In addition to its cargo business, Charleston has been the home port since June 2010 for Carnival Cruise Lines Fantasy, which offers a year-round cruise calendar with various 5- and 7-day itineraries to the Caribbean.
The Port of Charleston has also played host to a number of other cruise vessels — including the Queen Mary 2 — that have added the city to their cruise schedules.
The cruise port brings some 200,000 passengers annually to the city.
“Our relationship with Carnival is a great example of a win-win business collaboration,” said Jim Newsome, president and CEO of the South Carolina Ports Authority.
To that end, the port authority is investing heavily in its cruise infrastructure.
Current plans call for building a new, state-of-the-art cruise facility on the south end of Union Pier, as well as redeveloping more than 30 acres of adjacent industrial property near downtown Charleston’s historic district.
The goal, Newsome said, is to mitigate impacts on existing infrastructure and traffic while enhancing the local economy.
Carnival’s experience in Charleston has been exceptional, according to Joanie Field, business development director for the cruise line in South Carolina.
“Our guests love cruising out of Charleston,” Field said during a recent tour of the 2,000-passenger capacity ship.
With an onboard crew of more than 900, Field pointed out that not all the economic benefits to Charleston come from cruising visitors.
“Our crew loves the city,” she said. “When we’re in port, they can’t wait to get into Charleston to shop and dine.”
The port authority has no current plans to add additional permanent cruise vessels, Newsome said.
“While we want to upgrade our facilities, we feel like the 70 calls a year between the Fantasy and visiting cruise ships is a good fit for us right now,” he said.