Any boat ride that doesn't put me in the water is a good one. Chalk one up for Catalina Express! The service staff was very helpful and friendly, and the boat we were on did the job without drama. It left on time, the trip took the estimated time, and it arrived on time. This counts for both directions. I must admit, it felt odd to embark upon a trip without being felt up, patted down, X-rayed or glared at. This was my first trip to Catalina by boat, but I've flown there before. There were drinks, snacks and souvenirs for sale on the boat, none of which interested anyone in our party of four. I just enjoyed the view from the upper deck on the way over, and absorbed the sun, wind and spray. Returning to the mainland it was a bit coolish and foggy, so . . . I watched the first half of the Monday Night Football game on the tiny TV in the cabin. No, they don't have cable. While I was watching football, my wife spotted dolphins cavorting about a quarter mile abeam the boat. That created a stir for a while. No unicorns were sighted on Catalina Island, I hasten to add, although our tour bus had a close call with a deer. There were three restrooms available aboard the boat, to the welcome relief of several landlubbers. Incidentally, parking for the day trip was about half a mile away from the boat launch pier, certainly an invigorating walk, but how do disabled folks manage? Nearby parking was adequately signed for Tow-Away, and the curbs were painted green. The signs allowed for up to 4 hours parking, not nearly enough for a day trip to Catalina. Perhaps the blue disabled zones did not have the same time constraint. Jeez, I hope so ! We all agreed, we'd go this way again, using this company. read more

Perfect way to cruise to Catalina Island! Our second trip to the Island using Catalina Express. People are always very nice. Boat is clean and comfortable. Yesterday we had rented the Captains Room and I highly recommended it. Totally worth the extra money. We can't wait to go back to Catalina on the Catalina Express!! read more

Catalina Express - You are by yourself in the Captains lounge=PERFECT! - Transportation Near Me - Dana Point, California

Once you are in Dana Point, it is a little hard to find where exactly to go. There are no signs so we had to call and they told us the restaurant it was next to. It costs $9 per day to park your car, and it is a far walk from the harbor. Especially when you have luggage. The crew members were really nice. The ride to Avalon was about 1 and 1/2 hours, it was foggy so we did not see dolphins. However, our way back was awesome. The captain actually stopped the ship and were able to see whales and dolphins. It was amazing. The reason I gave this one less star is that the Dana Point harbor is not as organized as it is on the Island. read more

Catalina Express - The ship - Transportation Near Me - Dana Point, California

Our extended family of 9 decided to go to Catalina for Thanksgiving weekend. On the way over we were in the Captain's Lounge-a private room upstairs. The room came with priority boarding and 4 drinks. The Captain even let my 4 year old nephew steer the boat for a while. The crew were wonderful! It 's a great way to ride over and I highly recommend it. On the way back, the Lounge was already booked, so we were downstairs, which was fine (but not nearly as nice). All in all, I have no complaints at all and enjoyed our experience. read more

Growing up I always visited Catalina on my parents boat so this was my first time experiencing Catalina Express and I must admit it was a wonderful one. The boats left on time, and arrived early both ways. The rides were smooth and fast and the boats had great upkeep and comfortable seats. Throw in the free ride on your birthday they were having for their 30th anniversary (2012 only guys, sorry) and it was a deal I couldn't pass up when I saw my fiance's birthday fell on a Saturday. Honestly, the only problems I had were with other riders. On the way there we had a loud & obnoxious woman talking about her b****y daughter and on the way back a group of drunk 20 somethings doing terrible Arnold Schwarzenegger impressions and asking their friends for chips while clutching onto their Bud Lights. But oh well. It gave us some entertainment I guess. And these obviously weren't CE's fault. read more

Our first time taking the ferry over to the island. It's great and convenient since we were coming from San Diego. The parking is easy, only $14 per day gated. Smaller boat but the service was great. read more

Coming home from Catalina when Captain Pete slowed down and circled around so we could all enjoy the huge pod of dolphins jumping in the sun-speckled water. Thank you Captain Pete, and the other friendly crew members read more

These guys get a bad wrap! But we enjoyed ourselves. We brought our two babies for a weekend getaway to Catalina and the crew were very kind and accommodating! You can't stroll your stroller down the ramp or onto the boat, but it wasn't a big deal. We were fortunate enough to have a pretty smooth ride across to the island. We had lots of room. Our experience at check in and parking was also very easy and straightforward. read more

They are the bestest people out here on god. on my momma me and my bestie arrived here at dana point at 12:45pm & our boat was scheduled for take off at 2:45pm. we were early because we did not want to miss the boat. we missed the boat. we were waiting in the wrong line! we saw our boat "Catalina Express" taking off while we were standing in line with other human with bags of luggage for WHALE WATCHING????? IMMEDIATELY we ran to the office saying "we missed our boat"x3 !!! and the staff were so very nice and quick to help find a solution! on top of that that captain called asking for full story i assume but was so very kind enough to turn around for us!!! HOW NICE ARE THESE PEOPLE!! the CAPTAIN turned around the whole mf boat to pick up just two humans! The whole place just chefs kiss! read more

I like that you don't have an assigned seat. You can move around from sitting up at the top with the wind blowing through your hair, or sitting in the enclosed areas either downstairs or upstairs. When you pick up your tickets, they give you a voucher for a free coffee at Dana Point Harbor, so come early enough to pick that up. The trip is smooth, and seats are comfortable. There's a bar, but I didn't buy anything so I'm not sure how the prices are or anything. There's free magazines on the ship that tell you about things to do on Catalina, so definitely pick that up. It includes a few coupons, and some good historical information about the island. Be on the lookout for dolphins, whales, and seals! I saw all three on the trip there! It takes about 1 1/2 hours to get there. The only reasons I didn't give it 5 stars is because 1) the $75 round trip price, and 2) There's very limited times that it comes and goes. The latest boat departing Avalon and coming back to Dana Point leaves at 4:30pm, so it's impossible to stay on the island for dinner unless you also stay the night. read more

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Had a swell time on board the Catalina Express, much better to be out to sea for an Hour than a 7 month deployment, i'll tell you that much. The experience was fast and fun, even saw some dolphins on the way back. It was a quick and fun ride. read more

I've been to Catalina several times and have split transportation between the Express and Flyer. Both are good, never an issue, i usually choose based on the schedule. Today I took the Express and sat in the lower galley. I wanted to get a beer and saw the cash only sign. I asked Sue, the cabin attendant how much a specific beer was and she said $6.50. I use debit 99.9% of the time and only had $6 cash on me. I was ready to order a cheap domestic beer and Sue said she'd cover me on the extra $.50. She proceeded to take $.50 out of her tip jar. It was such a nice little gesture and because of that $.50 gesture I will use the Express as my primary transportation from now on. It's the little things that impress me about people and companies! read more

We decided to take the Catalina Express over to Avalon for my birthday. We took the first boat out on Friday morning, the guy working the ticket window warned us that the trip over was going to be a bit rocky. Before we headed over to jump on the boat, we had to park our car in their lot. The woman working the umbrella giving everyone directions was a complete bitch, she was so rude! I was in shock how she was talking to me and a few other people. Once we got on the boat I made sure to get a seat outside with fresh air because I know it helps when I get sea sick. We began to take off and probably 20 minutes into the ride the boat starts to splash on huge waves coming at us. At first it was a small ocean spray but few minutes later the whole backside of the boat was getting drenched. When I say drenched, I mean waves of water were falling on top of us and the boat was extremely rocky. At this point I was in shock, how come no one had warned us before. Finally by the time people were trying to crawl to other seats. Not to mention at this time majority of the people we're all throwing up. I ended up having to hold the rail outside, totally drenched in the freezing cold wind for the next hour till we arrived in Avalon. Hands down this was the worst experience I've ever had on a boat. Thank god we were staying on the island for a night so I least we could change clothes and dry off once we got there but there were some people that got drenched that were only there for the day. I was dreading the boat back the next day, thankfully it was nothing close to the previous experience. read more

