MIAMI, Oct. 17, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Carnival Cruise
Line has signed an agreement with landlord Urban Commons and the City of Long Beach, Calif., to expand the Long
Beach Cruise Terminal facility to accommodate larger ships in the
future and enhance its terminal operations. The deal will nearly
triple the size of Carnival's current terminal facility from
approximately 66,000 square feet to 142,000 square feet.
Carnival has operated the Long Beach Cruise Terminal since 2003
using a partial area of the Geodesic Dome that was the former
museum housing Howard Hughes'
"Spruce Goose" attraction. The agreement gives Carnival 100 percent
use of the Dome, allowing for larger ships and providing additional
space needed to accommodate two-way operations, enabling embarking
guests to access the terminal prior to completion of
disembarkation. 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.
"For years we have been working toward reaching an agreement to
expand the Long Beach Cruise Terminal to accommodate larger ships
on the West Coast, and we're thrilled to finally be able to move
forward with our plans to assume full usage of the Dome, making
Long Beach one of our largest
homeport facilities," said Christine
Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line. "We would like to
thank the City of Long Beach and
Urban Commons for their efforts in
facilitating this expansion that will ultimately enhance the guest
experience and build upon our leadership position as the number one
cruise operator from the West Coast."
"The expansion of the Carnival Cruise terminal is great news for
Long Beach and great news for
visitors to our city," said Long
Beach Mayor Robert Garcia.
"The added capacity will bring more tourism and economic activity
to Long Beach, and we're pleased
to continue working with Carnival for many years to come."
Added Taylor Woods, co-founder of
Urban Commons, "Carnival Cruise Line
is a tremendous asset for the Long
Beach community, and we are pleased to reach an agreement
with their team that will support the exciting expansion of their
operations immediately adjacent to The Queen Mary. We have big
plans for the facility and the surrounding land, and Carnival's
success will only add to the vitality and energy of what promises
to be one of the top destinations in California. We look forward to continuing to
work closely with Carnival for many years to come."
Plans also include expansion of portside cold-ironing capacity
to accommodate larger vessels. The technology enables cruise ships
to plug into the local electric grid and reduce exhaust emissions
while docked. In addition, Carnival is working with Urban Commons on enhancements to the area
surrounding the dome and the adjacent Queen Mary attraction, as
well as ways to expand parking capacity to accommodate future
growth.
Currently, the recently enhanced Carnival Inspiration and
Carnival Imagination operate year-round three- and four-day
Baja cruises from Long Beach while Carnival Miracle sails
seven-day voyages to the Mexican Riviera and 14- and 15-day cruises
to Hawaii and Alaska round-trip from Long
Beach.
For additional information and reservations on Carnival Cruise
Line, contact any travel agent, call 1-800-CARNIVAL or visit
www.carnival.com. Carnival can also be found on:
Twitter: www.twitter.com/carnivalcruise
Facebook Fan Page: www.facebook.com/carnival
YouTube: www.youtube.com/carnival
Instagram: www.instagram.com/carnival
Journalists also can visit Carnival's media site,
www.carnival-news.com or follow the line's PR department on Twitter
at www.twitter.com/CarnivalPR.
About Carnival Cruise Line
Carnival, a unit of
Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE: CUK), is "The
World's Most Popular Cruise LineĀ®" with 25 ships operating three-
to 16-day voyages to The Bahamas,
Caribbean, Mexican Riviera,
Alaska, Hawaii, Canada, New England, Bermuda, Europe, Australia, New
Zealand and the Pacific Islands. The 133,500-ton
Carnival Horizon is currently under construction and set to debut
in 2018. Additionally, two new 180,000-ton ships are scheduled to
enter service in 2020 and 2022.
About Urban
Commons
Urban Commons
is a Los Angeles-based real estate
investment and development firm with a successful track record for
developing, repositioning and rebranding assets throughout
the United States. The company
focuses on impacting under-managed and under-utilized assets by
developing innovative and emerging properties to promote optimal
economic, social and environmental returns.
Website: www.urban-commons.com
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SOURCE Carnival Cruise Line