Mount Pleasant may be the newest cruise port in North America and could see a ship visit as soon as May, according to a source familiar with the matter.

With Charleston at its self-imposed limit of 104 ships per year for 2017 and 2018, Mount Pleasant has emerged as a nearby option for small and niche ships willing to tender passengers.

The Coast Guard has approved the plan which will see tenders arrive into Fort Sumter at Patriots Point, about a 30-minute bus ride from downtown Charleston.

“Everything has been vetted by United States Customs and the Coast Guard. It is ready to go,” said the source.

Mount Pleasant may be new, but it is not a complete unknown to the cruise industry as the Silver Whisper previously anchored there in 2004.

Photo: Patriots Point Mount Pleasant, SC (CC BY-SA 2.0) by MikeKalasnik