BC Ferries looks to mobile and touchscreen food ordering on future ships | Daily Hive

Coastal Cafe on a BC Ferries ship. (BC Ferries)

BC Ferries is beginning to reimagine how passengers will interact with onboard food service and retail spaces aboard its next generation of vessels, with new technology and operational changes under consideration as part of a broader fleet renewal program.

The ferry company is undertaking planning tied to the four New Major Vessels that will be built in a Mainland China shipyard beginning in Fall 2026, with the first ship entering service in 2029 and the last ship ready by 2031.

These vessels will be the new largest ships on the BC Ferries fleet — exceeding the size of the existing pair of Spirit-class ships — serving as replacements of aging and increasingly unreliable vessels operating on the major routes linking Metro Vancouver with Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast.

This week, BC Ferries also formally named the New Major Vessels, which are now collectively known as the Summit-class fleet, with each ship provided with a tree-inspired name — the Summit Arbutus, Summit Cedar, Summit Maple, and Summit Spruce.

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The ferry company is considering ways to modernize onboard services and improve how passengers access food, retail, and other amenities during busy sailings.

BC Ferries is issuing a Request for Proposals (RFP) seeking technology providers capable of supporting future food-service and retail operations. Areas under review include ordering systems, payment processing, kitchen coordination, and retail management tools. While the current focus is on improving the customer service technology on the future new ships, the new digital tools could eventually be expanded to other ships as well.

Conceptual artistic rendering of the Summit Arbutus ship. (BC Ferries)

“Fleet renewal is about more than replacing vessels — it’s an opportunity to thoughtfully advance and improve the overall customer experience for the future,” said Melanie Lucia, vice president of customer experience at BC Ferries, in a statement.

“As we introduce a new class of major vessels, we’re looking at how onboard spaces, services and technology may evolve alongside customer expectations and the needs of a busy coastal transportation system. While this work is initially focused on our new major vessels, it may also help inform future decisions about how technology and service approaches could continue evolving across the broader fleet over time.”

The ferry company notes that this approach is being driven in part by expectations of continued growth in passenger demand and the operational challenges that can arise during peak travel periods on very big ships.

Potential new digital solutions being explored include touchscreen ordering kiosks, mobile ordering options, improved pickup systems, and stronger integration between customer orders and food preparation processes.

Currently, BC Ferries offers a range of onboard services across its fleet, including Coastal Cafe restaurants, Arbutus Coffee Bar locations, Seawest and Seascapes lounges, and Passages retail stores. The latest planning effort is intended to help ensure those food and beverage concepts and services remain sustainable and adaptable as the fleet evolves in the coming decades.

Each future Summit-class vessel will be able to accommodate up to 2,100 passengers and crew, plus 358 cars and 34 semi trucks. Moreover, the configuration of the passenger decks will be considerably different than what passengers are currently accustomed to on the existing ships, spread over three decks, with food services available on each of these three decks.

Layout of the three indoor passenger decks; concept of the Summit-class ships (New Major Vessels). (BC Ferries)

“We know busy sailings can create pressure for both customers and crews, particularly during peak travel periods,” continued Lucia.

“This work is about exploring how onboard spaces, technology and service flow can better support our teams and create a more flexible and convenient experience for customers, while continuing to deliver the quality and service people expect.”

Beyond food service, BC Ferries is also evaluating how technology could simplify access to onboard amenities and help crews manage high passenger volumes more efficiently.

The ferry company has indicated that enhancements to retail operations are also under consideration, with an emphasis on supporting employees while improving service delivery.

The procurement process is expected to provide insight into how various technologies perform in a marine environment, where factors such as limited sailing times, fluctuating internet connectivity, and large passenger loads can present unique operational challenges.

BC Ferries emphasized that the initial focus will remain on the four new Summit-class ships. The ferry company is also considering a pilot project aboard an existing vessel or at a terminal to test potential systems and operational concepts before any wider rollout is contemplated.

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