Carnival Cruise Line Expands West Coast Presence
February 27, 2018
Carnival Cruise Line President Christine Duffy, Carlos Torres de Navarra, Vice President, Strategic and Commercial Port Development (left); and Mayor of the City of Long Beach, California, Robert Garcia.
Carnival Cruise Line announced several significant initiatives designed to further bolster its leadership position on the West Coast: the deployment of Carnival Panorama to Long Beach in 2019 — the first new Carnival ship based in Southern California in 20 years; the grand re-opening of its 146,000-sf state-of-the-art Long Beach Cruise Terminal, and a multi-million-dollar port development project in Ensenada, Mexico.
“This is a momentous occasion for both Carnival and the City of Long Beach…demonstrating our commitment to the West Coast with the deployment of the spectacular new Carnival Panorama in 2019 and the announcement of an exciting new port development project in Ensenada,” said Carnival President Christine Duffy.
Carnival Panorama to the West Coast
In 2019, Carnival will make history when it deploys its third Vista-class ship, the 3,960-passenger Carnival Panorama, on seven-day Mexican Riviera cruises from Long Beach, providing an exciting new seagoing vacation option to this vital and fast-growing market.
Like its name implies, Carnival Panorama will include venues offering both indoor and al fresco experiences, along with open-air attractions like the groundbreaking bike-ride-in-the-sky attraction SkyRide, a massive WaterWorks aqua park and the SportSquare recreation area. Also featured will be a vibrant Havana section.
Expanded and Redesigned New Long Beach Cruise Terminal
Carnival’s Long Beach Cruise Terminal — the busiest in North America with ships docking five days a week representing a 70 percent utilization rate — has been operated by Carnival since 2003 and encompasses the world’s largest, free-span geodesic dome originally built to house also Howard Hughes’ Spruce Goose plane and served as the location for many famous Hollywood movies.
With the expansion, Carnival is now utilizing 100 percent of the dome, up from a portion, for its operations. The renovation of the Long Beach Cruise Terminal more than doubles the size of the facility’s space while dramatically enhancing the overall passenger experience and operational flow. It also includes the expansion of portside shore power to enable larger ships to plug into the local electric grid, reducing exhaust emissions while docked.
Arrival of Carnival Splendor to Long Beach
The grand re-opening of the terminal coincides with the arrival of Carnival Splendor to Long Beach, which operates seven-day cruises to Mexico and longer-length voyages to Alaska and Hawaii, representing a 40 percent capacity increase on this route.
The 113,300-ton Carnival Splendor is currently the largest ship based year-round in Southern California and offers a variety of onboard amenities, including a 22,750-sf Cloud 9 Spa, a reservations-only steakhouse serving prime dry-aged beef and other gourmet fare, a sliding magrodome covering the main pool area, and nearly 600 balcony staterooms.
Carnival Splendor joins Carnival Imagination and Carnival Inspiration which sail three- and four-day cruises to Ensenada and Catalina Island. Together, these three ships carry approximately 600,000 guests annually from Southern California on more than 250 three- to 14-day cruises.
Exciting Port Development Project in Ensenada
Carnival officials also announced a major port development project in Ensenada, Mexico, currently featured on the line’s three- and four-day cruises from Long Beach. The project will provide guests visiting the destination with an unparalleled, one-of-a-kind dining and retail experiences ashore, along with unique attractions for guests of all ages to enjoy.