--- title: "Santa Catalina Island Cruise Port" url: https://cruisello.com/destinations/us-canada-west-coast/santa-catalina-island description: "An island escape just off the California coast" --- # Santa Catalina Island πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡Έ Β· United States Β· US/Canada West Coast > "An island escape just off the California coast" ## At a Glance - **Avg. Ships/Day:** 1 - **Avg. Time in Port:** 9.7h - **Visiting Sailings:** 232 - **Cruise Lines:** 6 ## Peak Season Busiest months: Dec (27 sailings), Mar (26 sailings), Apr (24 sailings) ## About Santa Catalina Island Santa Catalina Island is 22 miles off the coast of southern California. The main town, Avalon, wraps around a small harbour with pastel buildings and palm trees. Ships anchor offshore and passengers tender to the Avalon Landing. Cars are restricted on the island, so golf carts and walking are the main ways to move around. The population is about 3,000, and the pace is noticeably slower than the mainland. The Catalina Island Conservancy manages most of the island's interior as a protected wilderness. Bison, introduced for a film shoot in the 1920s, still roam the hills. The Catalina Casino, despite the name, is a round Art Deco theatre and ballroom from 1929 and has never been a gambling hall. Snorkelling at Lovers Cove and glass-bottom boat tours are popular. Descanso Beach Club has loungers and a beachside bar. US dollars are the currency. The zip line across Descanso Canyon draws visitors who want a view with some speed. ## Quick Facts - **Currency:** USD (US Dollar) - **Language:** English - **Timezone:** America/Los_Angeles (UTC-7) - **Tipping:** 15-20% expected at restaurants, bars, taxis ## Location Coordinates: 33.3456, -118.3281 - [Open in Google Maps](https://www.google.com/maps/search/cruise+terminal+Santa%20Catalina%20Island/@33.3456,-118.3281,13z) - [Open in Apple Maps](https://maps.apple.com/?q=cruise%20terminal%20Santa%20Catalina%20Island&ll=33.3456,-118.3281&z=13) ## Things to Do in Santa Catalina Island Top-rated shore excursions that fit a typical ~10h port call. Prices are starting prices per person. | Tour | Rating | Duration | Fits Port Day | From | Provider | |------|------|------|------|------|------| | [Catalina Island Private Guided Golf Cart Tour of Avalon](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/ac9ba28b-dfc7-4d73-86af-e630ba2ca984.md?via=markdown) | 4.9β˜… (649) | 2h | βœ“ | €275 | Viator | | [Catalina Food Tour](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/0a341213-901b-4c25-bf5e-54e5eb85bb66.md?via=markdown) | 4.9β˜… (494) | 2h 30m | βœ“ | €160 | Viator | | [Catalina Island Zip Line Eco Tour](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/dd913131-e27d-4861-8839-1f4cc953179b.md?via=markdown) | 4.9β˜… (390) | 2h | βœ“ | €142 | Viator | | [Yellow Semi-Submarine Tour of Catalina Island From Avalon](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/6dc53ea2-24e6-42f9-9e91-f89d86c68b34.md?via=markdown) | 4.4β˜… (617) | 0h 45m | βœ“ | €58 | Viator | | [Discover Avalon: Catalina Scenic Tour](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/e533cca0-65db-4201-b603-ef7d4481a9ea.md?via=markdown) | 4.6β˜… (367) | 0h 50m | βœ“ | €28 | Viator | | [Catalina Summit and Bison Safari](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/33fc95c2-94f3-4dd4-96d7-c1316fc3b5af.md?via=markdown) | 4.3β˜… (514) | 2h | βœ“ | €81 | Viator | | [Catalina Island Bison Expedition](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/1cce8fda-2068-40a3-a1f6-3a089a633543.md?via=markdown) | 