Would give 5 stars. 2 issues good and bad, First the good, Boat staff was awesome and the boat was clean.(some seats needed repair but still clean) The bad, there are a certain amount seats on the boat so if there are 75 seats they can't book 100 people meaning they can't over sell tickets and have people standing. BUT people hog up groups of seats. You can't sit inside the boat and save a group of seats on the outside too & vice versa. So while they were sitting outside there were a rows of empty seats inside the boat, Me & my party couldn't sit together because of this. Everyone should be ASSIGNED a seat & stay there throughout the trip. The kids running and screaming back & forth didn't bother me half as much as the seating situation. Also people that paid extra to board early regardless of what time they got to the dock basically jumped the line, then knocked everyone over to get off first. Was pretty annoying also. read more

Great, comfortable ride and nice views along the way. Sadly, if you are concerned about covid there were several passengers not complying with the Federal mask requirement and the crew was not willing to enforce. Made us uneasy for sure! read more

I rode the last ferry of the evening from Avalon to Dana Point. I was one of the last people off the ferry at Dana Point. I realized I left a stainless steel waterbottle on my seat. I immediately contacted the office, but found it was closed for the night. The following morning I called the office when they opened at 530. I told them the exact seat I had left the bottle on. The customer service agent assured me that the claim would get to the boat prior to any passengers boarding the boat for the first ferry of the day. I was never re-contacted in regards to my water bottle, which must have been picked up by an employee who decided they liked it enough to not turn it in to lost and found. I will drive the extra diatance to Long Beach to take the Catalina flyer from now on, as the crew is not trustworthy. read more

Let's be up front: This is a boat that takes people back and forth to Catalina. I'm not really expecting much other than it not sink and get me there in a reasonable amount of time. On both accounts, the boat performed admirably. I'm not sure how much more I can elaborate but herego... The staff were perfectly congenial. Not overly friendly but not unfriendly, just there. The loading and unloading of luggage was quick and efficient. There are refreshments available on the boat (but I have no idea how much they cost or the selection available, just that they are there). There is plenty of seating. You can ride for free on your birthday. The schedule is fairly limited in the off-season and the prices are in line with the other options available (there aren't that many options, really). That's about it. I'd complain about how cold it was to sit outside on the way back, but it's not the boat's fault that we are stupid. read more

My family and I went to Catalina over President's weekend and used Catalina Express to get to the island. I was excited to find out that if it was your birthday, your ticket is free. It worked out great because we were heading out there to celebrate my Dad's 62nd birthday. It wasn't very clear how the birthday credit was going to be handled on their website so I called Catalina Express to purchase our tickets direct. I was told by the agent on the phone that I didn't need to reserve a ticket for my Dad, he just needed to show his license and he will get his birthday pass. I proceeded to purchase 8 other tickets for my sisters and their significant others -- as well as one for me and my husband. I even asked to make sure that there wouldn't be a problem with getting my Dad a ticket. She continued to assure me that it would be ok despite the holiday weekend. When we got to the ticket window on the day of our departure to the island, our worst fears came true. The boat was booked and there was not room for my Dad. I had the agents name who booked the tickets for me and gave it to the manager -- but she said that there was nothing she could do. If someone didn't show up, he would have a seat but otherwise, it was out of her/our control. We had already spent $600 for all of our tickets and of course, we would not leave my Dad behind but we would have to wait it out and hope for the best. I kept going up to the window and checking the status but there was no budging and we were at their mercy as there were no refunds at that point. 35 minutes later, she was able to secure a seat for my Dad and was very thankful that it worked out for us. I was really disappointed that I was given misinformation when booking my tickets. I'm so grateful my Dad got on but it was a stressful morning for us. We would've lost out on $600 if my Dad wasn't able to get on and it would've ruined our birthday celebration for him. Moral of this review! BOOK TICKETS for EVERYONE ahead of time. Don't listen to agents on the phone saying that tickets are available for purchase on the day of. You just never know if/when the boat will fill up so better to be safe than sorry. Also, the ride is about 1.5 hours to the island and I usually don't get sea sick but I was feeling a little nauseated mid-way through the trip. If you tend to get motion or sea sickness, be sure to take Dramamine or ginger just in case. It will make your trip that much more enjoyable. read more

