Long Beach Mayor Bob Foster presented the Splendor’s captain, Claudio Cupisti, with a presentation plaque featuring the city’s official seal and a gold key to the city.
Last week, Long Beach Mayor Bob Foster, Harbor Commissioner Susan E. Wise and other notable city dignitaries and members of the hospitality community officially welcomed the Carnival Splendor to its new West Coast home port, the Long Beach Cruise Terminal. Foster presented the Splendor’s captain, Claudio Cupisti, with a presentation plaque featuring Long Beach’s official seal and a gold key to the city.
In anticipation of the Carnival Splendor’s arrival, the Long Beach Cruise Terminal, owned and operated by Carnival’s parent company Carnival Corporation, has undergone an $8-million upgrade.
The Carnival Splendor is the newest and largest ship in the Carnival Cruise Line fleet and replaces the Carnival Pride. The ship will sail on Sundays from the Long Beach Cruise Terminal on seven-day excursions through the Mexican Riviera and is expected to generate $82.4 million in direct expenditures, producing an employment impact of 525 jobs with an annual payroll of $18.2 million.
The arrival of Carnival Splendor is expected to generate an additional $14 million in direct annual expenditures— this impact will be immediate.
A new class of vessel for the line, the 113,300-ton Carnival Splendor offers a wide range of on-board facilities and features, highlighted by a two-level 21,000-square foot health spa— the largest in the fleet.
Adjacent to the facility are 68 spa staterooms and suites— a first for Carnival.
“The size, capacity and appeal of the Carnival Splendor gives us the opportunity to showcase the revitalization of Long Beach and our beautiful skyline to the many thousands of passengers who will set sail on this incredible ship.” said Steve Goodling, president and CEO of the Long Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau. “We believe this experience will generate repeat visits by many of these passengers.”
