(MOBILE, Ala.) After pulling up anchor and setting sail from Mobile, Carnival Cruise Lines appears to have our port back on its radar. An email based questionnaire sent to travelers asks some very pointed questions about where and why people choose the places they go to to board cruises. It specifically mentions Mobile, even though the Alabama Cruise Terminal is empty.
www.cruisecritic.com is a website that lists cruise deals and reviews. Tuesday, Local 15 noticed a lot of talk about Mobile on the site's message board.
"It's been quite positive for Mobile with people wanting cruise ships back here," said Springdale Travel's General Manager Sam Corsentino.
The message board references an email survey Carnival is sending to travelers.
We checked out the survey ourselves.
One question asks, "How likely would you be to consider sailing from each of the following departure ports?"
Mobile is listed as an option even though Carnival left the port city last year.
Another question asks travelers to compare sailing from Mobile to sailing from New Orleans.
"I've always said people prefer to sail out of here and hopefully that's what they'll see in the survey. But we haven't been contacted on the survey," said Mayor Sam Jones.
And most of the online posts favor Mobile.
One person writes "I would sail out of Mobile over New Orleans. There is less traffic congestion and the port is easier to navigate in Mobile."
Another person says "I love sailing out of Mobile. I find Mobile to be more hotel friendly than I do New Orleans."
Corsentino sees the survey as a good sign.
"I think with the Airbus contract, Carnival is looking at the possibility of coming here again," said Corsentino.
We asked a Carnival spokesman to comment on the survey. He said he's looking into it.
Meanwhile Mayor Sam Jones is hopeful.
"I think we will get a ship. We don't know which line but we constantly talk to them and hopefully something will come of it," said Jones.
The fact that the city of Charleston, South Carolina is suing Carnival could work in our favor.
The president of Cape Travel here in Mobile says he doesn't know how long the cruise line will keep its ship Charleston and put up with the ongoing controversy.
View the posts about Mobile:
http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1674485
View the survey:
