Catalina Express
Catalina Express (Catalina Channel Express, Inc.) is a private passenger ferry operator providing year-round high-speed boat transportation between three Southern California mainland ports — San Pedro, Long Beach, and Dana Point — and Catalina Island destinations of Avalon and Two Harbors.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1981
- HeadquartersSan Pedro, United States
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
Catalina Express firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Catalina Express
- Legal name
- Catalina Channel Express, Inc.
- Website
- https://catalinaexpress.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1981
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- Catalina Express (Catalina Channel Express, Inc.) is a private passenger ferry operator providing year-round high-speed boat transportation between three Southern California mainland ports — San Pedro, Long Beach, and Dana Point — and Catalina Island destinations of Avalon and Two Harbors.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Catalina Express industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Passenger Ferry Services
- NAICS
- Coastal and Great Lakes Passenger Transportation (483114), Water Transportation (483), Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Water (48721)
- SIC
- Water Transportation (4400)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Island & Archipelago Ferry Services (THAEAGAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Island & Remote Community Ferry Services (THAIAJAG), Water Taxi & Island-Hopping Excursions (Inter-island Day Trips) (THAJAJAK)
Keywords
Where Catalina Express is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Pedro
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices4 records
Markets served
Catalina Express business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Passenger Ferry Tickets: Round-trip and one-way ferry tickets for passengers traveling between mainland ports (San Pedro, Long Beach, Dana Point) and Catalina Island destinations (Avalon, Two Harbors). Primary revenue stream with ticket sales based on route, passenger type (adult/child), and cabin class options.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Adult tickets |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Child tickets |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Group rates (20+) |
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Upgrade options (Commodore Lounge, Captain's Lounge) |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels11 records
Catalina Express product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Catalina Express operates a year-round passenger ferry service transporting travelers from three Southern California mainland ports (San Pedro, Long Beach, Dana Point) to two Catalina Island destinations (Avalon and Two Harbors). Using a fleet of eight fast modern boats with up to 30 daily departures and an approximate one-hour crossing, the company sells standard and group passenger tickets, premium cabin upgrades (Captain's Lounge, Commodore Lounge), hotel-and-ferry bundles, and gift cards.
Product overview
Catalina Express is a passenger ferry service operating year-round boat transportation between three Southern California mainland ports (San Pedro, Long Beach, and Dana Point) and Catalina Island (Avalon and Two Harbors). The company operates a fleet of eight fast boats with up to 30 daily departures. The core product is ferry passage, with additional offerings including upgraded seating options (Captain's Lounge, Commodore Lounge), group travel services for parties of 20 or more, and boat & hotel package bundles through CatalinaPackage.com.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Catalina Express Ferry Service Year-round passenger ferry service transporting travelers from three Southern California mainland ports (San Pedro, Long Beach, Dana Point) to Catalina Island destinations (Avalon and Two Harbors) in approximately one hour, using a fleet of eight fast, modern vessels with up to 30 daily departures.
- Group Travel Group booking service for parties of 20 or more adults traveling round-trip to Catalina Island, offering discounted fares on a space-available basis for corporate retreats, family reunions, and other group outings.
- Captain's Lounge Upgrade Premium cabin upgrade to the Captain's Lounge, offering first-class seating treatment and enhanced amenities during the ferry journey between Southern California mainland and Catalina Island.
- Commodore Lounge Upgrade Luxury upgrade option providing premium ferry experience with exclusive Commodore Lounge access and superior onboard amenities for travelers between mainland ports and Catalina Island.
- Boat and Hotel Packages Vacation bundles combining round-trip Catalina Express ferry transportation with hotel or vacation rental accommodations on Catalina Island at discounted rates, offered through CatalinaPackage.com and partner hotel websites.
- Catalina Express Gift Cards Prepaid gift cards redeemable for Catalina Express ferry tickets and onboard services, sold through the FareHarbor booking platform.
Companies that use Catalina Express
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Catalina Express technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
Catalina Express partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Catalina Island Golf Cart RentalsminorPartner spotlight featured on Catalina Express website. Provides golf cart rental services for visitors to Avalon, allowing them to explore the island on their own. Drives additional tourism and island activities for ferry passengers.
- The M RestaurantminorPartner spotlight featured on Catalina Express website. Coastal Italian restaurant near Metropole Marketplace offering chef-driven menu with locally-sourced seafood. Part of island dining ecosystem for ferry passengers.
