Just two weeks before Christmas, Wesley and Stephanie Royal of Brevard arrived at the Port of Charleston, South Carolina, after a four-night cruise to the Bahamas on Carnival Cruises Sunshine.
When they reached the parking lot where their car was parked, they were shocked. Stephanie Royal said a storm passed through the Charleston area a few days ago and dumped more than 4 inches of rain, but because her parking lot was so close to the coast, all the cars in the lot suffered salt water damage from the storm. It is said that he received it.
“More than 400 cars suffered salt water damage,” she told the Times-News on Dec. 23.
None of the cars started.
long way home
Like other passengers parked in storm-damaged car parks, the Royal couple found their car in shocking condition at the port and had to scramble to figure out how to get home. I had to.
Stephanie Royal said no one was informed that their car had sustained such extensive damage.
“When we disembarked from the ship, none of the Carnival staff informed us that this had happened. Neither did the ship’s captain or crew. We rushed off the ship and returned after a six-hour delay.”In many cases, the port authority also did not inform us,” she said.
It wasn’t just the cars that were affected by the bad weather. The Royals said stormy weather during much of the cruise delayed their return to Charleston.
“We were originally scheduled to return to the port by 7 a.m., but due to the weather, we were delayed for six hours and returned to the port around 1 p.m. We were stranded from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.,” Stephanie Royal said. said. “We managed to arrange a rideshare to the airport to rent a car. We returned to the parking lot at 6pm to get our luggage from the car. People were still stranded waiting for help.”
She said she and her husband drove back to Brevard that night, arriving home just after 11 p.m. She spent $55 on a rideshare to the airport and another $400 on a rental car to get her home.
Who is in charge?
So far, the South Carolina Ports Authority has only issued refunds for parking fees, Stephanie Royal said.
“We received a refund for the parking fee, but that’s it. We are still waiting for the final closure of the vehicle from the insurance company.”
according to Past coverage by USA TODAY“We regret that some of our guest vehicles parked on our port property were affected by the recent storms,” a Carnival Cruise Line spokesperson said in an emailed statement. .
The cruise line then advised passengers to contact the South Carolina Port Authority because the parking lot is not a Carnival property.
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According to an article in the Charleston Post and Courier, the South Carolina Port Authority said it was not responsible for the damage to the hundreds of cars but provided documentation that car owners could use to file insurance claims. The Port Authority then refunded parking fees and allowed car owners to leave their cars in the lot for as long as they needed.
“In my opinion, this is not enough to cover the time it takes to get home and be stranded in an area you don’t know well. We also complained to the city of Charleston to change how they handle parking.” ,” Stephanie Royal said.
The Times-News contacted the South Carolina Ports Authority on Jan. 2 but did not receive a response. A notice on the Port Authority’s website tells cruise passengers to “park at your own risk.”
“SCPA is not responsible for theft, collision, accident, fire, or other damage of any kind to personal property, regardless of the cause. does not take any responsibility.” Website Say.
Stephanie Royal said passengers departing from Charleston on Carnival Cruises are forced to park in one of the Port Authority’s parking lots at sea level.
“As a passenger, you have no choice but to park there to board the ship. The weather made the cruise difficult and it didn’t make me feel good on the way back,” she said. Ta.
“A turmoil that could have been prevented”
Stephanie Royal hopes this incident will lead to big changes in cruise parking in the Charleston area.
“A lot of people don’t know how bad this area can flood, and the Port Authority isn’t telling the public about it either. We know this will continue until this area floods. We have been trying to inform the public.” It will close in December 2024.
“We feel like we didn’t do enough and this mess could have been prevented. They knew full well that bad weather was coming and they didn’t take the necessary precautions for parking.” “The lack of communication between the ship’s crew and the port authorities is beyond bad.” ”
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Royal believes the crew could have alerted the passengers to what was going on and obtained information before leaving the ship.
“It’s clear that Carnival’s crew were informed not to say anything to us for fear that passengers would attack us for help or information upon disembarkation,” she said. “At the very least, the Port Authority personnel in the parking lot could have informed us once we arrived at the parking lot and discovered that our car was flooded and submerged.” It was our responsibility. We would like to share this information to forewarn future passengers aboard Carnival Cruise Lines and park in this area. ”
Dean Hensley is news editor for the Hendersonville Times-News. Please email tips, questions, and comments to him at DHensley@gannett.com. Please support this kind of local journalism by subscribing to the Hendersonville Times Her News.