MOBILE, Ala. (WKRG) — The Carnival Ecstasy arrived in the Port of Mobile Thursday, March 3 making it the first passenger cruise ship to operate in Mobile in two years.

The cruise ship will make its way out of Mobile Saturday, March 5 for a five-day Western Caribbean cruise, which will dock in Cozumel, Mexico. 

This is the first cruise ship operating in Mobile in two years after the COVID-19 pandemic halted operations. The Carnival Sensation was initially scheduled to operate in Mobile but was later replaced by the Carnival Ecstasy. 

Along with the Ecstasy’s arrival, the Mobile Alabama Cruise Terminal features several upgrades including a newly repainted terminal and infrastructure updates to the gangway, according to a news release from the City of Mobile. New monitors and a mural by Mobile artist Ginger Woechan will showcase the city’s five tourism pillars, History, Arts & Culture, Culinary Travel, Eco-Tourism, and Mardi Gras.