Carnival Sunshine launches voyages from Charleston, South Carolina

Carnival Cruise Line has launched a new schedule of four- to 11-day voyages for Carnival Sunshine from the Port of Charleston, South Carolina. The ship is the newest to operate year-round cruises from Charleston.

Inaugural festivities for the ship took place earlier this month, with a luncheon for travel advisers, local officials and VIPs, during which Carnival made a donation to One80 Place, a homeless assistance centre that the line has supported for many years.

Carnival Sunshine’s schedule from Charleston includes four- and five-day sailings to the Bahamas, six- and seven-day voyages to Bermuda and the Caribbean, and the first-ever Cuba cruises from Charleston with a series of five-day sailings calling at Havana. Also offered are longer-length ten- and 11-day Carnival Journeys sailings to the Caribbean with day-long calls at tropical islands, opportunities to sample local cuisine and entertainment and activities such as a retro Throwback Sea Day.

Terry Thornton, senior vice president of nautical and port operations for Carnival Cruise Line, said: “Carnival launched Charleston’s first-year round cruise programme nearly a decade ago and we’re delighted to homeport Carnival Sunshine, which offers our guests so many wonderful on-board features and amenities. This weekend’s festivities were a great way to celebrate the arrival of Charleston’s newest year-round cruise ship while supporting a long-time charitable partner that has made such a tremendous impact on the community.”

South Carolina Ports Authority president and CEO Jim Newsome added: “Carnival Cruise Line is a great customer of the Port, and we’re proud to welcome the Sunshine as a reflection of their success in Charleston. Cruise operations are an important part of SCPA’s maritime commerce mission and the diversification of our business segments. We look forward to continuing this productive relationship with Carnival and applaud their commitment to supporting charitable organisations in our community.”

Carnival Sunshine features more than 500 balcony staterooms and nearly 50 suites, plus numerous on-board amenities including a three-level Serenity adults-only retreat, a suspended ropes course and Speedway Splash – dual racing slides that are part of an expansive WaterWorks aqua park.

There’s also a variety of food and beverage options, such as Ji Ji Asian Kitchen, Cucina del Capitano family-style Italian restaurant, Fahrenheit 555 steakhouse, the Caribbean-inspired RedFrog Pub and the cocktail pharmacy-themed Alchemy Bar.

With Carnival Sunshine repositioning to Charleston, Carnival Ecstasy was deployed to Jacksonville, Florida for year-round four- to seven-day cruises to the Bahamas and Caribbean. In turn, Carnival Elation, previously based in Jacksonville, shifted to Port Canaveral, Florida for a new four- and five-day Caribbean/Bahamas schedule from the Space Coast.