Catalina Express

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

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

• Passenger ferry service
• Marine transportation
• Island ferry operator
• Coastal boat transit
• High-speed ferry service

Headquarters

HQ city

San Pedro

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. 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

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core 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.

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Catalina Island Golf Cart RentalsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner 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 RestaurantminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner 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 HolidayminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner 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 ShuttleminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorShuttle service provider offering fast, reliable transportation to Catalina Express ports. Contact: 888.995.7433. Provides convenient ground transportation connection for ferry passengers.
• FareHarborcoreTechnology or IntegrationBooking 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

Direct 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

• Xx.com/catalinaexpress
• Facebookfacebook.com/CatalinaChannelExpress
• Instagraminstagram.com/catalinaexpress/?hl=en
• Pinterestpinterest.com/catalinaexpress
• TikToktiktok.com/@catalinaexpress

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Catalina Express