B.C. Ferries to double number of Horseshoe Bay fare discounts for upcoming renovations
Numer of saver fares from Horseshoe Bay to Departure Bay will double to make up 40% of all fares
B.C. Ferries says it will double the number of fare discounts on its Horseshoe Bay to Departure Bay route starting on Oct. 15 to coincide with construction at the site that will reduce vehicle space in the Horseshoe Bay ferry terminal by 25 per cent and require reservation-only trips to Nanaimo.
In May, the ferry operator announced that anyone taking a vehicle on B.C. Ferries from the Lower Mainland's Horseshoe Bay terminal to Nanaimo will need to make a reservation starting this fall due to the upgrading or replacing of three berths, relocating the control tower and upgrading elevated structures.
The Horseshoe Bay terminal has been in continuous operation for 65 years, serving 7.1 million passengers and 3 million vehicles in 2024 alone, said B.C. Ferries.
On Thursday, it announced measures to help support travellers wanting to get from the busy Horseshoe Bay terminal to Departure Bay in Nanaimo during the upgrades.
They include saver fares for a vehicle and driver starting at $49 on select off-peak sailings and $89 on peak sailings, and waiving change fees for travel from Horseshoe Bay to Departure Bay between Oct. 15 and Nov. 30.
The total amount of saver fares on this route will increase from 20 per cent to 40 per cent.
The goal behind these measures is to make early booking more affordable and easier for customers to adjust plans during this transition, said the ferry operator.
Based on feedback from customers, we'll be implementing changes to support travellers through this change:<br><br>✅ Increase in Saver fares between Oct 15-Mar 31<br>✅ $0 change fee between Oct 15-Nov 30<br>✅ New digital tools to make planning easier<br><br>Media release:<a href="https://t.co/JAgaA4nwkx">https://t.co/JAgaA4nwkx</a>
—@BCFerries
B.C. Ferries also said it will launch two digital tools to "to reduce stress and improve planning during peak travel times."
One is a "Sailing Space Alert" that will allow customers to subscribe to email notifications when space becomes available on previously sold-out sailings.
A wait-list tool will also be introduced for the route for both directions to give "customers a better chance of securing a spot when their preferred sailing is full. "
While vehicle reservations will be required for travellers sailing from Horseshoe Bay to Departure Bay, this will not be the case for those going the opposite direction, though bookings are recommended. The reservation requirement also will not affect foot passengers.
In an effort to manage demand for sailings to Nanaimo, B.C. Ferries added a sailing from Tsawwassen to Departure Bay.
In the past, passengers going from Tsawwassen to Nanaimo went to Duke Point, south of Departure Bay and farther from the city's centre. The new sailing, at 4:30 p.m. PT daily, started running on June 19 and will run until Sept. 1.
This sailing will also be available for travel during peak periods over Christmas and the Easter break.
Other route changes
Also beginning in October and during shoulder seasons, B.C. Ferries said a new 6:10 p.m. sailing from Vancouver (Horseshoe Bay) to the Sunshine Coast (Langdale) will replace the current 5:30 p.m. departure to help reduce terminal congestion and improve on-time performance.
Minor schedule adjustments will also be made to Sechelt (Earls Cove) to Powell River (Saltery Bay) and Gambier (New Brighton) - Keats (Keats Landing) - Sunshine Coast (Langdale) to align with this change.
No schedule changes are planned for Vancouver (Horseshoe Bay) to Bowen Island (Snug Cove).