast out...so that's business they won't get this time because of the minority. They are vocal. Got my attention. Especially the ones alluding to Carnival passengers being white trash. Took that personally I did!! :p

 

 

I promise you that the hotels WANT the cruise passenger traffic. So do the restaurants and area businesses. I have a friend who has a booth in the City Market and she LOVES the cruise ship traffic. Maybe you just got a hotel worker who was having a bad day.

 

Here is a link with locals discussing how they are "for" having the cruise ships in port.

 

These are the businesses and their owners:

 

http://www.port-of-charleston.com/UnionPierPlan/cruise-profiles.html

 

As you can see, cruise director Risa Barnes is in there also giving her opinion. She is from South Carolina!

[bguppies]

I was wondering if anyone knows if Carnival is planning to move some of its bigger/newer ships to Charleston. I've sent Carnival Customer Service several emails over the past 3 months and have had no replies. PVP said that he couldn't help me with that info as he did not have it. It could be that the port cannot handle those size of ships, but Charleston used to have a Naval base there. Just wondering because we love the bigger/newer ships.!

 

As far as the size of ships goes, judging by the huge freighters that dock just west of the cruise terminal, I'm fairly certain Carnival's Dream class could dock here if Carnival wanted to.

 

I know they are trying to dredge deeper in the river for the largest new Panamax freighters to be able to load/unload here. (which would mean even the Oasis class RCCL's could dock here.)

 

Until there is some resolution in the moronic lawsuit by the extraordinarily vocal, but rich minority, I doubt Carnival would commit a larger ship.

 

As Carnival just uses the other east coast ports for ease of proximity for those north of Florida (NY, Balt. Charleston) they tend to just use Fantasy class, Spirit class or older Conquest class ships.

 

The newest builds usually wind up in Florida. (but occasionally Galveston or New Orleans)

 

But physically, yes, Charleston could accomodate ANY Carnival ship in the fleet.

 

Bill

[kybluecruiser]

Once apon a time there was a rumor on here that once the new terminal is built they would put the Carnival Glory there and it would concide with the Fantasy being retired. But only time will time. Charleston and Baltimore are my drive to ports.

[kybluecruiser]

I promise you that the hotels WANT the cruise passenger traffic. So do the restaurants and area businesses. I have a friend who has a booth in the City Market and she LOVES the cruise ship traffic. Maybe you just got a hotel worker who was having a bad day.

 

Here is a link with locals discussing how they are "for" having the cruise ships in port.

 

These are the businesses and their owners:

 

http://www.port-of-charleston.com/UnionPierPlan/cruise-profiles.html

 

As you can see, cruise director Risa Barnes is in there also giving her opinion. She is from South Carolina!

 

You need to straighten your neighbors out. Lol I love Risa she is my favorite Cruise Director.

[Bobblefrog]

I promise you that the hotels WANT the cruise passenger traffic. So do the restaurants and area businesses. I have a friend who has a booth in the City Market and she LOVES the cruise ship traffic. Maybe you just got a hotel worker who was having a bad day.

 

Here is a link with locals discussing how they are "for" having the cruise ships in port.

 

These are the businesses and their owners:

 

http://www.port-of-charleston.com/UnionPierPlan/cruise-profiles.html

 

As you can see, cruise director Risa Barnes is in there also giving her opinion. She is from South Carolina!

 

Thanks for that - it is good to see support. However looking at the faqs it doesn't look like the terminal is being built to support bigger ships or additional itineraries?

[kybluecruiser]

The current terminal was used for seasonal cruises aboard the Glory to my understanding before the fantasy was placed there for year round sailings. I could be wrong some more seasoned cruisers may be able to verfy that.