Friends of the Long Beach Cruise Terminal

24/04/2024

Carnival Firenze is visiting today!

14/02/2024

Exciting news! There is an addition of another stunning Excel-class ship to our fleet. We're looking forward to Mardi Gras, Carnival Celebration and Carnival Jubilee getting another new sister in 2027!🛳

Read more here: https://www.carnival-news.com/2024/02/13/carnival-corporation-orders-fourth-excel-class-ship-for-carnival-cruise-line-10th-excel-class-ship-across-global-fleet

19/01/2024

We are STOKED for Saturday’s lineup featuring Gwen Stefani, Slightly Stoopid, Wiz Khalifa, Sublime With Rome performing 40 Oz to Freedom, and more 🤙 Single day passes for Saturday are officially running low, so snag yours while you can 🌴

Poster by Dylan Fant 🌊

19/01/2024

The new year brings new opportunities and a new chance to explore and experience Catalina Island. With so much to do on Catalina Island, you may have a hard time knowing where to begin.

We put together a list of 24 things to do on Catalina Island in 2024.
https://www.lovecatalina.com/blog/post/24-things-to-do-on-catalina-island-in-2024/

Photo Credit: https://www.instagram.com/avalonlocaltours

06/09/2023

We congratulate the International Longshore and Warehouse Union membership on ratifying the new labor agreement with the Pacific Maritime Association. Please read CEO Mario Cordero's full statement along with Mayor Rex Richardson's statement here: https://ow.ly/yliR50PGCTE

19/07/2023

Have you seen the replica of the Spruce Goose plane in the Carnival Dome?

Parts of this iconic movie were filmed at the Queen Mary!

The Aviator movie clips: http://j.mp/1uvLzXeBUY THE MOVIE: http://bit.ly/2cyXz68Don't miss the HOTTEST NEW TRAILERS: http://bit.ly/1u2y6prCLIP DESCRIPTION:Ho...

19/05/2023

30 years ago and this is great to see 🚢👍

In 1993 I completed painting Planet Ocean “the largest mural in the world”, according to the Guinness Book of World records. 🎨💙🌎

15/04/2023

26/02/2023

The Spruce Goose was an experiment by the U.S. Army to develop a troop transport that could get soldiers to the front lines safely. Here's what happened.

11/02/2023

May 14, 1983
Long Beach Cruise Terminal

Jimmy Stewart with Bonita Granville and her husband Jack Wrather watching aircraft fly over the RMS Queen Mary during Grand Opening of the Howard Hughes Spruce Goose exhibit

Where you there ?

08/12/2022

Ever wonder about the history of the Spruce Goose Dome, or Canival Cruise Terminal?

The dome completed in 1983 at a cost of $4 million dollars and is covered by 4,032 triangular panels. At 115’ft high, 415’ft diameter and encompassing 135,300 sqft, the dome was the largest in the world at the time.
Once the $4 million structure was finished, the aircraft was pushed by barge into its new home. During its first year, the Queen Mary-Spruce Goose attraction drew more than nearby Knott’s Berry Farm. But attendance waned in subsequent years, and operators sought other uses for the dome to help pay the rent.

Inside the cavernous structure, President Reagan spoke about the dangers of communism in Central America at a $1,000-a-plate dinner. Comedian Bob Hope, then 80, entertained 10,000 fans during a four-night engagement.
Wednesday night became fight night in late 1986, when boxing matches were held in the dome.

The Walt Disney Co. took over management of the Queen Mary and Spruce Goose attraction in 1988. The company opted not to renew the lease inside the dome in 1992, forcing the Aero Club to find a new home for its treasure.
The Spruce Goose now resides in a museum built by the Evergreen International Aviation Co. in McMinnville, Ore.
The geodesic dome stood vacant until a day in 1993 when Arnold Schwarzenegger – then only an actor – was in Long Beach filming “Last Action Hero.” When rain scrubbed the scheduled filming of exterior scenes, the cast and crew transformed the dome into a makeshift sound stage.

The dome then housed the Bat Cave and Bruce Wayne’s manor in “Batman Forever” and “Batman and Robin.” Scenes from “Frost,” “The Haunting,” “A.I. Artificial Intelligence” and the first installment of “The Pirates of the Caribbean” also were shot there.
2003, Carnival Cruise line signed a lease to start using the southern half of the dome as a passenger terminal. In April of 2017, the Long Beach cruise terminal started renovation and was a multi-million dollar investment providing new enhancements and the ability to cater for larger cruise ships.

