A second cruise line is set to make regular calls in Mobile starting in 2026 as American Cruise Lines launches a new cruise itinerary in the Gulf Coast.
According to WPNI NBC 15, the transit visits were announced by local officials, including the town’s Mayor Sandy Stimpson, in April.
As part of the new operation, the American Symphony is set to visit Mobile four times starting next March.
“They want to take people to ports where there are cultural experiences, and with Mobile as old as we are, they fell like there will be a lot of the things here to see that would be of interest to their cruisers,” Mayor Stimpson is quotes as saying.
The mayor added that the town is a “perfect fit” for the product with its unique culture, history and cuisine.
Sailing from New Orleans to Pensacola, American Cruise Lines’ new itinerary features sails to destinations in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida.
In addition to the port of Mobile, the seven-night cruise includes stops in Gulfport, Biloxi and Ocean Springs.
Mobile also serves as a seasonal homeport for Carnival Cruise Line’s Spirit. Sailing from Alabama, the 2000-built vessel offers cruises to the Caribbean and the Bahamas.
For the 2025-26 season, the Carnival Spirit is set to arrive at the port in late October, kicking off a series of five- to eight-night itineraries.
The deployment also includes a special 14-night cruise to the Southern Caribbean in mid-January, as well as a 16-night repositioning cruise to Seattle in mid-April.
In a recent deployment update, Carnival said it intends to return to year-round operations from the port starting in spring 2027.
As part of the company’s most recent year-round deployment in Mobile, the Carnival Ecstasy sailed from the port between May and October 2022.