Mobile hopeful for second cruise ship

[MyImagination]

http://www.nola.com/newsflash/louisiana/index.ssf?/base/business-2/111440304943220.xml&storylist=louisiana

 

Carnival's agreement with the city gives it first dibs on any additional cruises from Mobile. "I think it's inevitable we will get a larger (Carnival) ship or a second ship," Lee said. "They are turning down business. We'd already have another ship if they had one. It takes time to realign the vessels."

 

Jennifer de la Cruz, a spokeswoman for Carnival, counters that claim, saying sales have been "good," but there's "nothing notable" about Mobile's passenger numbers.

 

Carnival is publicly noncommittal about expanding its local presence.

 

"We do not have any plans right now to change out the Holiday for a larger vessel or to add another vessel," de la Cruz said. "It's still too premature. There's a domino effect that takes place when you start shifting vessels around. A lot of things have to be taken into consideration."

[Cotton]

We're hoping to become the next Carnival homeport. A year or so ago, that was all the buzz around here, with the city and state pouring big bucks into our port area. Haven't heard anything about it lately. BUT, hoping we'll get a Carnival ship before Mobile gets a second one...:rolleyes:

[MyImagination]

I imagine when Freedom starts sailing in Feb 07 they will shuffle a few ships around. Maybe Gulfport will get Holiday :)

[corina27]

I imagine when Freedom starts sailing in Feb 07 they will shuffle a few ships around. Maybe Gulfport will get Holiday :)

hehe,too funny!

[crewsin250]

Any ship would be better than none but Gulfport has already proven it can handle a Conquest class of ship. So I would like to thing GP would get a bigger ship than the Holiday and definitly that it would get a ship before Mobile gets 2 ships.

[gwe21]

It would be great to see Gulfport with a ship!! I lived in biloxi during the time that the Conquest was docking there and it was really great for our economy! We would take rides on Sunday so my son could go see the big ship..

[futaba951]

The problem Gulfport faces is that it is located so closely in between two Carnival ports. I doubt Carnival will want to siphon off business from either Nola or Mobile just to put a ship in Gulfport. It makes a great emergency port in case of trouble at either port but would be cutting their own throat to permanently base a ship there. I could see another line maybe but Nola and Mobile already have the infrastructure in place and are so close that it wouldn't make much sense. I think it is also more likely another line will locate in Mobile before Carnival places a second ship there. If HAL or Princess were to come in it would basically still be a Carnival company without actually being a Carnival ship. I've heard though that RCCL and NCL have been doing some serious sniffing around at the Mobile docks.

[Cotton]

hehe,too funny!

 

I don't understand what's so funny...:confused:

[futaba951]

I don't understand what's so funny...:confused:

 

She probably thinks Gulport is an unknown port and the notion is ridiculous but actually Gulfport makes sense in that it is a straight shot off the Gulf without that long trek up the Mississippi to Nola. Also Gulfport has alot to offer pax pre and post cruises. But again I have a hard time seeing Carnival diluting their business in Nola and Mobile by placing a ship in between so close. Who knows though, when more new ships come out they've got to have a place to put them. I'd bet though that Gulfport is more likely to see another line come in than Carnival. These cruise lines move at a snails pace when it comes to moving ships though. I'm sure it's a logistical nightmare for them so the decisions don't come easy. What they need to consider instead of bigger, badder ships is small, really fast ships like they build at Austal USA in Mobile. They could take like 500 pax, make it to Coz in half or 1/3 the time and give people a couple days in port and then scoot on back. Great for ppl who want ports more than the onboard experience.

[crewsin250]

Well being a cruiser and being from Ms. and we are still hoping for a ship in Gulfport it would be so nice to have NCL POAmerica sail out of GP. Being this was the birth place of this ship and we are still hoping we may as well hope big! LOL

[fleeflicker]

Where is freedom going and what port is it going out of

[MyImagination]

Where is freedom going and what port is it going out of

 

Carnival hasnt released that info yet. Freedom will be a Conquest class ship.

[Cotton]

Well being a cruiser and being from Ms. and we are still hoping for a ship in Gulfport it would be so nice to have NCL POAmerica sail out of GP. Being this was the birth place of this ship and we are still hoping we may as well hope big! LOL

 

You're so right, that ship should "come home" to the coast. I'd be one of the first to sign up - I enjoyed my only NCL cruise, and it 'sho would be nice to drive only two miles to the port!:)

[Gammie]

Mississippi Gulf Coast is a great port!

I love to cruise out of N.O. but wouldn't it be cool to be able to add more choices for port calls instead of just Cozumel, Grand Caymen and Jamica.

 

GO MISSISSIPPI !!!!!!!!!

[Magnifique1908]

Hmmm, maybe they'll get some of the ships from Port Everglades, once that mayor starts cancelling contracts to cut back on air traffic :rolleyes: .....I wouldn't mind sailing out of Mobile if they had newer ships.

[miclane001]

Well being a cruiser and being from Ms. and we are still hoping for a ship in Gulfport it would be so nice to have NCL POAmerica sail out of GP. Being this was the birth place of this ship and we are still hoping we may as well hope big! LOL

 

After it's initial debut cruises, I believe Pride of America is going to be sailing the Hawaiian Islands year round.