Carnival gets OK to expand Long Beach Cruise Terminal

Carnival
Cruise Line has inked a deal to nearly triple the size of its terminal in Long
Beach, Calif., from approximately 66,000 square feet to 142,000 square feet.

The
deal between the cruise line and landlord Urban Commons and the City of Long
Beach will enable larger ships to use the port.

Carnival
has operated the Long Beach Cruise Terminal since 2003, using an area of the
Geodesic Dome. The
agreement gives Carnival 100% use of the Dome, not only allowing for larger
ships but also providing the space required for both arriving and disembarking
guests to access the terminal.

Carnival
president Christine Duffy said the expansion will make Long Beach one of
Carnival’s largest homeports.

Construction
is slated to be completed in late 2017. During the construction period,
measures will be taken to “ensure a continued smooth operational flow and high
standard of customer service for cruise guests,” Carnival said.

Earlier
this year, the city selected Urban Commons, a real estate company, to assume
the lease of the nearby Queen Mary, the former ocean liner now serving as a
floating hotel. Urban Commons plans to renovate the Queen Mary’s guestrooms and
restaurants over the next year and redevelop 45 shoreside acres into an
entertainment district. Its plans call for a hotel, restaurants, shops, a
marina, an amphitheater and a Ferris wheel.

Carnival
said it is working with Urban Commons on enhancements to the area surrounding
the dome and the Queen Mary, as well as ways to increase parking.

The
Carnival Inspiration and the Carnival Imagination currently operate three- and
four-day Baja cruises year-round from Long Beach. The Carnival Miracle sails
seven-day voyages to the Mexican Riviera and 14- and 15-day cruises to Hawaii
and Alaska from Long Beach.