Carnival Spirit to Begin Sailing From Mobile, Alabama in Fall 2023

Table Of Content

• Mobile cruise terminal
• Wheelchair and Accessibility at the Mobile Alabama Cruise Terminal
• Carnival Spirit Completes First Winter Program in Mobile
• CCL-Carnival Cruise Line restarts from Mobile (Alabama, USA) with Carnival Ecstasy
• Day 1: Mobile
• VIDEO: Rolls Royce rolls off Carnival Ecstasy ship ahead of move to Celebration
• Getting from the Mobile Regional Airport and Mobile International Airport to the Mobile Alabama Cruise Terminal

Further announcements clarified that Carnival Sensation would not return to service at all, and instead has been already been sold for scrapping. The new program features six- to 12-night itineraries to the Caribbean, the Bahamas, Central America and Florida, with planned visits to Aruba, Grand Turk, Jamaica, Freeport, Key West and more. Set to spend the upcoming cruise season in Alaska and Canada, the Spirit sailed from the Gulf Coast port on April 7, kicking off a 16-night trans-Canal voyage. There will also be a one-time 10-day Carnival Journeys cruise that departs on September 10, 2022.

Mobile cruise terminal

Mobile is the birthplace of the USA's Mardi Gras (aka America's Family Mardi Gras). It is located on Mobile Bay (Gulf of Mexico's inlet) which is formed by Fort Morgan Peninsula (on the east) and Dauphin Island (on the west). The city covers an area of approx 413 km2 (159 mi2) and has population around 195,000 (metro around 415,000). Sailing to the Western Caribbean, the Spirit also paid visits to ports of call in Mexico, Belize and Honduras, such as Cozumel, Costa Maya, Belize City and Mahogany Bay. Sailing to Seattle, the one-way cruise features a full transit of the Panama Canal, in addition to visits to destinations in Grand Cayman, Colombia, Costa Rica and Mexico. As the Communications & Public Relations Manager at Visit Mobile, Andrew actively promotes the iconic destination to international and domestic media.

Wheelchair and Accessibility at the Mobile Alabama Cruise Terminal

Another fresh idea is boat touring Mobile Bay's estuary, home to over 250 species of birds, 230 species of fish and wildlife, including black bears, alligators, bald eagles, osprey. Launched in 2001, the Carnival Spirit is the prototype ship in a series of four 2,100-guest vessels known as the Spirit Class. The vessel is scheduled to return to Mobile in late October 2025 for a second winter season sailing out of Alabama. If you need a wheelchair or scooter throughout your cruise, you must bring your own or rent one from a third-party rental agency. Dauphin Street stretches through Downtown and is lined with places to eat and shop. You can find many options, including boutiques, convenience stores, cafes, coffee shops, bars and fine dining.

Carnival Spirit Completes First Winter Program in Mobile

Carnival set to return to Mobile – with a longer-term commitment - Fox 10 News

Carnival set to return to Mobile – with a longer-term commitment.

Posted: Tue, 05 Sep 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]

Carnival Cruise Line’s 2,124-guest Carnival Spirit welcomed her first guests embarking from her new homeport of Mobile, Ala. today. The ship is bringing more variety in Carnival’s offerings from Mobile – both on board and in the itineraries departing from the port. While there aren’t any food options at the cruise port, you can find various restaurants and stores just a 10-minute walk away in Downtown Mobile. Several nearby hotels also have package deals where you leave the car in their lots while you cruise. However, these participating hotels in Mobile typically require at least one night's stay before cruising. Hotels also usually have a shuttle for transport to and from the terminal.

They feature at-sea ship meetups, special entertainment and programming. In addition to the Sailabration cruise from Mobile, other Sailabrations cruises departed today from Galveston, Texas; Miami; New Orleans; Port Canaveral, Fla.; and Tampa, Fla. Since the dedication of the Mobile Alabama Cruise Terminal in 2004, Mobile has been twice named Carnival’s “Port of the Year”. At the height of operations in 2019, 2,508 guests were sailing from Mobile on each cruise for an annual total of 187,013 total cruisers from the port. Carnival Ecstasy guests will enjoy a five-day Western Caribbean cruise with a stop in Cozumel that is part of the first cruise ship to depart from Mobile in nearly two years. Carnival Ecstasy’s cruise today  is also the kickoff of the line’s Sailabration festivities which celebrates Carnival’s 50th Birthday.

Day 1: Mobile

There’s heaps of fun on offer and something for everyone; little ones, big ones and the whole family. The largest waterpark at sea in Australia, mini-golf, two-deck fitness center, jogging track and sports court, Serenity Adult-Only Retreat™, day spa and pools and spas. Keep the kids entertained with three different age-appropriate youth programs, giving them plenty of choice on activities and the opportunity to make new friends.

