With two long weekends approaching and a major vessel out of service, B.C. Ferries is urging passengers to book ahead so they aren’t left behind.
Monday is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation statutory holiday, with the Thanksgiving holiday following on Oct. 14.
The busy long weekends come as B.C. Ferries deals with reduced capacity on the Swartz Bay- Tsawwassen route with the Queen of New Westminster out for repairs until spring.
“We’re adding capacity where possible but having one of our major route vessels out of service and no resiliency in our fleet presents a challenge,” Mel Lucia, vice-president of customer experience at B.C. Ferries, said in a statement.
The ferry company is encouraging passengers to make reservations, consider travelling during off-peak times, or walk on board to avoid travel disruptions.
The Thanksgiving weekend is traditionally B.C. Ferries’ fifth busiest of the year, and often sees high foot-passenger traffic, the company said — last year, about 165,000 vehicles and 430,000 passengers travelled over that weekend.
To help spread out demand on the long weekends, B.C. Ferries is offering discounted saver fares at off-peak times for those with vehicles. Savings will also be available for foot passengers on certain sailings, the company said.
Extra sailings, including early-morning and late-night trips, have been added.
B.C. Ferries is warning that space for foot passengers on sailings between the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island may reach capacity at peak periods, which means some foot passengers may have to wait for the next available sailing.
Customers without reservations can check B.C. Ferries’ website for current conditions, but should be prepared for significant sailing waits and the possibility of being turned away if they arrive at the terminal during peak times, it said.
Reservations are still available for vehicle and foot passengers on both long weekends, said B.C. Ferries, adding terminals will be busy, and passengers should arrive early, including foot passengers.
Since parking lots often fill up during long weekends, foot passengers should consider using public transit or the B.C. Ferries Connector bus, or arrange to be dropped off at the terminal, B.C. Ferries said.
Meanwhile, the company said more than 80 per cent of reservations for sailings this fall on the Queen of New Westminster have been rebooked after the vessel was taken out of service.
The rest were refunded because of lack of availability on customers’ preferred dates and times or because of customer choice, B.C. Ferries said.
A propeller fell off the 60-year-old vessel at the beginning of September, sinking to the sea floor. It has since been recovered and extensive repairs are planned for the ferry.
More than 6,500 bookings through to the end of December were affected when the vessel was pulled from service.
B.C. Ferries pointed to the Queen of New Westminster’s difficulties to bolster its case for seven new major vessels — six replacements and one additional vessel — a purchase that needs to be approved by the B.C. Ferry Commissioner. The Queen of New Westminster is one of the vessels set for eventual replacement.
“This is an example of just how critical it is that we move ahead with seeking approval from the Ferry Commissioner to add a net new ship to our major routes and meet the needs and expectations of our customers for reliability and flexibility across the system,” Lucia said.
