I took the Catalina Express to and from the island last week and it was a great experience. Even though I live closer to the Newport Harbor, I chose Dana Point and I am so glad I did! The overall experience was wonderful with just a few "good to know" pieces of info. Be sure to look up the Catalina express ferry schedule on their website ahead of time. During peak season, spots on the boats can fill up fast. So booking as soon as you know your Catalina plans, reserve your spot. Also, be aware that parking at Dana Point is an extra cost. I really appreciated the DETAILED information that Catalina Express sends once you book your tickets. I would have been lost without it. I really appreciated the smaller boat size out of dana point. The staff is very friendly. We booked an overnight trip and came on a later in the day, less crowded boat. Speaking of crowds, the most popular boat time going to the island are the morning boats, and the most popular leaving the island times are later afternoon/early evening. ALWAYS BOOK YOUR RETURN FERRY TRIP WITH YOUR ARRIVAL FERRY to ensure you won't be stranded on the boat. The boat is super clean and we had a nice ride to and from the island. Highly recommend this ferry over other choices. read more

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If you are from San Diego, it's really convenient to leave from Dana Point vs Long Beach when traveling to Catalina. That said, the boarding process could be better. We ended up standing in the direct, hot sun before being allowed (slowly) to board. Catalina Express should handle the wait time better. And the boats need a refresh. read more

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We booked our trip to Catalina Island using the Catalina Express. It was a simple transaction. We each paid about $100 each for a round trip ticket. We met at the Dana Point Port to catch the Catalina Express Ferry to Catalina Island. We got there an hour early which is recommended. We paid for everything online including parking. Parking was about $25 a day. Around the Dana Point Port, there are restaurants and gift shops. There are also restrooms. There is ample seating while you wait to board the ferry/boat. The trip to Catalina was smooth. Nobody in my group got sick. There is a snack bar on the boat. They sell chips, soda and drinks. We didn't buy anything. The ride to Catalina is about 1 hour and a half. Get your tickets at least a week before you want to leave because they sellout fast. Dana Point only has two times per day to choose from. Morning or afternoon. If you choose Long Beach, you will have more scheduling options. read more

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One of my friends needs to take a trip to Catalina. This is where, in my opinion to go to here in Orange County to get a safe passage there. Just look at the video clip of the beautiful large boat, the prices are great, still under 100 bucks for adults ! The passengers have their luggage as their boarding the boat. And there's lots of safe parking at Dana point Harbor. Many times and I'm reading the newspapers and they're talking about beautiful whales, I know that they're referring to Dana point Harbor cruises whale watching ! read more

Catalina Express - Best place to go if you want to go whale watching or to Catalina - Transportation Near Me - Dana Point, California

I had a very disappointing experience with Catalina Express in San Pedro on July 24,2026. When I arrived for my scheduled departure, I asked an employee inside the ticket terminal where I should wait to board. I followed the instructions I was given and waited in the designated area as they directed me to. Unfortunately, the employee had sent me to the wrong boarding location. By the time I realized the mistake, the boat I had already paid for had departed without me. This was not due to arriving late or failing to follow instructions ~ I did exactly what a Catalina Express employee told me to do. As a result, I lost the value of my prepaid ticket through no fault of my own. To make matters worse, when I requested a refund, Catalina Express told me they could not issue one directly and instead referred me to a third-party claims company. I submitted my claim but have yet to receive any response. Mistakes can happen but what matters is how a company responds. In this case I was given incorrect information by their staff, missed my trip because of it, and have still not received a resolution. I hope Catalina Express improves both its employee training and its customer service. Based on my experience, I cannot recommend this service!!!!!! read more

Bought round trip tickets to Catalina Island from Dana Point. On the emails, it said to arrive 60 minutes early. We arrived at 8:30am for our 9:30am departure, and were told boarding starts at 9:15am. There is absolutely no reason to get here an hour early! If you do come early, get straight in line. Although we were one of the first parties to arrive, we were the last to board since we didn't notice people were wrapping around a building to get in line before 9:15am. There are no assigned seats. Roller bags were taken upon boarding and placed in the bottom of the boat. We only brought duffel bags and backpacks, which made the boarding and getting off process super quick and easy. However, we did have to keep the bags at our feet during the ride, which cut down on our leg room. $20 a day to park in Dana Point Harbor garage. You are required to park on 3rd floor, which is uncovered. read more

Loved the crew and the trip over to the island and back. It's no longer free on your birthday and it is about $90 per person for round trip. Fun time! read more