After spending nearly 4 years as a Southern California resident, I finally took a trip to Catalina Island. During the month of January, the Catalina Express is the only boat that takes you there (the other option, Catalina Flyer, doesn't run in January). As we were coming from San Diego, we drove up to Dana Point early on Sunday morning to catch the 9:50 boat. The parking & ticketing procedures were very simple and easy to follow, albeit a bit prices ($12 a day to park). Once aboard the Catalina Express, you can choose to sit downstairs and inside, which is where the most seating is, or upstairs, which has an indoor section and an outdoor section. The downstairs area also has a small beverage and snack bar, which was very reasonably priced. We ended up sitting on the inside on the way there, and the outside on the way back. It got a bit chilly once the sun went down. The trip from Dana Point lasted just over an hour, and was complete with visits from dolphins and seals. My fiance claimed he also saw a whale, but I missed it. We'll definitely be taking the Catalina Express on our next visit (as if there are so many options to choose from anyway). read more

The Boat ride was great - and the men on the boat were very helpful and concerned with the people turning green during the ride. However - on the way back, when I just wanted to stare out into the blue ocean and not think about anything...I started thinking about my a#$hole uncle. Why? Because the two large flat screens were both turn to FOX News and I had to sit and watch BIll Oreillys bloviated face yell at me for the whole ride. I'm not sure why they have two huge tvs in the first place - but I'm pretty sure most people going to Catalina aren't interested in hack politics. I thought about asking one of the men to change the channel - just to something bland - nature channel?, but didn't want to start a scene or have them smirk at me and ask why. Other than the Fox bs - it would have been 5 stars. But my fragile brain was insulted and thoughts of Unlce dipshit sitting in his lounger yelling racist and bigoted insults ate up two stars. (I'm looking at you Uncle Bruce) read more

this boat is faaaast. from the pier, you can see this big beast soaring across the waters. my advice is to sit in the lower deck up by the front so you have a better view. you're also protected from the winds, and easy access outside from the side if you want your shirt blown around and/or want to replicate that titanic scene. if i had long hair, i'd take a photo here. parking from dana point is roughly $12/day and overnight parking is merely blocks away. read more

Catalina Express - Transportation Near Me - Dana Point, California

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If you've never been to this place then go at least 30-45 min early so you can find it even though it's a tiny boat and doesn't take long to board. This way you can avoid being berated by angry workers. Cons: - There are no signs indicating where to go or even park & the check in podium is so tiny you can easily miss it like we did - The employees at the Dana Point landing kept yelling at us for being "late" and telling us we'd miss the boat even though we were there well in advance - Parking is in the next shopping center over which is a hassle if you have a lot of bags - Pricey for an old boat Pros: - Once on the boat, staff was friendly - Mimosas & bloody mary's helped a lot - The return trip was pleasant since we'd already checked in and had boarding passes read more

Very pleased with the boat ride. Customer service is good and decent though not very accomodating with cancellations/changes due to weather. They cancelled our 4:30pm trip home because of weather. But the message I got just said it was cancelled - no advice on calling to reschedule, etc. We showed up for the early boat ride and were on stand by and just missed getting on. Things happen and I understand that. We then were going to take the 2pm to Long Beach and would be required to pay for a shuttle at our own expense to drive to Dana Point. I was pretty laid back about the whole thing, but it's still a little strange that they were kind of unsympathetic at the ticket window. The ticket collector was sympathetic when he had to turn us away at standby but the people at the ticket window weren't very sympathetic. Maybe it just happens all the time. I could see how someone else would get upset about it though. Anyway...overall the trip was fine. We're still on the island now, hopefully we'll get back soon and they won't penalize us for extra parking...because we're stuck on the island. By the way, the guy at the parking place at Dana Point is really cool! 2/6/2016 update Great ride, friendly customer service, but poor commication because of the delay from weather and poor accommodations because of being delayed and rerouted. My assessment is that the policy needs to be reassessed and procedures better defined for delays from weather. I hear delays don't happen a lot, but every now and then. read more

I was very excited to finally go to Catalina Island with my boyfriend and we waited until the day-of to purchase our tickets. When we got to the Dana Point ticket window, a woman with poorly drawn-on eyebrows and a bad attitude was short with us by saying "the boat is full and there are 18 people on standby". She suggested we go to the Long Beach location to get on there but it was too far of a drive. To try and get a refund for our hotel stay, the hotel called Catalina express to make sure our story was true. For some reason, everyone they spoke with denied ever talking to us and said there were 6 seats left on the boat. So I don't know what made me more angry- the fact that the Dana Point employees are rude and dishonest with a manager that backs their negative customer service, or the fact that someone gave us false information which caused me to miss an excursion I was VERY excited for. Pathetic. read more

