Reservations: Do your booking on their website: https://catalinaexpress.com/schedule-fares/ or call…read morethem at: (800) 805-9201. Discounts: No discounts here. Costco use to sell Catalina Express gift cards. They haven't sold them since covid. Parking: There's a parking place and a shuttle bus that takes you from the parking lot to the terminal. About $22 for all day parking. Ferry's Ambiance: The ferry's are relatively clean, has a decent amount of seats inside and outside, and a couple of working unisex restrooms. The boat ride is about an hour long. So make sure you take your Scopolamine or any other sea sick pills. If you schedule a evening ride back, please do yourself a favor and seek shelter inside or wear a lot of layers of clothes when sitting out. It's get a bit chilly and slightly wet. Sightseeing: You'll be able to see the famous vincent thomas bridge and a lighthouse nearby. When you get closer to Catalina Island, you'll be able to see the Casino. Food and Drink Of Choice: Haven't had any food or drinks, but they do sell them. Note: You're able to bring food and non-alcoholic drinks onboard. Catalina Express For Thought: Only company that shuttles you to Catalina (Long Beach, San Pedro, and Dana Point) besides Catalina Flyer (Newport). I guess i'll have to travel via Catalina express.

2024 & 2025 | San Pedro | The Catalina Express is always a fun adventure with friends or when I…read moretravel solo! Great customer service, speedy ride & well-organized! I also love the great vibes of everyone excited to get to Catalina Island, it's awesome!! On Board | Plenty of seats, upstairs and downstairs of the boat! It also depends on which boat arrives, one is bigger than the other! I like sitting on the inside of the ferry & glancing out of the large windows! Sometimes there are Catalina Express Magazines on board to look through! Restrooms are inside of the building, as well as on board! Tickets | Buy online! $42 each way! I always buy a round-trip ticket, as sometimes, especially on holidays, the ferries can be fully booked; sold out! Also, if you need to change the time on your booking, it's $5! Parking | Plentiful! $22 per day! Free for the 1st hour! $2 afterwards! Refreshments | Cafe | Upon arrival, inside of the building and on board! I usually go to the café inside of the building and get a freshly made egg and cheese burrito to go...so delicious, especially with the side of salsa! There are tables and chairs outside to sit down and eat! Arrival | Arrive early to get a great seat, as there are no assigned seats! Customer Service | Incredibly friendly! You're greeted by someone who scans the ticket on your phone, as you're boarding, as you hand your one item/luggage(23″x23″x37″, also allowed 1 carry-on) over to the baggage handler, on board and during the trip! I've gone back-and-forth to Catalina so many times that some of the crew and I recognize each other! Hahaha! Larger Ferry Arrives | There are tables & seating and some areas! Instead of having over your luggage, you wheel your luggage onto the ferry! Other Passengers | On my first ferry ride, a day trip, I sat near a solo traveler from South Asia! We ended up talking plenty, had plenty in common, including travels and she joined my friend and I throughout the day exploring Catalina Island, was so much fun! Overall | I'm always excited to board the Catalina Express, as there's always an adventure in store! Let's go!!

First time riding the Catalina Express, and it couldn't have been easier!…read moreThey simply scan your digital QR code, let you choose your seat (arrive early if you want the best selection!), and you're on your way. The ride to Catalina takes about 70 minutes, and I found the top deck had the least noticeable movement.. great if you're prone to seasickness. There are also accessible restrooms inside the cabin. Overall, it was a smooth, stress-free experience. Staff is kind, teach you life jacket safety, and kept the place clean! The only reason I drop a star is the general seating is a little uncomfortable and you're very close to the person sitting next to you!

The ferry ride itself was well managed and smooth. The terminal itself…read more... Overall the building is just meant to sell tickets for the ferry and a place for passengers to gather and wait. The building is showing it's age, especially inside. The bathrooms are downright scary. The people are nice though. You pay for parking before leaving, but they only have one machine to do so, the line tends to get long as people try to figure it out.

Very efficient service always on time. Smooth travel to Catalina and back. There's a full bar on…read moreboard. Be sure to approve half an hour early time from San Pedro to Catalina is 70 minutes.

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.

We've been taking Harbor Breeze Cruises for many years and have probably been on the Long Beach…read moreHarbor Tour more than a dozen times. Whenever we have family or friends visiting from out of state or overseas, it's one of our favorite activities because it's a relaxing way to see the Port of Long Beach, the Queen Mary, and, if you're lucky, the sea lions. We brought another group yesterday, and everyone enjoyed the tour. The only downside, in my opinion, is the boats used for the harbor tour. Yesterday we were on the Kristina, and in the past we've also been on the Caroline, which we chartered for my mother's ash-scattering ceremony about 14 years ago. Both vessels are showing their age. I also think the marketing could be clearer. The photos on the website and many travel sites prominently feature the newer catamarans, which gives the impression that those are the boats used for the harbor tour. I actually called ahead to ask and learned that the harbor tours use different vessels. While I appreciated getting the correct information, many first-time visitors probably wouldn't think to ask and may expect the newer boats shown in the advertising. The harbor tour itself is still worthwhile, and we'll likely continue bringing our guests because we genuinely enjoy the experience. I just hope Harbor Breeze considers updating or refurbishing the harbor tour vessels and making the marketing a little clearer so guests know exactly what to expect.

