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    Catalina Express

    3.3 (197 reviews)
    Closed 5:45 am - 4:30 pm

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    Bye!
    Lisa T.

    All went well on the EXPRESS!! Seamless for my son's Birthday!! Arrived early as rqstd. Had another guest do up a watercolor portrait real quick!! So sweet xtra special . Did Descanso (but you can just do the little beach area rt next to it, on the cheap) but still nice, access to gift shop rentals,, bar, RRooms, showers, large green area. Pack some goodies to drink or eat in your carry on, no one checks anything completely fine. Took 8:45 departure , beach thing opens at 11:00, did Jet Skis, super fun!, clam chowder on the way to depart was amazing!! Took the 6:00 Express back to Port, San Pedro which there is plenty of parking on site too!

    Virgilynn B.

    For my first experience on the Catalina express, I was pretty happy with the ride and smoothness of the trip. Although I took Dramamine on the way to Catalina, on the way back I opted to just ride it through and made it back without any motion sickness. Lots of seating and a bar inside. Boat leaves on time and staff is friendly!

    On the ferry back to San Pedro
    Angel C.

    I was not thrilled at all to spend $80/RT for a ferry ride. But it was soooooo totally beyond worth it, I would do it again in a heartbeat. I've found it easier to book thru San Pedro than Long Beach, and it's better for me as I live in LA, only 30 mins away. The boats are kinda old and shabby but the crew was soooo nice and fun. They were hyping everyone up to start their trip with alcohol haha I don't think u should have to arrive so early as they require. But we left promptly on time so that was nice. The ride over was beautiful and sunny! On the way back we saw a pod of dolphins swimming and jumping right next to us! It was so cute and awesome. As for Catalina, it's amazing. I could go into details on that part but this review is just for the ferry (: Oh yes parking is $2/hour or $20/day

    Best experience to give my family since I did it as a kid myself! Be prepared to spend because something like this isn't for the low when you have a big family

    John H.

    The boats are on the older side. On the trip back one of the panels was open. I am guessing some motor problem, and it was an extremely loud ride home. The whooshing wind from the open panel made it uncomfortable.

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    2 months ago

    Don't believe the times they don't leave on schedule!!! Get there more than 30 minutes ahead of time or they'll leave without you!!

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    2 years ago

    Beautiful ride over to Catalina from San Pedro. We saw dolphins on the way. I recommend sitting near the front if you get seasick.

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    Ask the Community - Catalina Express

    Is there a more sufficient way to cancel your reservation? I have been waiting for over 40 minutes to speak to a human. Perhaps, I should have just kept my reservation.

    Hi, do you still have the promo for the free ticket on your birthday?

    Hi Nevein C. Thank you for contacting Catalina Express. Unfortunately, our birthday promotion… Read more

    How strict the take off time is? I get off at 12 and the commute is exactly 30 mins (depart time is 12:30pm) so I'd arrive exactly at depart time.& will buying my ticket online speed it up? If I miss it, can I use same ticket for the long beach dock?

    Hi Imani, Our boats do depart on time and our boarding ramps close 5 minutes prior to departing. If it is convenient for you, there is a boat leaving at 2 pm from Long… Read more

    View All 4 Questions

    Review Highlights - Catalina Express

    I didn't get sea sick and I have gotten sea sick on a harbor cruise and kayaking in the ocean so the ride was very smooth.

    Mentioned in 7 reviews

    Read more highlights

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    Catalina Express - We are heading to Catalina

    Catalina Express

    (888 reviews)

    There are two options to get to Catalina island: ferry or flight…read more 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.

    I have been using Catalina Express for quite some time, but today's experience was absolutely…read moredisappointing. I went to the refreshment counter to grab a drink. When I approached the counter, the employee with blonde hair was focused on texting on her phone and did not acknowledge me for an extended period of time. Even after finally greeting me, her attention still seemed to be on her phone rather than assisting me. I simply asked whether they offered a matcha drink. Instead of providing a helpful response, she told me to look at the menu and pointed out that they only served regular coffee. What was frustrating was that I had already reviewed the menu and was only asking a follow-up question for clarification. As some time servers can offer other options. Had she been paying attention, she likely would have recognized that. The issue wasn't that matcha wasn't available it was the lack of awareness, attentiveness, and basic customer service. As a regular customer, I expect to be treated with courtesy and professionalism. Unfortunately, this interaction was dismissive and unwelcoming. I hope management addresses the importance of customer engagement and professionalism, as experiences like this can leave a lasting negative impression.

