Thanks to road work, passengers planning to embark on cruises onboard Carnival Panorama and Carnival Firenze may be delayed in their travels to the Port of Long Beach this weekend.
The northbound side of the Shoemaker Bridge, which is one of the main routes into the Carnival-exclusive cruise port, will be closed on both Saturday, August 3, and Sunday, August 4, 2024, with work taking place on the bridge from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. PST each day.
The purpose of the closure is to allow crews to assess the damage that was caused by a truck accident in January of 2024, allowing them to make preparations to complete necessary repairs in the near future.
“The work is scheduled from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. both days on the underside of the Shoemaker Bridge, which was damaged when cargo carried by a truck struck the span in January. Crews will assess and evaluate steel framing on the bridge to determine what will need to be replaced at a later date,” reads a press release from the Port of Long Beach.
Naturally, cutting out a key route to reach the port may mean alternative options and detours could be extra congested. As such, Carnival Cruise Line is warning this weekend’s guests to plan accordingly for potential delays.
“Shoemaker Bridge (near the cruise terminal) will be closed for repairs this weekend, resulting in increased traffic and possible impact to your commute. To ensure a smooth embarkation experience, please allow ample travel time,” Carnival sent in a text message to guests.
“Remember you must be on board by the final boarding time printed on your boarding pass. Thank you and see you soon,” concluded the message.
While Carnival does enforce assigned arrival times, it’s typically a good idea for travelers to plan to arrive around an hour early – which leaves a buffer for any traffic jams and allows time to find parking.
Which Sailings Are Impacted By The Road Closure?
Carnival, which is the only mainstream cruise line to utilize the Port of Long Beach, has two ships scheduled to embark from the port this weekend.
Carnival Panorama will be setting sail on a Mexican Riviera voyage on Saturday, August 3, 2024.
The Vista-class vessel will operate a 7-night, round trip cruise to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico; Mazatlan, Mexico; and Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.
The following day, on Sunday, August 4, the new Carnival Firenze will embark on a 4-night Baja Mexico sailing, calling on Catalina Island, California, and Ensenada, Mexico.
Read Also: Full Guide on Long Beach Cruise Terminal Parking
As long as these passengers leave some extra time to get to the cruise port, they should have a wonderful time on their sailings.
In addition to scheduling with traffic in mind – which can be bad in Los Angeles even without road closures – it is also a good idea to be aware of alternate routes to the port.
As part of the Shoemaker Bridge closure, drivers coming from downtown Long Beach will only be able to access the northbound 710 Freeway from Anaheim Street. The on-ramps on Ocean Boulevard, Third Street, and Seventh Street will be unusable for the duration of the weekend.
Additionally, Harbor Scenic Drive will be shut down at Harbor Plaza. Vehicles will be directed to use northbound Pico Avenue to access the port via the westbound Long Beach International Gateway bridge, which carries six lanes of Interstate 710 all the way from Long Beach to Terminal Island.
However, it’s important to note that the eastbound Long Beach International Gateway Bridge, which connects to the northbound 710 Freeway, will be narrowed to just one lane while the work is taking place.
Further closures include the Pico Avenue onramp to northbound Harbor Scenic Drive, as well as the northbound 710 onramp from Pico at Ninth and the Pier B streets.
