After a year-long hiatus, Carnival Cruise Line is returning to Mobile with the Carnival Spirit.

Now sailing from the Alabama homeport, the vessel is set to offer a series of six- to eight-night cruises to the Bahamas and the Caribbean.

Departing today, the first cruise of the season sails to the Bahamas; the eight-night itinerary is highlighted by visits to Bimini and Nassau.

Before returning to Mobile, the cruise is also scheduled to sail to Freeport and Half Moon Cay – one of Carnival Corporation’s private destinations in the region.

Extending through late March, the program also includes different cruises to Central America and the Western Caribbean.

With several departures scheduled, one of the itineraries to the region sail for eight nights and includes visits to Cozumel and Costa Maya, in Mexico; Belize City, in Belize; and Mahogany Bay, in Roatán, Honduras.

The Carnival Spirit is also set to visit Princess Cays, another Carnival Corp. destination.

Upon completing its homeporting program in Alabama, the ship offers a repositioning cruise to Seattle.

The 16-night cruise departs from Tampa on April 7 and features visits to five destinations in Grand Cayman, Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica and Mexico: George Town, Cartagena de Indias, the Panama Canal, Puntarenas and Cabo San Lucas.

Launched in 2001, the Carnival Spirit is the prototype ship of a series of four vessels known as Spirit Class.

Before today, Carnival’s last cruise from Mobile had departed in October 2022. At the month, the Carnival Ecstasy concluded its farewell season before being sold to a ship recycling yard in Turkey.

After a summer program in Alaska, the Carnival Spirit is set to return to Mobile for a second seasonal program in late 2023.