FastCat Ferry: Cebu's High-Speed Link to Tubigon, Bohol

FastCat is one of the operators connecting Cebu’s port to Bohol — and the only one that lands you in Tubigon rather than Tagbilaran, on a RORO (roll-on/roll-off) vessel that carries vehicles. If your end destination is anywhere on the western or northern side of Bohol, or you’re bringing a car or motorbike, that two-hour crossing is the shorter overall trip.

The Cebu Pier 3 ↔ Tubigon RoRo line is FastCat’s flagship Bohol route and gets full treatment below. FastCat also runs the Toledo–San Carlos crossing to Negros from western Cebu (covered further down) and a handful of routes elsewhere in the Visayas that don’t touch Cebu, noted at the bottom.

What FastCat is, briefly

FastCat operates RORO catamarans — the long, twin-hulled vessels at Pier 3 in white-and-orange livery — built to carry passengers and vehicles together. The Cebu–Tubigon line is the operator’s flagship Visayas run. Three classes, predictable two-hour crossings, online booking through 12Go. It rates reasonably well in traveler reviews for clean vessels and on-time departures; tight economy seating and uneven air-conditioning are the common notes.

Cebu → Tubigon route at a glance — verified schedule

Departures valid as of 2026-06-23 — check 12Go for current schedules. [FACT NEEDED: verify current 2026 schedule] — the timetable below hasn’t been re-checked against a live source since that date.

Schedules drift, especially in low season. Always confirm on the day of travel — 12Go and the FastCat counter both show live timetables.

Full detail on the terminal itself — layout, other operators serving it, getting there from various points in Bohol — is at Tubigon Port, Bohol’s highest-frequency sea gateway to Cebu across all operators combined.

🚢 Check FastCat Cebu–Tubigon schedules on 12Go

Cebu Pier 3 — getting there

Pier 3 sits in the city port complex south of Pier 1 (OceanJet and SuperCat). Ask any Grab driver for “Pier 3 FastCat.” The Cebu Port Authority manages Pier 3 and the Bohol ferry terminals.

• From IT Park / Lahug: 25–35 minutes by Grab, ₱200–280 in normal traffic. Add 15 minutes between 4:30 and 7 PM.
• From Mactan-Cebu International Airport: 35–50 minutes by Grab, ₱350–500 depending on surge. No direct airport-to-pier shuttle; budget travelers take MyBus to SM City Cebu then Grab.
• From Cebu City hotels (Fuente, Ayala area): 15–25 minutes by Grab, ₱150–250.

Get to the terminal 60 minutes before departure. If you’re bringing a vehicle, arrive earlier — loading queues for cars and motorbikes close before foot-passenger boarding. Business class boards 15 minutes earlier than the rest.

Tubigon arrival and onward travel

Tubigon is a small port town in northwestern Bohol, not Tagbilaran. That’s the trade-off. The town’s own economy runs on the port and the fish trade that moves through it alongside the ferry traffic — the market stalls near the terminal sell the morning catch to Cebu-bound buyers as much as they sell snacks to travelers, which is a useful sign you’ve landed somewhere working rather than staged for tourism.

• To Panglao / Alona Beach: ~2 hours by van or hired car. Most Panglao hotels can arrange a Tubigon pickup — ask when you book. Without one, it’s a tricycle, then a bus or van to Tagbilaran, then another van to Panglao. The 2 hours saved on the water gets spent on land.
• To Chocolate Hills (Carmen): ~1.5 hours. Tubigon is actually closer to the Chocolate Hills than Tagbilaran — the underrated reason to choose FastCat if your itinerary is Chocolate Hills first, Panglao later.
• To Tagbilaran City: ~1 hour by bus or van, ₱100–150.

If you’re booking a Bohol day tour from Cebu, most packages still depart via Tagbilaran (Pier 1). FastCat is the better choice for independent travel into Bohol and for anyone moving a vehicle. For a fuller picture of how Tubigon compares with Bohol’s three other Cebu-facing ports — Tagbilaran, Getafe, and Talibon — see Bohol to Cebu: which port to use.

Class tiers — what you actually get

Economy — air-conditioned cabin, fixed seating, no priority boarding. Upright seats, busiest cabin. Fine for two hours.

Premium Economy — same cabin, better seats, less crowded. Worth the upgrade with luggage or a child.

Business Class — separate cabin, priority boarding, the most generous seating. Pays for itself on holiday weekends when economy sells out, and on rough crossings.

All three classes ride the same vessel and arrive at the same time. You’re paying for comfort and queue position, not speed.

Cebu (Toledo) → San Carlos, Negros — the western crossing

FastCat also runs the Toledo City → San Carlos RORO across the Tañon Strait — the practical vehicle crossing from western Cebu into Negros Occidental, three daily each way, about a 1.5-hour crossing. Schedule valid as of 2026-06-23.

• Departures (Toledo): 07:00, 11:00, 19:00
• Departures (San Carlos): 05:00, 09:00, 17:00
• Use case: the western Cebu route into Negros, skipping the Cebu City piers entirely — handy if you’re driving the Toledo road from Cebu City

🚢 Check FastCat Toledo–San Carlos schedules on 12Go

When this route makes sense

Choose FastCat over the Tagbilaran fast craft when your Bohol destination is Chocolate Hills, Carmen, or central/northern Bohol (Tubigon is closer), when you’re traveling independently with onward transport arranged, or — decisively — when you’re bringing a car or motorbike, since the fast craft can’t carry vehicles. Choose the Tagbilaran ferries (OceanJet/SuperCat) when you’re heading directly to Panglao or on a booked day tour.

Practical detail

Terminal fees are cash at the pier — small bills. Luggage: standard suitcases fine, no per-bag fee for normal volume; vehicles and oversized cargo need advance arrangement at the counter. One honest caveat — weather: FastCat reschedules to the next available departure at no cost on cancellations, and June–November is the rougher window, so keep your hotel booking flexible. Food onboard: a small snack counter on some vessels, not reliable — eat before boarding. Motion sickness: upper-deck seats and a half-tablet of meclizine 30 minutes before departure; the cabin air-con runs cold, so bring a layer.

FastCat’s other routes — out of scope here

FastCat also runs Caticlan ↔ Bulalacao, Bacolod ↔ Dumangas, Sorsogon ↔ Northern Samar, and Maasin ↔ Surigao. Those don’t start at a Cebu pier and sit outside this guide.

Booking

12Go is the easiest way to lock in a FastCat ticket — instant confirmation, digital tickets accepted at the terminal, refundable on weather cancellations. The operator counter at Pier 3 works for same-day walk-ups but loses you the queue advantage; book ahead if you’re moving a vehicle.

🚢 Book your FastCat crossing on 12Go

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Schedules and class details reflect operator-published information via 12Go as of 2026-06-23 — check 12Go for current schedules. This site earns a commission on bookings made through 12Go partner links at no cost to you.