Avalon cruise port

Where the ship docks

• Avalon tender landing · 0.2 km to the centre

  Tenders land on Avalon's waterfront. Crescent Avenue, the pedestrian-only seafront street, is under four minutes' walk. Taxis and the COAST shuttle serve the town.

Can you walk? Yes, about 4 min. The waterfront is flat and Crescent Avenue is closed to traffic. Avalon end to end is about 15 minutes on foot; the Casino and Descanso Beach are each about 5 minutes further along the bay. Anything inland, such as the Wrigley Memorial (1.7 miles, about 45 minutes uphill) or Buena Vista Point, involves a steep climb.

Tender: Ships anchor outside Avalon Harbor and tender passengers to the Avalon waterfront; the walk from the landing to Crescent Avenue is under four minutes. Tenders run continuously through the day. Tendering depends on sea state, and the call can be cancelled or shortened in poor weather. Lines are longest in mid-morning, just after arrival, and in the last hours before all-aboard. Since 1 January 2026 the city charges cruise lines $7.50 per passenger (up from $5); the line pays it, not you directly.

Getting to town

When to head back

Be at the tender landing 90 minutes before all-aboard: by 16:00 for a 17:30 all-aboard. Check the all-aboard time in your daily programme, as departure times vary by line.

Everyone heads back at the same time in the afternoon, and the tender queue can be long. Allow extra if you are uphill at the Wrigley Memorial or on a golf cart in the hills, and return carts with time to spare.

If you are running late: From the Wrigley Memorial or the hills, take a taxi or book COAST to the waterfront. If you will miss the last tender, call the port agent number on your daily programme at once.

Where people go wrong: Reaching the tender landing too late, when everyone returns at once and the queue is long.

A day in Avalon

Assumes the ship anchors at 08:00, first tenders ashore by about 08:30, and all-aboard is 17:30. If your ship sails at 17:30, all-aboard will be earlier: move every step back.

1. 08:30Tender ashore and walk up to Crescent Avenue. Book the COAST shuttle or a taxi to the Wrigley Memorial before the crowds.
2. 09:00Wrigley Memorial and Botanic Garden (opens 08:00): climb the memorial for the view over Avalon Canyon.
3. 10:30Ride or walk back down to town. Walk the waterfront to the Catalina Casino and Casino Point.
4. 11:15Catalina Museum for Art & History on Metropole Avenue (opens 10:00, closed Mondays).
5. 12:15Lunch on the waterfront, for example fish and chips at Bluewater Grill or a snack at Eric's on the Pier.
6. 13:30Glass-bottom boat or kayak at Lover's Cove, or an hour at Descanso Beach.
7. 15:15Last coffee or shopping on Crescent Avenue, within a few minutes of the landing.
8. 16:00Join the tender queue, 90 minutes before all-aboard.

What to see

Beaches

What to eat

• Buffalo Milk (the island's creamy cocktail) · Descanso Beach Club, Avalon Grille or Pier 24
• Fish and chips, lobster roll or chowder · Bluewater Grill, 306 Crescent Avenue
• Burrito, fish and chips or buffalo burger · Eric's on the Pier, Green Pleasure Pier
• Grilled swordfish or seafood pasta · The Lobster Trap, 128 Catalina Street
• Coffee and a breakfast burrito · Catalina Coffee & Cookie Company, 205 Crescent Avenue

On your own or a ship excursion?

Avalon itself needs no tour: the waterfront, Casino exterior, beaches and Lover's Cove are a short walk from the tender. A tour earns its price for the island interior (jeep, Hummer or bus tours into the hills, where you cannot drive a rental) and for anything needing a timed slot, such as the zip line or the semi-submersible, which sell out on busy ship days. Book timed activities before you leave the ship.

Common mistakes

• Joining the tender queue 30 minutes before all-aboard.

  Be at the landing 90 minutes before. Everyone returns in the same afternoon window.

• Walking to the Wrigley Memorial at midday without water.

  It is 1.7 miles and steadily uphill. Ride up by taxi or COAST and walk down.

• Expecting a gambling casino.

  The Catalina Casino is a theatre and ballroom. There is no gambling.

• Leaving zip line, boat tour or golf cart bookings until you land.

  Walk-up slots go fast once tenders are running. Book before the ship day.

• Planning to drive or bike out into the island interior.

  Golf carts stay in town and biking beyond Avalon needs a permit. Use a tour for the interior.

Safety, access and bad weather

Safety

Avalon is a small, low-crime resort town. The practical risks are the tender transfer in a swell, steep hills in heat, and sunburn on the open waterfront. Golf carts share the narrow hill roads with taxis and service vehicles, so drive slowly. The sea is cold for much of the year; swim only at the town beaches or Descanso, and keep clear of boat lanes near the piers. Visitors from outside the US should check their own government's travel advice for the United States. Emergency number: 911.

Accessibility

The waterfront and Crescent Avenue are flat and closed to traffic, so the core of Avalon works for wheelchair users. Tender access depends on the swell; ask the ship whether wheelchair users can transfer that day. The city's COAST shuttle is run to meet Americans with Disabilities Act requirements. Anything inland is steep. At the Wrigley Memorial the ramps and terraces are paved with flagstone, and the observation platform is reached by steps; call the Conservancy on 310-510-2897 with access questions.

If it rains

Rain is uncommon but possible in winter. Use the Catalina Museum for Art & History (closed Mondays) and the Nature Center at Avalon Canyon, then eat on the covered waterfront. Unpaved interior tours may be cancelled after rain, and a rough sea can stop tendering altogether.

Crowds

Avalon cannot comfortably absorb thousands of people at once, and the waterfront fills within an hour of the first tenders. Take an early tender and go uphill first, or take a later tender when the morning rush has passed. Disney Cruise Line has preferential scheduling on Tuesdays and some Saturdays under its agreement with the city to 2030, so expect a full bay then. Summer is the busiest season.

Avalon cruise port FAQ

Sources

Checked November 2026. Spotted something out of date? Email hello@porttrip.com.

1. Love Catalina (Catalina Island Tourism Authority) – Cruise to Catalina
2. Love Catalina – City of Avalon launches COAST microtransit shuttle (2024)
3. Catalina Island Conservancy – Wrigley Memorial and Botanic Garden
4. LA County Parks – Nature Center at Avalon Canyon
5. Visit Catalina Island – Catalina Museum for Art & History
6. Visit Catalina Island – Buffalo Milk
7. Bluewater Grill – Catalina Island
8. Travel Market Report – Avalon raises cruise passenger fee to $7.50 (2026)
9. Cruise Industry News – Disney gets preferential access for Catalina Island (October 2025)
10. The Log – Avalon tries to manage cruise traffic
11. Cruzely – Catalina on a cruise (2026)
12. Gangwaze – Carnival Firenze itinerary, May 2026
13. Deep Arrival – Quantum of the Seas at Catalina, 29 July 2026
14. CruiseMapper – Santa Catalina Island (Avalon)
15. Cruise Timetables – Visiting Catalina Island
16. Fodor's – Avalon restaurants