Once complicated, the Carnival Splendor started sailing from the new facility on 7-day cruises to the Mexican Riviera and the longer options for Alaska and Hawaii. It was actually recently announced that Carnival Splendor will reposition to Sydney Australia at the end of 2019 so the deployment won’t be year round.

In February 2018, big news not just for Carnival’s third Vista-class cruise ship but also cruise operations on the U.S. West Coast. Carnival Cruise Line announced that Carnival Panorama will be based out of Long Beach, California when it enters service in 2019!
And now here we are, getting ready to walk back through the unique and amazing Long Beach Terminal in 3 days to celebrate the Panorama’s 3rd birthday!

Built in 1983 at a cost of $25 million dollars, the dome was originally built to house the Hughes H-4 Hercules aircraft or "Spruce Goose" as it was called by...

21/08/2022

Prior to being the Long Beach hub for Carnival Cruise lines, the famous geometric dome had a period of time that it was used as a soundstage for Warner Bros. pictures.

How many of the movies 🎥 🍿 filmed in the Long Beach Dome have you seen?

Movie #1: Last Action Hero - PG13
FIRST MOVIE FILMED IN THE DOME
Released: June 18, 1993
Columbia Pictures
Director: John McTiernan
Filming: 11-2-1992 thru 4-1-1993
Staring: Arnold Schwartnegger
F. Murray Abraham & Art Carney

21/08/2022

This December will bring the 3rd Anniversary of the Carnival Panorama arriving to its new
home at the Long Beach Cruise Terminal 🚢👍🎂

31/07/2022

Looking back at when the famous Spuce Goose was kept in the Long Beach Dome

20/06/2022

Packing Tips to help with any cruise! Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, Carnival and other cruise lines are welcoming guests back and we are here to help. Cabo San...

10/06/2022

04/06/2022

Curious where the Carnival Panorama goes when it leaves the Long Beach harbor?

Check out destination Puerto Vallarta! Anyone know a good travel agent? Scott?

Enjoy!

Our amazing tour of Puerto Vallarta with Mr. B. a local resident of Puerto Vallarta. We visit Los Mu***os Beach, Old town Puerto Vallarta and other places on...

21/05/2022

Carnival Panorama 10 Good Things To Know. Tips for your cruise on Carnival Panorama.Cabo San Lucas - Our experiencehttps://youtu.be/9fSoiP9VjkYMazatlan - Our...

22/02/2022

After a few stops in Hawaii, the Miracle meeting up with Carnival Radiance on outside of Ensenada to host “one of history’s biggest birthday parties at sea,” the company said.

22/02/2022

Cruise News Today for Monday, February 21, 2022.The largest cruise ship in the world arrived on Sunday as Wonder of the Seas docks in Port Everglades. Royal ...

17/02/2022

Cruise News Today for Thursday, February 17, 2022.Carnival Cruise Line cruise director Jen Baxter is leaving the cruise line after 20 years with the company....

12/02/2022

"She's Regal, has class and is in a line all by herself".....Liberace describing the Queen Mary !

Last part of Liberace's Valentine Special!Lola Falana sings, followed by Lee playing his crazy Boogie Woogie, Grande Finale and of course - I'll be seeing yo...

12/02/2022

Valentine Day aboard our Beloved RMS Queen Mary ( 1979)

On the "Queen Mary" Loveboat, Liberace has some great music for us. A wonderful waltz and Sandy singing and dancing.From his show at the Las Vegas Hilton Hot...

09/02/2022

Cruise News Today for Monday, February 7, 2022.Carnival Cruise Line pulls another ship from the Australian market, as Carnival Splendor repositions to North ...

31/01/2022

Cruise News Today for Sunday, January 30, 2022Crystal Cruises’ second ship, Crystal Serenity was denied entry to the port of Aruba on Saturday. Queen Mary wi...

29/01/2022

Carnival Cruise Line's 72 hour cruise deals end at midnight and has Carnival cruises starting at just $131 per person. Carnival is America's Cruise Line