Catalina Express FleetStarship Express
The Starship Express, a high speed catamaran, has two passenger decks with spacious airline-style seating, outdoor individual open air seating, upgraded Commodore Lounge seating on the upper deck, air conditioned cabins, cabin attendant service, two bars and snack stations, restroom facilities (one handicapped accessible), and in-cabin flat screen monitors displaying selected programming or the GPS vessel route plotter. Catalina Express introduced into service its high-speed catamaran, the Starship Express in August of 1999. The $7 million, 300-passenger vessel cruises at speeds of up to 35-knots and makes the crossing to Catalina Island in under an hour. In addition to speed, the Starship Express was designed for passenger comfort. It offers airline-style seating, manufactured by Eknes Industrier of Norway. Seats are arranged in groupings of three and four seats separated by wide aisles for easy access. Wide, ceiling-to-seat level windows provide lots of light and great viewing. The main deck also features bar service, a snack station, five restrooms (one handicapped accessible), a large storage room for passenger luggage and overhead storage bins to accommodate carry-on bags. With the inauguration of the Starship Express, Catalina Express introduced a new level of service to Catalina Island with its 50-seat Commodore Lounge on the vessel’s upper deck. For a $15 upgrade over the normal one-way adult fare, Commodore Lounge passengers receive priority boarding and a complimentary beverage with packaged snack served at their seats by cabin attendants. The Commodore Lounge features leather-trimmed headrests and seats that are wider and recline for comfort. For passengers who prefer sea breezes to air-conditioned comfort, the Starship Express offers covered deck seating on comfortable individual seats manufactured by Beurteaux of Australia on the rear deck of the upper level. The Starship Express was built by Pequot River Shipworks of New London Connecticut and designed specifically for Catalina Express by one of the world’s top designers of fast ferries, FBM Design of Cowes in the Isle of Wight, United Kingdom. Its sleek torpedo bows and full computer-controlled ride systems deliver a smooth channel crossing. At 134-feet in length with a 34-foot beam, the fast catamaran with bulbous bows is powered by two MTU/Detroit 16V 4000 diesel engines. Each engine drives a Kamewa Water Jet and has 3110 horsepower. The catamaran offers several environmental improvements including a low wash or reduced wake as the vessel travels across the water, and new state-of-the-art engines feature a computer controlled electronic injection system that promises very low levels of emission. Vessel Specifications
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