Carnival Sails Out of Charleston
Carnival Fantasy Cruise in Charleston
With a kick-off event that involved the entire city, Carnival Cruise Lines officially set sail for year-round sailing on May 18th from Charleston, South Carolina. The events kicked off early on Tuesday as Carnival Fantasy was welcomed with a grand entrance, as it had its own escort entourage by local maritime vessels. The Carnival cruise line Fantasy vessel will be five, six and seven-day voyages to the Bahamas and Key West. Carnival has been sailing out of Charleston for several years, but this marks the first time it has sailed year round.
The inaugural launch from Charleston on the 18th included a large press event, with attendees that included included travel writers, multiple news stations and Carnival executives. Carnival’s tagline, which states: “Fun for all. All for Fun” was ushered in with Carnival staff and Charleston area leaders participating in races down the 82-foot water dual water slides on the Fantasy. Other activities during the afternoon included a multi-course luncheon for visitors and guided tours of the ship. On-board amenities of Carnival’s Fantasy Cruise include an aqua park with several slides, a 12,000 sq. ft. health spa, children’s play zones, several pools and 12 lounges and bars. The event concluded with the Carnival Fantasy Cruise setting sail for a five-day voyage to Freeport, Nassau and the Bahamas.
As the popularity of vacationing in South Carolina increases, the addition of year-long cruising from Charleston offers a bright future for tourism in Charleston, especially with a big name in Carnival, which is the largest cruise line in the world. This week, Charleston has been front and center on Carnival’s home page. A simple cruise search for cruises departing from Charleston show a starting price of $279 for a 5-day cruise.
Photo courtesy of Carnival.