Deal enables full use of Geodesic Dome facility to
enhance guest services at Long Beach Cruise Terminal
MIAMI — 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
About Carnival Cruise Line
Carnival,
a unit of Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE: CUK), is
"The World's Most Popular Cruise Line®" 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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