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| Carnival Fantasy is one ship cited as possibly destined for year-round service from the Port of Mobile, AL, although no announcement has yet been made. // Photo by Susan J. Young |
Today may be the day that cruisers learn whether Carnival Cruise Lines is definitely returning to Mobile, AL, as a home port, according to local Mobile sources.
Update: It's official -- Carnival just announced the Carnival Fantasy will sail from Mobile beginning fall 2016. Details here.
Carnival ceased operations a few years back; it had operated year-round cruises from the Alabama Cruise Terminal to the Caribbean. Earlier this month, the line confirmed it was in discussions with the city about a possible return. Negotiations between the line and the City of Mobile have been under way for several weeks.
Meanwhile, the city is apparently thinking of renaming the Alabama Cruise Terminal to better reflect that it's owned by local taxpayers, according to local media site AL.com.
What ship will the line bring back, if indeed it does return? Some trade sources believe it could be Carnival Fantasy, which has the Carnival 2.0 updates.
Travel Agent asked Carnival this morning about whether this is the ship that will operate the service, but the line has not yet responded.
Stay tuned to www.travelagentcentral.com for any updates should Carnival officially make any announcement today.