FAQs
Should I arrive in Long Beach a day early?
For anyone traveling from further away, please consider staying in Long Beach (or somewhere nearby) the night before the wedding since we have to be dressed and at the cruise terminal at 9am. Check out the Travel section for info about a block of rooms that have been reserved at the Courtyard by Marriott- Long Beach Airport hotel.
If you're interested in exploring Long Beach, you may consider visiting the Aquarium of the Pacific, taking a glimpse of the Queen Mary (currently closed for renovations), or exploring the downtown. Randomly enough, the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach 2023 is also taking place that weekend. That's why some hotels downtown are sold out already. If you're a racing fan, you can find the details here: https://www.gplb.com/racing.
What time should I arrive at the ship?
All cruising and non-cruising guests should arrive at 9am dressed and ready to celebrate. This embarkation time is set by US Customs.
What if I'm running late on the wedding day?
If you're late and miss boarding with our group, you'll need to wait in line with the general boarding for the ship. Non-cruisers won't have their boarding passes in that case, but Carnival can look you up on the guest list we're giving them. Carnival doesn't guarantee that you'll make on board in time for the wedding.
If I'm not cruising, how do I board the ship?
You don't need to purchase a ticket to board the ship for the ceremony and reception. You will be given a boarding pass once you arrive at the ship. Before you board, you'll need to leave your ID with security and it will be returned to you once you leave the ship. Children won't have an ID, so you'll need to bring a copy of their birth certificate to be returned to you once you leave the ship. Once you're on board, please enjoy the buffet and explore the Carnival Miracle! After the reception ends at 1:30pm, you can hang out for a while as long as you make your way back to land by 3pm. If you're still in Long Beach the next day, Monday, 4/17, please feel free to join us on Catalina Island by taking the Catalina Express ferry. See the Travel section for ferry details.
Do I need to bring a passport?
You don't need a passport for this trip since we depart and end in the same U.S. port, but Carnival strongly recommends it. If you have one, bring it! If you don't, bring your birth certificate and a photo ID. Cruisers under 16 without a passport don't need a photo ID, only a copy of your birth certificate. It needs to be a clean copy of the original, it can't be a photo on your phone or anything. Keep in mind, if for some reason you aren't able to get back to our port in Mexico in time and the boat leaves without you, then you WILL need a passport to get home.
"U.S. citizens on closed-loop cruises (cruises that begin and end at the same U.S. port) are able to enter the United States with a birth certificate and government-issued photo ID. "
Do I need a Covid test or proof of vaccination to board?
No, you don't need to show any test results or vaccination records to board anymore.
Can I bring a guest?
Please contact us if you'd like to bring a guest.
Are kids welcome?
Please contact us if you'd like to bring your children.
Where should I park?
If you're a non-cruiser only attending the wedding, you can park at the Carnival terminal in the Guest Parking section and walk to the terminal. It may be $20 to park and they don't accept cash. If you're a cruiser who wants to park for the 4 day cruise, you can drop off your luggage at the terminal and follow directions to park off site for $20 per day, credit card only. Parking at the Carnival terminal isn't open for cruisers. Parking is available off site. The Courtyard by Marriott Long Beach Airport (the hotel where we have our block room rate for Saturday, 4/15/23) also has parking available for the duration of the cruise for $16 per night. They don't have a system to do an advanced reservation for this. Instead, if you're staying at the hotel the night before, you tell them you'd like to park there for the duration of the cruise. Then you can take one of the three shuttles Justin and Sarah rented for the trip to the terminal.
What will the weather be like?
The weather in April for Long Beach, CA, Catalina Island, CA, and Ensenada, Mexico is typically around 70° during the day and about 55° at night. The internet says that temps in these areas rarely fall below 57°F or exceed 81°F in April.
What should I wear to the wedding?
The dress attire for the wedding is semi-formal. You may want to wear/bring comfortable shoes since you'll be walking around the buffet and spending time on the boat before the actual ceremony and reception begin.
Is the wedding indoors?
The ceremony and reception will take place indoors. We will know the exact location two weeks prior. Reminder to anyone nervous about motion sickness, the boat will not be moving during the wedding. It will remain parked at the port until the ship begins sailing later in the afternoon.
