There are two options to get to Catalina island: ferry or flight. We bought a one day two way ferry ticket from Long Beach to Avalon. The weekend tickets sells out fast, please reserve at least one month ahead. I could not find any regular tickets by the time I booked our seats and had to change our plan to a Sunday with inside cabin seat. I had seasickness while seating inside and had to come out to the desk to sooth myself. The regular open air ticket costs about $88 but the inside cabin is about ~$134. The inside cabin ticket includes a free drink and a small snack ( cookies vs pretzels). There is restroom conveniently located inside. Staffs are courteous and friendly. read more

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This ferry is how we got from Long Beach to Catalina for Christmas Day. It was a rough ride over there because of the massive storms they were having there as we were having here in Reno. A few of my family members for a little sea sick so Dramamine was going to be needed for the trip back. My daughter upgraded us to the commodore lounge which had snacks and drinks included. You could also sit outside if you wanted but we were happy with our seats inside. The trip only takes one hour which is convenient for sure. The schedule is pretty good for coming and going. The staff helps you with your baggage when you get on the boat right away and stows it near the exits. Smart. This is the only way to get here unless you have your own boat and slip for it. It's a must if you decide to live here! Really nice, well done! read more

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We upgraded to the Commodore Lounge and honestly...do it. Totally worth the extra money. Priority boarding alone was a win, but the enclosed upper deck seating made the whole ride feel calm and comfortable instead of chaotic. Once we were seated, they came around to take drink orders: one complimentary drink is included, and yes, I happily chose champagne. You also get snacks with the ticket; we picked between chocolate chip cookies and Chex Mix, which was a nice little touch. The seating is way more comfortable than general boarding, and it made the ride feel more like a mini experience than just transportation. There's also WiFi on the ferry (which I somehow didn't realize until the ride back, oops), so that was a bonus. Service was great from start to finish, and to top it off, we spotted a huge pod of dolphins on the return trip. That was the cherry on top. Loved this ferry and would 100% recommend upgrading to the Commodore Lounge. We left from Long Beach and parked right at the ferry terminal. Parking was $25 a day and felt very safe and secure. read more

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Pretty easy to reserve tickets online, just be sure of the time you are selecting. They have plenty of garae parking, big waiting area, I do recommend lining up at the gate 30 mins before your selected time. Plenty of seating but if you want good seating line up early. There's a shop on board for snacks, and a bathroom as well. read more

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Great experience overall! Booking tickets was super easy online, and the process at the terminal was smooth. We boarded quickly & took off on time there's no hanging around waiting or wasting time. There's convenient parking nearby, so you can leave your car there without stress while you're on the island. The terminal has indoor and outdoor waiting areas, which is nice while you wait to board. Gate numbers are clearly posted outside. Tip: if you want a good seat on the boat (especially window seats), stand by your gate early and line up as soon as boarding starts. The ride itself was comfortable and a great way to start a Catalina trip. Would definitely use Catalina Express again! read more

Catalina Express - Tours Near Me - Long Beach, California

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Parking was easy, keep your ticket. Check in was easy we had already printed out passes before, boarding was easy. We sat outside and it was so hot but I wanted to see the water. I have no complaints other than the WiFi which was free and crappy. I was told two drinks was $25. Going back was the same, easy peasy! read more

Catalina Express - Jet cat - Tours Near Me - Long Beach, California

A smooth quick trip to and from the island. To reduce chaos and have a calmer trip, I recommend upgrading to "commodore" if you can. Shorter lines, assured seating, and a complimentary beverage and snack were a fair value for an extra $20. read more

Catalina Express - Mimosa on the boat to the island. - Tours Near Me - Long Beach, California

Our experience with Catalina Express was smooth and excellent from booking to boarding and from departure to arrival. We arrived an hour before our departure time and were told we could line up outside, on the dock since will be boarding in a few minutes. The Deckhands and Cabin Attendant were all very pleasant and helpful. We were greeted upon entry after the attendants scanned our boarding passes. Our luggages were collected from us on the first level. We decided to sit at the upper deck where it's open air. Sailing on Catalina Express was smooth. Didn't feel nauseous nor any motion sickness. We had such a beautiful view of the Queen Mary, other cruise ships while surrounded by th beautiful ocean. It was about an hour and thirty minutes from Long Beach to Catalina Island, Avalon. We left Long Beach and watched the sunset as we sailed onto the horizon. We arrived night time with the skies well lit by the stars. You can see the lights on the other boats as the Catalina Express arrives. The Catalina Casino was so bright and well lit. It was beautiful seeing it from miles and miles away on the ocean. Pricing is also reasonable with Catalina Express. Can't wait to go back to Catalina Island, Avalon: read more

