Charleston's Union Pier: The End of an Era for Cruise Ships

By July 4, 2026, the last cruise ship will leave Union Pier, marking a significant change for a port that has seen cruise ships since the 1930s.

The Final Voyage

The Oceania Vista will be the last ship to dock at Union Pier. It will arrive on July 4, 2026, after a long journey from London to Miami. Before that, other ships like the Vision of Seas and Norwegian Jewel will visit. The Norwegian Jewel is scheduled to make 11 visits between April and June 2026.

In total, eight ships and 26 cruises are planned for 2026, more than in 2025. However, after 2026, no more cruise ships will come to Union Pier.

The Change in Plans

Ben Navarro bought Union Pier for $250 million and plans to stop all cruise ship activity there by summer 2026. This is part of his vision to transform what happens at Union Pier.

A Long History

Cruise ships have been part of Charleston since 1937. The first ship, the New Northland, brought 122 travelers to Charleston. Over the years, more ships came. In 2010, Carnival made Charleston a home port. But in 2023, Carnival left, and the number of ships started to decrease.

Controversy and Decision

Some people were not happy with the cruise ships, citing environmental and historic area concerns. As a result, the ports authority decided to stop cruise ship activity at Union Pier.

The ports authority will still consider new requests for cruise ships. However, most cruise lines plan their trips far in advance, making it unlikely that any new ships will come to Union Pier after 2026.