CA Coastal/Wine Cruise

[jamesnnb]

Does anyone know if Catalina Island is going to be added to any CA Coastal cruises in 2017? They use to go there but don't seem to include Catalina anymore. Maybe replace Santa Barbara with Catalina? You can only take that tender ride into SB so many times .... haha.

[neverbeenhere]

Ruby Nov 2017 - Quickies 4 day to Catalina

[Kartgv]

If it's supposed to be wine cruise, then they would never (or at least they shouldn't!) substitute Catalina for Santa Barbara. Santa Barbara has great wine tasting in the nearby Santa Ynez valley, as well as in town, while Catalina only has what you'd buy in a local store. Catalina is a cute little place, just not for wine.

Edited July 19, 2016 by Kartgv

[Working 2 Cruise]

What you see is what you get....

[Coveguy4]

You also have to tender into Catalina. Both are offered on 4 day in Sept on the Ruby, but not considered a wine cruise, just a get a way

[USNUZULOOSE]

If it's supposed to be wine cruise, then they would never (or at least they shouldn't!) substitute Catalina for Santa Barbara. Santa Barbara has great wine tasting in the nearby Santa Ynez valley, as well as in town, while Catalina only has what you'd buy in a local store. Catalina is a cute little place, just not for wine.

 

I loved taking the golf cart and exploring the island. There is plenty to do on Catalina. I enjoyed seeing the home they made out two ship wrecks.

[Shmoo here]

Does anyone know if Catalina Island is going to be added to any CA Coastal cruises in 2017? They use to go there but don't seem to include Catalina anymore. Maybe replace Santa Barbara with Catalina? You can only take that tender ride into SB so many times .... haha.

 

Our Princess Wine Country Coastal had Santa Barbara as a stop. Picked that one because of the Santa Barbara stop. By the time the cruise went, it had been switched to Catalina. We'd already been to Catalina (twice). If the original itinerary had been Catalina, we wouldn't have taken that cruise. You can only take that tender ride into Catalina so many times.

 

Turns out Princess had two ship scheduled to be Santa Barbara the same day. Don't know why, but our ship was chosen to change. :mad:

[jamesnnb]

Thanks, all. Right you are, a Wine Cruise including Santa Barbara would be ideal. Great wine from that area. We lived in Cambria, CA and visited SB often. As a kid, living in So. CA, I have been to Catalina many times but my husband has never been. We live in Coeur d'Alene Idaho now -- and it is difficult to fly most anywhere as our nearest airport is in Washington State(haha), so 4 day cruises are not worth the effort. 7 day minimum for us these days.

[Astro Flyer]

I think that stops in Catalina were replaced with SB and SD because passengers preferred those ports which have much more to offer.

 

I regularly check prices for CA Coastal & short Getaway cruises from LA where I can drive to the port. Generally the cheapest itineraries have been those to Catalina which indicates to me they're less popular.

 

For a Wine Country cruise SB is much better than Catalina and in SB it's possible to visit several good wine tasting rooms only half a mile walk from the tender pier. :)

Edited July 20, 2016 by Astro Flyer

[Working 2 Cruise]

You're not missing much in Catalina... In 2017, however, the wine coastals will be stopping in Monterey, at least some of them. Now that will be great!