Carnival is set to sail again from the Alabama Cruise Terminal
Carnival Cruise Line and Mobile City officials gather at the Alabama Cruise Terminal to announce the return of the Carnival Fantasy cruise ship during a ceremony Wednesday, September 23, 2015, in Mobile, Ala. Mobile City Council President Gina Gregory, center, Councilman C.J. Small, left, and Council Vice President Fred Richardson, right, celebrate the passing of an agreement between Carnival and the city. (Mike Kittrell)
ABOVE: Mobile City Council President Gina Gregory, center, Councilman C.J. Small, left, and Council Vice President Fred Richardson, right, celebrate the passing of an agreement between Carnival and the city. (Mike Kittrell/Alabama NewsCenter)
Mobile celebrates return of Carnival Cruise Lines from Alabama NewsCenter on Vimeo.
Four- and five-day cruises from Mobile to Mexico will resume aboard the Carnival Fantasy in November 2016, company and city officials announced Wednesday, ending months of speculation and breathing new life into the long-vacant Alabama Cruise Terminal.
“It’s the Fourth of July, Christmas and Super Bowl Sunday all in one day,” Al Hutchinson, president and chief executive officer of the Mobile Bay Convention and Visitors Bureau, said moments after the Mobile City Council voted unanimously to approve the ship and berthing contract with the Miami-based cruise line.
Mobile City Council members applaud as Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson, seated left, and Terry Thornton, senior vice president, Fleet Deployment and Port Operations at Carnival Cruise Lines, seated right, sign a ceremonial agreement for the return of the Carnival Fantasy. (Mike Kittrell/Alabama NewsCenter)
The announcement marks the 835-foot ship’s return to Mobile, having first sailed from Mobile Bay in November 2009, when it replaced the Carnival Holiday. The Fantasy was, itself, replaced by the Elation in May 2010.
In October 2011, Carnival moved Elation to New Orleans, effectively shutting down the Alabama Cruise Terminal and prompting a four-year campaign by Mobile politicians, business leaders and tourism officials to reclaim the attraction and revenue stream.
Per the new 13-month contract, cruise service will resume Nov. 9, 2016 and run through at least Nov. 27, 2017. Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson confirmed the contract includes the possibility for a pair of one-year extensions.
The itineraries include four-day “long weekend” cruises to Cozumel departing Thursdays as well as five-day voyages to either Costa Maya or Progreso departing on Mondays and Thursdays.
Stimpson said both parties presented priority terms as negotiations progressed, with the city pushing for a longer contract and financial security measures protecting against an abrupt departure on the cruise line’s part.
Longer contracts, Stimpson said, are awarded only when a port berths two Carnival ships, meaning at this juncture it was non-negotiable. The company did agree to guarantee the city $1.3 million of the $2.7 million projected to be collected in passenger service charges, should Carnival uproot operations before the contract expires.
“We told them, ‘If you leave, we want to be paid. We don’t want to be left holding the bag again,’” Stimpson said.
Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson makes remarks during the announcement. (Mike Kittrell/Alabama NewsCenter)
Indeed, the city pays roughly $1.86 million in debt service annually to keep the terminal operational and has done so with only negligible revenue since Carnival’s departure. Figures presented Wednesday, however, indicate the city should net nearly $1.9 million in direct revenue with the new contract after debt service is paid.
In making the announcement, Stimpson recalled stating during his mayoral campaign that it would be his fault if the Port City failed to lure Carnival back during his tenure.
“I really didn’t want to have to eat those words,” Stimpson told the crowd, adding, “(Carnival) coming back is evidence we are one the move … and that things are on the upswing here.”
Carlos Torres de Navarra, vice president of commercial port operations for Carnival Cruise Line, assured enthusiasts the Fantasy’s return to Mobile will include upgrades.
“The Fantasy clearly was here before but you won’t recognize her,” he said, outlining refurbishment plans for the 2,056-passenger ship.
Several elements of the cruise line’s popular Fun Ship 2.0 enhancement program will be incorporated into the Fantasy’s overhaul, including the addition of Guy’s Burger Joint, developed in tandem with Food Network star Guy Fieri; the BlueIguana Cantina Mexican-themed eatery; and two poolside watering holes, the RedFrog Rum Bar and BlueIguana Tequila Bar.
The new-look Fantasy will feature:
- A 12,000-square-foot spa
- A WaterWorks aqua park with a 300-foot-long slide and kids’ splash area
- A Serenity adults-only retreat
- Supervised programs for children ages 2-17
- Full casino gambling.
Carlos Torres de Navarra, vice president, Commercial Port Operations at Carnival Cruise Lines officially announces the return of the ship to Mobile. (Mike Kittrell/Alabama NewsCenter)
Mobile City Councilman Levon Manzie, in whose District 2 the Alabama Cruise Terminal sits, said he is ready for the influx of tourists and locals alike that resumed cruise service will attract to the city center.
“We’re talking about a whole other level of vibrancy downtown, so yes, I’m thrilled to have Carnival back,” Manzie said.
Angela and Robert Gray of Mobile, local business owners and creators of the 1,837-member Mobile Carnival Cruisers group on Facebook, showed up to Wednesday’s festivities in personally-designed T-shirts sporting the greeting “Welcome Back Carnival. Mobile is Ready to Cruise Again.”
The Grays took their first cruise on Carnival Elation’s last voyage from Mobile in 2011, but say the experience sparked a flame that’s led to six subsequent cruises. Now they’re ready for continued fun a little closer to home.
“We’re ready to book today,” Angela Gray said, adding, “We like to go new places, but we’re happy to go anywhere as long as we’re on a cruise ship – a Carnival cruise ship.”
Carnival Cruise Line, a unit of Carnival Corp., has a fleet of 24 ships, operating three- to 16-day voyages to the Bahamas, Caribbean, Mexican Riviera, Alaska, Hawaii, Canada, New England, Bermuda, Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands. Reservations are being accepted for Carnival Fantasy departures from Mobile and can be accessed via travel agents, www.carnival.com or by calling 1-800-CARNIVAL.
Carnival in Mobile By the Numbers
- 77: cruises per year
- $6.1 million: Total projected “new” direct income, including roughly $2.7 million in passenger service charges and about $3.4 million in parking fees.
- $16: The per-passenger service charge for each cruise, expected to generate $2,710,400 annually. Of that figure, the city is guaranteed $1.3 million if Carnival halts service.
- $800,000: Annual marketing expenses
- $876,946: Annual security and labor costs
- $709,608: Terminal operations expenses
- $1.86 million: Annual terminal debt service
- $1.87 million: Projected net profit after debt service
