Trip Bacon — The secret ingredient to the perfect getaway logo
Trip Bacon

Carnival Firenze Catalina Stop: Skip the Excursion, Do This Instead

 Ant and Shira Adventures
Ant and Shira Adventures
🥉Knowledgeable
👁️ 2K views📅 8 months ago⏱️ 11:39
What This Creator Said
Creator RecommendsTips & Advice🥉Knowledgeable Creator
👫 Best for GroupOther

Source: Our analysis of the creator's lived experience, based on what they said in this video.

Creator's Key Takeaways

I don't recommend an excursion for this one unless you just want to.

It was the perfect mix of chill and fun.

The drinks are nice and strong, the food is fresh, and there's no shortage of seating.

So, we only spent a couple of hours enjoying Catalina Island cuz that's really all that's needed.

Creator's Tips & Advice

Skip the excursion and do a DIY plan: walk the Avalon waterfront and visit Descanso Beach Club.
Bring water shoes for the beach club.
Tip your servers at Descanso Beach Club, as gratuities are not included.

🆕New to Cruising? This Creator Addresses:

Chilly weather on Catalina IslandBring a jacket and layers, as it's normally always chilly.
Navigating tender shuttlesFollow the process shown in the video; multiple exits are available.

Questions This Creator Answers

QWhat does the tenderboat process look like when arriving at Catalina Island?
QIs it worth visiting Descanso Beach Club on a cruise stop?
QWhat can you do on Catalina Island without an excursion?

Topics Covered

Port Destination3 Happy BaconExcursions1½ Happy Bacon

Port Highlights

Catalina Island3 Happy Bacon
Top: DIY exploration (walking waterfront, Descanso Beach Club)
How to read the Trip Bacon Score
Happy Bacon — creators loved this aspect
Sad Bacon — creators took issue with this
Meh — no strong opinion either way

Scale: 0–5 strips in half-step increments. 0 = “meh”, 5 = “bacon bliss”. Aggregated from creator-review sentiment, weighted by channel expertise.

About our Bacon Score methodology
YouTube Video Description

Carnival Firenze to Catalina Island! We walk Avalon’s waterfront, then chill at Descanso Beach Club—tender tips, costs, free vs paid, and our honest “Is it worth it?” verdict. Shot on DJI Pocket 2. Full description: Welcome back to Ant & Shira Adventures! Today we sail the Carnival Firenze to Catalina Island (Avalon) and follow a simple DIY plan: stroll the walkable Avalon waterfront for views, photos, and quick bites, then unwind at Descanso Beach Club. We cover tender timing, free vs paid options, what chairs/food cost at Descanso, and wrap with our honest Worth It / Not Worth It take so you can plan confidently. 🎥 Filmed on: DJI Pocket 2 🛳 Ship: Carnival Firenze (sailing from Long Beach, CA) 📍 Port: Catalina Island (Avalon) 🏖 Feature: Descanso Beach Club (chairs, floats, food & restrooms) 💰 Budget: Exact spend + where to save vs. splurge ✳️ Book with us for perks/quotes: TakeFinerTrips.com 👜 Cruise essentials we actually use: Amazon Storefront → https://www.amazon.com/shop/lifewithantandshira/list/2QWULH7NA922G?ref_=aipsflist 📧 Collaborations/Media: finercruises@gmail.com Thank you for watching. Please HIT "LIKE" if you enjoyed our video. Feel free to leave a comment below to interact with us. Carnival Firenze Catalina Island Avalon Time Stamps 00:00 Intro — What’s in this video (tender process + Descanso plan) 00:32 Tender Port Basics & Weather Prep (layers/jacket) 01:26 Queue & Tender Timing (our 11:20 slot) 02:13 Boarding the Tender (seating + quick tips) 03:04 Ride to Avalon — What to Do Ideas 04:23 Disembarking & Exits (finding the way out) 05:23 Arrival in Avalon — DIY Walk Plan (no excursion needed) 06:50 Descanso Beach Club: Menu & Prices (food + cocktails) 07:16 Tipping Note & Beach Entry Tip (bring water shoes) 08:31 Chairs & Cabanas — Reservations + Pricing 09:24 Drinks & Lunch at Descanso (what we ordered) 10:34 Wrapping Up — Ice Cream Stop & Walk Back 10:54 Bonus Stop — Hunting for “premium” tequila 11:14 Next Up Teaser — Elegant Night, Captain’s Toast, Motown Show + CTA www.takefinertrips.com Follow us on FB @Mz.ShiraNicole https://www.facebook.com/Mz.ShiraNicole & IG/Threads @Mrs.ShiraNicole https://www.instagram.com/Mrs.ShiraNicole TikTok @Mrs.ShiraNicole https://www.tiktok.com/Mrs.ShiraNicole Contact us for travel deals and booking! ***Our Equipment*** Main Camera https://amzn.to/4fstnoO Phone Camera https://amzn.to/4fstnoO Vlogging Camera #1 https://amzn.to/4fstnoO Vlogging Camera #2 https://amzn.to/4fstnoO Tripods: https://amzn.to/4fstnoO Lightening Kit: https://amzn.to/4fstnoO Editing Equipment: https://amzn.to/4fstnoO Microphone: https://amzn.to/4fstnoO Wireless MicroPhone: https://amzn.to/4fstnoO Podcast Audio System: https://amzn.to/4fstnoO Editing Equipment: https://amzn.to/4fstnoO For our travel clothes and essential recommendations: https://www.amazon.com/shop/lifewithantandshira