Many people don't know it: America's first Mardi Gras was not celebrated in New Orleans, but here, in Mobile, Alabama. Locals are happy to remind you of it, with that blend of pride and mischief typical of the South. The cruise terminal is right downtown, on the river that gave the city its name, and that is one of the stop's great assets: you walk down the gangway and, a few streets later, history begins. Carnival Cruise Line ships base their departures to the Gulf here, but the place is worth far more than a simple point of passage.

A Downtown to Explore on Foot

The historic district is compact, laid out with streets where wrought-iron balconies and 19th-century façades show an obvious kinship with neighbouring Louisiana. Dauphin Street forms its backbone: art galleries, local shops and restaurants follow one another in some of the oldest buildings downtown; Gulf oysters and seafood gumbo top the menus. Century-old oaks draped in Spanish moss shade the avenues, and the air carries the fragrant slowness that belongs to the Gulf of Mexico. The squares of the old quarter, inherited from colonial plans, offer shady breaks between visits; you sit on a cast-iron bench, iced coffee in hand, and the South does the rest.

The Little-Known Capital of Carnival

Within walking distance of the ship, the Mobile Carnival Museum tells the story of more than three centuries of festivities. Queens' embroidered gowns, crowns, floats and photographic archives: the museum displays all the splendour of a tradition born long before that of its famous neighbour. You learn how the mystic societies work, discreet brotherhoods that still set the rhythm of local social life, organize the balls and jealously guard their traditions. Nearby, the History Museum of Mobile, housed in a building designated a National Historic Landmark, traces the story of a city founded by the French in 1702, later passing under British, Spanish, Confederate and American flags.

A Battleship Anchored Forever

Less than ten minutes by car from the terminal, the grey silhouette of the USS Alabama dominates the bay from its memorial park. The Second World War battleship can be explored across its twelve decks: turrets, gun stations, galleys, sick bay — nothing is closed to the curious. A submarine and a collection of military aircraft complete the site. Allow a good two hours to see it all; military history buffs could spend the whole day. From the upper decks, the view takes in the bay and the shipyard cranes, a reminder that shipbuilding has sustained the region for generations.

Suggestions to Suit Your Pace

• Short stop: Dauphin Street, the Carnival Museum and a Gulf seafood lunch downtown.
• Half day: add the History Museum of Mobile and the shady squares of the historic district.
• Full day: devote the afternoon to the USS Alabama and the memorial park on the bay.

Walking back to the ship, there is a feeling in the streets of a party on standby, ready to break out at the slightest excuse. This port of call doesn't have the fame of its neighbours, and so much the better: it can be enjoyed without lineups, between a battleship, live oaks and memories of carnival. The next time someone praises New Orleans' Mardi Gras, you will have a story to tell.