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Cruises to Catalina
Catalina is a compact Pacific Coast call where the best day is usually beach first, water second, with one active splurge if you want it.
Upcoming visits
222
Best fare
$96 per night
Catalina is a compact Pacific Coast call where the best day is usually beach first, water second, with one active splurge if you want it.
Find Catalina on Google Maps before you plan the port day.
Catalina Island is not a port that needs an overbuilt itinerary. The appeal is sharper than that: a sunny Avalon beach scene, clear-water pockets, kelp forests seen through glass, and a few ways to trade sandals for a trail or a zip line. For cruise passengers, the win is choosing the right tempo before you step off the ship. If you want a low-friction day, stay focused on Avalon Beach and the waterfront mood. If you want something more memorable, pick one water experience or one inland-adjacent adventure and give it room.
The island works especially well for travelers who like a port day with visual payoff but not a full urban checklist. You can build a soft day around sand, people-watching, and water taxis, or push into something more active with snorkeling, a garden hike, or canyon views from a zip line. The mistake is trying to stack every version of Catalina into one stop. Treat it as a choose-your-own-day port: beach reset, underwater glimpse, scenic walk, or adrenaline hit.
Avalon Beach is the obvious first move if you want Catalina to feel effortless. It gives you sun, sand, people-watching, and the small-island rhythm of water taxis without committing the whole day to a formal excursion. This is the right pick for travelers who have had enough bus rides and timed entries on the itinerary. It is also a useful fallback if your group cannot agree on a bigger plan: beach people can linger, photographers get waterfront texture, and everyone stays in a relaxed cruise-day lane.
A low-planning beach day with a social Avalon backdrop.
The Undersea Submarine Tour is the cleanest way to make Catalina feel different from a standard beach call. The draw is the glass-bottom view into kelp forests, which gives the day a marine-life focus without requiring snorkeling gear or strong swimming confidence. It fits families, mixed-ability groups, and anyone who wants a structured experience that still feels connected to the island's water. If you are deciding between this and beach time, choose the tour when you want the port stop to have a clear headline beyond lounging.
Hike to monument with island flora.
Current sailings visiting this port, sorted by the lowest tracked cabin price per night.
Built 2020
Los Angeles · Catalina · Ensenada
Built 1999
Los Angeles · Catalina · Cabo · Mazatlán
Built 2020
Los Angeles · Catalina · Ensenada
Built 2020
Los Angeles · Catalina · Ensenada
Built 2020
Los Angeles · Catalina · Ensenada
Built 1999
Los Angeles · Catalina · Cabo · Mazatlán
Built 2004
La Romana · Catalina
Built 2020
Los Angeles · Catalina · Ensenada
Built 2000
Los Angeles · Catalina · Ensenada
Built 2000
Los Angeles · Catalina · Ensenada
Built 2004
La Romana · Catalina · Barbados
Built 2016
Los Angeles · Catalina · Ensenada
Choose this over a generic wander if you want the water to be the main event.
Lovers Cove is the more immersive water choice, built around snorkeling, clear water, and fish rather than passive sightseeing. It is best for travelers who want their Catalina story to be about what they saw below the surface, not just the view from the sand. Think of it as a focused plan, not an add-on to everything else. If snorkeling is your priority, give it enough breathing room and do not dilute the day with too many competing stops. This is the port's strongest fit for confident water-first travelers.
Snorkelers who would rather be in the water than beside it.
Wrigley Memorial and Botanic Garden is the choice for travelers who want Catalina to be more than a shoreline postcard. The appeal is the walk toward a monument framed by island flora, which gives the day texture and a sense of place without chasing a long list of sights. It fits hikers, garden people, and anyone who prefers a scenic objective to open-ended beach time. Prioritize it when you want movement and views on land, especially if the rest of your cruise has leaned heavily into pools and decks.
A scenic leg-stretch with island plants and a clear destination.
The Zip Line Adventure is not the quiet Catalina plan, and that is the point. It trades beach lounging for canyon air and a bigger rush, making it the best match for travelers who want their port day to feel active rather than pretty in the background. Because it is a more defined commitment than wandering Avalon Beach, treat it as the centerpiece instead of squeezing it between multiple water plans. Choose it for friend groups, thrill-seekers, or anyone who wants a Pacific Coast call with momentum.
Travelers who want canyons, speed, and a port day with a pulse.
Soar over canyons for thrill.