Carnival Cruise Line’s Carnival Sunshine is being strongly impacted by the continuing influence of Tropical Storm Debby, which is currently 50 miles east-southeast of Charleston, South Carolina.
Carnival Sunshine is homeported from Charleston and will be unable to return on schedule, but instead is being delayed by seven hours.
Instead of docking at approximately 6 a.m. on Thursday, August 8, 2024, the ship is expected to return early in the afternoon hours. This means that embarkation for the next sailing must be subsequently delayed. The cruise line reached out to booked guests with an update about the revised plans late Wednesday afternoon.
“We plan to operate this voyage as scheduled, with modified embarkation plans,” the notification explained. “Given the ship’s delayed return to Charleston, guests are being asked to delay their terminal arrival appointments by seven hours.”
This means that a guest who chose a 12-12:30 p.m. arrival appointment when they checked in for the cruise should now plan to arrive from 7-7:30 p.m. All guests must be onboard the ship no later than 9:30 p.m. for the vessel’s departure.
At this time, there is no confirmation of whether or not Carnival Sunshine‘s itinerary will be impacted by the late departure.
Read Also: Charleston Cruise Port – Terminal, Overview and What to Do
The ship is scheduled to sail a 4-night Bahamas itinerary with just one port visit to Nassau from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, August 10. It is possible the ship may be able to make up for some of the delay during her day at sea on Friday, August 9, or else the time in Nassau may be shortened if necessary.
Another option, though unlikely, may be for the ship to visit Freeport instead of Nassau, which is roughly 100 miles closer to Charleston and could provide a longer port visit.
Carnival Cruise Line will undoubtedly investigate all potential options in order to provide guests with the best possible vacation experience, even under these challenging circumstances.
The 103,881-gross-ton Carnival Sunshine, formerly Carnival Destiny, can welcome 3,002 guests onboard for each sailing, and is also home to 1,150 international crew members.
More Possible Trouble for Charleston Guests
Even more difficulty may await guests sailing from Charleston than just the arrival and departure time of their cruise ship, however. Port of Charleston – where Carnival Sunshine will dock – is located in Charleston Harbor where the Ashley, Cooper, and Wando Rivers empty into the Atlantic Ocean.
At just 20 feet above sea level, the city of Charleston is prone to flooding, particularly in the area near the harbor. In December 2023, dozens of cruise travelers’ cars were severely damaged by flooding due to a coastal storm that also delayed Carnival Sunshine.
With Tropical Storm Debby lingering over the Charleston area, the region may see as much as 25 inches of rain through the storm’s duration.
Furthermore, storm surge may range from 1-2 feet in Charleston, which is measured as feet above ground level. This could heavily flood parking areas near the cruise terminal.
Tropical Storm Debby Track (Credit: NOAA)
As of late Wednesday afternoon, the center of the storm system is located approximately 50 miles east-southeast of Charleston, moving north-northeast at just 3 miles per hour. This slow speed gives ample time for rainfall to accumulate. Maximum windspeeds are currently measured at 60 miles per hour, with higher gusts.
Overnight into Thursday, it is expected that the storm will shift to a more northern track to make landfall in South Carolina on Thursday morning. Once she moves over land, Debby will begin to weaken but heavy rainfall and flooding threats will remain.
Travelers driving to Charleston to join Carnival Sunshine should stay alert to the possibility of flooded roads and traffic delays and be sure they have adequate time to reach the cruise port.
At the same time, it is important not to head to the port too early, as debarking guests will need time to reach their vehicles and leave the parking area so there is enough space for arriving passengers.
All booked guests should also stay in close communication with Carnival Cruise Line through email and text alerts in case of additional adjustments, delays, or itinerary changes.
Source: Cruisehive.com
