Port of Charleston

[Beachboy3]

I am sailing out of Charleston Sunday for the first time on the Ecstasy. Have sailed before on this class ship before so my question is not about the ship.Would like to know about the port. We are parking at the port and would like to have any information on the embarkation process at the port. Just a little curious as to what to expect. Our arrival time is scheduled for 11:30-12:00. Also we have not sailed on Carnival in a few years and would like to know if there is anything new we should expect. Thanks so much!

[yaddayaddayadda]

Charleston is fairly easy.  You pull into the parking lot and drive through a maze of concrete barriers till you get to the porters. There you drop off your luggage, show your documents, and then pay for your parking in advance.  If you're there early enough they send you to a warehouse where you can park.  You then can walk to the terminal or take shuttle buses.

 

Then you get through security, check in and walk the gangway up to deck 8, it drops you right at the Atrium lobby on the Ecstasy.

 

For an 11:30 embarkation I'd plan to be at the parking lot between 10:30-11:00. They don't let anyone in before 10:30.

[Beachboy3]

Thanks for the information. Just a little curious about the port.

[yaddayaddayadda]

You mean the town? Or just the terminal?

[Beachboy3]

2 hours ago, yaddayaddayadda said:

You mean the town? Or just the terminal?

Just interested in the process at the port. I live in South Carolina and have visited Charleston before but have never sailed from there.

[pirate4me2]

Does anyone know how much parking at the port is? We sail from there in August. 

[schazzy]

13 minutes ago, pirate4me2 said:

Does anyone know how much parking at the port is? We sail from there in August. 

 

http://www.scspa.com/cruise-parking/

[TyBaby]

We will be sailing out of Charleston for the first time in May.  Never reserved and prepaid for port parking before but I see where its an option.  Is it recommended?

[sammy1956]

All parking is outside now as they sold the warehouses we used to park in . the cost is 20.00 a day  , they shuttle you to the terminal .

[yaddayaddayadda]

4 hours ago, sammy1956 said:

All parking is outside now as they sold the warehouses we used to park in . the cost is 20.00 a day  , they shuttle you to the terminal .

 

Well that sucks. I liked being inside so my car wasn’t 10,000 degrees on debarkation day.  

[waterbug123]

19 hours ago, Beachboy3 said:

Just interested in the process at the port. I live in South Carolina and have visited Charleston before but have never sailed from there.

 

What else do you want to know?  Yaddayaddayadda gave a pretty detailed description.

[SurfCat]

I wanted more information on being dropped off by a family member and found this from the port site.  Very detailed and new for 2019.

 

http://www.scspa.com/wp-content/uploads/guidelines-for-embarkation-canival-ecstasy-and-sunshine-jan-thru-dec-2019.pdf

[TruckerDave]

$20 a day...it is cheaper to park at the airport and taxi/shuttle/uber to the port as the surface lot is only $10 per day. (garage is $15)