    Catalina Express - Takes about 75 minutes to go from San Pedro to Avalon

    Catalina Express

    (29 reviews)

    San Pedro

    We recently took the Catalina Express to Two Harbors and had a great experience. Booking the…read moretickets and downloading the QR code was easy, and once we arrived at the terminal, everything went smoothly. The crew onboard did a great job. On the outbound trip, the weather was beautiful and the ride was smooth. The return trip was much windier, but the crew let us know in advance so we could be prepared. We appreciated their communication and professionalism throughout the trip.

    My wife and I took the Catalina Express from San Pedro to Avalon, and both the trip there and back…read morewere great. The whole process was very easy--navigation to the boat was straightforward, and since we paid for our tickets online, we just scanned our QR codes and hopped on. Super smooth and stress-free. The boats themselves are a bit older and show some wear, which makes sense given how many passengers they transport daily, but they're functional and comfortable enough. There are bathrooms onboard and a snack bar with decent prices. Just a heads-up: there is absolutely no smoking of any kind allowed, including vapes. One of the highlights was the top observation deck--it's really cool and worth checking out during the ride. One thing to be aware of is parking. Parking at the terminal is very expensive at $22 per day, so be prepared to spend a good amount on parking. Overall, we had a great experience and would highly recommend Catalina Express.

    Norwegian Cruise Line - On the Bliss

    Norwegian Cruise Line

    (304 reviews)

    San Pedro

    I went on a 7 night Mexican Riviera cruise with my family in January 2026. We had a wonderful time…read more It was our first time on Norwegian. It stopped by Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan, and Cabo. Tip: The further you go outside the port, the cheaper the taxis. Always negotiate a total price. As for shows, we saw Icons, the Beatles show, Jersey Boys and a few comedy shows. Jersey Boys was the best. They need some kids shows. They didn't have any. A magic or dancing show would be good. Food I liked the food. Felt it was better than Disney and Carnival. I prepaid for the restaurants as well. We got to try three including Le Bistro, Cagneys and the Asian fusion restaurant. The Asian restaurant was our favorite, although my daughter loved Le Bistro. She still talks about the escargot. The main buffet was good. They have different themes each night. I appreciated the staff encouraging everyone to wash their hands before entering. They had a catchy washy washy song. We enjoyed Gelato and soft serve after every meal. They charge extra for room service, which sucks. The other cruise lines do not charge for this. I didn't like that they had an age restriction in the gym. I took my son to work out with me but after 30 mins, the staff kicked him out. So we left. I think Norwegian should revisit the age restriction on teens especially, if they are accompanied by adults. I'm all for not allowing teens in by themselves. Overall, it was enjoyable. I'll probably try Royal Caribbean next.

    Second time on Norwegian Cruise Lines but a first on NCL Bliss which is considerably bigger and…read moreupdated than the Jewel. We sailed to the Mexican Riviera on a 7 night cruise. Pre sailing with NCL is easy. The app works great. The terminal at port of Los Angeles is confusing. I have cruised out of port of LA on Royal Caribbean many times. It seems more chaotic this time. I'm not sure who to blame. I needed wheelchair assistance for my mom but was told Haven Guests have a different check in. The staff at this terminal were curt and down right rude. I don't even think they know what they are doing. We chose to go through security and check in at the Haven stand. Lady there was ok but it wasn't the warmest of check ins. We then went to another desk where we received our cabin cards. There the staff were pleasant. Next, we went to the Haven waiting area. This is where you receive the wheelchair assistance. Communication was very much lacking all around! The drinks and snacks were very nice and appreciated. The NCL Bliss is a stunning ship! There is plenty to see and do. The standouts were the observation lounge, water slides, cleanliness, jogging track (only before 7am or after 7pm), outdoor movie theater, entertainment staff, the pool, and the Haven. We had cabin 18714 and 17712 in the Haven area. This was the highlight of the cruise. My experience with NCL is mostly with Haven because everything here is elevated from service, cabin amenities to food. There were some hits and misses in the Haven restaurant. I wish they rotated the menu daily. It is the same every single day. The restaurant was empty every day and I believe it's because the menu does not change. Service from the butlers, Jane and Shree were amazing. The stewards did a great job of cleaning. The rooms were amazing. They are starting to look out dated but overall we were pleased. They use LOccitane products which I love! The four stars really is for the Haven experience. I would give 3 stars for the rest of the ship. The speedway looks fun but you have to pay! The food At the buffet and main dining room were subpar. The buffet wasn't my favorite. I got real tired of the food there. I did like the ice cream scoops and the crepes. The entertainment was a 3/5. They had a magician who was more a mentalist that then tried to sell his program on memory. Odd! The Beatles band from Argentina played twice. It was good. They had plenty of dancing and dance classes. Cruise Director was great. I would go on NCL again if it's in the Haven!