Can I take pictures during the wedding?
Yes, please do! We'd love for you to share them with us!
Is there a wedding registry?
Your presence on our special day is truly a gift! However, if you wish to contribute towards our honeymoon/future adventures fund, there is a registry section on this site. Carnival states that wrapped gifts can't be brought on board due to security reasons and recommends that physical gifts should not be brought on board overall. We are also registered on Amazon.
https://www.amazon.com/wedding/share/LloydMinck
The following info is helpful for cruisers.
Are there dinner plans on the night before the cruise?
Yes, we can meet at The Hangar Food Hall in the Long Beach Exchange building. It's a huge structure reminiscent of an aviation hangar when military and other aircrafts were constructed at that location. The Hangar Food Hall is a hip food court with artisanal food vendors. It's a 3 minute walk from the hotel. A time will be announced as the date gets closer. https://thelongbeachexchange.com/the-hangar/
What is the cruise itinerary?
Day 1: Los Angeles (Long Beach), CA- Depart 4pm
Day 2: Catalina Island, CA- Arrive 7:30am, Depart 4:30pm
Day 3: Ensenada, Mexico- Arrive 8am, Depart 5pm
Day 4: Fun Day at Sea
Day 5: Los Angeles (Long Beach), CA- Arrive 8am and disembark
How can I book a cabin on the cruise?
If you are interested in going on this awesome adventure with us, you can book a cabin on the Carnival Miracle using the site listed below. The room categories include interior, ocean view, balcony, and suite. If you've cruised with Carnival before, enter your VIFP (Very Important Fun Person) number on the site to see if you have any additional offers. If you're a Costco or AAA member, you can reach out to them to see what deals they're offering, too.
https://www.carnival.com/booking/rooms-and-guests?embkCode=LAX&itinCode=LAY&durDays=4&shipCode=MI&subRegionCode=MB&sailDate=04162023&sailingID=99844&numGuests=2&isMilitary=N&isOver55=N&isPastGuest=Y&stateCode=CA&evsel=&locality=1%C2%A4cy=USD¤cy=USD
If I'm cruising, when will my cabin be ready and can I bring a carry-on bag?
Cruiser's cabins will probably not be ready before the ceremony and recpetion. Carnival says that you can bring one hand-carry-on bag onboard and it has to fit through the security screening machine. You can check all luggage before boarding the ship and it will be delivered to your room later. Only the bride and groom will have guaranteed access to a cabin to get dressed.
Did we just become best friends?
After you book, please make sure you've entered your info, including email address, into the RSVP section. Sarah and Justin will email you a link that will allow you to join their Cruise Companions group. If we want to go to the dining room for dinners, this will allow us to be able to make dinner reservations together as a group. Please choose Early Dining if you'd like to join us. Otherwise, we can go to the buffet at any time. See info below for other dining options onboard.
Please download the Carnival Hub app to easily manage your account while on the ship. You have the option to purchase a wifi package. Even if you don't purchase wifi, once on board you can purchase the chat feature for $5. It's like being able to text with fellow cruisers, while at sea. This will be helpful when planning where/when to meet up on the ship for activities, meals, shenanigans, etc.
https://www.carnival.com/shipboard/funhub/funhub-landing
Do I have to pay for meals and drinks onboard?
No, when you're cruising, basic drinks (water, lemonade, fruit juice, coffee, hot tea, iced tea, hot chocolate, milk and chocolate milk) are included. If you'd like unlimited soda and juice, you can opt to pay for the Bottomless Bubbles package ($6.95 for kids and $9.50 for adults, per day). There's also a Cheers! package for adults that has wine, beer, cocktails, fancy coffees, energy drinks, etc. (for $59.95 per day). Otherwise, you can always pay per drink.
As for food, you can visit the dining rooms, Lido Marketplace Buffet, Blue Iguana Cantina, Pizza Pirate, Carnival Deli, Guy's Burger Joint, Sea Day Brunch, and the soft serve machines since they're included in the cost of the cruise. If you want to go to a specialty dining area, like the Bonsai Sushi Express, Java Blue Cafe, Nick and Nora's Steakhouse, then you can pay extra for those.
Can I have info about our ports and excursions?
