Earlier today many local news agencies in Mobile, Alabama  and Cruise Critic began to report on a possibility of a Carnival cruise ship returning to the city of Mobile.
It is reported that earlier this week, Carnival sent out surveys to a select number of past guests, asking them questions about their preferences on cruising out of Gulf Coast departure ports. The survey asked cruisers which departure ports they would prefer to cruise out of, even as going as far ass asking whether cruisers would prefer to depart out of Mobile instead of New Orleans. Many of the cruisers who were surveyed claimed that they felt that the survey placed a lot of emphasis on the port of Mobile. Many cruisers claim that this survey confirms that Carnival is once again looking at Mobile as a possible departure port.
Last year, Carnival decided to leave the Port of Mobile citing that they were having problems generating revenue from the city, even though the port claims that the Carnival Elation, the ship that Carnival had based there, consistently sailed over 100% capacity.
Many residents of Mobile were upset with Carnival when the Elation left as it left the city with a $20 million debt on the new cruise terminal they had built for the Elation and a drop in tourism linked to cruising. Obviously, the return of any cruise ship to the city would be great news as it will help pay off their debts, increase tourism, and put port employees back to work.
So here’s my question for you, would you cruise out of Mobile and why?
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Header image: Carnival
7 replies on “Rumors Swirl of Carnival’s Return to Mobile, AL”
I would currently cruise out of Mobile because it is the closest port to my home. (2 hours) Would I fly there if I were further away? Not likely.
I definitely would like Carnival to return to Mobile. Just returned from a 5 day cruise from Galveston. A year earlier I had taken roughly the same trip from Mobile. Although I enjoyed both cruises, I really disliked the longer drive time. Further, with the cost of air fare, it just isn’t practical to fly. When comparing New Orleans to Mobile, I really like the facilities at Mobile (port, terminal, etc.) much better. For one thing, the parking in Mobile was really great and reasonable.
I would most definitely cruise from Mobile! I live 10 minutes from the terminal. That sure beats driving to New Orleans to cruise.
It seems like most people along the Gulf Coast agree, Mobile is a good port option. Hear that Carnival?
I have cruised out of mobile and would again. We love that its easy to get to, even from st.louis, and very close to the beaches in Pensacola for Pre or post cruise beach time.
Mobile is a great port to sail out of. All the cruises were always booked. I would love to see a ship come back in.
I would love to see cruise ships coming back to mobile! Would love to see more than one cruise line there,and seven day cruises and up in the days at sea. CAN’T WAIT IM PACKING NOW!