    Navigator of the Seas - Comedian Angelo Tsarouchas

    Navigator of the Seas

    (55 reviews)

    San Pedro

    Our first cruise with Royal Caribbean exceeded every expectation and turned out to be one of the…read morebest vacations we've ever taken. From the incredible crew to the food, entertainment, and overall experience, we had an amazing time and are already looking forward to our next cruise. We took a 7-day cruise to Cabo, Mazatlán, and Puerto Vallarta. What made our first cruise truly incredible was the exceptional customer service from every crew member we encountered. As soon as we boarded, we headed to Playmakers for a drink, and Caesar immediately set the tone for an amazing trip. As first-time cruisers, we appreciated him taking the time to explain the ship and share great recommendations. Before arriving in Cabo, we ran into an issue securing an early tender because we had booked a third-party excursion. Florina was incredibly kind and determined to make sure we got there on time. Thanks to her, we made it! Our favorite pool bar was the Solarium, and bartender Anthony was a big reason why. He memorized our drink orders, always had a smile on his face, and we loved talking with him about life working on a cruise ship. In the Main Dining Room, our server Menard and assistant server Dewa were outstanding every evening. My boyfriend and I have both worked in fine dining for years, so we pay close attention to service. Their hospitality, timing, attention to detail, and recommendations were consistently excellent. Our stateroom attendant, Shomari, was equally amazing. He helped track down our luggage before we even asked, checked in with us every day, greeted us by name whenever we saw him, and quickly helped when we had issues with neighboring guests. His kindness made us feel genuinely cared for throughout the cruise. The food was another major highlight. We loved the Main Dining Room, Windjammer buffet, Café Promenade pizza, and the Mexican food by the pool. The rotating dinner menus kept things exciting, and everything we ordered was excellent. We also spent plenty of time in the buffet and loved the variety, from American breakfast to Indian and Asian cuisine. Everything was consistently delicious. However, I don't think we'll ever get the "washy washy" song out of our heads! Our balcony stateroom (1364 on Deck 10) was another highlight. The location was perfect--just one flight of stairs from the buffet and pool deck and a quick elevator ride to the dining room and entertainment. The balcony was worth every penny, with beautiful sunsets, endless ocean views, and even a lightning storm. The room felt surprisingly spacious for two people. The only downside was the TV, which frequently lost signal because of satellite reception. I'd recommend purchasing Wi-Fi and bringing a laptop or tablet if you like watching shows during downtime. We bought Wi-Fi for two devices, but honestly one would have been enough since it's easy to switch devices. We also debated buying the drink package before sailing. Since we don't drink much, knew we'd be in port for three days, and ended up getting seasick, skipping it was definitely the right choice. House drinks averaged about $9, daily specials were around $8.50, and specialty cocktails were about $14. Between the two of us, we spent around $400 on drinks during the entire cruise. The drink package would have cost us nearly $1,000, so we saved a lot of money. We also brought refillable water bottles and filled them at the buffet throughout the trip. The pool areas were nice, but we consistently struggled to find space in the pools, hot tubs, and chairs around the main pool deck, even though the ship didn't seem full. We usually found chairs on the Sun Deck instead. We also spent some time in the casino. We didn't have much luck, but it was still a fun experience gambling while out at sea. There was never a shortage of entertainment. Between the live music, bars, shows, activities, and simply exploring the ship, we honestly could have stayed another week and still not experienced everything. Our only significant negative experience involved the neighboring cabin. A group of unsupervised boys repeatedly knocked on our door, stole our door magnets, and prank-called our stateroom phone while leaving screaming, profanity-filled voicemails. The crew spoke with the family after we reported it, but we felt the situation could have been handled better. Thankfully, it was our only real issue during the trip. Despite that isolated experience, we absolutely loved our cruise. The food was fantastic, the entertainment was endless, our room was wonderful, and the crew delivered some of the best hospitality we've ever experienced. Royal Caribbean has set the bar incredibly high, and we can't wait to cruise with them again.

