Mobile readies for new cruise shipâs October arrival
Carnival Cruise Lines is returning to Mobile in October, and the city of Mobile is currently finalizing agreements for a newer, bigger cruise ship.
On Tuesday, the council authorized a $75,000 one-year agreement with Securitas Security Services USA at the Mobile Cruise Terminal, as well as a $50,000 one-year agreement with ZTrip for shuttle services to the cruise terminal. Both agreements include the option to extend the contract for two one-year periods.
Last week, the Mobile City Council authorized a new, five-year berthing agreement with Carnival Cruise Lines for use of the cruise terminal for the Carnival Spirit, which will begin departing on 5, 6, 8 and 12-day trips in October, said Jason Johnson, a spokesman for the city. The agreement also includes two one-year extension options. In exchange, Carnival will give the city $8 per passenger with a 3% increase for each year of the five years, according to Fox 10.
“This multi-year berthing agreement shows that Carnival sees the Port of Mobile as an important part of its future plans,” Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson said in a statement. “They are invested in our city, and this new arrangement will be a win-win for all of the parties.”
The ship will sail around the Caribbean Sea and dock in such destinations as Key West, Fla.; Half Moon Cay and Nassau in the Bahamas; Grand Turk in the Turks and Caicos and Grand Cayman in the Cayman Islands; according to David Clark, CEO of Visit Mobile. The ship is seasonal and will only dock for six months at a time.