MOBILE, Ala. (WPMI) This has been a very busy week for the Port City. First there was Mardi Gras and then the planning and arrival of the Triumph cruise ship.
A lot of families were docked in Mobile this week. They got quite the shock when a huge cruise ship showed up downtown.
For one family, it was a sign that Mobile can handle it.
Beverly Dixon and her family drove from Atlanta to revel in Mobile's Mardi Gras season. Never did they imagine something like the Triumph's arrival would happen on their vacation.
It's not their first trip to the Gulf Coast, or even Mobile. Beverly grew up here. So you can imagine when a 900 foot cruise liner docks in the city, it's a sight to see.
For Beverly, it brought a little hope that one day Carnival may reconsider a permanent port in Mobile.
"Mobile is a lovely city. A lot of people think that just because we're small and we're on the coast, that, 'oh wow, we don't have a lot to offer.' But we do," Beverly said. "Mobile has a history with Carnival cruises. They left. But hopefully this will bring them back."
It's obvious to Beverly that Mobile can handle the extra load, some 4,000 passengers and crew members who walked down the gangway onto Alabama soil.
She said Carnival needs to step up and realize that Mobile is prime real estate.
"We showed the nation because everybody is off, and everybody is comfortable now, whether it's here in the hotels or whether they have gone home, that's living proof right here. We can handle it," Beverly added.
It's a nice comeback for the Port City, showed that although Carnival pulled out we can still show some Southern hospitality and welcome those passengers with open arms.
"Let everyone know, let everyone know, come to Mobile!"