I took the 2 1/2 hour Whale Watching & Dolphin Tour. I've always wanted to see a whale…read more When you check in you get a paper ticket and they tell you which dock you go to then you line up. There was a lot of people in line. I was in the middle and thought I wouldn't get good seats, but I ended up sitting outside in the front. The boat is really nice and big. The front is the best place to sit with a good view of the whales and dolphins. The inside was packed and you don't really see a lot and sitting outside in the back you could smell the fumes from the engine. I did see dolphins and whales - the mom and the calf. They had a couple of experts talk about the whales and dolphins. We were past Newport Beach when we finally saw the whales. We spent a good amount of time seeing them. Then we went back. It's gets windy. It was a fun experience.

Came for a work dinner cruise. It was a nice touch as we…read moreboarded to be met with champagne (and martinelli's for us non-drinkers) There were two different buffets. The upstairs had salmon, salad and roasted potatoes, the downstairs had chicken, salad, clam chowder, brocollini, shrimp. The downstairs buffet quickly ran out of brocollini and shrimp and there wasn't anymore coming. I heard the salmon was good, I mostly ate the potatoes. There is a super tiny kitchen so it must be difficult to feed 100 people in a short amount of time. The dessert buffet was mostly thawed pre-made items but not bad. The cruise itself seemed to mostly focus on shipping containers. Overall it was a pleasant trip. Enjoyable conversations with my coworkers.

It was amazing me and my Wife and my sister in law and sister on Valentine the crew and the Chef's…read morethe food the Drinks wow nice everything was ready for all the guests we got our seats and drinks, champagne at arrival Love it plenty plenty of food the Desserts were Delicious me and my guests said we would Definitely come again the Ambience was superb great weather that day the ocean was clam wow couldn't ask for anymore great deal

I live in Long Beach California. World War 2 battle ship in my backyard…read more I highly recommend this Naval Battle ship tour. You can spend literally hours on the ship. Plenty of knowledgeable to soak up. God Bless the US Navy!! I recommend.

Went on a Saturday with a friend whose father was a mariner. The ship has a colorful and diverse…read morehistory. Hosting Presidents, involved in conflicts spanning decades, numerous upgrades and refits. For a military history nerd like myself the experience was unforgettable. We did the self guided tour and spent time absorbing the videos and explanations posted throughout. The volunteers were more than happy to answer questions and provide additional information. Seeing how the 16 inch guns operated especially sustaining the rate of fire they did was unbelievable. I came away with a new level of respect for those sailors. There is a lot of history here and is worth taking the time to learn and share it.

How apropos that your favorite Yelp correspondent and his bride got to experience our maiden…read moreEuropean vacation aboard the Norwegian Dawn- Each new day in this port-heavy itinerary dawned w/ exciting new vistas for us to discover. That's not by mistake, neither. This is our eighth cruise and our second aboard a NCL cruise ship. If you're seeking numerous ports of call w/ minimal "sea days" then NCL is your cruise line of choice! We flew into the hill-lined Portuguese capital of Lisbon one day prior to embarkation, then explored: -Portimau, Portugal -Cadiz (Seville), Spain -Moltríl, Spain -Gibraltar, UK -Ibiza, Spain -Palma Mallorca, Spain -Barcelona, Spain Pro Tip #1- Be very careful planning your shore excursions in Seville!! Though the ship's itinerary states you're sailing into Seville (famous for its Andalusian culture, flamenco and exceptional tapas scene), you're actually perched in Cadiz ... some 95 minutes from Seville. That distinction cost us $90 as well as the singular opportunity to explore the world famous gilded Royal Alcazar Castle! Pro Tip #2- NCL is perched in Motríl, a sleepy and candidly the most boring of the seven port cities visited, from 8am til 10pm ... but only in Gibraltar from 7am til 1pm. We believe NCL should flip the length of stays, because we were enchanted by the tiny British territory's rich history, its 12-mile distance from Africa and its impish maquawe monkeys who live in the steep hills overlooking the city. We prefer booking our shore excursions through Viator- You'll consistently save 50-plus percent from the exorbitant fees NCL charges and so long as you pre-check the distance between the cruise port and each excursion meeting point, you'll be fine. We tabbed a quartet of Viator-based tours: -Benagil Water Caves in Portimau: Breathtaking proof of God's Holy hand!!!! Note: The choppt speedboat rides can be hard on folks prone to back issues; -Alcazar Castle in Seville: Blown because your dipsh*t fave correspondent waited far too long to ascertain that Seville was two hours away from Cadiz! -Tour of "The Rock" in Gibraltar, UK: Replete with storied pirate and naval history, stirring underground caves and those enchanting band of maquawes! -Tapas Tour in Palma Mallorca: Awesome chance to explore the immense depth of Spanish cuisine! We felt like the excursions merited 5-stars, across the board. The service aboard the Norwegian Dawn was mixed. LOUIE the beverage-attendant in The Venetian white linen tabeled restaurant made, along w/ his partner, a glasses-adorned Filipino gentleman who just got married one yr ago¹, both of our dinners there remarkable and memorable. Exceptional. ¹ I misplaced my trip notes, am resurrecting this review purely from memory and am sheepish to admit I cannot recall his name. He was fairly diminutive in stature, wears glasses and braces and possesses an oversized personality full of good natured bonhomie! I hope + pray my detailed description reaches him!!! Our cabin steward was FILIPINAS, who met but didn't surpass our expectations. Have the NCL fleet ceased nightly turndown service? The cabin toilet was out of commission for two of our seven nights due to another passenger having overflooded the delicate plumbing. No fun when you must seek other bathrooms at 2am!!! All in all, another highly credible job by NCL and her dedicated, caring staff!