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No better way to get to the island beside having your own boat or taking a helicopter. I love taking the Catalina Express, the staff is nice and the bar was open. Good enough for me. Had a nice trip there and back. I dont know what happened. The took the free birthday trip away. Oh well. read more

I was definitely not impressed with Catalina Express. I've been on ferries all up and down the east coast and even internationally, and this was by far one of the worst experiences. The tickets need to be purchased ahead of time and every boat ends up sold out. All the tickets are one way and they should have a round trip option. There is ZERO security. No bags are checked and they don't even check ID! There were multiple passengers with full sized luggage and there was no bag search. In today's age, you'd think they would at least do a basic check. My ticket there and back did not even match my name. I guess they just want their money and don't care about passenger safety? The boat could be cleaned up a bit better. The seats are like airplane seats without the seatbelt. They need to have an adult only seating area and another area where families and kids can sit. Our boat ride back was a nightmare. A family with 2 kids under the age of 5 were completely out of control - running amuck all over the place. I'd pay double the price for an adult only seating area. I really think there needs to be an alternate option for transportation between Avalon and the main land other than this company. This company would not even answer the phone when we had a mix up with our tickets and almost got stranded out on the island with no way back. I had to call a family member in Long Beach and have them help us find a ticket back, since this company would not offer any help. My family member was able to find a few seats left on the last boat from Avalon to the main land through a 3rd party site. This was extremely stressful and l can't believe the lack of service by this company. read more

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This was a great experience. The ferry was on time and efficient. It took about an hour each way. We learned it is better to book online in advance as they sell out. No difference they said in price. They have a parking garage. read more

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I've lived in Long Beach my entire life. But this was my first time going to Catalina. The experience was nice.. All of the staff from those who were at the ticket counter to those who were on board the ship were all really friendly. Honestly, I wasn't really a huge fan that most of the boat is closed in. I love being on boats and half the fun is the right there. But being on the inside cabin doesn't even really seem like you're on the boat. I love the Catalina magazine that they have on board. It was very helpful with choosing activities to do once we landed on the island. read more

Catalina Express - Tours Near Me - Long Beach, California

Catalina Express is pretty much the only way to get to Catalina aside from a helicopter. They operate routes out of a few ports, but I've only used Long Beach. Parking here is $25 a day directly across from the terminal, note spaces are tight. The first boat out is at 6 am, the terminal opens at 5 am. There used to be a snack bar, but no more. I don't even think there are vending machines, although later in the day there's a food truck or 2 outside. Since switching to QR code ticketing, things are much easier because you don't have to check-in. I've always paid more (now $20 one way) for Commodore Lounge seating, which allows early boarding, supposedly a larger seat, a free snack and drink (including alcoholic). Note I've been on boats where Commodore seating is sold out. Boats vary in size, but there is always a snack bar, restrooms and a luggage storage area. The trip takes a little over an hour. I've never sailed in inclement weather, but sometimes the ride can be rocky. The port in Avalon is outdoors with no waiting area per se. I noticed on this most recent trip, there were preboarders before the Commodore folks. Some were clearly physically challenged, but others looked and walked like normal folk. read more

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Great experience. Comfortable seats. Price is high. Very nice trip overall. Easy parking

Took this ship to Catalina from Long beach and back. Overall had a good experience and the drinks on board was actually reasonably priced. Onboarding was quick and efficient and there was plenty of space to walk around. They had bathrooms and it was a comfortable 1 hour and 10 minute ride. Price wise, it's a bit expensive but I guess that makes sense. I paid $85 for a round trip ticket through Sam's Club discount. Parking - Easy but it's $25 per day. You park your car in their structure and pay when you leave. read more