VIDEO: Rolls Royce rolls off Carnival Ecstasy ship ahead of move to Celebration

The Mobile Alabama cruise port has one terminal where Carnival Cruise Line ships dock. Read on for our breakdown of the Mobile Alabama Cruise Terminal, including address information, cruise line terminals, directions, services and more. Also, be sure to check out Cruise Critic's ranked cruise deals from Mobile Cruise Terminal and see what tips, tricks and secret advice our Cruise Critic members have to say about cruises from the Mobile Alabama Cruise Terminal.

Carnival has wheelchairs available on a first-come, first-served basis, which should be requested from Carnival staff upon arrival at the terminal and cannot be borrowed for the duration of the cruise. You can also use a rideshare service like Uber or Lyft to get from the airport to the Mobile cruise terminal. Mobile International Airport, on the other hand, is about an eight-minute drive from the Mobile Alabama Cruise Terminal. Getting to the cruise terminal from the airport can be accomplished by rental car, taxi or ridesharing.

In 2004, Carnival introduced its first year-round program from Mobile, which was later expanded with the larger 2,052-guest Carnival Fantasy and then replaced with the same size Carnival Elation. During a “Back to Fun” event at the Port of Mobile, Alabama, Carnival Cruise Line announces that Carnival Spirit will be based from the port starting in fall 2023. This news comes as Carnival Ecstasy resumes sailings from Mobile for the first time in two years. The cruise ship terminal has a limited supply of wheelchairs for transporting passengers on and off the ship only.

On Saturday, it was a special day at the Port of Mobile, Alabama, when Carnival Ecstasy resumed operations and kickstarted Carnival’s service from the city after a two-year absence. During the event, the cruise line also announced its future plans on sailings from Mobile. Carnival Journeys is a limited series of special sailings that’s made to amaze, starting with great destinations and less-traveled routes to get you there.

The hotel offers park and ride packages for cruisers, similar with what is offered at the hotels throughout Mobile. Activity spills out into the Eastern Shore of Baldwin County where the Hampton Inn & Suites in Daphne will get cruisers especially once the hotels in downtown fill up. Aderholt arrived Thursday and stayed overnight at the Renaissance Mobile Riverview Hotel, a popular hotel for cruisers. The cruising industry is responsible for an estimated 35,000 room nights in Mobile on an annual basis. The Carnival Spirit will be operating seasonal – from October to May – before it sails to Alaska for summer sailings.

The ship will then sail a series of six- and eight-day voyages now through March 2024. Carnival Ecstasy‘s final cruise will set sail October 10, 2022, a 5-day itinerary visiting Cozumel and Progreso, which fittingly is her first itinerary after the special Sailabration cruise, bringing her full circle to and from Mobile. Guests arriving to board Carnival Ecstasy in Mobile will be greeted by a renovated and updated cruise terminal, with additions that highlight tourism in the region and invite guests to explore Mobile. Before returning to Alabama, the ship is scheduled to offer a series of week-long cruises to Alaska that feature visits to popular ports in the region, such as Skagway, Juneau, and Victoria, in Canada. Carnival Cruise Line and Mobile have enjoyed a partnership since 2002 when Carnival began offering  a short series of cruises from Mobile.

Mobile International Airport has two buses you could take towards the cruise terminal, but neither is ideal. You'd need to take a four-minute rideshare trip to Bus 9 at Broad St EB at 5th St. When taking Bus 9, ride for roughly 47 minutes and get off at the Govt Near Royal St. stop. Cruising aboard Carnival Spirit will elevate your holiday at sea, to that unforgettable trip you will be longing to relive. You’ll be on a ship that’s nearly the length of three footy fields and 12 decks tall of things to do, see, taste and try. Whether you’re after an action-packed holiday or just want to relax and unwind, you can create the type of cruise holiday you want.

When he's not hosting a press trip around the city, you are likely to find him at community events or traveling and exploring various cultures and cuisine. It was previously unclear which ship would operate from the port in the future, but Carnival Cruise Line and Mobile will continue the partnership, which first started in 2002. You can prepay online, text to pay, pay at the on-site kiosk or pay via the Premium Parking mobile app the day of. Learn more about parking and/or pay in advance via the Mobile Alabama Cruise Terminal parking page. Drive for about a minute, then turn right onto Eslava Street and turn right again onto Water Street.

The itineraries featured visits to several destinations in both regions, including Bimini, Nassau and Half Moon Cay – one of Carnival Corporation’s private destinations in the Bahamas. Since arriving in Mobile in October 2023, the Carnival Spirit has offered a series of six- to eight-night cruises to the Bahamas and the Caribbean. MOBILE, March 5, 2022 – Continuing its successful restart, Carnival Cruise Line resumed guest operations today from Mobile, Ala. with Carnival Ecstasy. Following service from Mobile, Carnival Ecstasy will sadly leave the fleet in October. The ship’s fate is not yet known, but the hope is that she is sold to another operator rather than following her sister’s ships that have already been scrapped.