Port of Long Beach Overview:

Who Currently Cruises from Long Beach: Carnival Cruise Lines sails year round from Long Breach offering 3, 4-day cruises to Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan and Cabo San Lucas on the Paradise and 7-day cruises on the Carnival Pride sailing to Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan and Cabo San Lucas.

Port Location:

------Cruise Passengers: Check with our agents when you book your cruise from Long Beach regarding airport transfers to and from your ship.

If you arriving the same day as your cruise departs, please schedule your flights to arrive at these airports no later 1:30 pm on the day of departure from Long Beach. If this is not possible, then come in a day prior. For return flights, do not schedule any flights departing earlier than 12:00 pm from Los Angeles or Long Beach.

Driving directions are:

-----Traveling from the Los Angeles area (north) - Take the 405 Freeway south. Take the 710 Freeway south. Continue on the 710 Freeway south and follow the signs for the Queen Mary. At the entrance to the Queen Mary, stay to the far right of the parking ticket taker for the Queen Mary; this lane is the entrance to the Carnival Cruise terminal. Follow the signs for Passenger Parking and Luggage Drop-Off area.

Traveling from the San Diego area (south) - Take I-5 north. Take the 405 Freeway north. Take the 710 Freeway south. Continue on the 710 Freeway south and follow the signs for the Queen Mary. At the entrance to the Queen Mary, stay to the far right of the parking ticket taker for the Queen Mary; this lane is the entrance to the Carnival Cruise terminal. Follow the signs for Passenger Parking and Luggage Drop-Off area.

------Where to Park: Parking is available at the Port of Long Beach for $10.00 per day (rates subject to change by Port Authority). It is a 5-Story, 1450 space parking garage. Full payment due upon exiting the parking garage. Accepted forms of payment: U.S. Dollars; major credit cards. No advance reservations required. Oversized vehicles will be charged per parking space. Due to height restrictions in the garage, RV's may have to utilize the adjacent outdoor parking facilities

There is a high demand for taxicabs during “peak” debarkation hours. At times, taxicabs may not be readily available. Please be patient and prepared to wait as other taxi cabs return to the Cruise Terminal throughout the debarkation morning rush!

Where to Stay: Major hotels in Long Beach include Queen Mary Hotel, Hyatt Regency Long Beach, Westin Long Beach, Travelodge, Renaissance, Rodeway Inn, Courtyard by Marriott, Best Western, Vagabond Inn, Holiday Inn and Hilton.

All major chains have hotels in the greater Los Angeles area. Most clients will stay either out by the airport they fly into or near Long Beach where the cruise ship pier is. If you are going in several days in advance then look around the LA Area and stay near whatever attractions and part of town you want to explore as traffic can be a nightmare to go from one end of LA to the other.

What to See: The Queen Mary and the Aquarium of the Pacific are two big draws in Long Beach. For what to see and do in the Long Beach area, near the pier click here. Otherwise most of the attractions are in the greater LA area.

You'll need to make a lot of tough decisions if you're touring L.A. for the first time: surfing lessons or a jogging tour? Join the live studio audience at the Tonight Show or Jeopardy? Go to Disneyland or Universal Studio Hollywood? You get the point; it would take you months to do all the things listed in this section. To find out what's going on while you're in town, pick up a copy of the free L.A. Weekly, the monthly magazine Los Angeles, or the Sunday Los Angeles Times "Calendar" section; each has detailed listings covering events and entertainment around town, often accompanied by helpful commentary on which activities might be worth your while.

The Go Los Angeles Card offers you admission to over 35 of the best attractions, activities, and tours in the greater Los Angeles area. Do as much as you like each day for one low, affordable price. Tailor your own custom itineraries, allowing each person to do what is most fun for them. And with unlimited flexibility, you can change your plans on the fly. It costs $49 for 1 day, $79 for 2 days, $149 for 3 days, $179 for 5 days and $199 for 7 days, with discounts for children. If you strategize wisely, it's a great value.

Where to Eat: Local favorites in Long Beach include the Sky Room and Yard House.

