AgentMinusOne

Hi again, guys and gals. Sorry for my absence for such a long time, been away looking for a side hustle to complement the minimum wage check-in agent gig at the LB terminal. So far no luck. Well, that'll be enough self-pity for now. Looks like people on this sub-forum are very helpful and available to help anyway 🤗

So passed the Singapore departure with Splendor that was a total catastrophe due to us being told to collect everybody's passports on the spot, and the long-awaited Panorama has finally arrived. No journey cruises for us in 2020, sadly. Miracle appears to be now sailing half a year from San Diego and half a year from San Francisco.

During fall, Carnival went to the Long Beach City Council and finally got the permission to expand the parking structure with some 650 spots at ends of the structure. They have started the work already, and poor Imagination passengers on Thursdays and Sundays are shuttled from the Long Beach Arena/Convention Center parking lot to the terminal. No on-site parking available to cater for all the 5k Panoramians. No word as to when the work will be finished.

Too little, too late, I suppose, but earlier someone was requesting where to buy wine/soda for a cruise departing from Long Beach. Nothing close to the terminal, I am afraid. Copy-pasteing here a slightly edited Google Maps map:

Vons at Broadway and Atlantic Ave is the red square, Rite Aid the blue circle at 6th and Pine. Let me know if you can think of any more convenient locations or shops when coming to the terminal. Rite Aid prices probably higher anyway, and Vons has got a parking deck above the store.

4 hours ago, justjan2 said:

Does Norwegian depart from San Pedro?   Thanks.

If the departing port for NCL is Los Angeles, I would assume it is

from San Pedro. At Long Beach we have got only Carnival Inspiration, Imagination and Splendor with some other Carnival vessels cruising from us on occasion.

On 7/13/2019 at 7:35 AM, LandlockedCruiser01 said:

I got an Inspiration cruise booked, and I'm staying at Queen Mary the night before.

 

How long is the walk between the two, and can I just walk over?  Or do I need a shuttle of some sort, because of port security or somesuch?

It might take you longer to walk from your room on the Queen Mary to their front desk than walking from their entrance to the cruise terminal!

Sometimes I have seen bell boys at the QM taking people’s luggage from the hotel to the terminal garage which is slightly further away. In case you want to check your luggage in, you do that with the porters who are located at the parking structure.

On 7/12/2019 at 5:32 AM, ruimin said:

Can you tell us the best way get to the terminal from Long Beach airport?

Thanks! Ming

While there is a direct bus connection from a parking structure at the LGB airport to downtown with Long Beach Transit bus #111 (https://ridelbt.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/111112.pdf), this is quite time-consuming, and in downtown you would still have to switch to the free Passport bus to the cruise terminal. If you just want the cheapest option and you’ve got loads of time, this would only cost $1.25/person.

I have no experience from using a SuperShuttle or a similar ride-sharing service, but when I checked right now (no surge pricing or similar), a ride with Uber/Lyft from the airport to the terminal would be 20-21 bucks and up.

Hotel Maya have got their Restaurant Fuego although The Reef does look really nice.

Also, while I would never suggest to use an OTA (Online Travel Agent) for more than checking the current rates, Hotels.com does show some okay rates for 4/10/2020:

Hyatt Regency $159-169 (refundable rate)

Residence Inn By Marriott Long Beach, by the airport, NOT the terminal, $179 (refundable)

Courtyard by Marriott Long Beach Airport, $179 (refundable)

Holiday Inn Long Beach Airport $187-197 (refundable)

Marriott Long Beach, by the airport $189 (refundable)

Homewood Suites by Hilton Long Beach Airport, $195 (refundable)

4 hours ago, OddJob said:

Hello,

 

Do you have any recommendations for a hotel that offers a room and parking for a 7-day cruise.  

 

Once I stayed at Hotel Current but by the time I checked-in they only time I could sign up for their shuttle was 8am (I did not want to arrive at the port that early!).  So I ended up having to pay for an Uber and that whole deal soured me on their hotel.

