Mississippi River Oil Mishap Forces Carnival Fantasy To Move Homeports

The residual effects of a Mississippi River oil spill July 23 are still reverberating. Carnival Fantasy is being forced to withdraw from its normal New Orleans homeport, instead operating its four- and five-day Western Caribbean program from Mobile, AL. Carnival is saying that the move will stick through September 1. The 2,056-passenger Carnival Fantasy will conduct six cruises out of Mobile before dry docking for 28 days to receive "Evolutions of Fun" upgrades.

The move is dire for the Port of New Orleans, which will lose nine total cruises and $315,000 in dockage, wharf and parking fees, said the port's CEO, Gary LaGrange. This is in addition to the money the city stands to lose from passengers in New Orleans both pre- and post-cruise.