Why Do Cruises From Charleston Cost More?

[PAPERBKWRITER]

Be grateful you are close enough to drive to the pier in a few hours. We have pay for a hotel, parking, flight, and transfers to/from the airport. So, we can usually add on about $800. to any cruise.

[TheCalicoCat]

 

3. Charleston is one of the top tourist destinations in the US. If you're going to come early or stay late and spend a day or two, would your rather do it in Charleston or Jacksonville, Port Canaveral, or Tampa? There ya go.

 

Did you really just put Charleston in the same bucket as Port Canaveral? I don't "do" Disney or Universal, but even I know that I am in the minority there.

[JustCruiseMe]

Do you have paid parking at the airport? (not listed in your comparison)

No, live close to the airport and can usually get a drop off from family but even then it's only 8.00 per day...so we can say 60.00 at the most. RDU (15 miles from airport)

Edited February 8, 2014 by JustCruiseMe

[kingfish01]

I would think it was because of fuel costs. It takes more fuel from Charleston than from Jacksonville or port Carnaveral

[petesweet]

People from, say, Montana who fly to a port will probably fly to Florida rather than Charleston. Airfare to Florida is usually cheaper, there are more ship choices to the same ports in the Bahamas and the larger and newer ships are based. As a result Charleston is probably a drive-up market from the Carolinas and people who sail out of Charleston are choosing it after considering:

 

1. Drive to Charleston same-day and get on the ship.

 

2. Drive to Florida the day before. Cost difference: $112 in gas round trip to drive the extra 400 miles from Charleston to Port Canaveral each way or more for further south (at $3.50/gallon and 25 mpg), plus a night in a hotel before the cruise, or about $200 more plus another vacation day from work. However, even this assumed cost of driving as gas and hotels only (which is what most people think driving costs) is flawed: my household's car proves this every year when it needs repairs...more driving means more maintenance and the per-mile cost of the wear and tear often comes out to what gas costs!

 

3. Fly to Florida. Cost difference: probably $400+ for two people round trip in airfare less whatever it costs to drive to Charleston same-day.

 

By that math, Carnival can charge $99 per person more for a sailing out of Charleston ($198 per cabin double occupancy) than the same sailing out of Port Canaveral and still have it be cheaper than the other two options most people think of.

Charleston offers free parking for handicapped. I believe only Miami matches that.

Kathy

[petesweet]

My preference is always to drive down to Fort Lauderdale for the Oasis or Allure, but Charleston is nice for a quick getaway. At the last minute, we can get lower prices, it seems.

Kathy

[winddawn]

If you think $105 is ridiculous for parking don't ever cruise from NY.

 

I paid $245 for 7 days.:eek:

 

Bill

I pay about $100 for airport parking for a week. And that's the cheaper off-site parking with a coupon. I think that cost happens either way, parking at the port or flying in and parking at the airport.

 

Unless you're lucky enough to have someone drop you off.....

[winddawn]

Family and I have cruised out of Charleston many times. From western NC we could easily drive down on departure day but we always go early and spend (too much!) money in Charleston, hotels, restaurants, shopping, etc. Most cities would welcome cruise ships and their tourist dollars with open arms. Seems many of the blue bloods in that fair city don't want us. However, there are plenty of less fortunate people there that want the money and jobs that a thriving cruise business can bring. Carnival has been trying to bring other ships there but it is an ongoing battle. Maybe in the not too distant future !

Isn't it odd how some cities beg for Carnival to position a ship at their port while others fight it? Mobile comes to mind. And Fort Lauderdale has so many ships that the airport can barely handle the congestion on ship days. You can barely walk through FLL on ship days.

[winddawn]

Did you really just put Charleston in the same bucket as Port Canaveral? I don't "do" Disney or Universal, but even I know that I am in the minority there.

I found that statement a little odd too. I thought wow, someone needs to get out more! Lol.

[winddawn]

Go to florida , nicer ships.

I agree, riclop. And New Orleans is a fun port city with plenty to do too. I used to think that I'd like to visit Charleston because it seemed to have a quaint southern charm. After reading about how some people in Charleston have reacted to having cruise tourists visit their city, I changed my mind. I guess after reading about that I decided that it isn't quaint charm but holier than thou close-mindedness. I will not cruise from Charleston even though it is one of the closer ports for me. I prefer the port cities that appreciate my presence and tourist dollars, and that don't look down their noses at me for being a cruise tourist.

[CruiseAwesome]

I found that statement a little odd too. I thought wow, someone needs to get out more! Lol.

 

 

I agree with both of you! I've never thought about visiting Charleston just to visit. Even Tampa has more pull than Charleston, the city has some growing up to do before it's a tourism Mecca like the Florida ports are.

 

 

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[uksimonusa]

Charleston offers free parking for handicapped. I believe only Miami matches that.

Kathy

 

Port Canaveral offers free parking for handicapped equipped vehicles

[petesweet]

Port Canaveral offers free parking for handicapped equipped vehicles

Thanks for that valuable information!! We paid unnecessarily last year at an off-site lot.

 

I'm editing this post to add that perhaps I knew that. I'm thinking there is/was a port where you could park free if you had a van or something that was fitted out for a wheelchair, not just a handicap placard. Perhaps Port Canaveral?

 

Kathy

Edited February 10, 2014 by petesweet

[Dive Master]

I agree with both of you! I've never thought about visiting Charleston just to visit. Even Tampa has more pull than Charleston, the city has some growing up to do before it's a tourism Mecca like the Florida ports are.

 

 

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The editors of Conde Naste would disagree. They have voted little ole Charleston, SC as the worlld's number one tourist city two years in a row.

[Mysticks1]

Maybe it's to cover the cost of doing business in Charleston. There are activists in Charleston that keep dragging Carnival into court to try to keep Carnival from being able to position a ship there. It must be pretty expensive to continually have to fight these lawsuits.

 

http://www.charlestoncitypaper.com/charleston/a-lawsuit-against-carnival-cruise-lines-continues/Content?oid=4650989

 

That seems crazy - wanted to do something that would cause problems for the tourism industry. Carnival can send the Fantasy back to Mobile, we will welcome it with open arms. Our cruise terminal is lonely without a ship. :(

[EZ4]

The editors of Conde Naste would disagree. They have voted little ole Charleston, SC as the worlld's number one tourist city two years in a row.

 

They should probably get out more, then.

[CruiseAwesome]

They should probably get out more, then.

 

 

Hehe :)

 

 

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[Laslo294]

"Tampa please and we had three years of duty with the navy in Charleston so we are quite familiar with your city. "

 

Please tell the rest of the country that. After winning Best City 3 years straight the influx of tourists has only increased (after a decade on the rise)

The charm of the city will be one soon.

As for Ports; Living in Charleston I have no real desire to cruise from here. Price+Destinations do not negate the minimal cost to drive to Canaveral.

Edited February 10, 2014 by Laslo294