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.

My husband surprised me with a flight over to Catalina island and now we're spoiled. The boat ride…read moreback just didn't complete. Maverick was easy to checkin with, they loaded our bags and took photos for us. Six of us rode over and it was comfortable, safe, and great views. They had even called ahead for a taxi ride to come get us at the island station

Great experience! Staff was great and very friendly. Pilot was very nice and talked about the…read morecompany as if it were his own. This is definitely the way to get to Catalina, money well spent!

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.

Some observations as we finished up our week on an Itinerary from Long Beach to Cabo, Mazatlan and…read morePuerto Vallarta. 7/17-7/24/26 The staff - amazing, hard working, focused on the experience. A lot of them are on a 7 month contract away from family and friends. Acknowledge them. Tip them well. I don't believe I saw anyone being inactive ever. If you buy "the Key" package and you book excursions thru Royal, it eliminates some benefits of early disembarkments at the three shore days. So the benefit becomes internet and early exit at the end of the cruise. Also fast pass on flowrider. The special seating for the shows like Ice Skating is limited to 52 seats. So you have to still get there early. I think internet alone is a better value. Casino is smoking. So be prepared to smell if you go in. Bingo was fun but can be really full. Get your seats early and bring pens with you.( daubers are 3$ each ). Laser Tag was short but a blast. Sign up for multiple sessions. Escape room was handled well. We saved it until last day. Trivia was fun and kills time. Loved the Windjammer for breakfast. Never ate in the main dining room for breakfast. The bacon and the cantaloupe alone made it worth while. Main dining is hit or miss based on menus but it feels special and upscale. All food was great but the limited mixed menu will seal the deal whether you go that night. Our servers rocked we tipped them extra. Playmakers has a great steak fries and chicken sandwich option ( extra charge but good when everything else is closed or you want really hot food.) Cafe Promenade - we struggled with the sandwiches here but you may find something you like. The desserts mirror Windjammer and the pizza , I like the cracker thin crust, my family, not so much. But quick service food is a lifesaver. El loco Fresh on deck 11. Nice selection of Mexican Style food. Although the nachos were super hard or super chewy( probably humidity.) Windjammer for lunch and dinner was great with a nice selection of all nationalities and great bread choices. Be sure to bring a water bottle you can keep full or ice and water. The ship itself feels old and shows signs of wear. As it should going strong for 24 years. ( we had stains on our walls and sofa bed but didn't complain as hotels have the same Wear and tear ) Our cabin. 9th floor, a struggle to stay cool. Bring small personal usb style fans. This Saved me for sleeping cool. Get a cruise approved adaptor for the plug. There are only two plugs in the whole cabin. The fridge struggled to keep drinks cold. ( balcony room ). Room crew cleaned up nicely. I tipped extra. Elevators - expect long waits from 9am - 10pm Overall mixed feeling on value from what was spent to what was delivered. Thoughts? - I know some folks swear by the Naviagator. Again loved the staff! Just the best.

Irena and the whole crew here are amazing. Words can not express how helpful they have been for…read moreus. Going above and beyond. Guiding helping with documents and travel. We live about an hour and a half away, but drive all the way down here because we know we're gonna get 100% attention with our service and everything always comes out smoothly. We did a lot of phone emailing and then come down in person when we have to for translations, notary and travel. Highly recommend this fabulous crew for all your needs.

We used Peter to book our trip to Croatia. We were celebrating our son's graduation from college…read more Croatia was beautiful ! Wonderful vacation for us. We flew Lufthansa Airlines. They were not so wonderful. This airline is horrible! Going to Croatia and coming home our flights were screwed up. We got stuck flying to different cities both ways and had to stay the night in a hotel . They would not comp us a room. Missed the first day of vacation in Croatia. On the way home our flights were screwed up again, missed our flight in Frankfurt, Germany. We had to stay an extra night on the East coast due to Lufthansa Airline incompetence . We live in California , had to fly to Boston and stay the night. They would not comp us a room. In the morning we flew to Denver and back to California. Peter was great . My suggestion would be NOT to use Lufthansa Airlines when booking your trip .