Cobblestones to the gangway: small ships from Charleston’s harbor.
Charleston is a small-ship port now: the Union Pier terminal at the edge of the historic district closed to cruise ships in 2026, and the ships that still sail from the harbor are American Cruise Lines’ 100 to 180 guest coastal ships bound for Savannah, Amelia Island and the Chesapeake, with a hotel night in the old city built into the fare. SmartCruiser shows every sailing leaving Charleston, prices each one with taxes and fees included, and puts the sailings with SmartCruiser bonus onboard credit at the top.
Three ways to sail from Charleston
Charleston is a small-ship port with a historic-town itinerary. Pick the coast you want to see.
The Southeast coast
- 7 to 8 nights Charleston to Amelia Island by way of Beaufort, Savannah, Hilton Head, Jekyll Island and St. Simons
- Inside the Intracoastal Waterway, so the water is flat and the towns come to the dock
- Excursions, wine and beer with dinner and a pre-cruise hotel night included
Best for: retirees, history and garden lovers, couples who do not want a sea day.
Charleston to Baltimore
- 10 to 11 nights up the coast and the Chesapeake Bay: Wilmington, Norfolk, Yorktown, St. Michaels, Annapolis
- Spring and fall only, with the bay at its prettiest in October
- One-way, so you fly home from Baltimore or start there and sail south
Best for: a second American Cruise Lines trip, Civil War and Revolutionary history, crab season.
Bahamas from Charleston
- Charleston’s big-ship era ended when Carnival left at the start of 2025 and Union Pier took its last cruise call in June 2026
- For Nassau and the private islands, the nearest year-round ship is Carnival from Jacksonville, four hours south on I-95
- If a line brings a big ship back to Charleston, those sailings show here first; we will tell you the moment one opens
Best for: Carolina families who want a cruise from their own doorstep.
Charleston deals: SmartCruiser picks first
Every sailing leaving Charleston, priced live with taxes, fees and port expenses included. The picks at the top are sailings where booking with SmartCruiser gets you something extra: instant savings, bonus onboard credit, a Special SmartCruiser rate, or a senior, resident or police & fire fare that beats the public price. Below them, every other sailing from Charleston with full sorting.
SmartCruiser picks
Sorted by what you save, biggest firstEvery sailing from Charleston
Stack any filters, then pick a sortPrices are per person, double occupancy, in US dollars, and include cruise fare, taxes, fees and port expenses as published by the cruise line at the moment you load this page. Fares are capacity controlled and change daily; the fare is confirmed when you book. Flights, hotels and transfers are extra unless the line’s offer says otherwise. SmartCruiser instant savings and bonus onboard credit are provided by SmartCruiser on top of the cruise line’s price and are not available when booking direct; amounts are per stateroom, vary by stateroom category and are shown for the lowest category offered. Special SmartCruiser rates are pricing SmartCruiser holds on that sailing for its clients, with extra onboard credit; you book your own stateroom and travel on your own. Senior fares apply to guests 55 and over; resident fares need proof of residency in a listed state or province at check-in; police and fire fares apply to active or retired police, fire and EMT personnel with ID. Qualifier-fare savings are measured against the best fare the cruise line offers the general public for the same stateroom category on the day the list was pulled, updated weekly.
Where ships from Charleston sail
Pick a destination and the list above filters to the Charleston sailings that go there.
Which line from Charleston?
American Cruise Lines is the Charleston line. For the big ships, Jacksonville and Port Canaveral are a drive south; we show those too.
When to go
The coastal ships sail spring and fall, when the Lowcountry is at its best. Summer is for the big ships only.
Charleston cruise questions we answer every day
Where do I park for a Charleston cruise?
There is no longer a dedicated cruise parking lot in Charleston; the Union Pier lot on Concord Street closed with the terminal in 2026. American Cruise Lines includes a hotel night before you sail, and most guests leave the car at that hotel or in one of the city garages on East Bay and Cumberland Street for about $18 to $25 a day; the line transfers you from the hotel to the ship. Ask us which applies to your sailing.
How far is Charleston airport from the pier?
About 12 miles and 20 to 25 minutes down I-26 to the peninsula. A taxi or rideshare typically runs about $30 to $40. Charleston International has nonstops from most of the East Coast, Chicago, Dallas and Denver. American Cruise Lines guests are met at the airport on the day of the included hotel night.
Should I stay in Charleston the night before?
Yes, and the small-ship fares build it in. The historic district hotels put you steps from the Market, a carriage tour and a proper Lowcountry dinner the evening before, and the line transfers you to the ship in the morning. Two nights is better still; we add the extra night to your booking.
Do I need a passport?
Not on the coastal sailings: American Cruise Lines never leaves US waters, so a driver’s license is all you need. On any closed-loop Bahamas cruise from Jacksonville or Port Canaveral, US citizens can sail with a government photo ID and an original or certified birth certificate, though we still recommend a passport in case you need to fly home from Nassau.
Are taxes and fees included in the prices here?
Yes. Every price on this page includes cruise fare, taxes, fees and port expenses, per person, double occupancy. On American Cruise Lines, excursions, wine and beer with dinner and the pre-cruise hotel night are included too; gratuities are extra.
What is an Intracoastal Waterway cruise like?
Calm, close and slow. The ship runs inside the barrier islands on the Intracoastal, so there is no swell, and it docks in the middle of town at Beaufort, Savannah and St. Simons rather than at a container port. Days are a morning tour, lunch on board, an afternoon walk, and a cocktail hour before dinner with a historian talk. It is the best way to see the South without driving it.
Talk to a Charleston cruise specialist
Tell us your dates and who is coming, and we price every sailing from Charleston with the fares you qualify for and the bonus credit included. Monday to Thursday 9 to 6, Friday 9 to 5, Saturday 10 to 6 ET.