Mobile, Ala. — The Mobile Council of the Navy League of the United States, the City of Mobile and the Alabama State Port Authority will soon host the 2024 Mardi Gras Ship, the USS DONALD COOK, on Mobile’s downtown waterfront.

The Navy ship, whose motto is “Faith without Fear,” should begin transiting the Mobile Ship Channel shortly after daybreak on Friday, February 9, with an anticipated arrival at the Alabama State Port Authority Pier 2 sometime around 10 a.m. (CST). Members of the media are invited to cover the ship’s arrival festivities.

“The Alabama Port Authority is proud to welcome the USS DONALD COOK to the Port of Mobile for Mardi Gras 2024,” APA Director and CEO John Driscoll said. “A longtime partnership between the Port, the city, the Navy, and the Mobile Council of the Navy League, the arrival of this vessel is a great tradition for the City of Mobile’s revelers to enjoy.”

The USS DONALD COOK is a multi-mission destroyer designed to defend against and, if required, destroy her enemies on the ocean’s surface, over land, in the sky, under the waves, and even in space. A photo of the ship is attached.

Details for the February 9 welcome ceremony and public tours of the USS DONALD COOK are as follows:

Welcome Ceremony

Downtown Mobile, Dauphin & Water Streets

11 a.m. CST, Friday, February 9, 2024

Parking: Mobile Convention Center

Gates open at 9:30 a.m.

*Public point of entry is adjacent to the Mobile Convention Center parking garage

Public Tours

Public tours will be held from February 10-12, 2024, between 9-11 a.m. and 1-3 p.m. (CST)
Please note that reservations are not required for tours of the ship.