Long Beach is Carnival’s own patch on the US West Coast, a converted geodesic dome parked right next to the historic Queen Mary. It’s the launch point for short Mexican Riviera trips, including the well known 3 day cruise from Long Beach to Ensenada, and it has nothing to do with the Los Angeles terminals other cruise lines use, despite what the postcode might suggest.
Most people want three things fast when they land on this page: the address, the parking situation, and which ship they’re sailing on. Some also wonder if cruises from Long Beach are all inclusive, since the base fare on these short Baja runs already bundles accommodation, dining and entertainment, even if drinks and shore excursions cost extra.
The Long Beach Cruise Port at a Glance
Carnival Corporation owns and runs the place, the parent company sitting above several cruise brands, but in practice it’s Carnival Cruise Line ships you’ll see here, full stop. One main pier handles everything, and although it technically has two berths, you’ll rarely spot more than one ship docked at once. So this is one California port where you won’t be sharing the queue with several thousand extra passengers from another ship on changeover day.
The Long Beach Cruise Terminal Address and How to Find It
The terminal sits at 231 Windsor Way, Long Beach, California, right next to the Queen Mary attraction. If you’re driving yourself, or telling a taxi or rideshare driver where to go, naming the Queen Mary is usually more reliable than the terminal name, since the local signage is built around the ship, not the port.
Long Beach Cruise Terminal Map and Layout
The building deserves a mention before you arrive. It’s a large converted geodesic dome that once did time as a film location for major Hollywood productions, so what you see from the car park is nothing like the standard glass box terminal you might expect.
Inside, the pier runs about 1,550 feet with two potential berths, though Carnival rarely bothers using both. Facilities include:
- Check in desks
- Bars, cafes and restaurants
- Shops
- Seating areas for anyone waiting to board
- Taxi ranks
Why This Is Carnival’s Cruise Port in Long Beach, California, Not Norwegian’s
A common mix-up is assuming any Southern California cruise, on any line, might sail from here. It doesn’t work like that. Long Beach serves Carnival Cruise Line almost exclusively, while Norwegian Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean International and Princess Cruises sail from the Port of Los Angeles World Cruise Center in San Pedro, about eight miles away across the harbour.
That matters because a booking confirmation reading Los Angeles usually means San Pedro, not Long Beach. Read your cruise documents properly and set your map to the exact terminal address rather than the general city, or you risk turning up at the wrong dock on embarkation morning. If your booking points to San Pedro, our Los Angeles cruise port guide and dedicated San Pedro cruise terminal guide cover that terminal in full.
Which Ships Sail from Long Beach
Carnival Panorama has called Long Beach home for several years now, running week long itineraries to the Mexican Riviera. Carnival Radiance, freshly renovated, handles the quicker turnarounds, alternating between three and four night trips to Baja Mexico.
Carnival Firenze has also sailed from here, and Carnival has signalled plans to rotate Carnival Legend into Long Beach with a focus on Hawaii sailings. Homeport assignments shift more often than most people expect, so check the exact ship against your own booking confirmation rather than trusting any single list, this one included.
Short Cruises from Long Beach, Including the 3 Day Cruise to Ensenada
This terminal is built for short getaways, and the 3 day cruise from Long Beach to Ensenada is the one most people ask about. Typical options include:
- Three night sailings to Ensenada, Mexico, departing in the early evening and returning by mid morning three days later
- Four night sailings adding Catalina Island alongside Ensenada
- Six night Baja California itineraries with an overnight stop in Cabo San Lucas
- Seven to eight night Mexican Riviera itineraries calling at Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan, Puerto Vallarta and sometimes La Paz
On the shorter three night sailings, staterooms are usually ready from early afternoon, boarding runs on into the evening, and the ship typically sails around 5pm or 5.30pm depending on the day. You need to be back on board at least an hour before it leaves Ensenada the next day. If you’re spending that day ashore, pack some reef safe sunscreen, since both the California dockside and the Baja coastline will have you baking.
One quirk to flag, passports are required for cruises that start in one US port and finish in a different one, so if your itinerary isn’t a straightforward round trip back to Long Beach, check your documentation requirements well ahead of sailing.
Are Cruises from Long Beach All Inclusive?
Not in the fullest sense of the word. The base fare on a Long Beach sailing covers your cabin, main dining, casual venues and included entertainment, which is probably why people assume the whole trip is covered. Alcoholic drinks, speciality dining, shore excursions and Wi-Fi are typically extra, so budget for those separately if you’re comparing this to a proper all inclusive resort holiday.
Getting to the Terminal from LAX and Long Beach Airport
From LAX, the standard route runs south on the San Diego Freeway (405), then south on the Long Beach Freeway (710), following signs for the Queen Mary. At the entrance, stick to the far right of the Queen Mary parking booth, since that lane takes you into the cruise terminal rather than the tourist attraction next door.
From Long Beach Airport, head to Lakewood Boulevard, then pick up the same 405 to 710 route. Journey times from LAX vary wildly depending on traffic and which way the driver goes, so build in more of a buffer than you think you need, especially on a Saturday sailing day when several West Coast changeovers collide with the usual traffic.