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We bought tickets for the captains lounge like everyone else standing in line today. Catalina express and we are waiting to board the ship! First time ever so I'm very EXCITE. Tammy and the captain are so nice and welcoming! We have the entire room to ourselves! What a gorgeous day it is. I hope I don't barf read more

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Shut the chain 2 feet in front of me & my mother. Claimed that "the ferry takes off at 9am sharp" but there were people on the ramp walking to board just ahead of us at 9am and the boat was still there. Absolutely 0 customer service. Completely rude and just said "you should've ran". read more

Staff was friendly. I took my bike which was an extra $7. The problem is there is no where to secure your bike. They have it "secured" by a cooler and with the wind it got covered in salt water. I can tell you right now salt water and an expensive bike to don't mix. The bike ended falling over of course so I had to stand out back holding it the wet saltwater spray. If you are gonna charge extra for a bike at the very least have somewhere safe it can be stored. Pretty disappointed. read more

There is 4 hour free parking right next to the building so you can leisurely check in. Check in starts at 8 am and boarding at 915 for the 930 Catalina express. When you check in for boat tickets you also pay for long term parking. Parking is at a nearby lot, 5 minute walk, and is $20 per calendar day regardless of 5 hours or 24 hours. The business has a little store with some items to purchase inside. There is also a fishing/whale watching isomers housed in same building. The workers are friendly and so far so good for the experience. There is a fee of $20 to upgrade to the first class experience but book ahead, I waited until the day of and it was already full for the ride there and the return trip. read more

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Great experience. Don't use Catalina Flyer out of Newport, use Catalina Express! They also have way more options.

respectfully disagree with ticket policy. Purchased 5 round trip tickets approximately $500 for family trip to celebrate dad's 89th bday. As luck should have it, rained in so cal. Due to his age and health choose to not go as a warmer drier day would be better. Once we contacted office, was advised we were out of luck. We were offered to pay $5 per ticket per each way to use in next 24 hrs. As we were not able to confirm for the next day we lost our $500 fare. Not happy experience. Unclear as to why their policy cannot allow for fare credit for longer period. Not much choice to get to island as they are the only option. Under circumstances, do not believe we will go to Catalina. Sad because we would like to supported the Catalina community. Very sad and expensive experience, here's to hoping Catalina express is open to creating better customer relations read more

I am so glad this exists! Take a ferry out to Santa Catalina Island. They have 3 departure locations. It's about 1.5 hours from Dana Point, the location I used, and it brings you to Avalon. Once you get to Dana Point and check in, they will provide you with a parking pass for your trip. Their website is a little old so I called to book my tickets instead. I was glad I did as a trip was available via phone that showed as "sold out" online. The person on the phone was very helpful. Going out here for a full day 9am-5pm is the perfect amount of time for a day trip. You can see it all! However, if you do wish to stay the night then I recommend 2 nights just to be able to get settled into hotel, enjoy town, enjoy beach, etc. without having to worry about catching the ferry the very next day and/or lugging your baggage around. We are lucky to have this vacation spot so close to our already beautiful state. Take a trip! read more

Catalina Express - Transportation Near Me - Dana Point, California

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Overall a good experience taking Catalina Express to Avalon. The captain did a circle while approaching Avalon to let passengers see dolphins leaping out of water and following the boat. That was a nice touch! read more

It's a hit or miss when it comes to getting sea sick on a boat for me. Dramamine motion for sickness tablet, not eating too much before boat ride and sitting outside or near an open door helped cause last time I turned green.Lol It was cold and the wind was blowing all over the place but it felt nice! The views where phenomenal. The crew got us here safely onto the island for an amazing experience. Thank you. read more

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Only game in town, if you're coming from Dana Point. Unless you book a private charter. We took a couple of my husband's aunts to the island. We got the Captain's lounge upgrade, both ways. Boarding at Dana Point went smoothly, albeit a little hiccup with the tablet scanner. This was remedied quite quickly. I didn't realize that it was the Captain who scanned our tickets. He was chill, no chip on shoulder for being the captain. Might as well call him "Skipper". The only downside I would have to mention is the boarding from Avalon port. Despite the Captain's lounge upgrade, we were not given pre-boarding privileges (the way we were on the Dana Point side). What we got was a "front-of-the-line" pass, which is totally different from pre-boarding. This caused people getting onboard at the same time as our group (crowding my husband's aunts who were climbing the stairs to get on board). One of the reasons I got the upgrade was to make it less hectic for them to get to the lounge. Other than this, both rides to and fro the island was ok. With the Captain scanning the tickets, he adhered to the Lounge policy; the crew on land, didn't. Management ought to correct this, for those who are first-timers. read more

