Festivities Included Fun Competition for Charity Featuring Carnival and Mobile Officials, Traditional Maritime Plaque Exchange
Carnival Fantasy arrived at its new homeport of Mobile, Ala., to launch a schedule of year-round four- and five-day cruises to Mexico.
The ship’s arrival was marked with a special invitation-only event that included a competition for charity featuring Carnival President Christine Duffy, Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson, President of the Mobile City Council Gina Gregory, and Carnival Fantasy Captain Bruno Palomba, as well as a traditional maritime plaque exchange between cruise line and port officials. The competition, part of Carnival’s popular Hasbro, The Game Show activities, included a $20,000 donation each to the Boys and Girls Club of Southern Alabama and Feeding the Gulf Coast.
Following the event, the 2,056-passenger Carnival Fantasy departs Mobile this afternoon on a sold-out five-day cruise to Cozumel and Progreso, kicking off a year-long schedule of four- and five-day cruises to these stunning Mexican ports.
“With its Southern charm, excellent terminal facilities and easy-to-reach location, Mobile is a terrific new addition to Carnival’s homeport lineup and we’re delighted to offer these convenient and affordable cruises to Mexico’s most popular ports of call,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line. “From Mayor Sandy Stimpson and everyone at the City of Mobile to the Alabama Cruise Terminal team and the entire Mobile community, we are greatly appreciative for their partnership and the very warm welcome,” she added.
“We are pleased and excited to welcome Carnival Cruise Lines back to the City of Mobile,” said Mayor Sandy Stimpson. “This is a moment we’ve been working toward since the day we took office. It represents a win for our city, a win for Carnival and most of all a win for the thousands of people who can once again enjoy a great cruise out of one of America’s greatest cities.”
