• Many cruise ships leaving out of Los Angeles make stops at nearby Catalina Island.cruise ship image by Nick Wade from Fotolia.com
  
  Located 22 miles off the coast of Los Angeles, Catalina Island gives visitors a chance to see what Southern California was like before the region's population ballooned into the tens of millions. The island's undeveloped coast has incredible beaches and stunning underwater forests of kelp. Cruises frequently visit Catalina's main town Avalon as part of longer trips up the Pacific coast of the U.S., or down to Mexico. Day cruises and ferries are also available from Avalon, the main town on Catalina Island.
  
  

Carnival

• Carnival cruise lines offers a short four day cruise that leaves from Los Angeles and takes visitors to Catalina Island and then Ensenada, Mexico, before returning to Los Angeles. The cruise typically arrives at Catalina early in the morning, and allows guests to disembark at Avalon for excursions which include glass bottom boat tours, scuba diving, snorkeling and whale watching. As of June, 2010, Carnival was offering this cruise multiple times a month. The ship that makes these visits has interior rooms, ocean view rooms and suites available.
  
  Carnival Cruise Ship Terminal
  231 Windsor Way
  Long Beach, CA 90802
  1-888-227-6482
  www.carnival.com
  
  

Celebrity

• Instead of going to Mexico, Celebrity Cruises offers 10 day trips that go up the west coast to Vancouver, British Columbia. These cruises depart from San Diego and stop off in Catalina for the second day of the trip. In addition to ocean based excursions, such as glass bottom boat tours, walking tours of Avalon, the nearby botanical gardens, and car tours into Catalina's interior are also available. The ships that follow the west coast itinerary belong to Celebrity's Millennium Class. These ships include accommodation from basic state rooms with a small sitting area and 20" TV to penthouses with floor to ceiling windows, verandas and spa baths.
  
  Celebrity Cruise Ship Terminal
  1140 N. Harbor Drive
  San Diego, CA 92101
  1-800-647-2251
  www.celebritycruises.com
  
  

Sundown Isthmus Cruise

• For those visitors who want to enjoy being on the water around Catalina, but don't want to spend the time or the money for a full service cruise, it's possible to take day cruises along the island's coast from the port of Avalon. The Sundown Isthmus Cruise runs between Avalon and the small town of Two Harbors. Guests are allowed off the boat at Two Harbors and provided dinner at the Harbor Reef restaurant. On the return trip back to Avalon after dark, guests can spot the flying fish which leap out of the water. In total, the cruise takes about five hours.
  
  Sunland Isthmus Cruise
  1 Island Plaza,
  Avalon, CA 90704
  1-800-626-1496
  www.visitcatalinaisland.com