Carnival Announces Plans For Mobile

MOBILE, Ala. — Carnival cruises are set to resume from Mobile in March, but cruisers will now be on the Carnival Ecstasy, rather than the Carnival Sensation, according to a recent announcement. The Ecstasy will take over on March 5, which will mark the first time a cruise ship has left the Alabama Cruise Terminal with passengers on board since cruising was shut down in March 2020. However, the company added that these cruises will only last until October 15, when cruises will be halted from the Alabama Cruise Terminal until September 30, 2023, according to AL.com. Carnival cruisers with voyages booked out of Mobile were updated on the ship changes in a letter. The Ecstasy and Sensation, two of the company’s oldest ships, will leave Carnival’s fleet this fall. Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson said in November 2021 that cruising attracts approximately $6 million in annual gross revenues from wharfage and parking alone. Estimates from 2019 suggested that $3.1 million of the revenues are used to pay off terminal-related expenses, meaning the debt on the cruise terminal is not expected to be paid off until 2030. David Clark, president and CEO of Visit Mobile, said earlier this week that the hotel business experiences a boon from the industry, with about 35,000 room nights attributed to cruising each year.