looking to book our spring cruise for 2009, we are thing about the holiday again. I have heard they are replaceing her, then i have heard they are not. does anyone know definately.

macmom111,

Carnival Corporation & plc has announced that they plan to move a second ship to their new Iberocruceros joint-venture in Spain in 2009.

Given that Carnival's "Celebration" is moving there this year, it is certainly likey that "Holiday" will follow next year.

Right now, the only CCL-owned ship that can fit into dock at Port of Mobile is the Holiday. Until that changes, the Holiday will probably remain there. Her fate will be sealed when you read that Mobile will be expanding the port.

IMHO (again this is just my opinion)....the Holiday will be there until the big switch up in March 2009. That is when the Splendor is taking over the Pride's run and there will be some "reconfiguring" of the ships and their ports!

quote:

the Holiday will be there until the big switch up in March 2009.

And that is less than one year away. I've been periodically searching for news on enlarging the turn basin at Mobile but still find zilch.

And the mystery continues.. They are still accepting bookings up until 12/28/09. Which in itself doesn't mean alot, as they can transfer the bookings to the replacement ship. The thing that is puzzling to me is they still have not given a Dry Dock date for 2009. By the time we ring in 2010 she will be way passed due for one.

It will be interesting to see how this plays out.

Dwayne

I had a chance to talk to Steve Cassel, the Holiday's cruise director, a couple of days ago on this very topic. Carnival's intentions are to leave the Holiday in Mobile as long as possible. They are currently ranked #1 in many customer service departments throughout the fleet. They also currently have possession of the Crystal Eagle award which they took from the Ecstasy. Steve beams with pride when he mentions this fact. It is true that Carnival wishes to add another ship to Mobile Bay. However, according to Steve, they want this ship to be in addition to the Holiday (not the popularly held idea of instead of the Holiday).

It comes as no surprise to me that the Holiday received the highest award Carnival gives for customer service. It shows that in the end, it isn't the ship but the people who make the cruise memorable.

Steve told us the same story last year, with Carnival looking at adding a ship and not replacing the Holiday. Still, the fact remains that the channel can't handle a longer ship.

I don't know the details of the turning basin regarding draft depth. I was just doing a little thinking outside of the box. Why does the ship have to turn? Unless there is some navigational law or something about it. The ships with the Azipods could technically back out of the channel. If the channel is deep enough for the bigger ship. Just a crazy thought.

Dwayne

Even crazier thought. Princess seems to be the only one purchasing small new ships. Maybe, they'll put a ship in Mobile?

Penny, that is not a crazy thought at all. As the mega ships seem to be all the rage lately, the fact remains that not all ports can handle these behemoths. Princess is very wise to consider the smaller ships as they are much more able to be accommodated in some of the more exotic ports. I know Carnival and Princess are part of the "World's Leading Cruise Lines" but Princess seems to be the only one of the two to grasp the less is more concept of cruising.

That's not really the case in all aspects. Carnival has not tried to play catch up with RCI about building behemoths. They stated in a press release a few years ago they were not going to play that game.

Dwayne

Penny's statement could be the eventual answer, whether Princess goes to Mobile or transfers a ship to Carnival. The only thing concerning me about a second ship would be the parking garage, whyich is only large enough for one ship. I know another can be built, but just how quick?

A second ship would indeed complicate the parking . A big reason that the Mobile cruise port is so efficient is because they only have to deal with one ship. There is room for a second garage, but the logistics wouldn't be as good for it. At best, it could be adjacent to the current garage with a walkway connecting them.

With Mobile being a popular port, and if they have the space as Dave mentioned, it wouldn't surprise me for them to add the parking. It is a great revenue source for the investment cost. Heck, I remember when Port Canaveral was a gravel parking lot with one small terminal. Again, it will be interesting to see how it plays out.

Dwayne

Leaving Mobile on a spring or summer afternoon is fun. You go by lots of commercial ships and drydocks, then there is joint Coast Guard/Navy facility on the port side with some old ships (the ex-USS Shadwell LSD-15 being the largest). These are used to test new firefighting techniques and equipment for modern vessels.

As you get out into Mobile Bay the waters are usually glassy and the scenery is nice. You'll pass the Sand Island Lighthouse , which is still standing although on an ever-shrinking piece of land. I took this photo from the Holiday a couple years ago.

This essentially marks the end of the bay and your entry to the Gulf Of Mexico.

quote:

Originally posted by Dave Beers:
This essentially marks the end of the bay and your entry to the Gulf Of Mexico.

And to most people's excitement, the point at which they can open the casino and giftshops.

What a gorgeous pic...makes me homesick. I'm feeling so landlocked 6 hours north of Mobile. Can't wait for my June 2nd departure on Holiday.
Thanks for sharing Dave.