Carnival Cruise Line will position a newer, larger ship to Charleston when the 3,002-passenger Carnival Sunshine kicks off a year-round schedule of four- and five-day cruises in May 2019.
Carnival Sunshine provides an exciting new holiday choice from Charleston and features one of the widest arrays of food, beverage and entertainment options within the Carnival fleet.
Included on board are spectacular open-air attractions such as the WaterWorks aqua park and SportSquare recreation area, a three-deck-high adults-only retreat featuring a waterfall and adjoining pool, several specialty restaurants and more than 550 staterooms with private balconies.
“With its strong tourism appeal, Charleston is one of our most popular homeports and we’re delighted to build upon this success with the deployment of Carnival Sunshine,” Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line.
“Carnival Sunshine not only provides guests sailing from Charleston with a newer, larger ship with so much to see and do but also underscores our commitment to our year-round operations from this port.”
Carnival Sunshine will kick off its four- and five-day cruise programme from Charleston on May 18th, 2019, and is expected to carry approximately 220,000 passengers annually from that port.
Four-day cruises will visit the Bahamian capital of Nassau while five-day voyages will feature Nassau and the private Bahamian island of Half Moon Cay.
Each of these destinations offers world-class beaches and excellent water sports opportunities, including kayaking, paddle-boarding and snorkelling.
Jim Newsome, South Carolina Ports Authority president, added: “The decision by Carnival Cruise Line to homeport the Carnival Sunshine in Charleston is an important affirmation of their success and commitment to operations in Charleston.
“SCPA’s cruise business is an important part of our maritime commerce mission and diversification of business segments.
“The port succeeds through having world-class brands, such as Carnival Cruise Line, as its direct customers and looks forward to continuing this productive relationship.”
In addition to the short cruise programme from Charleston, Carnival Sunshine will operate an 11-day Carnival Journeys cruise round-trip from Charleston from December 3rd-14th, 2019, calling at St. Thomas, Aruba, Bonaire, Grand Turk and Half Moon Cay.