Hullo Ferries releases sailing schedule for November amid encouraging ridership
There is continued strong demand and uptake of the new high-speed passenger ferry service operating between downtown Nanaimo and downtown Vancouver.
Hullo Ferries has indicated it saw over 7,500 boardings over the Thanksgiving long weekend earlier this month, when it increased its daily frequencies to up to six round trips (12 sailings) per day to meet the expected surge in travel demand.
The increased schedule to six round trips was a new record for the new company’s service levels, with both ships carrying a capacity of 350 passengers each.
This four-day long weekend ridership figure was equivalent to about 33% of the service’s total ridership over its first month of operations starting on August 16.
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Over the course of November 2023, Hullo Ferries’ regular daily frequencies will continue to be the same as October’s schedule, with four round trips (eight sailings) per day
Regular sailings leaving Nanaimo will depart at 7 am, 11 am, 3:30 pm, and 7:30 pm daily, while regular sailings departing Vancouver will leave at 9 am, 1 pm, 5:30 pm, and 9:30 pm daily.
Hullo Ferries will also continue and expand its special event schedule into November, which moves the last 9:30 pm daily sailing to a later time to accommodate Vancouver Island residents attending concerts and sports games at BC Place Stadium and Rogers Arena. This provides a more affordable alternative to an overnight hotel stay in Vancouver.
The November special event sailing schedule departing from Vancouver is as follows:
- Saturday, November 4: 11 pm departure
- Rogers Arena: Vancouver Canucks vs. Dallas Stars
- BC Place: CFL semi-finals BC Lions vs. Calgary
- Wednesday, November 8: 11:55 pm departure
- Rogers Arena: Kiss concert
- Tuesday, November 14: 11:55 pm departure
- Rogers Arena: Shania Twain concert
- Wednesday, November 15: 11 pm departure
- Rogers Arena: Vancouver Canucks vs. New York Islanders
- Saturday, November 18: 11 pm departure
- Rogers Arena: Vancouver Canucks vs. Seattle Kraken
- Monday, November 20: 11 pm departure
- Rogers Arena: Vancouver Canucks vs. San Jose Sharks
- Tuesday, November 28: 11 pm departure
- Rogers Arena: Vancouver Canucks vs. Anaheim Ducks
- Thursday, November 30: 11 pm departure
- Rogers Arena: Vancouver Canucks vs. Las Vegas Golden Knights
Each sailing on Hullo Ferries carries an end-to-end travel time of about 75 minutes, with vessels reaching speeds of up to 40 knots (74 km/hr) in open water.