Despite enduring a rocky cruise to the Bahamas, passengers of the Carnival Sunshine were unprepared for the damage they would find upon returning to the Port of Charleston on Monday. Severe weather over the weekend led to gale-force winds, heavy rains, and flooding along the East Coast, with Charleston receiving nearly four inches of rain and tides reaching over nine feet.
As passengers disembarked and arrived at the flooded cruise terminal parking lot, they discovered their vehicles damaged with saltwater, if not completely ruined. According to one passenger, Kit Herold, the scene was “upsetting and very overwhelming.” Herold had purchased the cruise as a Christmas present and had driven four hours in her new 2023 Kia Sportage from her home in North Carolina.
The spokesperson for Carnival Cruise Lines expressed regret over the impact of the storm on guests’ vehicles and urged affected passengers to contact parking authorities and their insurance providers. While the cruise line claimed to provide assistance where possible, passengers like Herold were left to face the aftermath on their own.
The South Carolina Ports Authority also responded, indicating that while they provided assistance to passengers in the form of police reports for insurance claims and access to the parking lot at no additional charge, they do not assume liability for vehicles or personal property left in the passenger parking areas.
Herold, whose new car was left undriveable with its airbag deployed and filled with water, expressed frustration at the lack of assistance from South Carolina Ports Authority during the “catastrophic event.” She called for the organization to reimburse passengers for the trust they placed in leaving their vehicles at the port.
While Herold is grateful for her insurance provider’s assistance in arranging towing and a rental car, she remains uncertain about the state of her vehicle. She is left waiting and hoping for a resolution to the unexpected ordeal.
The incident has sparked a call for greater accountability and assistance for passengers who faced the unexpected aftermath of severe weather upon returning from their cruise vacation.