Diplomacy

After fourteen years, Carnival Cruise Line will no longer sail out of Charleston, South Carolina.   Other cruise lines will still utilize the southern port, but Carnival’s last cruise from the region will take place in a few weeks.

What began with Carnival Fantasy in 2010 will end with the one last Carnival cruise on Carnival Sunshine in the last month of the year.

There are eight more sailings in total for Sunshine out of the port, ranging from a 4-night cruise to a 10-night cruise to the Bahamas and Caribbean.

These are the last sailings for Carnival ships in Charleston:

• November 23: 5-day cruise to The Bahamas
• November 28: 4-day cruise to The Bahamas
• December 2: 10-day cruise to Eastern Caribbean
• December 12: 4-day cruise to The Bahamas
• December 16: 5-day cruise to The Bahamas
• December 21: 5-day cruise to The Bahamas
• December 26: 4-day cruise to The Bahamas
• December 30: 5-day cruise to The Bahamas

The December 30, 2024 sailing is a 5-night cruise that will mark the end of an era for the South Carolina cruise port.   This cruise will return to Charleston on January 5, 2025.

Some residents of Charleston have been trying for years to get rid of Carnival and cruise ships in general.  Traffic issues have plagued the city on embarkation days and environmental concerns were also at the forefront of discussions.   

In 2022 it was announced that the cruise line’s contract with the port city would not be renewed.

Other efforts to move the cruise port just across the bay to Mount Pleasant were also shot down in recent town council meetings.

Other cruise lines in Charleston

While Carnival will no longer have a presence in Charleston, the port will still be used be a few other cruise lines as a port of call.

In addition to American Cruise Line utilizing the port for stops on its smaller 100-passenger vessels, Royal Caribbean’s Vision of the Seas will be stopping at the port several times in 2025 and 2026.

Viking’s 30,150 gross ton expedition ships will also call on the port next year, and Oceania Vista is scheduled to visit Charleston in April of 2025 with its 1,200 passengers.

Its location on the southeast coast makes Charleston a convenient stop for ships sailing from the northern states to the Bahamas and Caribbean.

Azamara and Virgin Voyages will also stop at the port in October and Norwegian Jewel and Seven Seas Grandeur will be calling on the port in April of 2026.

Norwegian Jewel is scheduled to make several Charleston stops in 2026 during the peak season of April through September.

Carnival Sunshine’s Future

Where will Carnival Sunshine go after ceasing operations in Charleston? 

On February 11, 2025, the ship will begin sailing out of Norfolk, Virginia.   From Norfolk the vessel will offer 4-, 5-, 6-, 7-, and 8-day sailings to The Bahamas, Caribbean, and Bermuda.

Sunshine is currently scheduled to remain in its Norfolk homeport until April of 2027.

The vessel has been in service since 1996 when it was called Carnival Destiny.  The renaming of the ship took place in 2013.   The 102,853 gross ton ship has a passenger-capacity of 2,642 and is the oldest of three Sunshine-class vessels, the others being Carnival Sunrise and Carnival Radiance.

When Norwegian Cruise Line’s next new ship debuts in 2025, it will have two features that no cruise ship has ever had before.

Norwegian Aqua will debut in April 2025 with new experiences for cruisers. 

One of those features will be the very first cruise ship hybrid waterslide and rollercoaster. The Aqua Slidecoaster will also be the longest and fastest slide at sea.

It will have dual slides and a magnetic lift that propels adventurous guests through two different courses.

The second new feature that Norwegian Aqua is bringing to the cruise industry will be located in the ship’s thermal suite. Norwegian is known for their Mandara Spa and this ship will be no different.

Norwegian Aqua will have the first clay sauna at sea, an invigorating spa service that revitalizes the skin through detoxifying cleansing and gentle exfoliation.

The thermal suite will also have double the normal amount of heated loungers along with familiar favorites like the charcoal sauna, ice room, salt room, and the flotation salt pool.

Norwegian announced today that two-time Emmy-Award winning actor Eric Stonestreet will serve as Norwegian Aqua’s godfather during a naming ceremony that will take place next year.

David J. Herrera, President of Norwegian Cruise Line, gave the following statement about Eric Stonestreet naming the ship:

“We are very excited to officially welcome Eric Stonestreet to the NCL team!. We had an amazing time with Eric on one of our ships, and also got to spend some time with his charming family after. Over the past couple of months, Eric has become a true friend of NCL.

“Eric’s authenticity, wit, charm and genuine desire to bring happiness to the masses embodies the role of godfather for Norwegian Aqua, as well as who we are and what we stand for as a company. We are honored to have Eric as the godfather of Norwegian Aqua!”

Norwegian Aqua will be the first Prima Plus class ship from Norwegian Cruise Line and come in at 156,300 gross tons in size. It will be 1,056 feet long and carry 3,571 guests at double occupancy.

The cruise ship will begin sailing from Port Canaveral on April 26, 2025, a seven-night cruise to the Caribbean.

Norwegian Aqua will also offer cruises from New York and Miami during the vessel’s first year in service.

Every cruise line has a list of banned items.  While Royal Caribbean has banned things like multi-plug adapters that are not USB, Carnival still allows them—at least for now.

The cruise line has also allowed a certain item that other cruise lines have banned.   But because of passenger misuse, Carnival is adding a few more electronic items to its ban list.

When you’re on a cruise ship, you are essentially sharing your vacation with thousands of other people.  And while modern mega ships offer large venues and plenty of space for everyone, certain activities by other passengers can really put a damper on that much needed getaway.