I just checked in and I already have a bad feeling about this... We asked two ladies who worked for the company to assist us in directions and how to check in, both were extremely rude and unwilling to assist. For out of town ppl this is not a great way to greet paying customers. I hope it gets better! read more

Catalina Express - Checkin - Transportation Near Me - Dana Point, California

If you are planning to head out to Catalina Island, more than likely you will depart at one of the port. For us, Dana Point was the closest. When you get there, park at one of those 4 hours. Get out of your car and go to a staff with a curb sign that says Catalina Express. You will let them know how long you are staying because parking is $12 per day and it's CASH only. Once he/she hands you a piece of paper. You should have at least one person take your car to their back, back, back lot. It's quite a distance so make you get there early. Meanwhile, have another person (whoever the reservation is under) head over the ticket counter and pay for the tickets. After you received your tickets, line up so you can get the best seats of your choice. We sat up and outside. If you don't mind the wind and being cold to freezing (depending what time your ship leaves) bring jackets, gloves, beanie, sunglasses, sun blocks, blankets if you needed to. But if you don't want to sit outside and prefer to be in door, then you probably won't need to carry all that much gear. One last thing, if you purchase anything on the boat. It's CASH only. read more

Easy on line booking! The boat ride is an hour to hour and half. The only reason I gave 3 stars is because on the departure , they called me 2 and half hours before expected time to depart to tell me the departure time has been moved up. But I called earlier that day to ask ( there was a swole wave warning) to see if the time is the same and they said yes. I was in a tour and they left me a message saying the departure time has been moved up. I didnt have enough time to make it to the dock, so had to rearrange alot. read more

Update. After they charged my cc someone called on Monday saying they would reverse the charge. I still would only give them two stars and will never travel to Catalina on this service again unfortunately read more

We took the Catalina Express to and from Dana Point/Avalon recently and we were impressed. The crew was friendly and the boat was on time/early. We splurged and purchased the Captain's Lounge upgrade for 3 of us. It has room for eight, so we had plenty of space for all of our carry-on luggage and to move around easily. There is a bathroom right outside the lounge - very convenient. There was a TV with cable channels and we got four free drinks with the lounge. On the trip out to Avalon, we didn't realize we had pre-boarding privelges with our Captain's Lounge, but on the way back from Avalon, we took advantage of that and enjoyed quick and easy boarding without having to stand in line. It was well worth the upgrade and we had a great trip! By the way, when I called to make our reservations (and ask questions), I was informed by the very nice customer service lady that for every $100 in gift cards, I bought, I would receive $15 off of the upgrade. So that saved us $45 bucks and everything went very smoothly with the gift cards (they were mailed to me in plenty of time before our trip). Parking was only $12/day and it was only a few blocks away. We had a great experience! read more

We had a perfect experience. Even though it was raining on the way back the boat was surprisingly smooth. On time both directions. Have to say on the way to Catalina we had the Bloody Marries that were absolutely amazing. Who knew! read more

I can't begin to tell you how user friendly, flexible, and first class the Catalina Express company and staff are. We were hiking Catalina in the hot sun this past week and made a variety of changes and they were very supportive of our changes. They also have numerous times throughout the day they are scheduled to arrive at Two Harbors and Avalon which made our life a lot easier!! Thank you Catalina Express for being you!!! read more

Great hop & a skip ride across the ocean to Catalina Island. It can be a bit choppy so stay safely seated or bring your sea-legs! Roundtrip ticket can run between $72 - $74 depending where you're coming from. (Long Beach - $72; Dana Pt - $74) Also, if you browse online you can get some pretty amazing package deals, especially during their "off-season." (2 nights/3 days packages) The Captain's Cabin - The Catalina Express also offers a private cabin that you can purchase tickets for but comes with a premium price tag. (If you are so Hollywood or need to feel "special" & separated from the common folk, I guess that would be right your ticket.) Ha! Also, if you register at their site: http://www.catalinaexpress.com/birthday_promo.php You can travel for free on your birthday! YES, FREE!! 'You discount looking, coupon cutting, movie-hopping, napkin stealing, common folk! "Count me in!" *See official site for details. 'Keep your eyes open, you're bound to see pods of dolphins or maybe even a whale or two! "All aboard the Catalina Express!" - Big Aloha! Food: n/a (They do have an airplane-priced snack bar on the upper level that I did not bother to check out.) Ambiance: 4+ Service: 4 Value: 4 read more

