IN THIS ISSUE:
1. Carnival's Moving!
2. Wedding Bells are Ringing
3. Facelift for a Norwegian Beauty
4. The Grand Exit

Hello Long Beach! Effective April 14th, 2003 Carnival Cruises is moving their port operations from the Port of Los Angeles to the Port of Long Beach. The new port facility - just 5 miles east of the existing four-pier facility - will house its cruise check-in, Customs and Immigration areas within the giant, domed building originally erected to display Howard Hughes' giant flying boat, the "Spruce Goose."

The "goose" is gone (it was barged up to a new home in Oregon a decade ago) but the city's most recognizable attraction remains right next door - the magnificent Queen Mary. With the coming of Carnival, for the first time since her arrival here in 1967, the venerable "Queen" will have company. Estimates put the number of cruise passengers expected to use the facility at between 300,000 and 500,000 yearly. In addition to the familiar white dome, the port facilities will include a 1,000-foot-long dock, a 1,250-car parking structure, and food and beverage kiosks for waiting cruise passengers.

What's in it for the Cruise Passenger? Although the ride to and from LAX may be a few minutes longer, the new port is closer to Long Beach Airport - one of the few airports in the nation to be experiencing rapid traffic growth. Attraction-wise, most agree that the new location offers more in the way of nearby fun for the tourist. Besides the Queen Mary, there's the Aquarium of the Pacific, East Village shopping, museums, the beach, parks, and waterfront bike trails - all within minutes of the new cruise terminal.

Who's Next? On Sunday, April 20th, her sister ship, the Elation, will continue her 7-night Mexican Riviera cruises from the new Long Beach port.

Who's Coming? In late September, the newer, 2,124-passenger Carnival Pride replaces the Elation on the 7-night itinerary. Though 16,000 tons heftier than the 70,000-ton Elation, the Carnival Pride is faster - and able to offer extra time at Cabo San Lucas - the final port stop in the popular Mexican Riviera itinerary.

What's Next? Expansion plans are indefinite, but Carnival Corporation may move other ships in the Carnival group to the new facilities as space allows.

Sleep With the Queen! Carnival is offering one, two, and three-night pre and post cruise hotel packages onboard the Queen Mary. Hotel packages include hotel (Queen Mary rooms retain their original Art Deco style), tax, and admission to self-guided tours of the 1936 ship. Packages range in price from $105 to $210 per person based on double occupancy. Slightly higher rates apply for packages that include a rental car.

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Who's Who: The original merger plan involved Royal Caribbean International (owners of Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruise Lines) and P&O Princess (Princess Cruises, P&O Cruises, Swan Hellenic and other European and Australian brand names). Carnival Corporation, the giant cruise conglomerate that includes Carnival, Holland America, Cunard, Costa, Windstar, and Seabourn, countered with an alternate offer for P&O Princess - an offer that was later "sweetened" and eventually proved to be the financially superior arrangement.

Big is Better: Together, Carnival Corporation and P&O Princess would operate a fleet numbering 65 ships totaling almost 100,000 cruise berths, not including triples and quads. Currently scheduled fleet additions would bump those numbers up to 83 ships and 142,000 berths by the end of 2005.

Big isn't Better: Their combined 2002 cruise traffic count is 4.7 million passengers - well over half of the worldwide cruise passenger count. Although there are concerns about so many berths controlled by one corporation, Carnival Cruise Line's President Bob Dickinson stresses that Carnival Corporation has always encouraged healthy competition - not just between rival companies, but among those within their corporation.

Still, there's room for concern. In terms of passengers carried, Carnival is currently number one, Royal Caribbean number two, and Princess is number three. Now, the "Big Three" corporations become the "Big Two," leaving Norwegian Cruise Lines, Disney Cruise Lines, and Crystal Cruises in their wakes.

Norwegian Cruise Lines - the company that brought you "stretched" cruise ships - just completed a multi-million dollar update of the medium-size Norwegian Sea. The makeover didn't involve "implants" - a procedure performed on the Norwegian Dream, the Norwegian Wind, and the Norwegian Majesty whereby their hulls were literally cut in half and giant, 100-foot plus sections inserted in their midsections; the Norwegian Sea's procedure was simpler. Here's what the ship-doctor did:

• Augmented the Pasta Café. The "Pasta Café became a permanent, totally separate venue serving traditional Italian cuisine for up to 40 guests. The ship now offers 5 distinct restaurants choices.
• Face-lifted the Gatsby's Wine Bar. Wood paneling and sleeker design cues upgraded this "top of the ship" favorite.
• Performed cosmetic changes to the Stardust Lounge. Gold and burgundy are the colors seen in the all-new carpets, upholsteries, and drapes.
• Gave her Le Bistro a freshened look. The ship's upscale, reservations-only restaurant has been totally redecorated in a classic, gold and green motif.
• Did a nip and tuck to the main dining rooms, Reception and Shore Excursion areas. The new look emphasizes richer, updated colors.

-Click here - to see what itineraries the new Sea is sailing-

What Was: Citing disappointing booking levels, Princess Cruises has decided to cancel all Grand Princess European cruises scheduled for the summer of 2003. Original deployment strategy called for both the Grand Princess and her sister ship, the Golden Princess, to operate 12-night Mediterranean cruises while the line's Royal Princess focused on Northern Europe itineraries.

What Is: The Golden Princess and Royal Princess will remain in Europe this summer, but the Grand is making the grand exit. Rather than summering in Europe, the Grand Princess will remain in the Caribbean, operating an alternating schedule of 7-night Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries. In October, she'll resume her normal 7-night Western Caribbean schedule.

What Will Be: It's anyone's guess. Although there has been a definite trend towards "homeland cruising" (basing more ships in North American ports) the cruise lines won't hesitate to return to more exotic (read: profitable) regions the moment travel trends change. Stay tuned.