This is the best way to get to Catalina Island. Unless you have your own boat/ ship then do that instead lol But if you don't, like most people, the Catalina Express is the way to go! Takes about 2 hours from Long Beach. The seating is decent. There's a lower level and upper level, with both inside and outside seating. If you want more sun and the wind blowing in your hair, then go with the outdoor seating. Inside is definitely warmer and more shady. The Catalina Express goes faaaaaast! Make sure you stay seated and hold on to the railings when moving around the boat to the restroom etc. Someone could easily fall off the boat if they weren't careful. I tried to stand-up for a bit to get some selfies and videos, but felt unstable and got scared lol Also, if you decide to take it in the evening, it will be cold. So I suggest bringing a jacket and gloves to keep warm. Such a fun ride though! It's a must. read more

My Husband & I took a quick 2 day trip to Catalina with our Sheepadoodle Service dog. I have visited Catalina all 57 years of my life. We told reservation's of that fact & online filled out the necessary detail's & that our dog has nasal issue's & cannot be muzzled. We gave our tickets and waiver form to the ship attendant and he HARRASSED us terribly. He nearly wouldn't let us board. We spent almost $1000 for our short trip. We purposely went mid week before the summer, for a peaceful time away. On the way back to Dana Point where we live, We were once again HARRASSED by the ship attendant's. My POINT! ANIMAL LOVERS! With Service animal's. GOOD LUCK! on your way to Catalina. read more

I took the Catalina Express from Dana Point , CA. To Santa Catalina, CA. The express was clean, crew friendly and entire ride to Catalina was wonderful. I highly recommend this way of getting to Santa Catalina and to visit the island . Ty read more

Booked thru Hotel Atwater in Catalina & saved a lot of money so go thru your hotel if your there overnight. Smooth ride & all Covid rules in place. No food or drink, masks the whole ride. Arrived safely w/ our luggage & all good. We left from Dana Point. read more

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Our tour group left on the first morning crossing from Dana Point to Avalon on Santa Catalina Island. I was able to join some of our group at one of the seats that is at a table. The tables we were at were on the upper deck on the inside. Each one has three seats on each side. The crossing took approximately an hour and a half. The ride was smooth and enjoyable. We watched for marine life and saw some dolphins and one whale on the return trip arriving at 6 PM. One of the crew pointed out the whale or we would have missed it. A quick, interesting, and pretty way to get from the mainland to Catalina. read more

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Great experience. On time. Nice ride. Beautiful. Super fun. My wife fell asleep. Nice staff.

Options are limited but Catalina Express is a decent ferry to the island. You should absolutely purchase your tickets in advance. If you show up day- of, they'll put you on a waiting list and if someone doesn't check in on time - you may get their seats. It's a two story ferry and seating is open. We picked our seats first but I noticed a lot of people go straight to the bar and get their seats after. It's a full bar and they sell light snacks too. We got a couple IPA's and pretzels. The ride there was pretty smooth, it can get a little choppy here and there. Our view was beautiful and my boyfriend and I enjoyed the time onboard so it felt quick. The ferry is family friendly and had two restrooms. I don't know the policy but there were people with dogs. Drop off and pick up are very easy - it was a great experience overall. The only reason I'm not giving 5 stars is because I think they can improve the check-in and parking situation and I think they need more staff at the bar. You have to check in, then go back in your car and drive another stoplight or two and park in an entirely different lot with a long walk back to where you checked in. I really don't blame them for that but I do think if you purchase your tickets in advance, they should send you some instructions so you don't figure it out at the last minute when you get there for the first time. And with the bar, there was only one person serving and there was a pretty long line for quite some time. I would imagine it's not the safest situation to have a quarter of the people on the boat all standing. If they had an extra person they could get that line down quick. read more

Had an amazing experience with them because the captain stopped the boat when we were surrounded by whales and dolphins this past weekend. My 5 yr olds were so excited and it was magical to be around them. Thank you captain! read more

Prompt, clean catamaran ferry ride to Catalina. Boat felt steady and sea-worthy. Crew was friendly enough. Upfront regarding parking. Would book again. read more

Catalina Express - Catalina Express - Transportation Near Me - Dana Point, California

How unbelievably inconsiderate of you to pull up to the pump station on the first night of the boat parade 2022 and BLOCK the views of all the people in that area who came to watch the parade. You did not need to do that. Your employees then proceeded to stay there and clean the boat. Shame On You read more