4.8β˜… (271) | 2h | βœ“ | €100 | Viator | | [Catalina Island Private 2-Hour Tour of Avalon](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/5a2d8707-653b-44b1-bf59-7ffb20dfd436.md?via=markdown) | 4.9β˜… (190) | 2h | βœ“ | €267 | Viator | | [Journey to Island's End](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/cebefe1d-7dec-464d-b889-df2a781c6aaa.md?via=markdown) | 4.8β˜… (135) | 2h | βœ“ | €100 | Viator | | [Haunted Catalina Walking Ghost Tour](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/b47b152a-2fcc-402e-9eb7-69650edecbc0.md?via=markdown) | 4.7β˜… (161) | 1h 30m | βœ“ | €36 | Viator | | [Catalina Island City and Scenic Mount Ada Tour](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/e07f2d03-fd62-4725-86fe-6781b9a763c7.md?via=markdown) | 4.4β˜… (169) | 0h 50m | βœ“ | €42 | Viator | | [Undersea Expedition: Catalina Island Tour](https://cruisello.com/gogogo/excursion/27295791-36ef-43f1-8494-98576d18ab97.md?via=markdown) | 4.4β˜… (135) | 0h 45m | βœ“ | €49 | Viator | Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews. ## Nearby Ports - [Los Angeles](https://cruisello.com/destinations/us-canada-west-coast/los-angeles.md): 25 nm - [San Diego](https://cruisello.com/destinations/us-canada-west-coast/san-diego.md): 69 nm - [Santa Barbara CA](https://cruisello.com/destinations/us-canada-west-coast/santa-barbara-ca.md): 93 nm ## Cruise Lines Serving This Port - [Carnival Cruise Line](https://cruisello.com/cruise-lines/carnival-cruise-line.md) - [Disney Cruise Line](https://cruisello.com/cruise-lines/disney-cruise-line.md) - [Holland America Line](https://cruisello.com/cruise-lines/holland-america-line.md) - [Princess Cruises](https://cruisello.com/cruise-lines/princess-cruises.md) - [Royal Caribbean](https://cruisello.com/cruise-lines/royal-caribbean.md) - [Virgin Voyages](https://cruisello.com/cruise-lines/virgin-voyages.md) ## Cheapest Available Sailing **[View this cruise β†’](https://cruisello.com/cruises/pelagic-prowl-catalina-ensenada~RCL-OVATION-20261130-4.md)** - **Price:** €150 per person (€301 total for 2 guests) - **Cruise Line:** [Royal Caribbean](https://cruisello.com/cruise-lines/royal-caribbean.md) - **Ship:** [Ovation Of The Seas](https://cruisello.com/cruise-lines/royal-caribbean/ovation-of-the-seas.md) - **Duration:** 4 nights - **Departure:** 2026-11-30 - **Itinerary:** Pelagic Prowl – Catalina & Ensenada ## Featured Cruises from Santa Catalina Island Prices are per person, two sharing, in the fare's own currency. | Cruise | Ship | Line | Departure | Nights | Price | |------|------|------|------|------|------| | [Island Tides & Baja Currents – Catalina & Sea of Cortez](https://cruisello.com/cruises/island-tides-baja-currents-catalina-sea-of-cortez~RCL-VOYAGER-20261105-8.md) | Voyager Of The Seas | Royal Caribbean | 2026-11-05 | 8 | €408 | | [Island & Sunset Rush – Catalina & Ensenada](https://cruisello.com/cruises/island-sunset-rush-catalina-ensenada~RCL-SERENADE-20261129-4.md) | Serenade Of The Seas | Royal Caribbean | 2026-11-29 | 4 | €222 | | [Island Whisper – Catalina & Ensenada](https://cruisello.com/cruises/island-whisper-catalina-ensenada~RCL-OVATION-20261026-4.md) | Ovation Of The Seas | Royal Caribbean | 2026-10-26 | 4 | €332 | ## Browse Cruises - [All cruises visiting Santa Catalina Island](https://cruisello.com/cruises.md?stopoverPorts=santa_catalina_island) (232 sailings) ## Browse - [US/Canada West Coast cruises](https://cruisello.com/destinations/us-canada-west-coast.md) - [All Destinations](https://cruisello.com/destinations.md) - [All Cruises](https://cruisello.com/cruises.md)