Setting off on a cruise? Here’s why it makes sense to come early – or stay late – in and around the seaport.
Chasing the path of the L.A. River southward and out of the twisted mess of traffic that is Central L.A., the 710 freeway abruptly funnels cars into a snaking path of multiple options: Piers A-E. Terminal Island. Cruise Terminal/Queen Mary.
Unless they’re working on a container ship, visitors tend to take the last option and head toward the instantly recognizable and one-of-a-kind Long Beach Cruise Terminal.
What awaits is a wholly original world of multifaceted tourist options, retro-opulence and truly one-of-a-kind experiences nestled in between cosmopolitan downtown Long Beach and the imposing, mecha-kaiju-esque gantry cranes of the nation’s largest shipping complex. And, for those staying longer or willing to get out and about, the city itself offers beach town fun along its sandy shore.
A “CARNIVAL” AT SEA
The Long Beach Cruise Terminal is owned and operated by Carnival Cruises, so if you’re heading out from there, you’re likely sailing on one of their ships and generally sailing south towards Baja California or Mexico’s mainland West Coast. These cruises are affordable, fun and great for groups (although solo cruising is taking a bite out of that demographic).
As part of the world’s largest cruise company (their holdings include Princess Cruises, Holland America, Seabourn Cruise Line and even the venerable UK Cunard Line) Carnival knows cruising and offers amazing experiences at a wide range of price points.
Their standard, three-day Ensenada cruise is a SoCal favorite to get away and can cost less than $300 – an amazing price for an experience that tends to offer inclusive bundles including onboard food and entertainment. For seasoned travelers or people looking for a true globetrotting experience, the Carnival Journeys 18-night Transpacific Cruise – an ocean-crossing, once-in-a-lifer sailing to Alaska and then on to Japan – is ideal. It departs Long Beach on August 22, 2024.
ALL HAIL THE QUEEN
Since you’re in a cruising state of mind already, it just makes sense to stop and pay tribute at the HMS Queen Mary. The massive, beautiful, nearly-100-year-old ship that crossed the Atlantic over 10,000 times, played an outsized role in World War II as a troopship and held multiple records for speed, luxury, passenger manifests and more throughout her lifespan is now preserved, continually and lovingly restored and permanently moored adjacent to the cruise dock.
While the history of the Queen Mary is laden with ghost stories (and some equally terrifying tales of mismanagement, closings and re-openings) the ship in its post-COVID-19 iteration is focused on guest experiences and preservation. It shows. From spacious guest rooms to the beautifully appointed Observation Bar and its panoramic sunset view to the informative tours of more unique parts of the ship (the engine room, enormous in scale yet claustrophobic on its worker’s catwalks, is awash with as much awe as it is ancient mustiness), the Queen Mary is a must-visit at least once for SoCal residents, and it’s even better to stay the night and wander the liminal-like repeating stateroom corridors and the absurdly long lengths of the boardwalk promenade deck (remember, this ship is larger than the famed and fated Titanic) and consider what it was like to experience a real transatlantic passage on the ship in the dark, steaming along on a cold night.
THE LONG BEACH EXPERIENCE
For some of our readership, Long Beach or the South Bay is home, and for others, like many places in Greater SoCal, it’s a bit of a destination. The city of 456,000, while glommed into the L.A. County metro, does have a vibe all its own, and if you’re simply driving there to catch a boat, you might miss out on an interesting blend of history and a dynamic SoCal neighborhood.
The Port of Long Beach and its environs are highly industrial, so much so that you’ll almost never not see hulking container ships lying silently off the coast, waiting to unload their payload. But these, along with the man-made breakwaters and oil islands, all provide visual candy while strolling the calm, south-facing beach that lines the city.
Nearby to the cruise port – and walkable if you’re catching a ferry over on the Catalina Express is the Aquarium of the Pacific, the largest in Southern California, and Shoreline Village, a quaint – if not boisterous – collection of harborfront restaurants and bars where tourists and locals can mingle.
If you have a bit more time prior to shipping out, the trendy neighborhood of Belmont Shore is just east of downtown Long Beach and minutes from the cruise terminal by a rideshare (or you can stop in on your way into town). It’s a great place to park, walk along the shore on a marine-layer morning and take in opulent houses, excellent coffee shops and a beachy feel just minutes from the skyscrapers of downtown.
No matter where you choose to hit up in Long Beach and no matter if you do so before or after your cruise, you’ll bookend your sail with some beach time and maybe a new favorite spot to run out to on a quick intra-SoCal getaway.
-Alan LaGuardia