Charleston SC South Carolina

521 Cruises availables At departure or passage at this port

American Cruise Lines (520 Cruises)

American Eagle

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American Glory

49 Passengers
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American Legend

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American Liberty

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Port of Charleston, USA | Cruise Port Guide

From the deck, the steeples appear first. Charleston has so many that sailors nicknamed it the "Holy City": white spires, weathervanes, and slate roofs make up a skyline that has stayed true to the eighteenth century. The ship slowly makes its way up the harbour where the Civil War broke out, then docks at the Union Pier terminal, right at the edge of the historic district. Few North American ports offer such a privilege: here, everything begins on foot.

Just past the terminal exit, Concord Street leads in a few steps to the City Market, a marketplace hall where Gullah artisans weave sweetgrass baskets right before your eyes, a craft passed down through generations. The smell of warm pralines drifts among the stalls, and horse-drawn carriages wait along the cobblestone sidewalks. Come evening, gas lanterns still light some doorways, a detail that gives the lanes their old-world charm.

The Historic District, an Open-Air Museum

A ten-minute walk is all it takes to reach Waterfront Park and its pineapple-shaped fountain, a symbol of hospitality, then the French Quarter, where art galleries and old churches share narrow lanes. The single houses with their side piazzas, turned sideways to catch the breeze, speak to the Southern way of life: they were built this way so the porches would stay in the shade, and their walled gardens let the scent of jasmine drift out over the brick walls. Continuing toward the tip of the peninsula, a good fifteen minutes along the waterfront, Rainbow Row lines up its pastel-hued Georgian façades, before White Point Garden closes out the walk beneath its oaks draped in Spanish moss, facing the harbour. The carriages that make their way slowly through these streets offer a relaxing way to cover the same route, history commentary included.

Fort Sumter, Where History Turned

Out in the harbour, a low-lying island holds the walls of Fort Sumter, where the first shots of the Civil War rang out in 1861. Ferries depart from near the terminal and, depending on how long the stop lasts, allow visitors to set foot on this history-laden ground. Even without going ashore, the fort can be viewed from the park's waterfront promenade, and interpretive panels help convey what played out in this harbour. Pelicans diving between the buoys add a peaceful note to this landscape steeped in history, and the harbour's dolphins sometimes make a memorable appearance.

Flavours of the Lowcountry

Charleston champions a regional cuisine that the rest of America envies. At midday, restaurants downtown serve shrimp and grits, she-crab soup, and local oysters. Options abound around the City Market and King Street, the main shopping strip where independent boutiques and bookstores occupy antebellum buildings. A food break fits easily between two stretches of walking, and those with a sweet tooth rarely leave without a bag of still-warm pralines.

Stop at a Glance

Location Access from Union Pier
City Market About 5 minutes on foot
Waterfront Park and French Quarter About ten minutes on foot
Rainbow Row and White Point Garden About twenty minutes on foot heading south
Fort Sumter Ferry departing near the terminal

One Last Look

Heading back toward the ship, you pass once more along the wrought-iron gates and walled gardens that residents tend so jealously. Bells ring out somewhere above the rooftops, a horse-drawn carriage trots by, and you understand why so many travellers count this stop among their favourites on the East Coast. Charleston doesn't try to impress; it simply lets its past speak, and that voice stays with visitors long after they've climbed back up the gangway.

Frequently Asked Questions

At the Union Pier terminal, right on the edge of the historic district. Few North American ports offer such an advantage: here everything starts on foot the moment you leave the terminal.
Yes, and it's the great strength of this call. Concord Street leads in a few strides to the City Market; Waterfront Park is ten minutes away, and Rainbow Row a good quarter hour further along the waterfront.
The City Market, then Waterfront Park with its pineapple fountain, the French Quarter, Rainbow Row and White Point Garden at the tip of the peninsula. Add a Lowcountry lunch around King Street.
Because of its steeples. The city has so many that sailors gave it the name: white spires, weathervanes and slate roofs make a skyline still faithful to the eighteenth century.
A market hall a few strides from the terminal, where Gullah artisans weave sweetgrass baskets in front of you, a craft passed down for generations. The smell of warm pralines drifts between the stalls.
Yes, if the call is long enough. Ferries leave near the terminal for the island where the first shots of the Civil War were fired in 1861. Even without landing, you can see it from the park promenade.
A row of pastel-coloured Georgian facades along the waterfront toward the tip of the peninsula. It's the city's most photographed image, a good fifteen minutes' walk from Waterfront Park.
Lowcountry cooking: shrimp and grits, she-crab soup and local oysters. Options abound around the City Market and King Street, and those with a sweet tooth rarely leave without a bag of warm pralines.
Yes. The horse-drawn carriages working the historic district cover the same circuit at a walking pace, with historical commentary included. It's a restful option in the heat or for tired legs.
Spring and fall. South Carolina summers are very hot and humid, and hurricane season runs June through November. Jasmine from the walled gardens scents the lanes in spring.