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This is the ferry that takes you to and from Catalina island. It's about 1 to 1.5 hours and the boat ride is relatively smooth and quick. The seats are decently spacious and you can use a small table from the seat in front. They leave right on time so make sure that you arrive to the ferry at least 20-30 minutes in advance. read more

It was a great experience taking the ferry to Catalina. The ride was smooth and there are gorgeous views if you sit outside. I suggest sitting on the right side on the way to Avalon because Catalina will be on that side. If you pay attention on the ride, you will most likely see dolphins and some other animals in the water. read more

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They have you arrive an hour early, then you wait in line even longer, they need more people scanning peoples passes so the process can speed up. read more

I purchased four tickets--two for adults and two for children--on February 27, 2026, at 5:28pm. The scheduled travel was on February 28 at 11 am from Long Beach to Avalon, with a return to Long Beach. My three-year-old daughter became ill around 8 pm., leading us to decide not to travel that weekend. We visited their website and attempted to contact them but were unable to reach anyone. My daughter was in the emergency room at 1:30 am, after which my husband called them to explain the situation. Despite the circumstances, we were charged the full amount of $338 without any consideration or offer of a refund. read more

I made reservations to go to Catalina on Friday 7/18 and was informed that morning that the boat where I was staying lost their mooring and had to leave. I called immediately because I had tea that within 24 hours of travel any modification made to the travel time will result in a $5 service fee under Ferry Ticket Policy. I was told that I had to travel by Saturday 7/19 which had several sold out times so I couldn't even change tickets to the next day and make a day trip. I've attached a screen grab of that Saturday. They had limited space on only a few boats. At least Catalina Flyer www.Catalina info.com has a similar policy but allows rescheduling fee for $10 and doesn't have a clause located on their website hidden lower on the page that says travel must commence with 24 hours of travel time. I think next time I will look at other options vs using Catalina Express read more

Catalina Express - Sold out trips to Avalon - These were my options - Tours Near Me - Long Beach, California

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Booked the Catalina Express for a one day round trip to Catalina Island and I am so glad we did! The booking process was extremely easy online. We opted for the standard seating. If you want to have priority seating and a snack, you can also opt for the Commodore Lounge as well. Otherwise, the standard seating is okay. I do recommend coming about 45mins to 1 hour early though just to secure a good spot in line. Its about a 70 minute ferry ride. They have snacks and drinks for sale on the ferry as well. read more

Always clean and comfortable of a ride through the ocean to/from the island with many boat times to choose from. 4 stars for that alone! The terminal itself is eh. Parking is expensive at $25 a day, and the parking structure is either caution taped off or super packed. Didn't appreciate leaving my car on the roof level for a whole week and paying $175. People will fully block passing thru traffic while dropping/pickup of passengers. So that's annoying! The terminal used to have a little bar with drinks and snacks, but that's now gone. Bathrooms don't appear to be cleaned often based on my experience. No sitting only standing while waiting to board the boat in the sun. However, I recommend LB over Newport any day due to the options. We also learned to take a different boat time it's $5 per person to change the travel. But that came in handy on our way back since our check out of our house rental was 10am and there was a 10:15 boat and we didn't even have to wait until 11:50 to head back to the mainland. read more

Took the boat over to the island for an overnight stay. Keep in mind, you want to go directly to the back of the boat if you have motion sickness. It was an easy ride, typical. Boarded fast and easy. read more

Catalina Express - Tours Near Me - Long Beach, California

It's been a while since we've visited Catalina island. First off, when did it become quite pricey for the boat tickets... lol... shows how long I've been. We've booked everything online which made it easy. But getting ticket at the counter seemed easy as well as no one was really there. This trip we departed from Long Beach, usually it's San Pedro. There's a lot next to the departure which we didn't know price. For an overnight parking, it was 50.00. Anyways, the seating are wasn't bad, and the whole experience with getting in ship was quite easy. We had the commodore lounge so the line was quite small. Basically, first to get in and the seated is on top covered. Comes with a complementary drink and snack. The whole trip was about an hour which was nice and easy. Heads ups, there plenty of seating downstairs but if your seating outside, it does get quite cold . read more

