Carnival Cruise Line’s contract with the South Carolina Ports Authority will not be extended when it expires in 2024. As a result, Carnival Sunshine will find itself being relocated.
Carnival Sunshine To Be Repositioned
Carnival has had a homeport agreement with Charleston since 2010, with the Carnival Sunshine currently sailing a variety of cruises out of the South Carolina port. Local news reports explained that the move was made to “provide more space for the redevelopment of Union Pier Terminal.” The result would provide a “transformational opportunity within the city of Charleston.”
The South Carolina Ports Authority and Carnival Cruise Line will not extend a homeport cruising contract in Charleston past 2024. This move will bring that partnership to an end, at least temporarily. “While exciting for the future of Charleston,” said Carnival in a release, the redevelopment “will unfortunately mean [we] will no longer homeport a ship in Charleston beyond 2024. In the meantime, it is business as usual, and we look forward to seeing our guests aboard Carnival Sunshine through 2024.”
Might Another Cruise Line Move In?
No word at this point as to where Carnival Sunshine might wind up after completing her Charleston run. It is also possible — perhaps even likely — that the South Carolina city might wind up welcoming a Carnival competitor down the line. “As we look to the future, [we] will continue to evaluate the market and [look] forward to continued partnerships and opportunities.
Sunshine began sailing out of Charleston again in January following the industry-wide shutdown. Currently, the ship does a variety of sailings out of the port, from four-day jaunts to the Bahamas (some of which feature stops at Half Moon Cay) all the way up to 10-day Carnival Journeys sailings to either the Eastern or Southern Caribbean.
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