MOBILE, Ala. — Carnival Cruise Lines are officially coming back to the Port City, Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson announced Wednesday morning.
The agreement was initially reached last month, but the ink on the contract finally dried this week.
We are pleased and excited to welcome @CarnivalCruise back to Mobile! #destinationmobile
— Sandy Stimpson (@MayorStimpson) September 23, 2015
This is a win for citizens, business owners and the thousands of consumers who can enjoy a cruise out of one of America’s greatest cities.
— Sandy Stimpson (@MayorStimpson) September 23, 2015
The Carnival Cruise Lines removed its port stop from Mobile in 2011, leaving the $26 million Alabama Cruise Terminal inactive for the past four years. According to city officials, the cruises ported in Mobile were netting only $1 million a year.
Stimpson says bringing a cruise ship back to Mobile “will create jobs in the hospitality industry, grow visitor numbers and hotel room nights and increase tax revenue for the City.”
The soon-to-be-renovated Carnival Fantasy will embark from Mobile on November 9, 2016, offering 84 cruises during the initial 1-year term.
Though other cities, including Houston, Texas, have had to pay the cruise line incentives to establish a port, Mobile did not have to offer Carnival any cash incentives.
“We put ships in places where we think we can be successful and most importantly, a place like Mobile where we can draw upon a very large audience,” said Carnival senior vice-president of marketing planning Terry Thorton. “It’s really not about incentives and contracts.”
The city is, however, required to deposit $800,000 a year into a promotion fund to advertise the port. That tab is expected to be paid by parking fees, which will cost cruisers $18 per day and are estimated to raise up to $3 million a year.
Alabama Governor Robert Bentley (R) also celebrated the long-awaited deal.
“Alabama and the city of Mobile have long been vacation destinations, and with the Carnival announcement today, once again Mobile will have an added tourist attraction,” the governor wrote in a press release “We are proud that Carnival has decided to bring a cruise ship back to the Port City. Mayor Stimpson has done an incredible job working with Carnival and local leaders to bring Carnival back to Mobile. We look forward to welcoming the thousands of additional visitors beginning in Fall of 2016, and the great impact this decision will have on our economy.”
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— Elizabeth BeShears (@LizEBeesh) January 21, 2015