One area of complaint for Carnival cruise ships lately has been noise pollution.  The cruise line has stated for years that portable Bluetooth speakers were allowed on their ships but only for private use in cabins.

But with some passengers playing music loudly from balconies or even on the pool deck as the music competed with the cruise ship’s own DJ, Carnival is now banning Bluetooth speakers and other audio devices that could interrupt other passengers.

“Boomboxes, radios and all types of speakers (including bluetooth, portable and wireless),” are no longer allowed on Carnival cruise ships.

Brand Ambassador John Heald often takes to his Facebook page to answer questions from Carnival fans. 

Among the most common complaints is the misuse of these Bluetooth speakers.  Some have complained of the “Serenity” adult-only retreat being not so much of a retreat as other passengers played loud music.

And while use of these speakers on private balconies was previously allowed, as any veteran cruisers will tell you, the sound from neighboring balconies easily spills over into any nearby stateroom.

On one recent cruise I saw a cruise passenger carrying a large boombox on his shoulders.  The music was louder than the ship’s music.  Some people complained but the staff were unsure how to handle the situation.

And this can be a safety concern.

Cruise lines have stated that one reason for banning these devices is due to passengers not being able to hear important announcements over the loudspeaker. 

When the ship is playing music on the pool deck, they will cut off the music if an important message needs to be delivered. 

But the biggest annoyance is just the extra noise these Bluetooth speakers add to a ship.   The music will clash with other music playing and can make for the very opposite of a relaxing environment.

Royal Caribbean’s third wave of deployments for cruises in 2026-2027 roll out this week on 12 of their cruise ships.

This latest batch of new cruises from the world’s largest cruise line includes sailings from Florida, the Northeast, Texas and Puerto Rico. 

Royal Caribbean’s loyal guests, Crown & Anchor Society members, can start booking these new cruises before their official launch on November 20 and 21, 2024.

Royal Caribbean’s 2026/2027 Caribbean and Northeast Cruises

Cruises from Florida

The new cruises include five Royal Caribbean cruise ships sailing from Florida to the Caribbean.

Star of the Seas, the next new mega ship from Royal Caribbean, will sail from Port Canaveral on week-long cruises to the Eastern and Western Caribbean.

Icon of the Seas, the current largest ship in the world, will continue to homeport in Miami sailing seven-night cruises to the Eastern and Western Caribbean.

Allure of the Seas, which is receiving a $100 million renovation next year, will sail from Fort Lauderdale on six and eight night voyages to the Eastern, Western and Southern Caribbean.

Adventure of the Seas will sail from both Port Canaveral and Fort Lauderdale on six and eight night Caribbean cruises.

Enchantment of the Seas will homeport in Tampa sailing seven-night cruises to the Western Caribbean. The ship will stop at the Royal Beach Club in Cozumel when it opens in late 2026.

Cruises from Texas

Symphony of the Seas will offer cruises from the world’s first zero-energy terminal in Galveston. The Oasis class ship will offer six to eight night cruises to the Western Caribbean and the Royal Beach Club in Cozumel.

Cruises from Puerto Rico

Brilliance of the Seas and Radiance of the Seas will both offer cruises from San Juan. Both cruise ships will sail seven-night cruises to the Eastern and Southern Caribbean.

Cruises from the Northeast

Oasis of the Seas will sail from Cape Liberty, New Jersey  on seven- and nine-night cruises to The Bahamas. Port stops include Nassau, Port Canaveral and Perfect Day at CocoCay.

Odyssey of the Seas will sail seven- to 11-night cruises from Cape Liberty that visit The Bahamas and Southern Caribbean.

Independence of the Seas will also sail from Cape Liberty on four- to nine-night cruises to Bermuda, New England, Canada and the Caribbean.

Vision of the Seas will homeport in Baltimore and offer five- to nine-night cruises to Bermuda and The Bahamas that include a stop at Perfect Day at CocoCay.

These are the third of eight waves of Royal Caribbean’s opening deployment schedule for cruises in 2026-2027. You can see the entire schedule here.

A TikTok video has already been viewed more than 4 million times after a cruise passenger posted footage of what looked like a “tornado” going through the cabin.

In the video clip, user @beaubays20 films as he opens the cabin door on an MSC Cruises cruise ship.

With the caption “I left my balcony door open on the cruise ship,” the video shows just how strong the draft can be when both the balcony door and cabin door are opened at the same time.

@beaubays20 A tornado really went through my room🤣 #fyp #msc #cruise #vacation #royalcaribbean #mcs #cruiseship #viral ♬ original sound – Beau Bays

“Guys, look at my room,” the TikTok user said as the sound of the wind can be heard with the opening of the door. As soon as the door opens all the way, viewers can see the results of the wind swirling through the stateroom as the curtains flap and things are blown around the room.

User @beaubays20 posted the video with a message that stated, “A tornado really went through my room.”

A myriad of comments were made on the post, and even MSC Cruises made a comment, saying, “You should close that,” referring to the balcony door that should not have been left open in the first place.

To this comment, the TikTok user replied, “Closing it would ruin my plans for a dramatic exit!”

It should be noted that balcony doors should not be left open for several reasons, one of which, of course, includes the wind tunnel effect that takes place. Besides being a nuisance to your cruise ship neighbors, it also causes issues with the thermostat, which may continuously run the AC unnecessarily.

Along with the flood of comments included some which stated they liked to sleep with the door open at night but that it should be closed before trying to open the cabin door.

“I left my door open and I got yelled at to go back and close it because I had no clue this would happen,” said one viewer.

“I would sleep so good with that wind,” stated another.