Cruises coming soon to Mobile, Alabama!

[Jason]

The Mobile City Council of Alabama has approved a contract that will allow Carnival Cruise Lines to launch cruises from the city this year, and Mayor Mike Dow said more such deals are under consideration.

Dow said the city is preparing proposals for two cruise lines that expressed interest in bringing additional ships to Mobile, but declined to name them.

The council on Tuesday authorized Dow to sign the contract with Carnival, but held over a vote on a contract to build a multimillion-dollar cruise terminal on the Mobile River.

It set aside for now a proposal to levy a new lodging tax that would provide insurance against failure of the cruise business.

Carnival announced last month its plans to dock the 1,452-passenger Holiday in Mobile and start Mexico-bound cruises on Oct. 16. The deal required the city to build a terminal.

Carnival has the right to keep out other cruise lines by matching or exceeding a competitor's proposal.

The city is proposing that the terminal be built south of the planned Maritime Center. That facility is proposed to house a tourist center, a museum and be a docking point for ferries to shuttle people across the bay.

Information from: The Mobile Register