Carnival Sunshine Resumes Cruises From Charleston

After 22 months, Carnival Sunshine has finally resumed voyages from its year-round homeport of Charleston, South Carolina.

The return of the ship’s passenger operations in Charleston also marks the return of cruising from the southern coastal city.

The 2,964-passenger vessel is kicking off a series of four to 10-night cruises that will sail to the Bahamas and Caribbean. Today’s voyage is a four-night, visiting Nassau, Bahamas along with two sea days.

Other destinations during the ship’s Bahamas itineraries will include Bimini as well as two private destinations owned by Carnival Corporation: Half Moon Cay and Princess Cays. Carnival Sunshine‘s Caribbean itineraries will include visits to Grand Turk, Puerto Rico, Antigua, St. Maarten, and St. Kitts.

“We have been sailing from Charleston for 12 years, so we are excited to be back offering guests from all over the southeastern U.S. the opportunity to cruise from this beautiful, historic and charming community, all while providing support to the local economy,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line.

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Carnival Sunshine was previously called Carnival Destiny, and entered service in 1996 as the largest cruise ship in the world at the time. In 2013, the vessel underwent one of the largest renovations in the history of the cruise industry.

Her $155 million makeover included the complete rebuild of all public areas, as well as the addition of new partial decks and passenger cabins. She emerged as a nearly new vessel with a brand-new name.

Highlights of Carnival Sunshine include a racing-themed water park, the Havana Bar, RedFrog Pub, a ropes course, the Alchemy Bar, and a two-deck Serenity Retreat adults-only area with a waterfall. Restaurants include Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse, JiJi Asian Kitchen, Guy’s Burger Joint, and BlueIguana Cantina.

As of right now, 19 Carnival Cruise Line ships have returned to service. The line is scheduled to bring more ships back over the coming weeks, returning to ports including Mobile, Alabama and Jacksonville, Florida.

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