Cruising From Charleston
The Antebellum Belle
by Linda Coffman
Fall 2010: If all southern
cities were invited to a cotillion, Charleston, South Carolina would
be the belle of the ball. Known for gracious hospitality, there
could be no more fitting port on the southeastern coast to offer
year-round cruise service by Carnival Cruise Lines. Ideally situated
within walking distance of Charleston’s downtown restaurants,
attractions, and shopping, the city’s Union Pier is poised to double
its cruise ship activity in 2010 with sixty-nine vessel calls; 16
visiting as a port of call and 53 homeport embarkations.
While Union Pier terminal itself is Spartan, with no shops or
services, it is adequate to quickly process passengers set to embark
on Carnival Cruise Lines’ Carnival Fantasy. Currently, the gangway
isn’t high enough for passengers to walk directly onto the ship and
boarding is through a lower deck; however, a new gangway is in the
works, as is a new terminal. Plans are in motion to convert an
existing structure in the port to provide a more attractive facility
and eliminate the traffic challenges of the terminal’s current
location. No timeline for completion has been announced.
Getting There
Internationally known as a beautiful city with a
colorful history Charleston is proud to have been named one of the
top two tourist destinations in the United States in 2009. Located
on a peninsula between the Ashley and Cooper Rivers on the coast of
South Carolina, it is easily accessible by car and within a day’s
drive of major population centers in the southeast (Atlanta, GA, 318
miles; Chattanooga, TN, 435 miles; Charlotte, NC, 209 miles;
Raleigh, NC, 279 miles; Richmond, VA, 426 miles) and beyond
(Cincinnati, OH, 624 miles). The eastern terminus of I-26 in
Charleston connects with I-20, I-85, I-40, I-77 and I-95 from the
north. US Highway 17, the coastal north-south route, runs through
Charleston and connects with I-95 from the south.
Five airlines currently serve the
Charleston International
Airport (843-767-7009), with popular low-cost carrier Southwest
Airline adding service early in 2011. Transportation from airport to
cruise pier is available either by shared shuttle ($12 per person),
taxi (approximately $27), or transfers through Carnival Cruise Lines
(one way $29.99, round trip $59.98, per person). The twelve mile
drive takes about twenty minutes.
Amtrak (800-872-7245) operates two trains a day through the
Charleston terminal, which is located in North Charleston near the
airport. Transportation from the train station to the cruise pier is
limited to taxi service (approximately $27.00-$29.00).
Private vehicles are directed to the checked luggage drop off point
in the port and covered on-site parking ($15.00 per day). After
parking, passengers and their carry-ons are taken by shuttle to the
terminal building. Complimentary parking is provided for vehicles
displaying a valid handicap placard or license plate with proper
identification.
Passengers arriving in Charleston early on the morning of their
cruise will find numerous options to pass the time before checking
in. For those with a car, metered parking and parking garages are
available downtown close to the Old City Market on Market Street
between Meeting and East Bay Streets. Dating to 1841, it’s a montage
of small shops and stalls selling everything from souvenirs to
produce and antiques. It’s also where visitors will find Gullah
ladies weaving and selling the handmade sweetgrass baskets (pictured
here) for which
they are famous.
Nearby restaurants on South Market Street range from the chain
quality Bubba Gump Shrimp Company to the perennial local favorite,
A. W. Shuck’s Seafood Restaurant & Oyster Bar. A bit further to
walk, but certainly worth the trouble, is Jestine’s Kitchen on
Meeting Street where authentic southern home cooking is accompanied
by Jestine’s “Table Wine”—sweetened tea.
To explore Charleston the old fashioned way, an hour-long carriage
ride ($20 adults, $12 children) from the Market area through the
historic district is an entertaining and educational introduction to
the city.
Visitors should watch the time during the morning and early
afternoon as the parking line and check in process can take an hour
or more depending upon the time of arrival at the port entrance.
While Union Pier is located at the foot of Market Street and easily
walkable, foot traffic into and out of the terminal is highly
discouraged due to security concerns and passengers arriving by
shuttle or taxi may find it difficult to exit the area once they
arrive. At cruise end, a limited number of taxis await outside the
cruise terminal.