 

I just looked at the Maya and their total was $421 for one night (including parking).

 

Also, I see that the Best Western has a cruise package but wasn't sure of the area.

 

I'll be driving into Long Beach on 4/10/20 and am looking forward to cruising on the Panorama!

 

Thanks so much for your help 🙂

4 hours ago, OddJob said:

Hello,

 

Do you have any recommendations for a hotel that offers a room and parking for a 7-day cruise.  

 

Once I stayed at Hotel Current but by the time I checked-in they only time I could sign up for their shuttle was 8am (I did not want to arrive at the port that early!).  So I ended up having to pay for an Uber and that whole deal soured me on their hotel.

 

I just looked at the Maya and their total was $421 for one night (including parking).

 

Also, I see that the Best Western has a cruise package but wasn't sure of the area.

 

I'll be driving into Long Beach on 4/10/20 and am looking forward to cruising on the Panorama!

 

Thanks so much for your help 🙂

I do not have any specific recommendations for a hotel and parking packages, sorry. I have read here on CruiseCritic that Crowne Plaza in San Pedro offers those, but I doubt their shuttle would take you all the way to Long Beach. As a general tip, I would suggest you book a refundable rate at a Long Beach hotel you like, and then cancel it/rebook it if you find that the rates have dropped.

You could even use a prepaid or similar payment card (has Revolut entered the US markets yet?) while doing your booking so that you don't lose any money should you forget to cancel the booking. A rate of $421 does sound very extreme. The nearness of Easter may have something to do with this, though. Sometimes campaign/discounted rates appear closer to the stay dates. When I worked in hospitality, we didn't open the rates more than 360 days in advance any way. So in almost 10 months you will have plenty of time of finding a decent hotel ahead of your cruise 🙂

In another thread on CruiseCritic I read @Jamman54 and his trip review, and I think he mentioned something about a shuttle from Hilton in Long Beach, and how they found it convenient.

Other reputable hotels I can think of in/close to downtown Long Beach:

• Residence Inn by Marriott (see earlier in the thread, a 20 min or so walk from the terminal)
• Queen Mary (right next to the terminal but not modern facilities by any means; definitely a worth of try for a history buff)
• Hyatt Centric The Pike Long Beach (close to the attractions and a free bus to Queen Mary/the terminal, but views from their windows not very spectacular to say the least)
• Hyatt Regency Long Beach (another Hyatt, looks very nice from the outside at least)
• The Westin Long Beach
• Courtyard by Marriott Long Beach
• Renaissance Long Beach
• Best Western Plus Hotel at the Convention Center (mmh)
• The Breakers of Long Beach (a new hotel touted to open in 2020 smack down on Ocean Blvd; might not be open yet for your cruise?)

• Holiday Inn Long Beach Downtown Area (not really in downtown despite its name; location at Atlantic/Anaheim in a bad area, too -- but I have seen their shuttles around Long Beach)

Close to the LGB airport ~11-13 miles from the cruise terminal you will find more hotels, but from these you definitely need a shuttle or an Uber/Lyft.

• Residence Inn by Marriott Long Beach (yes, a hotel with a very similar name to the one closer to the terminal)

• Holiday Inn Long Beach Airport

• Long Beach Marriott

• Courtyard by Marriott Long Beach Airport

• Hampton Inn Long Beach Airport

4 hours ago, tm_aw_love said:

Thank you for offering your assistance.

I've seen comments that anybody that shows up 'early' is diverted to 'off-site' parking... Where is that? and is the cost any different?

3 hours ago, katstoy said:

 

Thanks for the offer, here goes:

 

What is the plan to accommodate parking for the additional 2000+ passengers for the Panorama?   Rumor on the boards was that an additional couple of stories were being added on to the parking garage.

