Once I got back from my first Europe adventure I was ready to go on a cruise again but back in the 1980’s this was still so new for people and it was hard to get anyone interested in going on a cruise. Living in California, we had a variety of short cruises with choices of NCL, Carnival, and Admiral Cruise Line with their ship the Azure Seas. It only held 820 passengers and compares nothing with the large mega cruise ships of today that are so large with so many amenities.

If you live on the West Coast and have no interest in flying to a port then you can cruise out of Long Beach or San Pedro California. Carnival and Royal Caribbean have short cruises that sail to Ensenada and Catalina Island. There are also cruises up the coast to Vancouver, Canada before the Alaska cruise season in April/May and the coast cruises back from Vancouver in September. The longer cruises typically go to Mexico for 7 nights from the ports of San Pedro and Los Angeles. You can go on different cruise lines depending on the time of the year. In the summer there is the beautiful Carnival Panorama and after the Alaska season you can also sail from California on Norwegian Cruise Line, Celebrity Cruise Line, and Princess. Disney is offering limited short sailings from San Diego and Princess has some 7 night cruises from San Francisco. The west coast is getting more popular, more lines are sailing ships from there.

I hadn’t gone back on one of the short cruise from California since I moved to the east coast until April 2022 when Ayr and I went with our good friends Mazy and Randy on the new refurbished Carnival Radiance. It was a short 4 night cruise to Catalina Island and Ensenada, we had such a great time with our Canadian friends who we don’t get to see often enough. Carnival did a great job with this ship and it looks brand new with lots of new features. This is the first ship to be starting things off with the culinary influence of Shaq, and his Big Chicken place is really good, it’s open for breakfast and lunch. You won’t go hungry on this ship, there’s also two more good spots on the Carnival Radiance, Guy’s Burger Joint and Guy’s Pig & Anchor BBQ Smokehouse.

Santa Catalina Island is huge, my favorite way to see it is with renting a golf cart, they have 2, 4 or some 6 seaters. You can rent them right where the ship’s tender boat drops you off. It was $60 an hour, we only took an hour and felt we saw a lot and wanted some time on foot to walk around the shops and have some lunch. Some people were renting bikes by the hour or the day but be aware there are some steep hills the Island if you plan on biking. When you rent a golf cart be aware that they are only permitted to be used within the City limits. If you would rather enjoy the day in the water there are Semi Submarine tours where you will see dolphins, sea lions and other aquatic life in the crystal clear waters of Catalina’s world renowned marine environment This is also one of the most popular places to go scuba diving in Southern California thanks to abundant marine life and accessibility. There is also great snorkeling and classes are available on the Island for beginners.

We drove by on our golf cart but if you are up to a hike you can go all the way up to the Wrigley Memorial & Botanic Garden it’s located at the top of Avalon Canyon about a 30 minute walk from town. The Garden features a collection of native plants from both Catalina Island, and the surrounding Channel Islands. The park is also home to the Wrigley Memorial. This iconic island landmark was built in 1934 in honor of Catalina Island patron William Wrigley Jr. The other option to get up here is the Garibaldi Bus operated by the City of Avalon. The Garibaldi Community fixed route bus serves central Avalon from the ferry landing to Casino Way and up-canyon to the Wrigley Memorial and Botanical Garden. $2 per ride, children under 5 are free.

We didn’t get to the Santa Catalina Casino this visit as we didn’t have the time, it’s one of Catalina’s most well known landmarks, and no there is no gaming there. Instead there is hand painted murals in the entry way of this beautiful masterpiece. Built in 1929 the murals depict the history of Catalina’s cultural evolution, it was among the first in the world to have sound in movies. The amazing acoustics produced by the theatre’s 50 foot domed ceiling were studied and replicated by designers of New York’s Radio City Music Hall. This was the dream of chewing gum magnate William Wrigley Jr., who bought controlling interest of Catalina Island in 1919. Inside, Wrigley hosted lavish dances and performances. Today, the tradition continues, as the elaborate ballroom is home to several annual events. They have walking tour where you will learn about the building, Avalon’s history and Hollywood connection. The Behind-the-Scenes Tour lets you peek into dressing rooms that had been closed for 70 years, and to walk on the stage where famed musicians like Benny Goodman played to adoring fans. 

We found so many extraordinary shopping opportunities in Avalon. We walked along the scenic waterfront and discovered small, quaint shops and boutiques offering island apparel, works by local artists as well as restaurants and a really good ice cream shop. Most of Avalon’s shops are located within a few city blocks close to the tender to take you back to your ship. It was a beautiful Southern California day and a pleasant walking experience to enjoy the waterfront experience along Crescent Avenue.

We all loved Santa Catalina and there are also boats that will bring you over here for a longer visit right from San Pedro. It would be a very fun, relaxing place to spend a nice weekend with everything you need from nice restaurants, great shopping, hiking, boating, golfing, and the beach.

If you are looking for one of the most relaxing activities Santa Catalina Island has to offer, then look no further than the Descanso Beach Club, a private beach and cove that features plenty of relaxing and romantic things to do on Catalina Island. Known best for its incredible grade of nightlife, enjoying the California sun on a fully serviced paradise isn’t too shabby either. When visiting Descanso Beach Club, one of the coolest things to do is partake in some of the outdoor activities, which include things like Snorkeling, Scuba Diving, and their infamous Zip Line Tour. The Descanso Beach Club, the Pavilion Hotel is a combination of Modern Luxury and a quaint island style. Most of the rooms are equipped with a private balcony, so you can enjoy the sun or warm night sky anytime you’d like.

Mazy found a second hand thrift store and left with a chicken!! She loves chickens, and this chicken bowl was a major find, she took it back on the ship and it made it’s way all the way back to Canada with her! Another day that went way too fast and before we knew it it was time to head back to the tender boat to take us back to our ship.

of the churro stands left. We saw a lot of people from our ship at Papas and Beer an