Carnival cruise ship Triumph leaves port in Mobile

(CNN) -- After a nearly three-month stay, the troubled Carnival cruise ship Triumph headed out from Mobile Bay on Wednesday, May 8th. The ship was pulled there on February 14th, after it was crippled by an engine fire at sea.

The ship stayed at the shipyards of BAE Systems, and for the last 36 days was at the port's cruise terminal.

Now that the ship's disabled engine is fixed, the ship headed elsewhere for final repairs.

A horn signaled the Carnival Triumph's final departure from Mobile as happy crew members waved goodbye from the deck. It was a bittersweet goodbye for Mobile officials.

The ship was slowly guided south, down the shipping lane, with another series of tugboats at her side. The only difference this time is the ship can move on its own power now.

The ship slowly moved in reverse until they go to the turning basin, where it was finally turned around in the right direction.

Some of the scars of its time in Mobile are evident -- like scraping on the top port side and other damage around the forward section. City officials say the Triumph's time in Mobile has built up a lot of goodwill between Carnival Cruise Lines and Mobile. The city though, still has to make a business case to Carnival that the people they can reach with a cruise ship ported to Mobile will make them money.

Triumph is due at Freeport in the Bahamas on Saturday, where it will undergo cosmetic repairs. The inside will be cleaned and the bruising on the outside will be fixed.

Carnival hopes it will return to service on June 13th.