Carnival Cruisers out of Charleson SC

[Dthomas1]

I cruise Carnival out of Charleston being only a 3 hour drive to the port. Just seeing who else uses this port often.

Edited August 12, 2022 by Dthomas1

[mz-s]

I've sailed out of CHS 7 or 8 times since 2014 I think.

[Dthomas1]

2 minutes ago, mz-s said:

I've sailed out of CHS 7 or 8 times since 2014 I think.

It's a nice port. I'll miss it when Carnival leaves.

[mz-s]

3 minutes ago, Dthomas1 said:

It's a nice port. I'll miss it when Carnival leaves.

 

It's convenient and they've done a great job keeping it as modern and efficient as they can given the box they have been forced into. I hope Carnival finds a suitable replacement that folks in the NC/TN/WV/etc areas can drive to. Always meet a lot of folks from these areas on Charleston cruises.

[Dthomas1]

10 minutes ago, mz-s said:

 

It's convenient and they've done a great job keeping it as modern and efficient as they can given the box they have been forced into. I hope Carnival finds a suitable replacement that folks in the NC/TN/WV/etc areas can drive to. Always meet a lot of folks from these areas on Charleston cruises.

I live in NC so an easy drive. Like you, Hopefully the new port won't be far enough to fly.

[pirate4me2]

Have gone out of there a few times, love it being an easy drive from our place in WNC. Hopefully they can come up with something else that is convienent! 

[Dthomas1]

3 minutes ago, pirate4me2 said:

Have gone out of there a few times, love it being an easy drive from our place in WNC. Hopefully they can come up with something else that is convienent! 

Exactly, I've read that Savanah is a possibility.

[Dthomas1]

2 minutes ago, Dthomas1 said:

Exactly, I've read that Savanah is a possibility.

3 hours and 40 minutes from Charlotte to Savanah. Not bad.

[mz-s]

Where did you read Savannah is a possibility?

[Dthomas1]

2 minutes ago, mz-s said:

Where did you read Savannah is a possibility?

Somewhere browsing on the subject. Savanah would be a good location.

[mz-s]

Just now, Dthomas1 said:

Somewhere browsing on the subject. Savanah would be a good location.

 

There is no cruise terminal in Savannah that can accommodate a modern Carnival ship so it's not an option unless they build a new terminal there. Building a new terminal probably isn't an option in time for Charleston's closure in around 2 years.

[Dthomas1]

4 minutes ago, mz-s said:

 

There is no cruise terminal in Savannah that can accommodate a modern Carnival ship so it's not an option unless they build a new terminal there. Building a new terminal probably isn't an option in time for Charleston's closure in around 2 years.

Who knows, I believe that I read about Savanah on Cruise Critic.

[mz-s]

2 minutes ago, Dthomas1 said:

Who knows, I believe that I read about Savanah on Cruise Critic.

 

People saying Savannah would be nice in a forum post isn't the same as Savannah being a possibility for Carnival.

[jsglow]

I don't think Savannah is a particularly reasonable option from Carnival's perspective in that it's only 2 hours drive from Jacksonville and doesn't provide enough differentiation whereas Charleston was nearly 4 hours away by car . CCL isn't going to line cruise ships up and down the entire east coast to accommodate 'local' traffic.  Wilmington or Norfolk? That I could see. Don't know if Wilmington even has a plausible terminal. 

[skridge]

1 hour ago, Dthomas1 said:

I cruise Carnival out of Charleston being only a 3 hour drive to the port. Just seeing who else uses this port often.

Been out of there 5 times.  The closest port and one of my favorite places in the world.  It's unfortunate they are shutting it down.

