Carnival Cruise Ship Arrives In Alabama Port For The First Time
Carnival Sensation arrived in Mobile, Alabama for the first time yesterday where the cruise ship will begin offering cruises later this year.
Im sure I speak for everyone on board when I say It was quite emotional seeing all the people who came out to welcome us today. Mobile certainly misses cruising and we miss our guests, too! said Carnival Sensation Captain Giuseppe Strano. Its great to see how excited our guests are for the return of cruising. We cant wait to start sailing again.
Fans had a chance to get a first-hand look at what promises to be an exciting new option from Mobile as Carnival Sensation offers a greater variety of balcony accommodations and onboard features like a Bonsai Sushi Express and Cherry on Top sweet shop.
After her arrival, the cruise ships crew members had the opportunity to get vaccinated in the cruise terminal by representatives of USA Health.
The crew also enjoyed a special treat gumbo from Mobiles legendary seafood restaurant, Wintzells Oyster House, delivered to the cruise ship.
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Celebrate Any And All Occasions On Perdido Queen Cruises
Help us welcome the Perdido Queen Dinner Cruise to the Alabama Gulf Coast. This is the only dinner cruise in Mobile providing an entertaining and unique way to enjoy our beautiful, scenic waterway. Ideal for anniversaries and special occasions or just a night out with the family or that special person.
Take downtown Mobile dining to a new level! Enjoy dining on the water while cruising along the Mobile waterfront. Dinner is catered by Dauphins and served at your private table and includes two entrees with plenty of sides and salad to select from. During your cruise, the vessel is heated or cooled for your comfort. Perdido Queen dinner cruises feature live entertainment, providing space for dancing and dining.
Cruises operate rain or shine. Reservations are required and suggested to be made early to guarantee seating for the date you wish to attend. Avoid the lines and forget about a wait! Parking is available on the south side of the convention center. Covered parking is available under the convention center, after-hour parking requires cash. Train: In case of a train stopped on the tracks, please park on the south side free parking and use the stairway crossover by the convention center to avoid the railroad tracks.
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Getting To Mobile Cruise Terminal
Almost 95% of those who take a cruise out of Mobile, ALdrive to the port and park their cars for the duration of the cruise.
Mobile, AL is connected to Biloxi, MS and Tallahassee, FL bythe Interstate 10 highway. The port is just 1/2 mile from the I-10 and 5 miles from the I-65 where the I-165 leads directly toBeauregard/N. Water St in downtown Mobile. Routes to the port and Mobile cruiseterminal are clearly signposted.
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Where Is The Mobile Cruise Port
The Port of Mobile is on the estuary of the Mobile Riverwhere it flows into Mobile Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. Although it is mainly acommercial port for cargo and container ships, the specially built Mobilecruise terminal is currently used for Caribbean cruises by Carnival CruiseLines.
The port is located 59 miles west of Pensacola on theFlorida Panhandle and a similar distance east of Biloxi, Mississippi. It isconnected to both these major cities by the Interstate 10 highway. This makesMobile cruise terminal very convenient for cruisers who live in any of the GulfStates and nearby cities including New Orleans, LA Tallahassee Birmingham, AL and Atlanta, GA.
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Carnival Confirms Plans For Sensation To Sail From Mobile
The Carnival Fantasy cruise ship sits docked at the Alabama Cruise Terminal on Monday, March 16, 2020. .
Carnival Cruise Line currently lists cruises departing from Mobile in spring 2021 â but not with the ship some might have been expecting.
As of Monday, the company listed departures from Mobile starting May 1. However, a company spokesman cautioned that those dates were contingent on some pandemic-related factors that remain unresolved. On Wednesday, Carnival notified customers that it was extending its pause in U.S. operations through the end of May. That notice read, in part: We continue to work on plans to resume operations and are encouraged by the focus to expedite vaccine production and distribution which are having a demonstrated impact on improving public health.
A year ago, Carnival announced that it planned to replace the Mobile-based Carnival Fantasy with the Carnival Fascination, a newer vessel of the same class, in early 2022. However, the shutdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic led Carnival to begin revamping its fleet, shedding some older and less efficient vessels. Reports emerged a few months later that the Fantasy was on its way to the scrapyard.
As the pandemic wore on, Carnival announced in September that it planned to sell the Fascination, launched in 1994. Later industry reports confirmed the sale and indicated the vessel would remain in service for a new owner rather than being scrapped.
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Carnival Fascinations New Homeport
via Carnival
Carnival has an interesting history with the Mobile port. Back in 2011, Carnival unexpectedly pulled Elation, which had been homeported in Alabama, sending the ship to New Orleans.
READ MORE: First Time Carnival Cruise Guide
It wouldnt be until years later that Carnival returned to Mobile when the Fantasy began sailing out of the port in 2016. At the time, a spokesperson for the city told the local media, We worked hard to bring Carnival Cruise Line back to Mobile, and we are working even harder to keep them.
The resulting deal has proven to be a successful one, and will continue now that the Carnival Fascination will call the port home.