Buy your tickets online. If you're a Costco member you can buy a discounted gift card from Costco to use for the ferry. There's a snack bar. Gift card is also good for the snack bar. Parking is $20/day (not a 24 hour period). You drive up, get your ticket, pay for parking and then you drive around the corner to park and walk 5 minutes back to the ferry. If you want to sit outside you should line up 30 minutes before departure. The few outside benches can get sunny and windy. Pro tip, you can also sit to the left or right of the cabin door. The cabin then blocks the wind and you can get some shade also from the cabin. The ferry can put your luggage down below BUT then when you arrive you have to wait for it. Pack light if you can and use a backpack. Was on time both times we took the ferry. read more

The view is pretty and it's a fairly short commute to Catalina. The seats aren't super comfortable and trips a little later in the day can have more trash left around. I would have loved to sit in the seats with the table arrangement but the employees had it piled high with their stuff on both trips. Figuring out parking on the Dana Point side is convoluted. I would love a better system with better communication in advance. read more

Catalina Express - Transportation Near Me - Dana Point, California

The love most laughably bad reservation system I've ever experienced in my entire life. I recommend anything other than traveling with this organization. read more

First time aboard this ship and it was just a terrible experience. Literally got harrassed every single time my mask was not fully covering my nose and mouth when my boyfriend and I were sitting completely alone on the starboard side of the ship. During these times I was typically drinking my beer when my mask wasnt applied to others content. Apparently people were complaining, so other people's concern with what I'm doing just makes it okay to harass me when I'm literally sitting there trying to enjoy myself minding my own business. It was absolutely ridiculous when I got a business call I had been waiting for all week, to which she couldn't understand me because of my mask, so I took it down to clearly communicate and then was again interrupted by the captain and ended up having to end this important call which effects my livelihood directly and looked extremely unprofessional on my part. I get that people are doing their best but if your going to be a stickler for the rules and regulations then maybe you want to check peoples ID's when serving alcohol and I believe your required now to serve food with drinks neither of which was done in my situation. I believe one of the staff was the one complaining and maybe one other guy on the port side of the boat. If your going to hold people accountable on that level then you might want to make sure you hold your business at that level because getting on my case about a mask, which isn't a law, but not checking IDs, which is law...makes absolutely no logical sense. I'd understand that type of treatment if I was actually harming someone or invading someone's space inappropriately when in actuality was sitting totally away from others, sipping my beer, hanging with my boyfriend, alone. I understand the captain was trying to fix the situation but at some point you have to think is it worth it long run. You can't make people who are already unhappy happy, but making someone unhappy because of someone else's issues is a complete disservice. Ultimately you can't control people and if someone has an issue with someone else. They should be recommended to move to an area where they aren't so "offended" since they are the ones with the problem to begin with. And if it was Staff...which this girl seemed to be taking diligent notes about my every move, I reccomend getting staff that isn't blatantly rude and scared of people...considering it's people that keep your business afloat. Don't bother with some politically correct empty response to somehow rectify this situation. I will never reccomend nor board this boat. Catalina Flyer all the way, stick with what you know I guess. read more

Catalina Express - Staff member who was obviously scared to be working from the small conversation I had with her - Transportation Near Me - Dana Point, California

On time and clean. The crew was professional and knowledgeable. Greatly appreciate they run their services on holidays so we can return home Christmas Day! read more

Catalina Express - Transportation Near Me - Dana Point, California

If you want to go to Catalina Island, and you live in San Diego, you don't have much choice in terms of ferry service. The closest is Catalina Express leaving from Dana Point. For the morning Ferry, departing at 9:30am, check-in opens at 8:00am. I recommend checking early, and getting in line early, as they seem to book every seat on the ferry, inside and outside. That way you have your choice of seating. The better seats are on the top deck. Parking is a hassle, not finding the parking lot which is about a quarter mile away, but getting out. You need to get barcodes on both sides of your parking ticket, and they both need to be scanned in order to exit. This was too much for some people, so even though there were only three cars ahead of us, it took us fifteen minutes to get out of the parking lot. The ferry boarding began at 9:15am, and it left right on time at 9:30am. The ferry has fairly comfortable seating inside. Outside you sit on hard surfaces and it is very windy. On the way there it was quite choppy, the return in the afternoon was smoother. The ferry is in need of updating inside. Some of the seats look quite worn as does the carpeting. Snack and drinks were sold on the main deck, but I did not check it out. The return trip was smooth as mentioned. We got in line at 4:15pm for a 5:00pm departure, and managed to get the same seats we had in the morning. On the way back the Captain slowed down the boat and then did a complete circle around a huge pod of dolphins which was quite a sight. Despite this, the ferry arrived on time in Dana Point. I would have liked to give them more than three stars, but the awkward check-in and parking and the general state of the ferry caused me to reduce from four to three. read more

