Cruises from Charleston, SC: none in 2026–2027, and where to go instead

What happened to the Charleston cruise port

For about 14 years, Charleston was a Carnival port. From 2010, Carnival kept a ship at Union Pier Terminal on the edge of the historic district, mostly running Bahamas trips, with some Bermuda and Caribbean sailings. Carnival Sunshine was the last of them, and it left Charleston for good on January 4, 2025.

The end was planned. Cruise days brought thousands of cars into the narrow downtown streets, and the city decided the traffic and strain on services outweighed what cruise passengers spent in town. SC Ports, the state port authority, agreed to sell the 65-acre Union Pier site for $250 million to Ben Navarro’s family office, Beemok, for redevelopment as homes, shops, parks and public waterfront space. Cruise ships can no longer use Union Pier.

Through 2025 and the first half of 2026, ships on longer voyages still called at Union Pier. The last was Norwegian Jewel, on an eight-hour stop on June 30, 2026. Since then, visiting cruise ships dock at Columbus Street Terminal, a cargo terminal further up the Cooper River; Oceania Vista made the first call there on July 4, 2026. These are day visits only. You can arrive in Charleston on a cruise, but you can’t start one here.

Cruises from Charleston in 2026–2027

None scheduled

Last home-port sailing

Carnival Sunshine, December 30, 2024 to January 4, 2025

Old terminal

Union Pier Terminal, last cruise call June 30, 2026, now being redeveloped

Where visiting ships dock now

Columbus Street Terminal (port calls only)

Nearest ports we cover

Norfolk (about 440 miles, 7 to 8 hours by car), Baltimore (about 575 miles, 9 hours or more)

Charleston SC cruise port parking

There’s nothing to park for. The old Union Pier cruise parking lots are part of the redevelopment site. If you see advice about Charleston cruise parking, it predates 2025.

Which cruise lines sail from Charleston, SC?

None in 2026–2027. We checked for Carnival, Royal Caribbean and the other big lines and found no Charleston departures. That includes the searches people still make, like “Royal Caribbean cruises from Charleston SC” and “3-day Bahama cruise from Charleston”: neither exists now. If a site lists one, it’s probably old data.

Could cruises come back? Not to Union Pier. Columbus Street Terminal takes visiting ships only, and SC Ports hasn’t announced a new passenger terminal or a return of home-port cruising. We’ll update this page if a line announces a Charleston season.

Where to cruise from instead

Your real choice is between a long drive north to a port we cover, or a shorter drive south to Florida.

• Norfolk, VACarnival Sunshine, the ship that used to sail from Charleston, now sails from Norfolk year round until May 2027, when Carnival Freedom takes over. About a week to the Bahamas, Bermuda or the eastern Caribbean.
  From $289 per personChecked September 2026
• Baltimore, MDCarnival year round and Royal Caribbean from spring to fall, with Bermuda, Bahamas, Caribbean and Canada and New England trips. A short flight from Charleston.
  From $519 per personChecked September 2026
• New York and New JerseyThe widest choice of lines on the East Coast. Worth the flight if you want a specific ship.
  From $329 per personChecked September 2026

Florida ports. For most Charleston travelers, the closest ports are in Florida. Jacksonville is about 240 miles, roughly four hours, down I-95, and Port Canaveral and Miami are further south. They have far more short Bahamas and Caribbean sailings than any port above. We don’t cover Florida departures on this site, but they are the practical answer if you want a 3- or 4-night cruise.

How to pick, if you’d have sailed from Charleston

• You liked the old Carnival Bahamas week. Norfolk is the nearest match: same line, similar trips, and Carnival Sunshine itself. Budget the drive and a hotel night.
• You want a short cruise. Nothing we cover is short from here. Florida is where the 3- to 5-night trips are. See our short cruises guide for which lines run them.
• You want Royal Caribbean or Bermuda. Fly to Baltimore. Vision of the Seas runs Bermuda trips from spring to fall. See our Royal Caribbean guide.

Three insider picks

1. Treat Charleston listings with suspicion. Some booking sites and old articles still list Charleston as a departure port. Before you pay anything, check the sailing on the cruise line’s own site.

2. The drive to Norfolk is the honest Carnival replacement. It’s a long day, but the city’s cruise lot has a free shuttle to the terminal, and you keep the drive-to-cruise habit you had with Charleston. Our Carnival guide compares Sunshine and Freedom with the newer ships.

3. Flying opens more doors than driving. Once you’re flying anyway, the port matters less than the ship. Pick the line first, using our best cruise lines ranking, then pick the nearest port it sails from.

Charleston cruise FAQ

Are there cruises out of Charleston, SC in 2026?

No. The last cruise that started in Charleston was Carnival Sunshine’s sailing in January 2025, and no line has scheduled one for 2026 or 2027.

Does Carnival still cruise from Charleston?

No. Carnival moved Carnival Sunshine out in January 2025. It now sails from Norfolk, Virginia, which is the closest Carnival home port we cover.

Are there Royal Caribbean cruises from Charleston, SC?

No. Royal Caribbean has no Charleston departures in 2026–2027. Its nearest home port we cover is Baltimore.

Is there a 3-day Bahamas cruise from Charleston?

Not anymore. For a 3- or 4-night Bahamas trip, the nearest ports are in Florida.

What happened to the Charleston cruise terminal?

Union Pier Terminal took its last cruise ship, Norwegian Jewel, on June 30, 2026. The state port authority sold the site for redevelopment as homes, shops, parks and public waterfront space.

Do cruise ships still visit Charleston?

Yes, as a port of call. Since July 2026, visiting ships dock at Columbus Street Terminal, a cargo terminal north of downtown, so plan on a shuttle, taxi or rideshare into the historic district. No cruise starts or ends there.