Charleston became a year-round cruise port on Tuesday.

The Carnival Fantasy sailed into the Port of Charleston early in the morning, escorted by a fleet of local vessels, as Carnival Cruise Lines officially launched its year-round schedule from the city. The welcoming fleet included the Spirit of South Carolina, Charleston Water Taxis, Moran tugs, SpiritLine Cruises and the Charleston Harbor Pilots, according to Carnival’s announcement, which the South Carolina State Ports Authority posted.

The ship leaves this afternoon on a five-day voyage to Freeport and Nassau in the Bahamas.

From the Passenger Terminal in downtown Charleston, the Fantasy will sail five-, six- and seven-day voyages to the Bahamas and Key West, Florida. Carnival also plans a series of Bermuda cruises from Charleston on the ship in 2011.

“Charleston is a beautiful, historic city within easy reach of millions of U.S. residents who will now have convenient access to Carnival’s fantastic and affordable cruise vacation options year-round,” said Jim Berra, Carnival’s senior vice president and chief marketing officer.

Charleston Mayor Joseph P. Riley and Jim Newsome, the Ports Authority’s president and CEO, were on hand with Berra for a luncheon marking the launch. Newsome presented the ship’s captain with a traditional maritime plaque to mark the Fantasy’s arrival.

“Carnival’s year-round service provides an important opportunity not only to enhance our local economy but also to introduce new visitors to our historic city,” Riley said.

Newsome called the service a welcome addition to the port that fits Charleston’s tourism market, adding that cruises bring jobs, investment and visitor spending, according to the announcement.

A first for the port

Carnival and the Ports Authority announced the program in September, calling it the first year-round cruise schedule in the port’s history. The cruise line had previously sailed only seasonally from Charleston, with two five-day departures on the Carnival Triumph in 2009 and two on the Carnival Glory planned for this year, the Ports Authority said at the time.

“Our past experience with the Port of Charleston, which has a very efficient and conveniently located cruise terminal, has been outstanding,” Gerry Cahill, Carnival’s president and CEO, said in September.

The five-day trips leave on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and stop at Nassau and Freeport. Longer trips leaving on Saturdays add Key West, Grand Turk and Half Moon Cay, a private Bahamian island, according to the September announcement.

“This vessel is a perfect fit for the Port of Charleston and is similar in size to others we have hosted in years past,” Newsome said then.

The Fantasy has a water park with a 300-foot slide and 82-foot dual racing slides, a 12,000-square-foot spa and an adults-only retreat called Serenity, Carnival said. Newsome and local leaders raced down the twin slides on Tuesday.

What it means for the region

A study by John Crotts and Frank Hefner, commissioned by the Ports Authority and released in February, projects that cruises will generate more than $37 million in economic output in the Charleston region this year. The study counted 16 port calls and 53 cruises beginning in Charleston planned for 2010 and estimated the business would support 407 jobs, $16.2 million in wages and $3.5 million in state sales and income taxes.

“Each time a cruise ship is at the dock, there is a local boost of more than $323,000,” Crotts said in February.

The researchers found that the greatest spending goes to transportation services, such as shuttles and the port industry. Retail stores and wholesale trade, including what ships buy for food and supplies, are other top sectors. Surveys in November 2009 found that two-thirds of passengers on port-of-call visits leave the ship while in Charleston, according to the study.

Traffic and a new terminal

The year-round schedule arrives as the Ports Authority and the city work through neighbors’ concerns about cruise traffic.

After traffic tie-ups around the Passenger Terminal during a ship departure in November, Riley and Newsome agreed to work on a new approach, the authority said. In February, it rerouted cruise traffic to a new gate at Concord and Laurens streets and striped lanes inside the terminal so about 250 cars can wait off city streets. Most ships departing Charleston bring about 350 to 400 cars that park in the authority’s buildings and lots, according to the authority.

On departure days, Concord Street just north of North Market Street and Washington Street just south of Hasell Street close, typically from 11 a.m. until about 3:30 p.m., the authority said. Residents can sign up for a “Cruise Notice” email to track ship activity.

The authority also plans a new cruise terminal. In February, planners led by Cooper, Robertson & Partners presented a concept that would move cruise operations to the northern part of the authority’s Union Pier property, with a single terminal handling one ship at a time, and open the rest of the waterfront land to other uses.

“Shifting the cruise terminal north on the Union Pier property is a fine solution,” Riley said at the time.