Same day shuttle transfers from either airport need booking in advance rather than sorted on arrival, and Long Beach no longer runs a downtown shuttle to the terminal, so public transport is slow going, typically over an hour once you count transfers. If you’ve flown in from the UK, a long haul flight followed by an airport transfer is a lot to ask of your legs, and some travellers find compression socks travel a properly useful addition to hand luggage for that stretch.
Parking at the Long Beach Cruise Terminal
The terminal runs its own multi storey car park with room for around 1,450 vehicles across five levels. There’s a height restriction of 7 feet, and anything that takes up more than one space can’t use the garage at all, so if you’re driving something oversized, sort offsite parking in advance rather than turning up and hoping for the best.
Rates come as a flat daily fee covering both your embarkation and disembarkation days, though the exact figure and accepted payment methods have shifted between sources and over time, so check current terms when you book rather than assuming last year’s arrangement still stands.
One real snag, guests sailing on Carnival Panorama specifically haven’t always been able to use the terminal garage at all, thanks to limited capacity. Carnival’s workaround is sending offsite parking details in the pre cruise Know Before You Go email, so if you’re booked on this ship, watch for that message and sort any offsite option early rather than leaving it until embarkation week.
Stairs, Wheelchairs and Accessibility on Boarding Day
If you’re after the exact number of stairs at the Long Beach cruise terminal, nobody can tell you. Carnival doesn’t publish a figure, and no verified count exists anywhere. What is confirmed is that the terminal doesn’t stock wheelchairs, though there’s seating for anyone who’d rather sit than stand.
The fix is simple enough. Contact Carnival directly before you sail to arrange mobility assistance or a wheelchair at the port, rather than assuming one will just be there. It also helps to book an extra early or extra late check in slot, since the peak boarding windows have a habit of producing half hour queues or worse.
How Long Beach Compares to Other California Cruise Ports
Southern California has two separate embarkation points that get mixed up constantly, plus a couple of other West Coast options if your dates or cruise line don’t line up with Long Beach.
| Port | What it is known for |
|---|---|
| Long Beach | Carnival’s exclusive West Coast base, short Baja and Mexican Riviera sailings from a converted dome terminal beside the Queen Mary |
| San Pedro (Port of Los Angeles) | Wider mix of cruise lines including Norwegian Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean International and Princess Cruises, longer West Coast and Mexico itineraries |
| San Diego | Separate Southern California homeport, worth checking if Long Beach dates do not suit |
| San Francisco | Northern California homeport for longer Pacific coast and repositioning itineraries |
For the full picture beyond these two cities, our guide to major US West Coast cruise ports covers everything from the major hubs down to smaller calls like the Port of Kalama on the Columbia River, and our dedicated pages on the San Diego cruise port guide and San Francisco cruise port guide go into more depth on each.
Common Questions
Is the Long Beach cruise terminal the same as the Los Angeles cruise terminal?
No. Long Beach is Carnival’s own terminal at 231 Windsor Way. Cruises booked as Los Angeles usually depart from the separate Port of Los Angeles World Cruise Center in San Pedro, roughly eight miles away, so always check your exact terminal address.
Does Norwegian Cruise Line sail from Long Beach?
No. Norwegian sails from the Port of Los Angeles World Cruise Center in San Pedro. Long Beach is used almost exclusively by Carnival Cruise Line.
How long does a 3 day cruise from Long Beach take, door to door?
The cruise itself usually departs in the early evening, spends a day at sea, calls at Ensenada, Mexico, and returns roughly three days later, typically by mid morning.
Do I need a passport for a Long Beach cruise?
You’ll need a passport if your cruise starts in one US port and ends in a different one. Standard round trip Baja sailings back to Long Beach have different requirements, so confirm with Carnival before booking.
Can I park at the terminal for every sailing?
Usually yes, in the onsite multi storey garage, though guests sailing on Carnival Panorama haven’t always had garage access due to limited capacity, and get sent offsite parking details in advance instead.
Are there wheelchairs available at the terminal?
The terminal doesn’t stock wheelchairs itself, though seating is provided. Contact Carnival ahead of your sailing to arrange mobility assistance or a wheelchair on the day.
Which ships are currently homeported in Long Beach?
Carnival Panorama and Carnival Radiance are the established Long Beach ships. Carnival Firenze has also sailed from here, with Carnival Legend reportedly rotating in, so confirm the exact ship on your booking confirmation.
Are Long Beach cruises all inclusive?
The base fare covers your cabin, main dining and included entertainment, but drinks, speciality dining, Wi-Fi and shore excursions are usually extra, so no, not all inclusive in the resort holiday sense.
Why Trust About2Cruise
This guide draws on published terminal, cruise line and port information, cross checked across multiple sources to flag exactly where operators disagree, such as parking rates and the current homeported ships at Long Beach. We haven’t sailed from or visited this terminal ourselves, and we’re saying so plainly rather than pretending otherwise. You can read more about how we research our port guides on our About Us page.
Last Updated: 21 August 2026