What to know if you're sailing with BC Ferries on its 'fifth busiest' long weekend
The last time B.C. had a long weekend, BC Ferries had a few hiccups.
Ahead of Easter at the beginning of April, the ferry service announced that two of its vessels were compromised. One had a generator issue and needed repairs, and one was delayed in returning from its annual refit, resulting in a number of pre-emptively cancelled sailings. Over the weekend, more sailings were cancelled and passengers were even left stranded.
Not only does BC Ferries have an aging fleet of vessels, but it also simply does not have enough of them.
So far, ahead of Victoria Day Weekend, the situation is looking a bit better.
While BC Ferries is expecting a busy few days, it has not had to preemptively cancel any sailings due to vessel issues. However, Victoria Day is still its fifth busiest long weekend of the year, according to Shiryn Sayani, a senior communications advisor with BC Ferries.
Last year, during Victoria Day weekend, BC Ferries major routes carried 102,000 vehicles and 290,000 passengers. Sayani told Daily Hive that they are expecting similar demand this year.
To accommodate all these extra passengers (Sayani said it is “significantly busier than a typical spring weekend”), they’ve added sailings on key routes and are offering discounted saver fares during off-peak sailings to try to distribute traffic.
She added that walking on board is “often the most flexible and reliable option during busy travel periods.”
She said they “strongly encourage” people travelling by vehicle on routes between Metro Vancouver and Vancouver Island/Sunshine Coast. People travelling from Horseshoe Bay to Departure Bay need to book and pay in advance for every sailing.
Sayani said BC Ferries advice is for customers to plan ahead, consider travelling in off-peak hours, check current conditions before leaving home, and walk on if they can.
If you’re planning on travelling via ferry in the coming weeks and months, you can also read about how BC Ferries is preparing for one of its busiest summers to date.