Something’s becoming clear to those of us with a fundamental ignorance of Charleston, South Carolina. This southern city is just different. Possibly different from anywhere else in America, a fact which gets the attention of people who like cruising, ahem, because of the recent Carnival ship shuffle.
But first, a little history lesson.
Charleston has had the same mayor, Joseph Riley, for 35 years. That alone makes the place a little unusual, to say the least.
Charleston claims to be the first U.S. city with a tourism ordinance, passed 26 years ago, limiting the number of buses, carriages, people and tour-guide licenses in its historic district.
Charleston, in the eyes of some observers, has a siege mentality that has erupted again when Carnival sent its Fantasy there to begin a year of regular cruises to the Bahamas and Florida. 
Previously, Carnival and Celebrity both used the port part-time.
It’s the conservationists versus the tourism industry, and it’s probably not a new debate in Charleston. In the event you think this couldn’t happen in your backyard, well, if you live in or near a cruise-ship port, it could.
The conservationists fear Charleston’s reputation as a quality tourist destination will be irreparably damaged by more pollution, more traffic and more tourists, an estimated 110,000 of them from Carnival ships. Those who see the increased cruise traffic as a positive, among them Mayor Riley, believe Charleston can handle the increase and retain its charm for tourists and quality of life for residents.
In any case, Charleston won’t become a cruise ship hub like Fort Lauderdale or even New Orleans. Its current terminal, and the one being planned to replace it, can only handle just one cruise ship of “modest size” at a time. Sounds like a reasonable compromise.
Why should you care?
Cruisers and conservationists clash everywhere. Cruising continues to grow. Environmentalists demand that ships be responsible caretakers. If they aren’t, cruise lines will lose battles in ports, and that could impact on the number of port choices you have.
What’s more, Charleston sounds like a nice place to visit.
That’s it, we’re done.