Carnival cruise lines offers a short four day cruise that leaves from Los Angeles and takes visitors to Catalina Island and then Ensenada, Mexico, before returning to Los Angeles. The cruise typically arrives at Catalina early in the morning, and allows guests to disembark at Avalon for excursions which include glass bottom boat tours, scuba diving, snorkeling and whale watching. As of June, 2010, Carnival was offering this cruise multiple times a month. The ship that makes these visits has interior rooms, ocean view rooms and suites available.
Carnival Cruise Ship Terminal
231 Windsor Way
Long Beach, CA 90802
1-888-227-6482
www.carnival.com
Instead of going to Mexico, Celebrity Cruises offers 10 day trips that go up the west coast to Vancouver, British Columbia. These cruises depart from San Diego and stop off in Catalina for the second day of the trip. In addition to ocean based excursions, such as glass bottom boat tours, walking tours of Avalon, the nearby botanical gardens, and car tours into Catalina's interior are also available. The ships that follow the west coast itinerary belong to Celebrity's Millennium Class. These ships include accommodation from basic state rooms with a small sitting area and 20" TV to penthouses with floor to ceiling windows, verandas and spa baths.
Celebrity Cruise Ship Terminal
1140 N. Harbor Drive
San Diego, CA 92101
1-800-647-2251
www.celebritycruises.com
For those visitors who want to enjoy being on the water around Catalina, but don't want to spend the time or the money for a full service cruise, it's possible to take day cruises along the island's coast from the port of Avalon. The Sundown Isthmus Cruise runs between Avalon and the small town of Two Harbors. Guests are allowed off the boat at Two Harbors and provided dinner at the Harbor Reef restaurant. On the return trip back to Avalon after dark, guests can spot the flying fish which leap out of the water. In total, the cruise takes about five hours.
Sunland Isthmus Cruise
1 Island Plaza,
Avalon, CA 90704
1-800-626-1496
www.visitcatalinaisland.com