Carnival’s New Terminal Slated for April 14 Opening
March 31, 2003
Carnival Corporation's new Long Beach Cruise
Terminal at the Queen Mary will welcome its first cruise ship when Carnival
Cruise Lines' 70,000-ton Ecstasy sails from the $40 million facility April
14, 2003.
The new terminal will initially serve as the homeport to two 2,052-passenger
Carnival "Fun Ships" - the Ecstasy, which will depart Fridays on three-day
voyages to Ensenada, and Mondays on four-day cruises to Ensenada and
Catalina Island, and the Elation, sailing Sundays on seven-day voyages to
Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan and Cabo San Lucas (the 2,124-passenger Carnival
Pride will assume this route in September 2003).
According to Carnival President Bob Dickinson, the new Long Beach facility,
the first in the U.S. to be built by a cruise operator, will usher in a new
era in the company's West Coast cruise operations while serving as an
economic catalyst to the Long Beach community.
"The new Long Beach Cruise Terminal at the Queen Mary is among the most
technically advanced cruise facilities in the world, setting new standards
in terms of convenience, efficiency and spaciousness," he said. "Carnival is
very proud to be a part of the Long Beach community and this new terminal
will not only provide guests with an unparalleled level of service but also
contribute significantly to the local economy," he added.
Adjacent to the terminal is the Queen Mary hotel and attraction, the
historic 1936 ocean liner that is listed on the National Register of
Historic Places and offers a variety of exquisite dining, entertainment and
shopping opportunities. One- to three-night pre- and post-cruise hotel
packages at the Queen Mary are available for Ecstasy and Elation guests.
The new facility takes up nearly half of the existing Geodesic Dome, which
once served as the home of the Spruce Goose seaplane owned by Howard Hughes,
and offers easy access to nearby tourist attractions such as The Aquarium of
the Pacific, Shoreline Village, and Rainbow Harbor.
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