New fare details on downtown Vancouver to Nanaimo high-speed ferries

New fare details on downtown Vancouver to downtown Nanaimo high-speed ferries ahead of August launch

Interior of a Hullo Ferries' vessel's Premium class seating (left) and an aerial of both vessels (right). (Hullo Ferries)

The pair of two-level, passenger-only catamaran vessels that will form the Hullo high-speed ferry service between downtown Vancouver and downtown Nanaimo are now on their way to British Columbia.

As of the time of writing today, both vessels are now making their Trans-Pacific journey on a cargo ship, just off the coast of Taiwan, after officially beginning their voyage from the shipyard in Vietnam on June 2.

The vessels are now named spuhéls (spha-els) and sthuqi’ (sta-key), which mean wind and sockeye salmon, respectively, in the hul’q’umi’num’ language, according to the Snuneymuxw First Nation.

The vessels will arrive in Vancouver Island late this month, with Hullo’s operators revealing today they are targeting a launch of regular service sometime in early August 2023. A more specific date for the start of service will be announced closer to launch.

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Hullo Ferries, a private service owned and operated by Vancouver Island Ferry Company, will be a year-round service with multiple round-trip sailings per day, targeted for a wide range of passengers, including commuters, tourists, and larger groups such as families with children.

For the inaugural summer season, there will be up to seven daily round-trip sailings.

The first sailing from the Hullo terminal at the Nanaimo Port Authority’s facility at 100 Port Drive in downtown Nanaimo is 6 am, and there will be up to five more regular round-trip departures as the day progresses.

The first sailing from downtown Vancouver’s Vancouver Harbour Flight Centre — the seaplane terminal on the northwest side of Vancouver Convention Centre’s West Building — will be at 8 am, followed by up to five more departures later in the day.

The last/seventh sailing from Nanaimo at 7:30 pm and the last/seventh sailing from Vancouver at 9:30 pm are subject to special events and occasions — such as major concerts and sporting events in Vancouver — to provide travellers with more flexibility to plan around their trip, allowing them to attend such events.

Hullo Ferries Spuhels Vietnam sea trials

Spuhels’ sea trials in Vietnam. (Hullo Ferries)

Sthuqi’s sea trials in Vietnam. (Hullo Ferries)

A Hullo Ferries vessel being loaded onto a cargo ship in Vietnam. (Hullo Ferries)

Hullo also announced today some precise details on its service, including the fare structure for three different seating classes. Each vessel has a seating capacity of 354 passengers.

The Comfort (economy) class on the main deck provides reserved seating and complimentary basic Wi-Fi, with 264 seats available. Regular adult fares are $39.99 each way.

The Premium class is located on the upper deck and includes reserved seating, reclining seats, priority off-boarding, high-speed Wi-Fi, and an in-seat USB charging port. There are 60 seats in Premium, with regular adult fares set at $49.99 each way.

The Business class includes everything in Premium, plus larger, fully reclining seats in a private section at the front of the ship, and a complimentary snack and beverage. There are 30 seats in Business, with regular adult fares set at $59.99 each way.

Hullo will provide a first-sailing online discount of $10 on the regular adult fare — $29.99 for Comfort, $39.99 for Premium, and $49.99 for Business. This one-time $10 discount is applied when a customer creates an online account.

For all trips, children can sail with lower regular prices of $19.99 for Comfort and $29.99 for Premium. Infants in Comfort sail for free.

As well, seniors are also being provided with a lower regular price of $19.99 in Comfort.

Further discounts will be provided when passengers book their round-trip sailings at the same time, but the company says it will reveal this specific discount structure at a later date.

hullo ferries comfort class vancouver nanaimo

Interior of Comfort class on Hullo Ferries. (Hullo Ferries)

hullo ferries premium class vancouver nanaimo

Interior of Premium class on Hullo Ferries. (Hullo Ferries)

hullo ferries business class vancouver nanaimo

Interior of Business class on Hullo Ferries. (Hullo Ferries)

Each vessel includes four allocated wheelchair spots where passengers can rest comfortably in their seats, similar to travelling with airlines.

For no additional cost, small pets — cats and dogs that weigh no more than 10 kg (22 lb) — must be contained within a pet carrier that will be on the passenger’s lap for the entire duration of the sailing.

Bikes will be permitted onboard, but they must be reserved online for a fee as there are limited spots available on each sailing. These devices will be stored in a designated area outside the vessel.

However, e-bikes or e-scooters are not permitted due to the federal government’s safety regulations on lithium batteries.

For Hullo’s terminal at downtown Nanaimo, over 350 paid parking stalls will allow passengers from Vancouver Island to park for the duration of their time on the BC mainland.

Each one-way trip between downtown Vancouver and downtown Nanaimo will take about 70 minutes. In contrast, the BC Ferries crossing time between West Vancouver and Nanaimo is 100 minutes each way, which does not include the driving time between downtown Vancouver and the Horseshoe Bay ferry terminal.

hullo vancouver island ferry company nanaimo high speed ship

One of Hullo’s brand new high-speed catamaran ferries at the shipyard in Vietnam. (Vancouver Island Ferry Company)

hullo vancouver island ferry company nanaimo high-speed catamaran vessels

Both of Hullo’s brand new high-speed catamaran ferries at the shipyard in Vietnam. (Vancouver Island Ferry Company)

One of Hullo’s brand new high-speed catamaran ferries at the shipyard in Vietnam. (Vancouver Island Ferry Company)

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