Entrance Channel's dredging started in February 2018. In November 2018, USACE signed USD 41,4 million contract for Charleston Harbor Deepening Project (part of FY2019 Work Plan).A second contract (USD 50 million) was signed for deepening port's main shipping channel (to max draft 54 ft / 16,5 m) allowing access to large container ships with max capacity 18,000 TEU-containers at Wando Welch Terminal.

The contract was for entrance channel's dredging to max draft 54 ft (16,5 m).

On September 14, 2017, South Carolina Ports Authority (SCPA) signed with USACE (US Army Corps of Engineers) a USD 49 million contract for the 'Charleston Harbor Deepening Project'. Most luxury ships visiting Charleston SC are on transition routes and most of them stay in port overnight or depart late-evening. Scheduled were transition calls from large-sized vessels of Royal Caribbean, AIDA, P&O UK. Among the new cruise ships visiting in 2017 was TUI Mein Schiff 6 (2 calls). The majority of those were by the homeported here Carnival Ecstasy, operating on year-round 5-day roundtrips to Bahamas ( Nassau, Freeport, Half Moon Cay). In 2017, the cruise port had scheduled a total of 104 ship calls. However, following the Coronavirus crisis, in May 2022 CCL announced that the brand's homeporting in Charleston will be terminated in May 2024, when ends its contract with the Port. In 2019-2020, CCL homeported in Charleston the larger Carnival Sunshine. The first Carnival ship homeported in Charleston was Carnival Fantasy (since May 2010). The port's 2017-2018 schedule showed regular roundtrips with the ship Carnival Ecstasy. On 8-day itineraries is also visited Grand Turk Island (Cockburn Town).

Ports of call on the 5-6-7-day itineraries to The Bahamas are Nassau, Freeport (Grand Bahama) and the company's private island Half Moon Cay. Port Savannah (Georgia) is approx 140 km (87 mi) to the northeast, and Port Wilmington (North Carolina) is approx 245 km (152 mi) to the southwest.ĬCL-Carnival Cruise Lines offer all-year-round cruises from Charleston. This major port city (population around 120,000) is located on the state's central coast, and on the estuaries where Cooper River meets Ashley River. Independents: PUC for Columbus Street and Union Pier Port Terminal Railroad for North Charleston East Coast Berkeley Railroad for Wando area.Port Charleston is located in South Carolina (SC), on the Atlantic coast of the USA. These independents transfer rail cars from the individual terminals to the two major carriers’ offsite locations. Each terminal in Charleston is operated by an independent rail service which feeds these terminals. General Notes About Rail Service: The South Carolina Railway Commission provides rail service in the state, with CSX and Norfolk Southern as the two major rail carriers. Transit Shed: 100,000 square feet / 9,290 square meters Heavy Lift Service: Mobile truck crane only Rail Services: CSX and Norfolk Southern covered rail access to all warehouses Our carrier-sponsored Container Freight Station division is actively stuffing and stripping containers on terminal for shippers. SSA Atlantic is a full-service stevedore handling containers, breakbulk (paper products, lumber, steel), reefer cargo, lifts, RoRo, bulk commodities and passenger vessels. The channel depth at water is 45 feet / 13.7 meters. The Port of Charleston has numerous terminals that steamship lines may call, with transit times from the sea buoy to these ranging from 1 to 2.5 hours.

Charleston port map