Long Beach gets Carnival port

The historic Queen Mary ocean liner, retired in 1967 after 31 years of service and now a hotel and attraction in Long Beach, is getting a flashy new neighbor: a $40-million cruise terminal.

Starting Monday, Carnival Cruise Lines will run three- to seven-day cruises to Mexico from the terminal, the first in the U.S. to be built by a cruise operator, according to the company. Long Beach will be the home port of sister ships Ecstasy, launched in 1991, and Elation, launched in 1998, each carrying up to 2,052 passengers.

Those wanting to sample the past and present in cruising can book optional stays on the Queen Mary before or after their Mexico sailing. Packages, including rental car and self-guided ship tour, start at $115 per person per night, double occupancy.

The new 30,000-square-foot terminal, built by the cruise line’s parent, Carnival Corp., takes up nearly half the geodesic dome that once housed Howard Hughes’ Spruce Goose flying boat, now displayed at the Evergreen Aviation Museum southwest of Portland, Ore. The dome has been popular as a movie set.

The new terminal includes immigration and customs check-in stations and X-ray screening of checked luggage. There’s also a 1,450-vehicle garage and a single 1,110-foot-long berth, which will be available to other companies for a fee, Carnival says.

Long Beach’s gain is a loss for Los Angeles’ San Pedro port, which has long been the base for Carnival cruises to Mexico. Carnival Corp. made the move because it wanted a more modern facility with nearby activities for waiting passengers, said spokeswoman Jennifer de la Cruz. These include the Aquarium of the Pacific and Shoreline Village in the harbor area.

The building of the Carnival facility was not without controversy. Environmentalists sued Carnival to block construction, contending that propeller wash from ships would churn up toxic sediment. The two sides settled out of court in 2001.