As one of the world's cultural crossroads, Los Angeles is an international atlas of exotic cuisines: Afghan, Argentinean, Armenian, Burmese, Cajun, Cambodian, Caribbean, Cuban, Ethiopian, Indian, Jewish, Korean, Lebanese, Moroccan, Oaxacan, Peruvian, Persian, Spanish, Thai, Vietnamese. . . well, you get the point. Whatever you're in the mood for, this town has it covered, and all you need to join the dinner party is an adventurous palate because half the fun of visiting Los Angeles is experiencing worldly dishes that only a major metropolis can provide. And since it's L.A., there's always the added bonus of spotting celebrities. While dining in Los Angeles is almost always a hassle-free experience, there are a few things you should keep in mind the next time you eat out. If you want a table at the restaurants with the best reputations, you probably need to book several weeks in advance for weekends, and at least 2 weeks ahead for weekdays. If there's a long wait for a table, ask if you can order at the bar, which is often faster and more fun. Most restaurants will close their kitchen by 10pm. It's against the law to smoke in any restaurant in California, even if it has a separate bar or lounge area. You're welcome to smoke outside, however.

You need to at least try the local "In n Out" (they are all over the place) if you want a really good hamburger. Don't miss their hand cut fresh french fries.

Calendar of Events: Below is a quick highlight of some events taking place in Los Angeles. Click here for a complete calendar of events for Los Angeles.

April

------Los Angeles Angels - Enjoy major league baseball during April with the local hometown favorites.

------Los Angeles Times Book Festival - The country’s largest celebration of the written word with over 130,000 attendees, 400+ authors and 300+ exhibits.

May

------Los Angeles Angels - Enjoy major league baseball during May with the local hometown favorites.

------Celebracion Cinco - Olvera Street in downtown Los Angeles comes alive with three days of round-the-clock entertainment featuring headliner performances, music, ballet folkloricos, mariachis and more.

June

------Los Angeles Angels - Enjoy major league baseball during June with the local hometown favorites.

July

------Los Angeles Angels - Enjoy major league baseball during July with the local hometown favorites.

------Lotus Festival and Dragon Boat Race - The Lotus Festival offers a unique sampling of various Asian and Pacific island cultures represented by food, art and entertainment. Echo Park is famous for having the largest lotus bed outside of China, making it the perfect setting for this annual celebration in honor a flower which figures prominently in Asian culture. The festival features continuous entertainment, a flower island show, an art show, dragon boat races, children's activities and rides, food and arts and crafts. Mid July.

------US Open of Surfing - The Bank of the West Beach Games is one of the largest lifestyle sports and music events in North America. Comprised of the US Open of Surfing, action sports, pro beach volleyball, music and fashion - the Bank of the West Beach Games will thrill and excite thousands of spectators in Huntington Beach.

August

------Los Angeles Angels - Enjoy major league baseball during August with the local hometown favorites.

September

------Los Angeles Angels - Enjoy major league baseball during September with the local hometown favorites.

------Long Beach Blues Festival - The Long Beach Blues Festival, in Long Beach, California, is one of the largest and 2nd oldest Blues festivals on the West Coast (1st being the San Francisco Blues Festival). It is held on Saturday and Sunday of Labor Day weekend on the athletic field on the California State University, Long Beach campus. The 2007 festival will be the 28th annual.

------Lobsterfest - Held in the Port of Los Angeles, the World's largest lobster festival, the Port of Los Angeles Lobster Festival features discount Maine lobster meals. After feasting on our world famous lobster meals, guests in the past have enjoyed dancing, street performers, a pirate camp, tall ships and music from artists like Jason Mraz, Tristan Prettyman, The Young Dubliners, General Public (click here for this year's lineup) or shop for arts and crafts. Lobster lovers enjoy a scenic outdoor park and shops at Ports O' Call in San Pedro, California.

November

------Tamale Festival - Held in McArthur Park in East Los Angeles in the first part of November. Watch or participate in Tamale eating contests, biggest Tamale contest, Tamale making contests and much more.