- Catalina HolidayminorPartner spotlight featured on Catalina Express website. Provides luxurious waterfront villas and vacation home rentals on Catalina Island. Partner in ferry package offerings for overnight stays.
- Karmel ShuttleminorShuttle service provider offering fast, reliable transportation to Catalina Express ports. Contact: 888.995.7433. Provides convenient ground transportation connection for ferry passengers.
- FareHarborcoreBooking platform integration embedded in Catalina Express website for real-time reservations, ticket management, and package bookings. Core infrastructure for online ticket sales and distribution.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Catalina Express competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Blue & Gold Fleet: San Francisco Bay passenger ferry and sightseeing cruise operator running Bay Crossings, Alcatraz tours, and event cruises. Closely analogous ferry-plus-sightseeing business model in a major California coastal tourism market.
- Island Packers: Operator of passenger vessel excursions and ferry services from Ventura and Oxnard to the Channel Islands National Park. Comparable business model — island-passenger ferry serving a Southern California coastal leisure/tourism market.
- Balboa Island Ferry: Short-route passenger ferry service in Newport Beach/Balboa Bay, California. Comparable small-vessel passenger ferry model serving a Southern California coastal leisure market, though shorter route.
- Harbor Breeze Cruises: Long Beach-based whale watching, harbor cruise, and charter operator. Shares the Southern California coastal passenger-vessel operating footprint and tourism-day-trip customer base with Catalina Express.
- Catalina Flyer: High-speed catamaran ferry running between Newport Beach/Balboa and Catalina Island (Avalon). The most direct head-to-head competitor for Catalina Express on the same Southern California-to-Catalina passenger corridor.
Broad incumbents
- Spirit Cruises: Operator of dining cruises, charter events, and water-experience offerings across multiple US coastal markets. Adjacent in leisure passenger vessel operations, with overlap in group/event and tourism customer segments.
- Washington State Ferries: Largest passenger and vehicle ferry operator in the United States, running scheduled routes across Puget Sound and the San Juan Islands. Comparable passenger-water-transport mission at significantly larger state-run scale.
- Hornblower Group (City Experiences): Large-scale operator of harbor cruises, water taxis, ferries, and dining cruises across multiple US cities. Overlaps with Catalina Express on passenger excursion and sightseeing cruise operations but at much broader portfolio scale.
- San Francisco Bay Ferry: San Francisco Bay commuter and event ferry operator. Comparable scheduled passenger ferry service on a US West Coast waterway, with overlap in commuter and event-travel customer patterns, though at significantly larger commuter scale.
Emerging players
- IEX Helicopters / Island Express Helicopter: Helicopter charter service between Southern California mainland and Catalina Island. Competes for premium Catalina-bound travelers who value speed and exclusivity over ferry pricing.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Catalina Express social profiles
Digital presenceCatalina Express financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Catalina Express leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Catalina Express funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Catalina Express M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Catalina Express
What does Catalina Express do?
Catalina Express operates a year-round passenger ferry service transporting travelers from three Southern California mainland ports (San Pedro, Long Beach, Dana Point) to two Catalina Island destinations (Avalon and Two Harbors). Using a fleet of eight fast modern boats with up to 30 daily departures and an approximate one-hour crossing, the company sells standard and group passenger tickets, premium cabin upgrades (Captain's Lounge, Commodore Lounge), hotel-and-ferry bundles, and gift cards.
Is Catalina Express a public or private company?
Catalina Express is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Catalina Express founded?
Catalina Express was founded in 1981. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is Catalina Express based?
Catalina Express is headquartered in San Pedro, United States, in the North America region.
How does Catalina Express make money?
One revenue line is on record: passenger Ferry Tickets.
Who are Catalina Express's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Blue & Gold Fleet, Island Packers, Balboa Island Ferry, Harbor Breeze Cruises and Catalina Flyer. Broad incumbents are Spirit Cruises, Washington State Ferries, Hornblower Group (City Experiences) and San Francisco Bay Ferry. IEX Helicopters / Island Express Helicopter is listed as an emerging player.
Does Catalina Express have an API?
No public API is recorded for Catalina Express.
What industry is Catalina Express in?
Catalina Express's product category is Passenger Ferry Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAEAGAB, Island & Archipelago Ferry Services, with a secondary code of THAIAJAG, Island & Remote Community Ferry Services. Its NAICS code is 483114 and its SIC code is 4400.