Catalina Express

Excellent trip! Even stopped for some
Whale watching!! Highly
Recommend, well organized and friendly staff.

It does the job. You get from San Pedro to Avalon in 1h15.
Snacks and drinks onboard. Smooth ride. Come early if you want the outdoor seat. Removed one star because of the unfriendlinesses of some of the staff.

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

Booked our excursion online and appreciated having all of the needed info right there at my fingertips. Instructions were clear regarding check-in times, what to expect, rules about carryon items, etc. The actual check-in process was efficient and the young lady very friendly and helpful.

Catalina express never disappoints even during pandemic time. Eating and drinking weren't allowed at the terminal
or on the ferry at all. So no outside food and drinks on the boat! Masks had to be worn the entire time and they were pretty strict about it.

The check ins were always fast and hassle free. The crews were super friendly and took very good care of our luggages each time. I hope the restrictions will be over soon cause I miss the Bloody Mary and mimosa on the boat trips!

Ps. They currently only sell general tickets due to covid restrictions. So go upstairs if you want a smoother ride!

Some of my earliest memories with my family were of times visiting Catalina. Avalon was a different place then-- not quite as hustle and bustle, not so many chic boutique stores, or shoals of questionably-sober college kids running amok. Camping at Hermit Gulch didn't include drunken, yelling people until dawn; and of course, the price of a modest "motel" room wasn't akin to staying somewhere in the Newport Coast section of OC.

But there are still times when I enjoy heading over, and now that I'm well past the age of being one of those aforementioned "college kids," my trips there generally include fishing, camping somewhere more remote than Avalon, visiting the Boy Scout camp or Outdoor Science Camp with students, and occasionally a little permit-powered backcountry hiking.

In those olden days, passage across the San Pedro channel was limited to the slow, deep-v hulled fleet of boats that took a good 2 hours to make the trip. On days with any measurable swell or chop, those old boats really felt the bump, and so did a lot of stomachs on those trips.

The Catalina Express' fleet includes boats that can get up on plane, and cut right through the slop. A lot faster, too.

The new facility in the shadow of the Vincent Thomas Bridge is nice, also-- the whole area has received a considerable facelift in recent years... harder to sneak down on the rocks and catch a few bay bass without getting hassled by security, but a lot more organized and convenient, too.

Probably cheaper most of the time to catch a Southwest flight to a lot of places than to buy a Catalina Express round trip ticket, but as my dad says in Vegas: "We're not here for a haircut."

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.

I had issues booking online so had to call to book. There was a bit of a hold time but booking was surprisingly smooth. I just had to go to the counter on the day of to pick up my tickets and pay for them.

The ferry was old but it did it's job of taking us to and from Catalina Island. We were backpacking the trans-Catalina trail so we took it to Avalon first. On our third day, we left from Two Harbors to return to San Pedro.

Parking at the port can get expensive since it's $20 a day.

Location
Easy exit off 110 to berth 95
Parking
Large lot-pay for parking at kiosk before departing-$2/h or $20/day.
Food
Closed for now. No eating/drinking on board. A coffee truck could make a fortune here!
Tip
No free birthday trip.

Very easy parking situation: $2/hr or $20/day. There's no validation for parking. The boat itself is fairly old but decently maintained. Reminds me of the late 90s or early 00s. Due to Covid there is no food being sold on deck but you can bring your own snacks. The ride to Catalina island is around 70-80mins. On the way there, we came across a whale so the boat slowed down a little bit and the ride was probably around 90 mins.

Tip: once you purchase online tickets you must checkin at the counter at San Pedro Port to get physical tickets and line up to board the boat as seating is first come first serve. At the counter they will give you departure and return tickets so you don't need to checkin again at Catalina island when you return. I'd say arrive 30 mins prior to departure to account for the checkin process.