 

Also heard that on Saturday departures (Splendor & Miracle) that the garage does not open until 11:00/11:30 and you are sent somewhere else.  Also heard that if you have handicapped placard that you will be let in earlier.  Is this true?  If you don't want to go park in the "somewhere else" lot can you just wait in line until the garage opens?

 

Thanks!

Sad to say, but so far we have received no inside information about what will happen with the parking situation come Panorama. I certainly hope that Carnival and the City of Long Beach have discussed what will be done, and if/when the parking structure will be expanded. I am usually not working close to the parking structure, but if I remember correctly, there are numbers painted up to five in the wall although the structure does not have as many decks as that.

As it is now, the situation on Saturdays is already unbearable. I feel for the employees of the guard company who work in and around the structure. From what I have heard in the passing (makes sense but information is hearsay nevertheless), they do go around in golf carts on Saturdays counting the amount of spaces and thus being able to tell people when to go for off-site parking.

As for the handicap placard priority; I am sorry but I have no idea. Would make sense but don't count on it.

So I do hope that the Carnival have got an ace up their sleeve. Otherwise they are going to get LOADS more of negative feedback regarding the parking situation, and this is in turn is going to affect not only the passenger satisfaction, but their revenue for the Saturday cruises as well.

All other days except Saturdays the terminal employees are allowed to park in the parking structure. On Saturdays many choose to park at the suggested site at Pine Ave and 6th Street in downtown Long Beach, and from there are shuttle buses is arranged to the terminal. I do not know regular rates for the parking, however, since I do not usually take this way to work. Unless the prices are much, much lower, I would not necessarily park my car there. It is in a less than desirable area, and closer to tourist attractions you do have many other parking alternatives. From garages at Pine, Chestnut, Aquarium of the Pacific etc. you have a convenient access on a free Long Beach Passport bus to Queen Mary/the Cruise Terminal. Instead of having shuttles at irregular times (?) from Pine/6th, the Passport runs every 15-30 minutes depending on the time of the day. Not sure, if the public garages have a maximum number of days they allow you to park in there, though.

I am not sure where you can wait "in line" for the structure to open. If you exit the parking gates outside the terminal/Queen Mary in less than 30 minutes, you will not have to pay. The terminal opens 10:30 AM daily, and now they have began opening it at 10 AM on Saturdays due to the volumes of people coming in. But I would not plan on coming to the parking structure before 10 AM since people are still coming back from their cruise, driving away/being picked up. Sometimes when I have been dropped off at the terminal, it is total chaos over there between nine and ten on Saturdays.

7 hours ago, debnrick said:

Can you walk from Residence Inn hotel to the cruise port?

7 hours ago, Husky61 said:

It is about a mile or 20 minute walk.😃

As Husky61 was faster telling you, the walk is a doable alternative. However, I am not sure how enjoyable that stroll is with a lot of luggage. I also do not know whether Residence Inn offers shuttles to the terminal or not. I have seen shuttles from Hotel Current and Hotel Maya among others close to the parking structure, but nothing visible (with a logo on the side anyway) from the Residence Inn.

Long Beach's free attraction/tourist bus line Passport DOES pass the Residence Inn, but on the one-way loop north. The end station for Passport South is Queen Mary which is as close as you can get by a public bus. LB Transit just altered the Passport route for the summer and it goes a different route in downtown. So if you want to minimize walking with luggage, technically you could get on the Passport North from Residence Inn, and change to Passport South at Aquarium of the Pacific if you are adventurous. That is far from convenient, though.

Current (6/16-) route map for the Passport: https://ridelbt.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/PASSSPORT.pdf

Hi folks, a new member here.

We who work the Long Beach Cruise Terminal are employed by a company that operates the building for Carnival.

I personally like my job and would like to invite you to post your questions about all things relating to cruising from Long Beach with Carnival’s Inspiration, Imagination and Splendor. As you probably know, Splendor will be transferred to Australia later this year (2019) and will be replaced by a new vessel.

So if you have got any questions in mind, post here and I will try to answer. 😊