Cruise Buzz

Top Attractions in Long Beach for cruise visitors

Port Buzz: Long Beach attractions for cruise visitors. Learn about the Queen Mary, and the Aquarium of the Pacific.

Cruise visitors sailing to or from Long Beach will find plenty of activities in California’s seventh largest city located in Los Angeles county. Besides hanging out at the beach, shopping, and eating at great restaurants, the top attractions for cruise visitors staying for a day or two is a tour of the historic Queen Mary, and a visit to the Aquarium of the Pacific.

Photo: Downtown Long Beach

Close to the ships and full of entertainment, nightlife, and tourist attractions.

Top Attractions

 

The Queen Mary

It’s hard to miss the Queen Mary, she is docked adjacent to the cruise ship terminal in Long Beach.

Spending the night on the Queen Mary is an experience (to say the least). Besides the novelty of staying on this retired luxury ship, some claim she is haunted.  If staying the night is not in your plans, then make sure to stop by and enjoy one of the many tours and exhibits on the ship.

Built to last

Cruise passengers can tour for the day or spend the night. The historic Queen Mary hotel features Art Deco staterooms that have retained a lot of their original finishes like polished wood paneling, original 1930’s artwork, and operable portholes.

These bathtub fixtures remind hotel guests that back in the 1930’s salt baths were all the rage.

 

 

Aquarium of the Pacific

 

 

Located on a 5-acre site on Rainbow Harbor in Long Beach, The Aquarium of the Pacific is home to penguins, sharks, sea otters and several other exhibits. Since the emphasis is on the Pacific, cruise guests will encounter galleries, exhibits, and features from Southern California, Baja, the Northern Pacific; the Tropical Pacific. There is also a great gallery featuring the Arctic and Antarctic regions as well as a Lorikeet exhibit.

 

Found within the Southern California/Baja Gallery are the very playful seals and sea lions in their  211,000 gallon habitat. This will be a fun way to learn about the animals that cruisers will most likely encounter during their cruise.

 

Not to miss (and hard to mis) is the  Honda Blue Cavern, which is three-stories high and filled with 142,000-gallons of water. The tank features ocean inhabitants found off the coast of Catalina Island (a popular cruise port for year-round cruises from the area). Make sure to download my photo tour app of Catalina and read my Catalina Port Profile here.

 

For more information

Long Beach Area Convention and Visitors Bureau http://www.visitlongbeach.com/