• Cruises departing out of Charleston, South Carolina sail to the Bahamas, Caribbean, Panama Canal and southeastern United States' seaportsCarolina Surfer image by Ward Irvin from Fotolia.com
  
  Located in the central region of South Carolina's eastern seacoast, the port city of Charleston is connected to the Atlantic Ocean by the Charleston Harbor. Cruises departing out of Charleston offer passengers small, four-deck ships, extra-large 13-deck cruises and many options in between. Cruises sail to destinations in the United States' southeastern coast, the Bahamas, the Caribbean and the Panama Canal. Whether sailing on a week-long getaway to Virginia or a two week-long family vacation to the Bahamas, cruises out of Charleston depart in one-way and round-trip, five- to 16-day itineraries.
  
  

American Cruise Lines

• Four of American Cruise Lines' five-ship fleet, the American Spirit, American Star, American Glory and Independence, sail out of Charleston in one-way, seven-day cruises. Passengers aboard these small, four-deck cruises sail to ports along the southeast coast of the United States with final destinations in Baltimore and Jacksonville. Cruises depart in April, May, November and December.
  
  American Cruise Line ships, which range in capacity from 49 passengers on the 2002-launched American Glory to 104 passengers on the new, 2010 Independence, include a glass-enclosed dining area for scenic meals and four, large passenger lounge areas. Staterooms are larger than any other cruise line in the small cruise industry, and many include private balconies. Other features include flat screen televisions in every room, elevators to each deck, and wireless Internet throughout the ship.
  
  American Cruise Lines
  741 Boston Post Rd. Ste. 200
  Guilford, CT 06437
  800-814-6880
  americancruiselines.com
  
  

Carnival Cruise Lines

• Carnival Fantasy and Carnival Glory, part of Carnival Cruise Lines' fleet of 23 ships, depart out of Charleston to the Bahamian ports of Grand Turk, Freeport, Nassau, Half Moon Cay and Key West, Florida. Sailing year-round with round-trip itineraries, cruises are offered in five-, six- and seven-day journeys.
  
  Awarded four-out-of-five-stars in overall consumer satisfaction on the website Cruise Reviews Online, both the 1990-launched Carnival Fantasy and the 2003-launched Carnival Glory are large- to extra large-ships with respective passenger capacities of 2,056 and 2,974. The 10-deck Carnival Fantasy features the water park WaterWorks, while the 13-deck Carnival Glory features a three-deck high Twister water slide. Both cruises offer plenty of indoor and outdoor activities, dining options and entertainment venues that are designed with the family in mind.
  
  Carnival Cruise Lines
  3655 NW 87th Avenue
  Miami, FL 33178
  888-227-6482
  carnival.com
  
  

Celebrity Cruise Lines

• Awarded four-out-of-five stars in overall consumer satisfaction on the website Online Cruise Reviews, Celebrity Mercury sails out of Charleston to ports in the Panama Canal, the eastern and western Caribbean and the Bahamas. Cruises sail from February to April in round-trip and one-way, 10-, 11- and 16-day journeys. One-way cruise options end in Los Angeles, and ports visited include Cozumel in Mexico, Belize City in Belize, and San Juan, Puerto Rico.
  
  Built in 1997, the 10-deck Celebrity Mercury is a medium- to large-sized ship with a passenger capacity of 1,886. On board features include champagne, cigar, martini and caviar bars, as well as the two-story tall Manhattan Restaurant, which offers menus by Master Chef Michel Roux.
  Other features include Broadway-style shows, aroma stone therapy in the AquaSpa, and three indoor and outdoor swimming pools.
  
  Celebrity Cruise Lines
  1080 Caribbean Way
  Miami, FL 33132
  800-647-2251
  celebritycruises.com