Catalina Express

We took the Catalina Express from San Pedro to Avalon on Catalina Island. There were many departure times available. We chose an early time to make it for a mid morning excursion. The ferry was fast and reliable. I picked a late return since I wasn’t sure how long we wanted to be on the island. When we decided to come back earlier, the office on the island was glad to accommodate us. They charged a small change fee of $5 a ticket and got us on the next departure. I would recommend getting in line early if you want an outside seat on the top deck. This will give you the chance to search the horizon for dolphins and whales. If not, there are plenty of seats inside.

My wife and I took the Catalina Express from San Pedro to Avalon, and both the trip there and back were 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.

Catalina Express - San Pedro boarding point is in a protected area with ample parking space ( parking is paid - $2/hour, maxing out to $22/day). You just need to swipe your credit card at the gate while coming and while returning swipe the same credit card, and parking fee gets auto deducted. Now at the office, couple of staffs help with tickets and customer service. Also there is a cafe service few food items and drinks. We had booked tickets to Avalon- journey took 1 hour 15 mins. Was lucky to see pod of dolphins on our way to Avalon. Our ferry also had people traveling to Two Harbor- port at Catalina Island for campers.

I've traveled on Catalina Express a few times. Most of the time I've actually taken off from Long Beach to Avalon. This time around I decided to take San Pedro to Avalon. Long Beach has never been a problem. However, in San Pedro there is an issue for parking, especially if you take one of the later boats. If you must take a later boat, then ensure that you come early to procure a parking spot. No complaints about the boats. Once you get going, they're fast and relatively smooth unless you hit rough water.

🦞ATTENTION OWNERS!!! two stars just because it has potential to be a booming destination. In my opinion it is aggressively mediocre and the owner is not maximizing the utilization of this amazing space. They should either build or rent out a space for a world class restaurant and market it as a one of a kind historical landmark. You can add a stop with the red trolley, have a water taxi from Maritime museum, and there is ample parking.Right now it is a huge disappointment, basically an Amtrak snack bar serving microwaved, processed foods. There is this beautiful background with gorgeous sunsets daily and they are closed at 3pm. Why not take advantage of the putting greens that are collecting dirt, and build some sort of golf/nautical themed restaurant and put the fire pits to use serving sunset dinners and fresh caught fish/lobster??🦞Just an idea, because to be honest the dining options in San Pedro are few and far between. 🌉

Nice boat to be taken over to Catalina Island. They are into safety. One of our sessions was cancelled due to wind and they went out the next day, when they didn't even run that day. Very nice folks working on here. They are quick getting your luggage back up for you too, when arriving. We really appreciate this ferry and the employees. We saw some dolphins on our ride back to the LA side. Clean bathrooms and clean seats. There is a little snack bar and bar on here too.

The Ship is so dirty! The inside seats were grey already. The AC also doesnt work or they dont have one. Everyone inside was dripping sweat and the musty odor of sweaty people followed. I will never ride on this again. For what it's worth, the staff was friendly.

It's very good, clean and safe. The best form to go to Catalina Island. You can park your car here and pay 20 $ for the entire day . Also it's recommended yo buy the tickets in advance online . You can stay the day in the island and return at night