Carnival Spirit heading to Mobile in 2023

[bmc alabama]

https://www.al.com/news/2022/03/carnival-spirit-will-sail-from-mobile-in-october-2023.html?outputType=amp

[ray98]

Good for them.  It will be a huge upgrade from the Fantasy class ships.

[KmomChicago]

What great news! 

[groundloop]

Good news.  Too bad there's going to be a year gap though.

[stormgrey11]

Smart move ! i sure didn't see this one coming though !

 

Where before Mobile offered 4 and 5 days cruises going to same ports a Conquest class ship out of New Orleans would go to, it now gives totally different options.

 

Christine Duffy mentioned that 2024 itineraries are open but I have not seen anything.

 

The repositioning cruises from/to Seattle through the Panama Canal should be a fantastic cruise !

[jsglow]

Wonderful news for Mobile. 

[tidecat]

@stormgrey11 Mobile bookings are scheduled to open on March 9.

[toad455]

Spirit will only be seasonal(Oct-March) before she heads west for Alaska cruises. Still think Mobile should try and get another cruise line to sail out of there.

Edited March 6, 2022 by toad455

[KmomChicago]

6 minutes ago, toad455 said:

Spirit will only be seasonal(Oct-March) before she heads west for Alaska cruises. Still think Mobile should try and get another cruise line to sail out of there.

My understanding is they are constantly trying.

[tidecat]

4 minutes ago, toad455 said:

Spirit will only be seasonal(Oct-March) before she heads west for Alaska cruises. Still think Mobile should try and get another cruise line to sail out of there.

Right now Carnival doesn't have anything on order beyond Carnival Jubilee (late 2023). There needs to be an "XL 4" or a "Sunshine 5" to free up another ship for seasonal service to Alaska. Of course that ship has to go somewhere else the other six months of the year - either Mobile needs to justify that level of service during the winter months itself, or get some help from a Miami, San Diego, or even a port in the Southern Hemisphere.

[KmomChicago]

15 minutes ago, tidecat said:

Right now Carnival doesn't have anything on order beyond Carnival Jubilee (late 2023). There needs to be an "XL 4" or a "Sunshine 5" to free up another ship for seasonal service to Alaska. Of course that ship has to go somewhere else the other six months of the year - either Mobile needs to justify that level of service during the winter months itself, or get some help from a Miami, San Diego, or even a port in the Southern Hemisphere.

The parent corporation has several Excellence class ships on order across brands which could lead to more transfers a la Costa Magica. 

Edited March 6, 2022 by KmomChicago

[tidecat]

20 minutes ago, KmomChicago said:

The parent corporation has several Excellence class ships on order across brands which could lead to more transfers a la Costa Magica. 

Carnival Jubilee is the last Excel class ship on order. There are currently none after that. P&O's Arvia is likely too far along to justify moving out of the British market as it is due out later this year.

 

I suppose Carnival could snatch one or two of the Sphere class ships from Princess due in 2023 or 2025, but those would likely need to be reconfigured to have another 500 staterooms as they hold "only" 4300 at double occupancy.  Aside from Queen Anne (Cunard, 2024) Carnival Corporation has nothing else on order.

 

More likely we'd just see Costa Fortuna become Sunshine 5. There's also the entire Grand Class from the Princess fleet that line up well with the Conquest class in terms of passenger/space ratio. 

[KmomChicago]

8 minutes ago, tidecat said:

Carnival Jubilee is the last Excel class ship on order. There are currently none after that. P&O's Arvia is likely too far along to justify moving out of the British market as it is due out later this year.

 

I suppose Carnival could snatch one or two of the Sphere class ships from Princess due in 2023 or 2025, but those would likely need to be reconfigured to have another 500 staterooms as they hold "only" 4300 at double occupancy.  Aside from Queen Anne (Cunard, 2024) Carnival Corporation has nothing else on order.

 

More likely we'd just see Costa Fortuna become Sunshine 5. There's also the entire Grand Class from the Princess fleet that line up well with the Conquest class in terms of passenger/space ratio. 

I was suggesting once all the Excellence class ships are done some of the older ones might be transferred. 

[Purvis1231]

Yes, this is good news but I regret Mobile will have to go a year without a ship.  Who knows what will happen in that year to change things. 

[toad455]

I does seem odd that Carnival will get rid of the Ecstasy this October. Why not hold on to her another year until the Spirit starts up in Oct. 2023?

[tidecat]

On 3/7/2022 at 11:54 AM, toad455 said:

I does seem odd that Carnival will get rid of the Ecstasy this October. Why not hold on to her another year until the Spirit starts up in Oct. 2023?

Last drydock was October 2019, so she is due again in October 2022. Using the Sensation instead of the Ecstasy would have got Mobile about another 10 weeks of cruising before Sensation would need to go in.

 

Why change the tires on a car you're going to sell?

[KmomChicago]

4 hours ago, tidecat said:

Last drydock was October 2019, so she is due again in October 2022. Using the Sensation instead of the Ecstasy would have got Mobile about another 10 weeks of cruising before Sensation would need to go in.

 

Why change the tires on a car you're going to sell?

Guessing Sensation was in worse condition than Ecstasy, dry dock notwithstanding. You’re going to retire your worst ship and I believe Sensation was the oldest of the final four.

[tidecat]

Carnival Spirit itineraries out of Mobile are now open for booking.

[CarnivalShips480]

Ecstasy was built in 1991, Sensation in 1993, Elation and Paradise in 1998.