A NEW LOOK AT MOBILE

Posted on 10/28/2016 | About Уса, Russia

Passengers on the Azamara Quest, most of whom are from Australia are enjoying a 30-day voyage of Canada and the US. Monday’s port of Call in Mobile Alabama was to be the first scheduled call in that port since 2011. The city gave the 700 visitors a southern hospitality welcome.

Mobile had been the homeport for Carnival Elation since 2004, but Carnival Cruise Lines suddenly announced in 2011 that it was pulling the ship as of October that year. Their reasoning was the inability "to generate favourable financial results ... and high fuel costs required for the itineraries."Mobile is a one-ship port and Alabama’s only cruise terminal. In 2013 the Carnival Triumph made an emergency call to Mobile, as did the Carnival Conquest in the same year.Shelia Gurganus, general manager of the Alabama Cruise Terminal has been working to make Mobile a stop on the Azamara Canada-US sailing for two years and so far has another sailing scheduled for the cruise liner next March.In anticipation of Monday’s call, the Visit Waterfront Coordinator Pat Brennan said, “Just outside the terminal they’re going to be met by buses that have been signed up for tours and go out to various attractions and then other passengers are just going to be, hopefully walking in our beautiful city and partake in its restaurants and museums and so forth.”On November 9 Carnival Fantasy that will begin sailing regularly out of Mobile with four and five-day cruises to Cozumel and Costa Mayor or Progreso.The city and state have spent $4.1 million to get the terminal ready for them.