MOBILE — Carnival Cruise Line has resumed operations from Mobile, Ala., with the Carnival Ecstasy departing on March 5 to the Caribbean.
The ship, which is the first to depart from Mobile in nearly two years, is currently sailing a five-day Western Caribbean cruise with a stop in Cozumel. The voyage also marks the launch of Carnival’s ‘Sailabration’ festivities in honour of its 50th birthday.
To commemorate the special day, Carnival Cruise Line President Christine Duffy and Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson hosted a ‘Back to Fun’ and 50th Birthday event at the Mobile Alabama Cruise Terminal, cutting a ceremonial ribbon and officially welcoming the first guests onboard.
During the event, Carnival also announced it will be introducing a new seasonal six- and eight-day cruise program from Mobile beginning Oct. 6, 2023 through March 30, 2024 with Carnival Spirit. Bookings open on March 9. These new Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries will stop in Bimini, Half Moon Cay and Mahogany Bay, among other ports.
“We are committed to our continued relationship with Mobile, which is why we are excited to be back to the fun with Carnival Ecstasy and we look forward to Carnival Spirit’s arrival in 2023,” said Duffy. “Aside from Carnival Spirit being a newer and larger ship for Mobile – meaning even more fun to be had onboard – Spirit’s new itineraries will give our guests the opportunity to visit new beautiful destinations.”
Carnival Ecstasy’s sailings from Mobile include four- and five-day Western Caribbean itineraries through Oct. 10, 2022, with four-day cruises visiting Cozumel and five-day cruises visiting Cozumel and Costa Maya or Yucatan (Progreso). The ship will operate a 10-day Carnival Journeys Caribbean cruise leaving on Sept. 12, 2022, visiting Key West, Grand Turk, Amber Cove, Grand Cayman and Cozumel. Ecstasy’s Oct. 10, 2022 voyage will be its last in guest operations, as the line has announced the ship will be leaving its fleet.
With the restart in Mobile and in Jacksonville, Fla. Today, March 7, Carnival will have all its year-round homeports opened, and its entire fleet back in service by this summer.
Carnival’s ‘Sailabrations’ cruises include 17 commemorative birthday voyages that sail through March 10, 2022 and feature at-sea ship meetups, special entertainment and programing. In addition to the Sailabration cruise from Mobile, other birthday voyages departed from Galveston, Miami, New Orleans, Port Canaveral and Tampa.
