Passengers pulling into an Alabama port after days aboard a disabled cruise ship are shouting ``Hello, Mobile'' and ``Roll Tide'' to hundreds of people gathered at the terminal.

Despite their obvious excitement, passengers who have described miserable conditions aboard still have hours to wait Thursday and into Friday before they can walk on solid ground.

Carnival Cruise Lines has said once the ship is stationary, it will take up to five hours for all of the 3,000 or so passengers to disembark.

Anxious passengers are lining the decks waving, cheering loudly and whistling to those on shore.

Passengers have the option of a seven-hour bus ride to the Texas cities of Galveston or Houston or a two-hour trip to New Orleans.

Buses are standing by to take them to their next stop.

The Carnival CEO has apologized to the cruise passengers for the poor conditions aboard the disabled ship.

Company president Gerry Cahill boarded the ship soon after it docked to apologise to passengers in person.

(The Associated Press with files from NEWSTALK 1010)