MOBILE, AL (AP) — A mayor is negotiating to bring the cruise industry back to Alabama's port city.
Media outlets report that Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson announced Thursday that Carnival Cruise Line and Mobile are negotiating an agreement to bring cruises back. Stimpson said during a news conference at the Mobile Regional Airport that his "economic development" trip to Miami helped the city's cause.
Stimpson says he expects a final contract to be completed by the end of September.
The Miami-based Carnival ended its seven-year tenure with Mobile in October 2011 and relocated to New Orleans because the trips weren't making enough money. AL.com reports that Carnival's departure left Mobile with an empty terminal costing taxpayers $1.8 million annually in debt.
Two cruise ships have docked in Mobile, but only because of emergency situations.