[ninjacat123]

Since the Restart, I have cruised out of Charleston 3 times, this Labor Day weekend will make it 4 times.  The three hour drive for me is great but I am used to setting my car on auto pilot and driving 9 hours to Port Canaveral.  Miami is a stretch, but I have done it.  I hope Carnival selects a port like Savannah.  I thought I read North Charleston as a possibility.  Is that a contender?  Wilmington, NC?  If not, I guess it's back to Jacksonville, FL for the 5.5 hour drive.  I'm ready to do that this Thanksgiving😊

[Dthomas1]

9 minutes ago, ninjacat123 said:

Since the Restart, I have cruised out of Charleston 3 times, this Labor Day weekend will make it 4 times.  The three hour drive for me is great but I am used to setting my car on auto pilot and driving 9 hours to Port Canaveral.  Miami is a stretch, but I have done it.  I hope Carnival selects a port like Savannah.  I thought I read North Charleston as a possibility.  Is that a contender?  Wilmington, NC?  If not, I guess it's back to Jacksonville, FL for the 5.5 hour drive.  I'm ready to do that this Thanksgiving😊

Wilmington, NC would be great.

[mz-s]

I expect Norfolk becoming a year-round port is the most likely scenario now that Charleston is out of the picture.

 

Wilmington has a very small terminal behind a short bridge, so it wouldn't be usable for Carnival. I would love Wilmington and I think they would welcome cruisers but they'd need a new terminal (and sadly it wouldn't be downtown like Charleston's is).

[mz-s]

13 minutes ago, ninjacat123 said:

Since the Restart, I have cruised out of Charleston 3 times, this Labor Day weekend will make it 4 times.  The three hour drive for me is great but I am used to setting my car on auto pilot and driving 9 hours to Port Canaveral.  Miami is a stretch, but I have done it.  I hope Carnival selects a port like Savannah.  I thought I read North Charleston as a possibility.  Is that a contender?  Wilmington, NC?  If not, I guess it's back to Jacksonville, FL for the 5.5 hour drive.  I'm ready to do that this Thanksgiving😊

 

The problem with JAX is it's just far enough for me that I'd rather not drive down the morning of the cruise. CHS is an easy drive for me. It will be sad when Charleston's last homeport cruise leaves.

[jsglow]

You guys that can drive to the ports are certainly fortunate.  But no, we're NOT moving. 🤔

[Megan_Strick]

2 hours ago, Dthomas1 said:

I cruise Carnival out of Charleston being only a 3 hour drive to the port. Just seeing who else uses this port often.

I'm sailing next Sept. I'm 3 hours too. I'm in Brunswick, Ga. Where are you?

[Dthomas1]

9 minutes ago, Megan_Strick said:

I'm sailing next Sept. I'm 3 hours too. I'm in Brunswick, Ga. Where are you?

I'm sailing Nov.27. I'm in Charlotte NC

[audcc77]

I have sailed out of CHS about 10 times.  It’s been 2 hours from my house for 3 years now.  It was also the closest port when I lived in the Midwest, along with Baltimore.  But who wants to sail from Baltimore in the winter?  
 

Taking CHS away as an option will just make us look at other lines.  If we’re hoofing it down to PC we may as well go on a better ship.  Jacksonville is not an option as there’s a old ship there.  Oh well, I think our time in SC is coming to an end anyway.  

[mz-s]

3 minutes ago, audcc77 said:

I have sailed out of CHS about 10 times.  It’s been 2 hours from my house for 3 years now.  It was also the closest port when I lived in the Midwest, along with Baltimore.  But who wants to sail from Baltimore in the winter?  
 

Taking CHS away as an option will just make us look at other lines.  If we’re hoofing it down to PC we may as well go on a better ship.  Jacksonville is not an option as there’s a old ship there.  Oh well, I think our time in SC is coming to an end anyway.  

 

That's my feeling as well, I know Carnival's hands are tied in CHS so I don't blame them. But if CHS is off the table, pretty much means I'm flying to my cruise. And that really opens up my options.

 

Maybe Norfolk will go year-round and become more affordable. To date Norfolk cruises have been way too expensive for me to consider.

[Dthomas1]

3 minutes ago, mz-s said:

 

That's my feeling as well, I know Carnival's hands are tied in CHS so I don't blame them. But if CHS is off the table, pretty much means I'm flying to my cruise. And that really opens up my options.

 

Maybe Norfolk will go year-round and become more affordable. To date Norfolk cruises have been way too expensive for me to consider.

If they were to begin sailing out of Florida you're right. Many more options for cruise lines.