Mobile is keeping Carnival — with a new ship at the dock. Mayor Sandy Stimpson announced that Carnival Cruise Line will bring the Carnival Sensation to the Port of Mobile, taking over itineraries previously assigned to two ships being pulled from the Alabama Cruise Terminal.
The mayor shared the news after a phone call with the cruise line, calling it great news for the city and a major boost for the local tourism industry. “Mobile believes in Carnival, and today’s announcement is validation that Carnival believes in Mobile,” Stimpson said in a statement.
Why the Swap
Carnival confirmed the Sensation will move from Miami to Mobile and assume the schedules once assigned to the Carnival Fantasy and the Carnival Fascination. The change is part of the line’s plan to shrink its overall fleet during the pandemic shutdown and concentrate on ships with upgraded features.
As part of that restructuring, the Carnival Fantasy — which had long been the ship sailing from Mobile — was sold, along with the Carnival Inspiration. The Fascination, which also called Mobile home, will move into long-term lay-up status with no timeline set for a return to service.
For Mobile’s downtown businesses and the Alabama Cruise Terminal, holding onto a homeported Carnival ship preserves a steady stream of cruise passengers even while sailings remain paused industry-wide. A restart date had not been announced as of the announcement.