Where to Stay
Accommodations run the gamut from boutique hotels,
The Restoration on King
(877-221-7202) and King
Charles Inn, affiliated with Best Western (866-546-4700), to
historic inns, Planters Inn
(800-845-8082) and French
Quarter Inn (866-812-1900). Popular with budget minded clients,
are pre-cruise packages with valuable additions such as special
rates, free parking for the duration of the cruise, and hotel to
pier transportation (www.charlestoncruisepackages.com).
While most packages are offered by nationally recognized chain
hotels, some are conveniently located in the downtown historic
district or within short driving distance.
Dine Like A Local
With two culinary schools and a passion for good
cooking, Charleston is home to dozens of world-class restaurants.
Skip the chain eateries, and take the advice of anyone who’s dined
there, to order whatever the daily Mediterranean-style special is at
Sermet’s Corner on King Street. Seafood reigns supreme in Charleston
kitchens and Hank’s Seafood Restaurant at the corner of Church and
Hayne Streets receives high marks for their traditional and
low-country favorites. For a special night out, Charlestonians
choose innovative regional cuisine at the city’s award-winning
Peninsula Grill, located in the historic Planters Inn.
Exploring Charleston
Visitors will want to spend at least a few days
either pre- or post-cruise to immerse themselves in historic
Charleston and the surrounding area. One
of Charleston’s iconic attractions is visible from the city’s
riverside Battery—Fort Sumter, where the opening shots of the Civil
War were fired. Accessible only by water, tours to the fort depart
from Liberty Square at Aquarium Wharf in downtown Charleston, and
from Patriots Point Maritime Museum, across the Cooper River in
Mount Pleasant. The tours include an hour ashore at Fort Sumter ($16
adults, $10 children,
www.spiritlinecruises.com).
The city itself is a time capsule almost untouched since the Civil
War. Despite natural disasters like hurricanes and earthquakes,
Charleston’s public and private architectural treasures have
survived through rigorous efforts of preservationists.
Several of the city’s mansions and gardens are open to the public
and provide a glimpse into the life of wealthy Charlestonians in the
Revolutionary War and antebellum periods. Admission for most is
about $10.00, but some combination tickets are offered. Nathaniel
Russell House (51 Meeting Street) with its free-flying staircase is
one of America’s most important Federal period homes; Aiken-Rhett
House (48 Elizabeth Street) and its original outbuildings, including
slaves’ quarters, is virtually unaltered since 1858; one of the
first houses built on the Battery, Edmondston-Alston House (21 East
Battery) offers incredible views of Charleston Harbor; known as
“Charleston’s Revolutionary War House” and dating to 1772, the
Georgian-style Heyward-Washington House (87 Church Street) was owned
by Thomas Heyward, Jr., patriot and signer of the Declaration of
Independence and was visited by George Washington.
Along the Ashley River Road (Highway 61) north of Charleston,
plantations that once provided wealth and prosperity to the region
now offer house and garden tours. Middleton Place features America’s
oldest landscaped gardens; Magnolia Plantation and Gardens is unique
in that the plantation is home to the eleventh generation of its
Drayton family owners and includes a “swamp garden” refuge for water
birds, turtles, and alligators; Drayton Hall, preserved but not
restored, represents the oldest example of Georgian-Palladian
architecture in the American South. While the plantations are only
minutes apart, plan to spend a couple hours at each. Guided tours
average $15-$25 and tours that include transportation from downtown
Charleston are available.
For
naval history buffs, a water taxi operates hourly ($5 one way, $8
round trip) between Charleston Maritime Center, located a half block
from Aquarium Wharf, and
Patriots Point Naval and Maritime Museum ($16 adults, $9
children) where the main attraction is the USS Yorktown, the tenth
aircraft carrier to serve in the United States Navy and a star of
the film “Tora! Tora! Tora!”
After exploring below decks, visitors to the bridge and flight deck
are rewarded with an expansive view of Charleston Harbor and a
desire to return and see even more.
More Information
Charleston Convention
& Visitors Bureau, 843-853-8000
Port of
Charleston, 843-958-8298
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