Catalina Island and San Diego Zoo

1. Is Catalina Island worth going to while in Long Beach and, if so, what do you recommend doing there?

2. What is the best way to get to the San Diego Zoo and how long does it take to get there from the port?

Thanks for any help

As to the zoo, a quick search finds:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1851479&highlight=zoo

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1810173&highlight=zoo

and a few others.

As to Catalina, only you can decide if it is worth it. It is a neat place, but not knowing what other interests and options you might have for the LA area, I can't recommend it.

Catalina is a resort island. It's nice for a day or overnight. I wouldn't do it as a shore excursion.

In Long Beach the easy to get to things are the Queen Mary and the submarine, and the Aquarium of the Pacific.

The Queen Mary is a five minute walk. You'll see it when your docked. The Aquarium is on the free Passport bus route. The bus stop is in the middle of the parking lot.

I recommend taking a cab to the SD Zoo. When we were there last year, it was a LONG walk to the nearest bus stop to catch the applicable bus to the zoo. The zoo is very large, so if you want to make the most of your time in order to see as much of it as possible, a cab is more time efficient. Also, visit the zoo's website and download a map so that you can plan your day ahead of time. If your ship docks early enough, try to get to the zoo when it opens (9:00 AM). When you first arrive, take the sightseeing bus around the zoo so that you can determine which areas you want to see first (35 minute loop). The lines for the bus get longer as the day goes on, so do this first. The first bus tour is at 9:30 AM. After you enter the front gate, the bus loading area is to the right. Sit on the top deck for the best views. Use the Skyfari to get from one end to the other as well. The Skyfari opens at 10:00 AM. You can also bring your own snacks/beverages into the zoo - no coolers though. The SD Zoo is one of our most favorite places! It is amazing!

Also at the zoo, go see the pandas early, they get really crowded later too!

We will be on Catalina Island in May, as it is one of our ports on our Jewel of the Seas cruise. RCI has a walking tour to the Avalon Casino (I think that is what it is called). I was thinking we could do this ourselves, at our own rate. Am I off in that assumption? The tour to and from is only an hour so it would seem that we could manage this without getting lost. I hope! I'm wondering if they give out maps on board so that we can get around easily.

We will be on Catalina Island in May, as it is one of our ports on our Jewel of the Seas cruise. RCI has a walking tour to the Avalon Casino (I think that is what it is called). I was thinking we could do this ourselves, at our own rate. Am I off in that assumption? The tour to and from is only an hour so it would seem that we could manage this without getting lost. I hope! I'm wondering if they give out maps on board so that we can get around easily.

It is about a 15 minute walk to the Casino. Don't really need a map as most businesses are on Crescent Ave. But here is a map of Avalon.

The tour is the front of the Casino. A better tour is you have time and the timing is right, is the "Behind the Scenes tour" from this company. We did this and loved it. It did the Walking tour and added Behind the Scenes.