I'm so excited to say I just went to Catalina island with my daughter n wd absolutely loved it , n ready to go back . The guys on the express were very nice n even the people riding on it as well read more

Really the only way out to Catalina for random general public. Dana point is convenient for us in South County. On our trip back the captain circled with a pod over nearly 100 dolphins. It was way cool read more

The boat ride was hassle-free and fairly quick. From Dana point to Avalon it takes 1.5 hours. We went early September and the inside seating got very hot. It did help that the crew opened the doors for a few minutes but just be prepared for it to get warm. I only gave them 3 stars because 1. The people that I spoke with on the phone when booking the tickets were quite rude. 2. The tickets are pretty expensive $150 for 2 and they charge $14 for parking for a very basic boat ride to the island. 3. We had asked for a 6:45pm return ticket but they said they were sold out so we ended up booking the 2pm back. On the day of, I asked the ticket booth and they said they did have 6:45 tickets left. They said people may have cancelled last minute but if I wanted to change my ticket, it would cost $5 a ticket. We ended up just taking the 2pm back because we had dinner plans already but I wish they had some type of waitlist for this so we could have spent more time on the island. Unfortunately, with a limited number of ways to get on the island, I do recommend catalina express as a easy, basic way of getting there. read more

so this was our first trip to Catalina and we got vouches for tickets from a friend, that advise we did not need a reservation but rather just show up (mistake on our part) So we got to dana point, Catalina express around 9am for 945am departure, we were told twice by two different people we are first on the wait list. so we waited to 930 to check our status around 940 am, they told us they have 3 seats and if we wanted them, we told them we are a family of four and if you could do a final check. the manager (red head), just ignored me. the three tickets where then assigned to a family of three, we were about to leave and she tells us to wait for a final count and against they have three seats and a second family three then took it, i asked to talk to the manger and that was the person i was dealling with. we were then force to drive one hour to long beach for 1pm departure, with kids things move slow! In general the mechanism to move luggage around for a family or four, is very painfull and not well thought out. your constantly moving luggage and in both dana point, long beach and catalina, you dont have almost no shade. your told to get in line 30minutes early and sit under the hot sun and as you board make 20-30 small hops wiht your luggage as you on board the boat. you should just check in your luggage once, and then just have carry on, at the price of 75$ per person round trip, this should be expected. in general transportation to catalina is not attractive, big turn off, had great time on the island, but they really need to improve transportation read more

Very nice trip to Catalina island, Avalon. Area. Started in outside seating but just too windy. Saw dolphins everywhere on the way. 1.5 hrs from Dana Point to Avalon. If overnight also book parking....then go and enjoy. read more

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Perfectly on time. I believe the larger boats do the Long Beach route, we had smaller boats on the Dana point route - they can get choppy at times. read more

They suggest you arrive 1 hour before departure and you should listen if its your first time. You first need to check in and buy parking if you need it and then go park, and then make your way back to the boat. Street parking on Golden Lantern is free for 2 days, however be warned the street is steep, its a long walk and theres the possibility of no open spaces. I got the furthest spot possible. $9/day parking might be worth it, especially if you're lazy. Boat leaves promptly. Left Catalina actually one minute early, so don't be late and miss your ride. Dana Point ferry does not have the "Commodore Lounge." Only a "Captains Lounge" for $40 bucks additional. The ride can be a little rough, so if you're worried about sea sickness the middle of the boat is usually the least rocky but just make sure you can make a dash for the deck so you can hurl and feed the fishies. Whatever you do, DO NOT puke inside. Its just gross and you might just start a chain reaction of involuntary vomiting. A little girl puked a couple seats down from us on our way there. The staff was there in an instant with gloves and cleaning spray and cleaned it very quickly, then tied the dirtied seat off. Some poor soul was sitting in that puked on seat the next day on the way home. Eww...Gross. I took "Bonine" and it helped prevent sea sickness and didn't get me drowsy. Timed the return trip to watch the sunset on the boat. It was beautiful! read more

Catalina Express - Awesome finish to a great trip - Transportation Near Me - Dana Point, California