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Expert: Unvaccinated Cruisers Should Just Wait As Carnival Backs 95% Passenger Vaccination Rate
Carnival Cruise Line will restart sailing from Mobile on October 21, an announcement that drew an applause during Tuesdays City Council meeting.
But at least one cruise expert, and representatives with Visit Mobile, are encouraging anyone who wants to take an initial cruise from the Alabama Cruise Terminal to get vaccinated. If cruisers are unvaccinated, the message conveyed from the industry: Its best to just wait.
The cruise lines are saying that we want to be able to sail with everyone who is vaccinated, said Stewart Chiron, a cruise industry expert who is referred to as the Cruise Guy.
He added, People who are unvaccinated should just wait. The experience they will have on board the ships wont be very pleasant. There are certain dining areas they cannot come in. With Royal Caribbean, they cant go into a spa, the casino and relegated to certain areas of the dining room. They are doing everything possible to have zero cases.
David Clark, president & CEO with Visit Mobile said that for anyone wanting the full cruise experience, they will need to get vaccinated.
I think Carnival is doing the right thing, Clark said. As an operator, you cannot take chances with your customers. You cannot take any chances at this particular time or at any time. Carnival has always maintained that safety is the first priority of their customers and their team and I applaud them for keeping that standard.
Vaccination protocols
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Candlewood Suites Mobile Al
Located in downtown Mobile, Candlewood Suites offers a Park and Cruise Package which includes a guest suite with full kitchen and parking at the cruise terminal for the duration of your cruise. No transfers are required just walk from your car to the ship.
- Address: 121 North Royal Street, Mobile, AL 36602
- Distance from cruise terminal: Hotel 1.1 miles with on-site Port parking
- Tel: 251-690-7818
- Cost: From $118 depending on length of cruise
Mobile Cruise Terminal Past Present And Future
The first cruises sailed out of Mobile Port, AL in 2001.These cruises were with Carnival Cruise Lines who still operate out of thiscommercial deep-water port. These cruises from Mobile proved popular withtravelers from the southern states. In fact, they became the fastest selloutsin Carnivals cruise history.
The initial cruises proved to be a boost for the whole city of Mobile, bringing cruisers who dropped their dollars in hotels, cruise parking lots, restaurants and other local attractions before and after setting sail.
With this in mind, the city council invested $54,000 to develop the waterfront at the Arthur R. Outlaw Mobile Convention Center in readiness for a purpose-built cruise terminal. They had interest from Carnival, Royal Caribbean and Holland America cruise lines.
In 2004, the new cruise terminal was opened, costingsomewhere between $10 and $20 million. It was the home port of Carnivals Holidaycruise ship with itineraries mainly to Mexico showing 100% capacity.
In 2007, Mobile won the coveted Port of the Year awardfrom Carnival, based on excellent feedback from cruise passengers. In 2008,Carnival announced the Holiday would be replaced by the Fantasyin 2009. The city responded by promising a new gangway at Mobile cruiseterminal and 450 more parking spots on-site.
In 2010, despite the catastrophic oil spill in the Gulf ofMexico from the Deepwater Horizon oil rig, the Mobile cruise industry had itsbest year ever
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Carnival Cruise Ship To Arrive In Mobile Alabama
The Carnival Sensation cruise ship will arrive in Mobile, Alabama, on Friday for crew vaccinations as the cruise line prepares for a return.
Carnival Sensation will be arriving in Mobile, Alabama, on Friday, as confirmed by Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson. The Fantasy-class ship is not yet resuming operations but will be there for crew vaccinations.
It comes as Carnival Cruise Line recently started vaccinating crew of the Carnival Breeze and Carnival Vista when they made a much-anticipated return to the Port of Galveston in Texas over a week ago.
Carnival Sensation Arrives In Mobile
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Carnival Sensation in Mobile
MOBILE, Ala. The Carnival Sensation cruise ship is in Mobile this morning, and the crew will play a huge role in the efforts to resume cruises from U.S. ports.
The City of Mobile is assisting in vaccinating the ships crew against COVID-19.
As cruise lines work toward resuming operations out of U.S. ports, the city reached out to assist with vaccinating Carnival Sensations essential staff members.
Through the citys partnership with USA Health, officials have arranged for 110 crewmembers to receive their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccination in Mobile.
Once cruises resume from American ports, Carnival Sensation is the ship that will have its homeport in Mobile. It replaces the Carnival Fantasy.
City officials say they want to do everything they can to help Carnival resume sailing quickly and safely.
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Mobile Alabama Cruise Parking Includes A Shuttle Bus Between The Lot And Any Of The Cruise Terminals
The Port of Mobile, AL, is located about 13 miles from Mobile Airport and only 0.6 miles from downtown Mobile. Only one of the major cruise lines offers cruises from this port, and thats Carnival Cruise Line. To easily reach the cruise terminal, see the driving directions to the Port of Mobile, which is placed at 201 S Water Street.
If youre starting your cruise vacation at the Port of Mobile Alabama, Parking Access can help you find a cheap cruise parking spot in the area. Our car parking guide provides important on-site cruise terminal parking information and off-site parking facilities with free shuttle service to/from the terminal.