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I pre-booked our reservation online as soon as the schedule for late summer opened. If you subscribe to their newsletter, you will get email notifications. I booked general admissions for a Friday at 2 pm with a return on Saturday at 6:30 pm. We arrived approximately 1 hour as asked and I am glad we did because the line for GA gets so long, and you are waiting in direct sun. If you want to sit inside then the early bird gets the worm! We found that Catalina Island is best as a one day thing so we called on Saturday to try to get on the 5:30-6:30 ferry back. The only option was the Commodore lounge which was $20/ person. We went for it and you get to board first and sit in a private lounge with free snack and free drink ticket. The service from everyone involved was fantastic. As someone who gets motion sickness, I took a less drowsy dramamine one hour prior and was fine. The seats are comfortable inside and they were patient with my toddler. read more

Catalina Express - General Admission inside - Tours Near Me - Long Beach, California

Got caught in Avalon during the L.A. fires, and the Catalina Express was transparent and punctual with their cancelations and subsequent rescheduling. My 11:50am got bumped to 3:55pm, but the process couldn't have been smoother or more professional. Constant updates, excellent communication and no extra fees all went to make it a smooth sail (pun intended). A little adjustment on behalf of the fires, but nothing in comparison to what a lot of people are going through... read more

Catalina Express - Starship Enterprise - Tours Near Me - Long Beach, California

Organized and professional. We took the catalina express over to Avalon to dive. I liked leaving out of long beach better than san Pedro. Parking was easy and right next to the building where there was ample seating and restrooms. read more

Catalina Express - 6 am ferry is nice and quiet as most people are catching some - Tours Near Me - Long Beach, California

What's the bad reviews about? You buy the ticket and board the ferry! We didn't have any issues and it's Memorial day weekend! There is not much to do at the port but if you are lucky maybe the street corn vendor is around, it's good grab one! Nothing fancy just a big waiting room with a bathroom. It's nice and cool, very comfortable. Tons of seating! The tour brochures are all over. We were dropped off by Lyft so I'm not sure how parking is. The ride from Long Beach airport was less than 15 min! Enjoy the breeze and cold sea air! read more

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Great experience on the commodore lounge. Great ambiance , ac on board, drinks and snacks available and customer service was great thanks to sophia awsome job keep it up. read more

Catalina Express - Me and the wife - Tours Near Me - Long Beach, California

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If I may, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to Catalina Express by giving them a perfect rating of 10 out of 5 stars. They had mentioned that they would begin boarding at approximately 9:30 am. We leave at 9:50 am. I wanted to get my mother-in-law to sit and rest with her walker until we departed. It was a considerate arrangement that allowed us to stand in front of line , ensuring that seniors were given priority boarding in the handicap areas. We boarded and eagerly awaited our arrival at Catalina. We had enjoyable conversations with two individuals who sat at our table, which made for great conversation. They kindly gave us an overview of how the jazz festival operates. We decided after leaving long beach the hubby brought me a margarita. I enjoyed that and watching the waves and the ocean. There were a few seats that were unavailable due to the individuals who had purchased tickets for the Commodore Lounge but ended up wanting to sit in the general seating area. The couple was politely informed to sit where they had purchased tickets for. read more

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Can't believe it was 8 years since we've been on The Catalina Express!! Such a nice trip. The people working there are so friendly and nice. They let my elderly mom and I go ahead. The Commodore Lounge was so calm and peaceful and fun! We had lots of company lively and what not. It was clean and comfortable and though there was so many people, everyone got on and off uniformly and peacefully. The attendant serving the drinks today 8/15 in the morning was so friendly and kind! We got her AGAIN coming back. Mom and I are so grateful!!! Thanks for the Bloody Mary...yum!! Anyhow, what a great time!!!! read more

