Carnival Cruise Line will bring the Carnival Spirit back to Mobile after a year-long hiatus.

This ship will sail to the Bahamas and Caribbean from its Alabama homeport for a series of six- to eight-night cruises.

The first cruise of the season departs today, sailing to the Bahamas for eight nights. Visits to Nassau and Bimini will be highlighted in the itinerary.

Freeport and Half Moon Cay, an exclusive destination of Carnival Corporation in the region, will also be visited before the cruise returns to Mobile.

A variety of cruises to Central America and the Western Caribbean will also be included in the program, which runs through late March.

The cruises depart on several dates during the year, and one itinerary includes visits to Cozumel and Costa Maya in Mexico, Belize City in Belize, and Mahogany Bay in Roatán, Honduras.

In addition to visiting Princess Cays, the Carnival Spirit makes a stop at another destination operated by Carnival Corp.

It is possible for the ship to reposition to Seattle once its homeporting program in Alabama is complete.

George Town, Cartagena de Indias, the Panama Canal, Puntarenas, and Cabo San Lucas are among the destinations on the 16-night cruise, which departs from Tampa, Florida, on April 7.

A series of four vessels named Spirit Class has been launched since 2001. Carnival Spirit is the prototype of this series.

The Carnival Ecstasy, Carnival’s last cruise ship leaving from Mobile, concluded its farewell season that month before being sold to a ship recycling yard in Turkey.

With a second season set for Mobile in late 2023, the Carnival Spirit will return to Alaska after a summer program there.