This was my first ferry ride to Catalina and besides the high price point for the tickets it was an enjoyable ferry ride to Catalina. There was plenty of seating and one of the staff members let us out into the front of the boat so we could take photos of the several families of Dolphins that surrounded the boat. read more

Catalina Express - View on the way home - Transportation Near Me - Dana Point, California

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The boat got me to Catalina and back safely. I was a little woozy at first but as we headed off I saw a pod of dolphins and I calmed down. The boat in the middle of the ocean with no land or other boats around is an oxymoron. Peaceful & scary at the same time. The captain did a great job. Comfortable seating, clean boat, professional staff, well seasoned Captain and a very safe ride. Highly recommend. It was a very pleasant overall ride. My free round trip boat ride to a little island sets the bar high. Thank you Catalina Express read more

I have not yet taken the Catalina Express boat (I've only taken their competitors); however, the other day I dropped off friends who were using the Catalina Express as their method of transportation and I must admit that the location and surroundings are WAY better than their competitors. This doc is very clean, safe, has very many inviting restaurants nearby and is overall much more attractive to embark and disembark from. I hope to check them out soon to see the difference in the actual boat and boat ride. read more

Dana point uses smaller boat vs Newport beach, so if you easily get sea sick i suggest to take dramamine cause it gets pretty choppy. The ride is pretty quick, only about an hour and 10 minutes. If you google around you can find discount coupons for the round trip tickets. There is a convenient large long term parking next to the harbor, which is $12/d. If you get captain's lounge upgrade, there is priority seating, a separate room with a table. It seats up to 6 people and there are 4 complimentary drinks included. Not a bad deal i say! read more

We decided to book this 30 min prior to departure and the phone reservation staff was very professional and super efficient. She took all my information quickly and made it very easy for us as we made our way to the pier. It was a wonderful day at Catalina island. Thank you for a spontaneous smooth trip! read more

I dunno about checking in an hour early. It's a pretty small ferry and there's not too much hassle to get on it. The biggest thing is parking your car and getting to the boat...that's where you'll need some time... If you arrive early enough, you can park on some of the neighbouring streets. The hill (which I think is Golden Lantern) is free, and the walk's not too bad if you're able to handle moderate hills. If you're there early enough, go straight there before checking in. Otherwise, you can drive right up to the check in spot and get your parking and boarding passes, before moving your car to the lot (which costs $9/day and is a bit closer than the hill). The ferry itself is nice. It's small, and feels the swell as it races to and from Catalina Island. If you get sea sick, I recommend the top deck. It moves a lot less with the water and in general provides a smoother ride. We got some hot cocoa from the galley on the way over to the island (cause it was effing cold sitting outside on top at 7am...). It was only $1.50/each, which I was surprised about and very happy to learn. Granted, that's still like $1.40 profit for the boat...but better than paying $5/cup, which is what I thought they would charge. From Dana Point, it's about 1 hour 20 minutes in the boat. It's just slightly too long of a ride where you definitely get over it about 1/2 way through, especially coming back from the island. Still, staff is nice and the ride is kind of interesting (there's a lot of water). Since that's really you're only option for getting to the island (unless you're rich and want to fly or take a helicopter), it's quite nice! If you want to make the trip slightly shorter, drive to Long Beach or one of the other ports where it's only an hour each way. If you're not concerned about paying for parking, you can probably arrive 30 minutes early rather than an hour and be fine. read more

Hey Catalina Island Express. I thought mask were mandatory. Clearly not be enforced in the ride to Avalon.

Oh Catalina you make me so happy! Can't wait to go back. Free trip on your birthday too which is a double bonus and it really does save you a good chunk of change. read more