By Alabama Public Radio
Mobile, AL – The Mobile City Council approved a contract that will allow Carnival Cruise Lines to launch cruises from the city this year. The council voted Tuesday to give Mayor Mike Dow authority to sign the contract with Carnival. But the Council decided not to vote on a contract to build a multi-million-dollar cruise terminal on the Mobile River. Carnival announced last month it's planning to dock its 14-hundred-passenger Holiday ship in Mobile. The company plans to begin cruises to Mexico in October. The deal requires Mobile to build a terminal for the operation. Mayor Dow says city leaders are considering other similar ventures. He says the city is preparing proposals for two cruise lines that have expressed interest in bringing additional ships to Mobile.