Mobile's cruise terminal holds $22M debt, now hosts weddings, proms

MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) - The Alabama Cruise Terminal sits empty after Carnival Cruise Lines departed from the Port City in October 2011.

Now, Mobile faces a $22 million debt that the city pays $715,000 toward every year.

Cruise lines set sail

During the seven years that cruises sailed out of the port, it wasn't a problem to make the payments. Starting in 2013, the city will have to make that yearly payment without the help of the cruise line revenue.

For seven years, a Carnival cruise ship was part of the downtown Mobile waterfront, but all that changed when the cruise line set sail for better profits in New Orleans.

Now a parking garage stands unused, a concrete giant. Escalators lie unmoving, stairs, with no feet to ride them eagerly toward a cruise departure.

The 25,000 square foot embarkation room sits void. The air has been turned off to save money on power.

Terminal officials decided the room was too big to leave empty, so they've found some other uses for it.

Terminal's second life

General Manager Sheila Gurganus has assumed a new role at the terminal since the ship left: an event planner, of sorts. She said business is good.

Gurganus thumbed through a list of events she has planned going into next winter.

"We are very popular now for weddings,” said Gurganus.

The embarkation room has a beautiful view of the Mobile Bay and, in recent months, she's booked parties and wedding receptions here. Gurganus has seven Mardi Gras balls booked for 2013.

"It's slow to get started, but this time next year, I may be saying something different because it's beginning to grow," Gurganus said.

But Gurganus knows it’s still not enough.

"The events are really not enough to pay any debt service or anything, but in the long run, I think it will help pay our operations,” she said.

Responsibility on the city

Starting in 2013, the city will have to pick up the $715,000 per year bill on its own. The figure is part of the projected $29 million deficit.

"I think it’s gonna be a hard time for the city,” said Gurganus.

Gurganus hopes to one day return to doing the job she signed up for — working with cruise ships. In the meantime, she is going to keep on booking events. Gurganus said even if a ship is brought back, she will continue to book events at the cruise terminal.

City officials said they are actively speaking with other cruise lines to recruit them to the city.

In the past, Mayor Sam Jones has said that after securing a cruise line, it would take 10 months to a year to bring the ship here.