NCL Mobile?

[pensi9]

Since Carnival is leaving Mobile and they have a new terminal has anyone heard any rumors of NCL coming to MObile?

[Ms belp]

No, at least not yet.

[njhorseman]

Yes, there is a short thread discussing this rumor here:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1493206

[radzer0]

I dont see it happening there unless they do some major upgrades. Its in the middle of 2 major ports though. I could see carnival doing it again before NCL. They have more ships so they can push for a better port deal with one.

[futaba951]

NCL doesn't have what Mobile really needs or wants. They don't sail year round from the Gulf ports and they don't have enough ships to spread around to pull it off anyway. At this point Mobile needs to pay off the terminal by any means they can come up with. They still owe $26M on the terminal, which is only 8 years old, and the $2.5M they just spent on a new enclosed articulating gangway. They also built a pier side warehouse and crew lounge complete with phones and internet at Carnival's request. Where they are at right now is opening the garage to public parking and they are in talks with a riverboat cruise line to use the terminal. I think rumors about NCL to Mobile are just that. Some woman in town a couple of weeks ago claimed she heard NCL staff celebrating a contract with Mobile, but there has been no further discussion on the news about this, and I think she was just mistaken in what she thought she heard. Spirit was in dry dock in Mobile, so naturally there were a lot of NCL suits in town for a period of time. The brain is a funny thing. It inexplicably hears what it wants to hear and sees what it wants to see. In her case, I think wishful thinking overcame reality. Mobile will always see plenty of cruise ships come and go, but they will be in the shipyard across the river from the terminal. Carnival gave it an 8 year run, so at one point the business case was there, but times change and when the music stopped Mobile didn't have a chair.

[Moorer0507]

Just wondering if anyone has heard anything else about the possibility of NCL coming to the Mobile Port? I think it is a great opportunity for them to move the Sun ship to that location year round and take advantage of the summer cruise people they are missing because of the "heat". People in GA, MS, AL, Kentucky, etc in the south are adjusted to the heat so this would seem to me, to be a no-brainer for NCL to at east try it for a 2 year contract. No sure if a short contract could be done - but seems like they would try to take advantage of the situation.