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Carnival Cruises To Resume Alabama Operations March 5
MOBILE, Ala. Nearly two years after the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, Carnival Cruise Lines is restarting operations in Mobile.
Carnival said Thursday that all 22 of its U.S.-based ships will be back in operation by March 2022, with the Carnival Sensation sailing out of Mobile on March 5, the first Saturday of the month, AL.com reported.
Its great news, said David Clark, president & CEO of Visit Mobile.
We are thrilled, Mayor Sandy Stimpson said in a statement.
Alabamians are ready to cruise again and they want to do it from their home state, Stimpson added. That is why we have been working closely with our partners at Carnival to help clear the way for their return.
Stimpson said that cruising brings in $6 million in annual gross revenues to the city from wharfage fees and parking fees alone, and some of that money is used to offset the existing debt on the Alabama Cruise Terminal. During 2019 fiscal year, $3.1 million of the revenue was used to pay off terminal-related expenses, according to city figures provided to AL.com. The debt on the cruise terminal is not expected to be paid off until 2030.
The cruise ships return to Mobile had been pushed back twice by Carnival. Initially the sailings were to begin on Oct. 21. They were then postponed to January.
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Carnival Cruise Line Announces New Ship For Mobile
Carnival Cruise Lines 2,052-passenger Sensation is shown off the Bahamas.ANDY NEWMAN/CCL
Carnival Cruise Line announced updates to its fleet plan Thursday, including word that it will bring a newer ship, the Sensation, to Mobile
Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson shared the news on social media after asking Whos ready for some good news?
Indeed, the word from Carnival follows recent news that the Carnival Fantasy, the ship that previously operated out of Mobile, had been sold and apparently was on its way to a scrapyard. This didnt necessarily mean Mobile had lost its footing as a cruise port Carnival had previously announced plans to replace the Fantasy with the Fascination in 2022 but it did create some uncertainty.
While its still unclear when the COVID-19 epidemic will subside enough for the cruise industry to get back up to speed, Carnivals announcement does provide some assurance Mobile wont be left behind when that happens.
Its a big, big, big, deal, said David Clark, president and CEO of Visit Mobile. This is years of work to make it happen.
Clark said the effort to build a relationship with Carnival has been a team effort. Among those who deserve credit, he said, are Stimpson, the city council, Visit Mobile and Joe Snowden, Stimpsons executive director of maritime and transportation.
Clark said he sees Mobiles inclusion in the Carnival announcement as a signal that the city isnt an afterthought for the company.
Try Something Short And Sweet
For travelers who dont have a lot of time or are taking their first-ever cruise, Carnival offers a four-day itinerary from Mobile through the Western Caribbean. The schedule includes two days at sea with one port day in Cozumel, Mexico, before returning to Mobile. Carnival also features three five-day itineraries that explore a number of ports in the Western Caribbean. Depending on the itinerary, port choices include the Mexican cities of Cozumel, Progreso and Costa Maya, as well as sea days. All of these sailings start and end in Mobile.
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Carnival Pushes Restart Of Cruise Service From Mobile To January
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Carnival Sensation is pictured in a file photo taken at the Port of Miami.
- Carnival Sensationâs Oct. 21 restart from Mobile has been moved to Jan. 2022
- Carnival Valor will follow Carnival Glory in New Orleans with four- and five-night sailings starting on Nov. 1
- Carnival Legend will restart Nov. 14 out of Baltimore, replacing Carnival Pride, which restarts guest operations from Baltimore Sept. 12 and then moves its homeport to Tampa following a Panama Canal repositioning cruise
- Carnival Radiance will have a new maiden voyage date of Dec. 13 out of Long Beach
- Carnival Prideâs new service from Tampa is scheduled to start on Nov. 14
- Carnival Conquestâs restart from Miami on Oct. 8 has been rescheduled to Dec. 13.
âWe are very pleased with the progress of our restart which will grow to 15 ships sailing from seven U.S. homeports by mid-November,â said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line. âWe are making slight adjustments to our timeline to take into account supply chain realities and ensure that our destination and shore excursion offerings can meet the strong demand we are seeing from our guests. Our teams, ship and shore, are prepared to continue delivering on our great guest experience and manage all health and safety protocols.â
What Is The Closest Cruise Ship Port To Me
Many cruisers start our search based on closest port. In an ideal world, our cruise would depart from one of the U.S. cruise port within driving distance.
Once we get out of range, we have to start planning flights, ubers, and hotels. That adds a whole level of complexity and additional costs that we’d prefer to avoid.
Check out the map and list below to find your closest cruise port.
Make sure to pin that list to your “Cruise Search” board for easy reference!
Here’s a complete list below by state. Also provided are links to find more detail on each departure port as well as links to shore excursions for each.
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What Carnival Ship Is Coming To Mobile Al
Earlier this week, Carnival Cruise Line announced the Carnival Sensation will dock at Port of Mobile on Oct. 21 and will begin her sailings. Since March 14, 2020, the CDC has prevented sailing ships operating out of Mobile due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This would be the first cruise ship to leave Mobile since the directive came in.