    Navigator of the Seas, launched December 2002, GT 139,999. Since launch the ship has seen numerous…read moreupdates. My steward asked if it were possible for him to refresh my cabin after 4pm, this worked out great for me because I like to get cleaned up and change before Dinner. I also asked for an extra bath towel, and blankets for the room. Reasonable requests will almost always be meet. Included food via the Windjammer Buffet that as of June 2026, includes a live cook station that makes omelettes in the morning, and changes daily during the Lunch and Dinner service. Large Washy Washy area when entering, and it's important to note the space is closed to guests between Lunch and Dinner services, and after the evening meal has completed. Limited access means this space is not available for groups wanting to play cards or other games in the later evening. Freestyle beverage dispenser but only available when the space can be accessed during meals. Main Dinning Room is spread across 3 decks with the lowest deck being where a sit down Breakfast and a Mid Day Meal are served. Great service, standard menu items plus a rotating selection during Dinner. I'd often change out Rice for Mashed Potato with entrees, and ask for Entree Pastas to be served as an appetizer and request it be the last appetizer served. The main miss in the Dinning room was that all risottos served at MDR table all contained raw rice. Promenade has a cafe serving handheld savory options, sweets, coffee and tea, 4 types of pizza by the slice, fresh fruit, etc. not a huge seating area but overflow did sit in the evening across the way at playmakers. Food was okay though I mostly just had the pizza and morning croissants. There is also a freestyle beverage dispenser in the general area. Soft serve, and Mexican inspired fare on the same deck as the buffet, only cones available at the soft serve shack so grab a bowl at the buffet if you want the option. Entertainment, singers, bands, production shows and events in the Theater, Ice Skating Space, Lounges, and the Promenade. During my sailing in the Skate Space enjoyed iSkate Reach for the Stars, Battle of the Sexes, and Crazy Quest, and late night dancing, they also have hours when you can skate, I'd arrive at least 15 minutes early. Theater, enjoyed Love and Marriage, Singers Las Vegas Tenors, and 2 production shows one of which was a Vegas style ShowGirl review, and Ballroom Fever, plus a Comedian. Large space but still I'd get there a few minutes early. Ships central promenade was used for nightly parties, and during my sailing a Memorial Day event, brass bands, singers, music, etc. Audible levels reduced by 11pm. Numerous lounges spread across the ship that were often busy with events and music. Casino received an update since my February 2026, sailing. Numerous Dancing Drum Slot variations added, some Red Tamale Slots, etc. Tables were busy. Nice bar area if you do not want to wait for wandering staff to take drink orders. RCL did though increase the starting point for host offers from 400 to 600 points, see the QR code at the host desk to plan your point goal. Lots of diversions and other options that I did not partake, pools, hot tubs, slides, specialty dinning, plus for a reasonable fee baby sitting for toddlers. My sailing was over Memorial Day, and with University sessions just ending we had a strong presence of young adults who often moved about the ship in groups, and I noticed numerous large generational parties. Overall a great ship energy and environment during my sailing.

    Odyssey Yacht Charter

    Odyssey Yacht Charter

    (87 reviews)

    I recently charted a yacht for employee appreciation week at the company I own. We all had a…read moredelightful time, except for the Executive VP who barfed into the harbor--an unlikely and smelly chum--and caused the fish to start floating belly up in the water! (AG, you know who you are, lol). Other than that mishap, it was a fantastic experience, and it made me consider participating in a yacht timeshare myself. Boating makes me want to quit my career and travel the world by sea. But alas, Wifey likes her diamonds, and I like my luxury cars...

    Poor customer service and poor quality of boat. I have to…read moresay it's difficult for me to write this review as my family and I were very much looking forward to spending a beautiful day on the bait to celebrate my dads birthday. And all though we still made the best of it it really did not live up to what was promised and the amount of money we paid. So let's start with m: 1. The address did not match what was listed on their Yelp page and created a lot of confusion and frustration especially since we had kids with us. I had to text the owner, Mario, and he gave us another location to charter form which was not at all what was listed on their page. 2. Not sure if the captain of the day,Noah, was having a bad day or what but he was definitely not in the mood to greet us properly. He was very short, not so friendly and barely spoke to us during our ride. 3. The boat was not like the photos they presented or posted on Yelp. I even texted the owner and asked him to send me a few photos of what the boat will look like. It was definitely dirty, the coaches were so damaged and dirty they had black clothes over them. One of inside couches was wet, my uncle sat on it unknowingly making his pants wet and him uncomfortable for the rest of the ride. 4. The table surfaces were all damaged & chipped. We had to be careful for the kids not to get splinters when they would approach the table to grab something to eat. 5. Worst of it all was that we only watched cargo shipments for 2 hours!! On our phone call with Mario mentioned we can go through the canals and even get a far glimpse of the Queen Mary but we didn't. We even asked Noah to take us the other way around into the open water and he said no he needs to this way first (meaning by the cargo shipments). It was very disappointing since it was my dads actual birthday and the experience was completely robbed from us. It's very sad that we wasted over a thousand dollars and didn't receive what we had paid for. And I even texted Mario afterwards telling him our concerns but didn't get a reply back. Poor customer service.

    Catalina Express - boatcharters - Updated July 2026

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