Two visiting vessels are adding a military flourish to Mobile’s Mardi Gras season: the Navy guided-missile cruiser USS Philippine Sea and the Coast Guard fast response cutter USCGC Jacob Poroo are both in port, and both will welcome public tours.
The Philippine Sea is a Flight II Ticonderoga-class cruiser homeported in Mayport, Florida. The Jacob Poroo, a Sentinel-class cutter, is assigned to Pascagoula.
Welcoming Ceremony Friday
A public welcoming celebration for the Philippine Sea is set for 11 a.m. Friday at the State Port Authority’s Pier 2 Terminal. Visitors can enter through a temporary gate at the north end of the Arthur R. Outlaw Mobile Convention Center on Water Street. The program features high school JROTC units, the Murphy High School band, the Azalea Trail Maids, the USS Alabama Crewmates and local dignitaries.
The Jacob Poroo will be moored beginning Friday at GulfQuest, the maritime museum next to Cooper Riverside Park.
Tour Schedule
According to the Navy League of Mobile and the State Port Authority, tours run as follows:
- USS Philippine Sea: Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Mardi Gras Day (Tuesday), 8-11 a.m. and 1-4 p.m.
- USCGC Jacob Poroo: Saturday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., and Sunday, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
The tour gate for both ships is on the north side of the Convention Center.