Disney Cruise Line is thinking long-term when it comes to Catalina Island, the destination off California’s coast that has emerged as a sought-after port call by guests.
The island’s only city, Avalon, has approved a five-year agreement giving the cruise line preferred access to anchorage areas. Avalon’s harbor has no docking facilities, and all cruise ships must tender guests to shore.
Under the pact approved by the Avalon City Council on March 4, 2025, Disney Cruise Line ships will enjoy preferred access on Tuesdays year-round and on Saturdays from mid-September to mid-May.
The agreement takes effect in 2027 and includes two options for five-year extensions, potentially giving Disney ships top access to anchorage sites for the following 15 years.
Disney Cruise Line ships have been including Catalina Island on their itineraries for the past few years. Disney Wonder made her maiden call to the island in 2022 and returned for a series of cruises in 2023. Disney Magic also called at the island in 2023. Both ships accommodate 2,700 guests.
In 2024 and 2025, Disney Wonder added Catalina Island as a call on her 3- and 4-night Baja Cruises, which sail from San Diego and also visit Ensenada, Mexico.
Disney Wonder will next call at the island on March 15 and 18, 2025 during Baja voyages, which continue into early May 2025 before the ship deploys to Vancouver, British Columbia for an Alaska cruise series.
Under the terms of the Avalon agreement, Disney Cruise Line guarantees it will deliver 120,000 cruise guests to the island each year. The cruise line also agreed to pay a $9 wharfage fee per passenger, an amount subject to a 2.5% increase in each year of the contract.
According to local media reports, the deal with Disney Cruise Line is not meant to increase the number of cruise ships calling at Catalina Island but rather to better manage visitors.
“This partnership makes sense because Disney shares our values and concerns as a city,” said David Maistros, city manager of Avalon.
“It strengthens our ability to offer a high-quality experience while securing financial stability,” Maistros added.
A Disney Cruise Line official noted that Avalon is a key destination in the cruise line’s strategy for growth.
More Cruise Lines Discover Allure of Catalina Island
Demand for cruise calls to Catalina Island has grown in recent years, evidenced by the number of maiden visits by a variety of major cruise lines.
In 2024, for instance, the island experienced a record number of maiden calls by five ships — Seabourn’s Seabourn Sojourn, Celebrity Cruises’ Celebrity Summit; Carnival Cruise Line’s Carnival Firenze; and Royal Caribbean’s Brilliance of the Seas and Radiance of the Seas.
Catalina Island is just 22 miles off the California coast. The nearest port is Long Beach, just south of Los Angeles. The island is about 85 miles from San Diego, the seasonal homeport for Disney Wonder in 2025.
The destination is known for its protected conservation areas and eight marine sanctuaries, providing visiting cruise ships with the ability to offer a wide variety of nature-focused shore excursions. One unique shore tour that Disney Cruise Line offers takes guests to view a herd of bison that lives in the island’s interior.
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Other featured excursions include a falconry experience, beachside relaxation at the Descanso Beach Club, hiking, kayaking, and sailing tours, and seal cruises, among many others.
Besides Disney Wonder, other ships slated to call at Catalina Island in spring 2025 include Carnival Cruise Line’s Carnival Radiance and Carnival Firenze, Royal Caribbean’s Navigator of the Seas, Princess Cruises’ Discovery Princess, and Holland America Line’s Zaandam.