Catalina Express - Great cruise liner! - Tours Near Me - Long Beach, California

Catalina Express is a easy to use service ferrying people from various points in Southern California to Santa Catalina Island. You can purchase all tickets ahead of time online and download them to your smartphone wallet. There is a parking structure about 40 feet from the entrance to the Catalina Express entrance. All very convenient. You really only need to be about 15 minutes ahead of time, but they do leave on the dot. I stood in line for two minutes, got my QR code scanned, got on at 1:50pm Monday and they left at precisely 2pm. The trip is approximately an hour. The seats are fairly comfortable, and if you go during the week (or off-season) you're likely going to be able to pick whichever seat you wish. During the Summer and weekends, not so much. There is a bar on deck where you can buy soft drinks, snacks and adult beverages. They claim to have a famous Bloody Mary, which I sampled. It was nice, but I wouldn't consider it especially noteworthy. Honestly, as soon I got started reading on my phone, the ride was practically over. On-boarding and off-boarding where both easy and efficient. The price for a one-way trip with all fees included is 47 dollars. That means a round way trip is almost 100. That does smart a little, especially when you consider that, as a resort town, Catalina is already fairly expensive. And the free birthday trips are a thing of the past. Unless you have your our boat (or private helicopter), this is pretty much your only choice, peasant. read more

Use a different port. The boat left earlier than the time than was on our tickets with out notice. While we were running up, they started laughing, closing the gate, and the guys on the boat started snickering to each other. I understand being later than check in, not being laughed at by staff. read more

Highly recommend the Catalina Express, and upgrade because you get a free cocktail. I would always use Catalina Express until I get my very own yacht clean, great service, nice people read more

Catalina Express - Full bar - Tours Near Me - Long Beach, California

Smooth and Easy Experience! This was my first time using the Long Beach Catalina Express port, and I was really impressed. I ended up on the waitlist but was able to board without any issues , the process was seamless from start to finish. The check-in was quick, the staff were polite and professional, and everything ran on time. The boat itself was clean and well-maintained, with plenty of seating and a relaxed atmosphere. Boarding and exiting were both super easy, which made the whole experience stress-free. I appreciated how organized everything was. Even as a first-time rider, I felt completely at ease. Definitely a great way to start a trip to Catalina. I wouldn't hesitate to use this port again! read more

The Catalina express from the Long Beach port was a pretty easy process to get to Catalina Island. A round trip standard ticket is $90 round trip ($45 each way) at times you can find discount tickets at a Costco (so check online or call your local Costco to see if them have them in stock.) Make sure you check online and book the date and time of your Ferris well in advance, especially around the spring and summer time when Catalina is really busy because they fill up fast. The boat also has two other Lounge seating areas for an additional $10 or $20 the have more spacious seating and include a beverage and snack. The parking area at the port is a pretty big garage structure that's right across from the entrance to Catalina express, it is pricey at around $23 a day. Overall the ride takes an hour to get to the island, the seats are comfortable, the seats on the inside almost feel like you're sitting inside an airplane. One more thing to note, make sure to keep track of the weather/wind conditions. I took a trip in early January, and we found out a few days in advance that the high winds over the weekend could effect the departure of the boats the day our trip was ending. So keep that in mind so you can plan accordingly to possibly leave early if to make arrangements to stay on the island longer. read more

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I used to walk by this place during lunch daily when I worked downtown in Long Beach and with my first trip ever to Catalina on Labor Day I actually got to ride this boat over It was super easy! Parking is $25 all day in the structure across the street so keep that in mind Our family got the commodore tickets which honestly is worth it as you get first entry into the boat and it comes with a free drink Everyone up in the commodore was really nice and attentive and took care of everyone and the rest of the staff going and coming was great so my experience was a good one! read more

I had a very rude, female attendant in the Commidore Lounge today on the 1150 boat from Avalon to Long Beach. She delivered drinks to the passengers seated across from us and said she'd come back but never did. We went up to the bar to order a drink and she told us to go sit down (with a condescending tone). We sat down and as she was going around picking up everyone else's empty cups. I mentioned to her that she hadn't brought our drinks. She said "oops" with a sarcastic grin and walked away. Really?!?! Why work in the lounge if you're going to be rude and discourteous? I'll think twice before paying the extra money for Commodore Lounge. read more

I went with my sister for my birthday !!! Smooth comfortable ride all the way to Catalina !! The small bar was a super plus and the day went so well ! We'll be back with the family for sure !! read more

We had a great experience on the Catalina Express. The young lady that provided service to us Kimisso, was great. We departed right on time had had an uneventful voyage from Long Beach to Catalina Island. read more

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