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Refreshing beverages including water, soft drinks, beer, hard seltzers, and wine will be available for purchase. The island has a mild and brief rainy season in January and February. Avalon has three small beaches right at the harbourfront and a larger one just north of the casino.
Related Cruises
Catalina, third largest of the Channel Islands, feels like a world away. Twenty-two miles west into the Pacific from Los Angeles, the island combines natural beauty with a wide range of amenities and activities. Catalina's most famous landmark, the 1929 Art Deco Casino, dominates the waterfront.
Catalina Cruise Ship Schedule
For current schedule availability and a preview of additional departures, please visit our reservation system by selecting your date of travel and clicking “Book Now”. See where each of our ports are located, download island maps, and view island information to help plan your trip. Learn more about the most visited tourist destination on Catalina Island- the City of Avalon. Captain Dave’s Dolphin & Whale Watching Safari services the Dana Point, Oceanside, Anaheim, Los Angeles, San Diego, San Clemente, Huntington Beach, Laguna Beach, and Newport Beach areas. We are also just a one-hour drive south from Los Angeles and an hour north of San Diego. If you’d like to enjoy snorkeling from land during your Catalina Island cruise, we’ll provide a mask and snorkel.
View All Cruises to Catalina Island, California
On a Pacific Coast cruise, just south of Los Angeles, you’ll discover a tiny slice of paradise. Natural conservation and ecological tourism is a huge motivator for Catalina Island cruise visitors hoping to find time in the great outdoors. Vehicles are largely restricted on the island, so cycling and hiking are incredibly popular for residents. Watch the boats float peacefully in the harbor at Green Pleasure Pier, then head inland to the Catalina Island Museum, where you’ll discover the history of the island from thousands of years ago to today. Catalina Island and the Port of Avalon welcome cruise ship visitors year-round, a tradition that goes back to the island’s earliest days as a travel and tourism destination.
Transportation in Catalina Island
Start your day with a cinnamon roll drizzled in icing sugar and a hot cup of coffee from Catalina Coffee & Cookie Co. For lunch, enjoy a piping hot plate of fish and chips or a creamy bowl of clam chowder on the waterfront at Bluewater Avalon. The Lobster Trap is also worth a stop for its lobster rolls served with scrumptious tarragon sauce. For a sugar fix, grab a sweet scoop of ice cream or gelato in a crispy waffle cone from Scoops to take to the beach. If that's not enough, Eric's on the Pier has funnel cakes and banana splits. The easiest way to get to Catalina Island would be by traveling on a vacation cruise sailing from LA.
Local shops and boutiques showcase the artisanal talents of residents, from custom furniture and antiques to handmade clothing and kitschy island souvenirs. For those who are interested in bringing back a piece of the island’s history, head to the Catalina Island Gift Shop. SunKissed is a local boutique specializing in beachwear and colorful jewelry. During the approximate 2.5 to 3-hour travel time to Catalina Island by boat, you will have the opportunity to watch and learn about marine wildlife.
There are plenty of trails worth a day trip, like the trail to East Summit for panoramic views of the island. If you have a full day, trek along the Garden to Sky Loop Trail that begins near the Wrigley Memorial and takes hikers along a trail with views of both sides of the island and dozens of plant species. Catalina Island became a travel destination in 1864 after being purchased by California's wealthiest man at the time, an entrepreneur named James Lick. Lick later sold the island to the Banning brothers, who developed Avalon's Green Pleasure Pier, which is still standing today.
The island has a zipline facility at Descanso Beach with five lines and a total of 3,400 feet. Zipliners travel up to 45 miles per hour and as high as 300 feet over Descanso Canyon. If the little ones want to come along, visit the Catalina Island Mini Golf Gardens.
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Catalina Island is the only island with a cruise port on a Mexican Riviera cruise. Chantae Reden is an adventure writer and photographer who rarely strays far from the coastline. She is a freediver, surfer, scuba diver, and has a mild obsession with sharks. Her work has appeared in Travel + Leisure, Escape, ScubaDiving.com and she's a guidebook author for Moon Travel Guides. Discover more of her stories on her travel website, TheSaltSirens.com.
Still, anyone who takes a cruise out of Long Beach or the nearby San Pedro district in Los Angeles can visit Catalina by ferry if they have an extra day available before or after their cruise. It is a common port of call for Mexican Riviera cruises that depart from Long Beach, Los Angeles and San Francisco and that last three to five days. These quick cruises often go only to Catalina and Ensenada on the Baja Peninsula of Mexico before returning to their embarkation ports.
In the early 20th century, William Wrigley Jr. of Wrigley chewing gum fame bought out the island, and his estate has controlled it ever since. Today, Catalina Island strikes a delicate balance between maintaining the natural ecosystem and expanding the glamorous resort lifestyle that makes the island so popular with visitors. Buzz over the bushland of Catalina Island on an aerial adventure.
The Catalina Island cruise port is called the Green Pleasure Pier, which is where you’ll find the local visitor center, watersports, and other nearby activities. The Catalina Island Museum isn’t too far from the cruise pier, either. But none of them can rival the Dana Point to Catalina Island cruise experience. With year-round whale sightings and more dolphins per square mile than anywhere else on earth, Dana Point is the official Dolphin and Whale Watching Capital of the World®. With clear waters and beautiful marine life, Catalina Island offers some of the best snorkeling opportunities. Each Catalina Island Cruise will have a different destination – either Avalon or Two Harbors.
Hashtag your cruise photos #carnival and #catalinaisland — you may see them right here. The rugged, rocky Moonstone Beach has become synonymous with this particular part of the Pacific Coast, and it’s a popular spot for a boardwalk stroll. William Wrigley, Jr. was the one responsible for developing beautiful Catalina, so why not spend the afternoon paying tribute to him? AVALON, Calif. – December 2023 – Love Catalina, the official Catalina Island Tourism Authority, is excited to share that Disney Cruise Line is returning to Catalina Island, a premiere destination. The Port of Avalon welcomes Disney fans to the idyllic Catalina Island to experience the destination’s dining, adventures, traditions and more.
Policy limits Avalon to cruise ship visits - The Catalina Inslader
Policy limits Avalon to cruise ship visits.
Posted: Fri, 24 Jan 2020 08:00:00 GMT [source]
Order a cocktail and hit the jukebox while you wait for it to be mixed. California uses the U.S. dollar as the official currency of the state. ATMs are commonly available on Catalina Island, and credit cards are accepted at most restaurants and shops. Tipping on Catalina Island is the same as most destinations in the U.S. Tip at least 10% to 15% for your taxi driver, and 15% to 20% at bars and restaurants for good service. From enjoying a three-course meal at Mt. Ada (William Wrigley Jr.'s old mansion with views of the harbor) to grabbing a burger and fries from one of the casual joints in Avalon, there are great dining options for everyone.
Pacific seafood is the way to go when you’re cruising to Catalina Island. Try some at the bayside restaurant The Lobster Trap or Luau Larry’s, a tiki restaurant that feels more like Hawaii than California. Laid-back pubs like Catalina Island Brew House offer pretzels on the house, while Zymurgy Brew Works is the go-to for local beer.
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