Santa Catalina Island

Cruise ships cannot dock here, so passengers are tendered to dock four or five at Avalon Landing, also known as Cabrillo Molr, in downtown Avalon's centre.

Take a printable map with you.

Santa Catalina Island is small at 21 miles long and less than a mile wide at its narrowest point. It rises from sea level to 2,000 feet, where coastal cliffs plunge sharply into the ocean and an undersea ledge circling the island creates a rich marine habitat.

The island has only two towns: Avalon, home to about 3,000 people, and Two Harbors, where a few hardy souls live at the narrowest point. The rest has been preserved in its natural state by a conservancy established by the island's former owner, chewing gum magnate William Wrigley.

Although many island beaches are somewhat rocky, there is plenty beyond relaxing on the sand. A short walk from Avalon, Lover's Cove is a protected marine preserve and an excellent snorkelling spot, with plentiful fish accustomed to people through frequent feedings from passengers on glass-bottom boats touring the area. The Catalina Island Conservancy protects much of the interior and oversees its diverse habitat, home to plant and animal species found nowhere else in the world. It also runs a nature centre at Avalon Canyon and leads nature walks every evening.…

Avalon makes a great walking town if you are up to it; if not, use the trolley that runs from Pebbly Beach and the Casino to the Botanical Garden.

Golf carts are available to hire from several places.

Snorkel at Lover's Cove, taking old bagels from the ship to draw fish swarming around you. The water may be chilly. From the green Pleasure Pier, where Carnival's tenders drop you off, Lover's Cove is 10 min. to the left; snorkel equipment, including wet suits, can be hired on the pier.

In the U.S., the official currency is the United States dollar (symbol: $), with ATM's everywhere.

Major cards including Visa and MasterCard are accepted and widely used, even for transactions worth only a few dollars, and may sometimes be the only way to complete one. For overseas visitors, taxes and gratuities are seldom included, so the displayed price of goods and services can appear lower than the real cost.

Most states charge sales tax, usually 4-6%, though it ranges from 2.9% to nearly 10% of the retail price. With the exceptions of gasoline and, in most states, alcoholic beverages consumed on-premises, it is almost never included in displayed prices and is added when payment is made.

Tipping is both common and expected in America. Americans themselves may debate the correct level and who should be tipped, but generally accepted standard rates are:

• At full-service restaurants, tip 15-20%. This is often the wait(ress)'s only income. Tips can be cash or added to the credit card slip. Note: An automatic service charge is added by few restaurants; if so, choose how much additional tip to leave. Check your bill!
• Taxi drivers, hairdressers or other personal services: 10-15%.
• For bartenders, give $1 per inexpensive drink or 15% of total.
• For bellhops, allow $1-2 per bag ($3-5 minimum regardless).
• Hotel doormen receive $1 per bag if they assist and $1 for calling a cab.
• Tour guides: Consider the length, size and overall quality of guided tours; half day tours or less are $5-10 per person, while longer tours are $10-20 per person.
• For private car & limousine drivers, the rate is 15-20%.
• In hotels, housekeeping is $1-2 per day for long stays or $5 minimum for very short stays (optional).
• For food delivery (pizza, etc.), allow $2-5, possibly more for very large orders.

English is by far the language of everyday U.S. use, though there is no federal official language. Several states have adopted English as their official state language. Spanish has official status and is widely spoken in New Mexico; French is official in Louisiana and Hawaiian in Hawaii, but neither comes close to English in use and both are official chiefly for historical reasons.

Dial 911 in an emergency.

Many drugstores and supermarkets in large metropolitan areas, including New York and Los Angeles, are routinely open 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. Most department stores, shopping centers and other large retailers operate 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday to Saturday, usually reducing Sunday hours to 11 a.m. or noon through 5 or 6 p.m. The general tendency on holidays is to remain open, except on important holidays such as Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day, when stores are normally closed.