We're stopping at two ports. The first is Catalina Island, CA on Monday, 4/17 from 7:30am to 4:30pm (they'll tell us exactly when to be back on the ship). We can't dock right at the island, so we'll be taking shoreboats to Catalina. Basically, smaller boats will pull up to our big boat and we'll board them to get to the island and back without any additional cost. You can look at excursions through Carnival for this stop, but there are plenty of other things to do without booking through Carnival including shopping, restaurants, snorkeling, walking to the beautiful theater, etc.
We can make plans for Glass Bottom Boat tours, Undersea Sub Expeditions, Bison Expeditions, the Catalina Zip Line Eco Tour, hiking, etc. We can also make plans to sit and enjoy some ice cream while looking out at the water and collectively thinking how much better this is than being at work today.
Here is the site for Carnival's Catalina Island excursions: https://www.carnival.com.au/shore-excursions?q=:recommended:dayFacet:Day_2&sort=recommended&page=0
Catalina Minck Mixer 2023!
If you're feeling up for it, let's meet at Luau Larry's (home of the Wiki Wacker) for a drink or snack while crowning a Step Brothers quote champion! We'll meet there at 11am since that's when they open. They don't take reservations. This is an island themed bar/restaurant and the dress is casual.
https://www.luaularrys.com/
Next, we'll take a few minute walk to the Nautilus Semi-Submarine Dock for our 12:30pm submarine ride! We have the whole 45 minute excursion to ourselves. No need to buy tickets, Sarah and Justin have it all set.
https://catalinaadventuretours.com/tours/ocean-excursions/semi-submarine-nautilus/
Next we are headed to northern Mexico to the Baja Peninsula. Our second port is Ensenada, Mexico on Tuesday, 4/18 from 8am to 5pm! Ensenada is known as the "Cinderella of the Pacific." If you're looking for an adventure, it may be a good idea to stick with Carnival's excursions since we're in a different country. It's up to you. They offer deep sea fishing, margarita tastings, surf lessons, kayaking, etc.
Carnival's Ensenada excursions: https://www.carnival.com.au/shore-excursions?q=:recommended:dayFacet:Day_3&sort=recommended&page=0
You don't have to book an excursion at all though. The internet says that all cruise ships in Ensenada dock at an industrial pier near the world's largest Mexican flag. The dock has a market with many vendors and a pharmacy. It's an easy walk to Avenida Lopez Mateos, the tourist area for shopping and dining. If you don't want to walk, there are taxis and shuttles available at the port. You also can stay on the ship and enjoy the pool, spa, buffet, etc.
Are there onboard activities?
Carnival will give out a list of onboard events including theme party nights, musical acts, trivia games, etc., each day of the cruise. Sarah and Justin reached out to Carnival to try and get information about events, but they said it's only available on the Carnival Hub app once you're on board. There is a good chance there will be an 80's deck party! They also did share that there is one "Formal Night". That means one night for dinner, people tend to dress up. This is scheduled for the 2nd or 3rd day of the cruise.
Here is some info taken from the Carnival site:
Need some tips on what to wear?
Men: Dress slacks, dress shirts, and we also suggest a sport coat; men may also wish to wear a suit and tie or tuxedo
Women: Cocktail dresses, pantsuits, elegant skirts and blouses; ladies may also wish to wear an evening gown
Not permitted in the dining room: Cut-off jeans, men’s sleeveless shirts, shorts, t-shirts, sportswear, baseball hats, flip-flops and bathing suit attire.
FYI- Sarah and Justin will not be wearing evening gowns or tuxedos, but you absolutely can if you want to! For realistic packing purposes, if you're wearing a suit to the wedding, consider wearing that again with a different shirt, perhaps?
Can I do laundry onboard?
Yes, there are laundromats available on the ship. There are also irons and ironing boards available in the laundromats.
Will I need to carry cash or credit cards around the ship?
No, you'll get a Sign & Sail card when you check in for the cruise. That will be linked to your account (that you've already linked your credit card to). They have a cashless system onboard, so you'll use that card to pay for anything you'd like (drinks, souvenirs in the gift shop, etc.) At the end of the cruise, your balance will be charged to your credit card. You can check your Carnival Hub app or stop by the front desk on the ship for updates on your balance, if any.