If you’re travelling by BC Ferries this Easter long weekend and don’t already have a reservation, it’s best you be prepared for some lengthy waits.
According to the alert, “temporary service adjustments” are in place due to ongoing work on two key vessels, and “customers without reservations should expect very limited standby availability during peak travel days: Thursday and Friday heading to Vancouver Island, and Sunday and Monday returning to the Mainland.”
BC Ferries told Coast Reporter in an email, the temporary service adjustments are related to the fact there are no additional sailings over this Easter long weekend between Horseshoe Bay to Langdale or Departure Bay.
The email explained last year for the Easter long weekend, BC Ferries offered 12 more sailings between Horseshoe Bay and Departure Bay in Nanaimo and eight more sailings between Horseshoe Bay and Langdale than this upcoming long weekend.
“This is the result of changes to our refit schedule,” the email continued. “The Queen of Surrey is currently undergoing her annual refit, which was delayed due to recent unplanned but necessary repairs to the Queen of New Westminster and the Queen of Oak Bay. As a result, the Queen of Coquitlam (which normally provides these extra sailings) is now providing relief service for the Queen of Surrey.”
BC Ferries said the average reservable deck space on their route between Horseshoe Bay and Langdale is 50 per cent. You can find more information about how they allocate reservable space on the BC Ferries “allocating space on board” section of their website.
In an alert dated April 14, BC Ferries was “encouraging customers to plan ahead, particularly those travelling on the busy Horseshoe Bay – Departure Bay and Horseshoe Bay – Langdale routes.”
Aging fleet
BC Ferries said the service adjustments reflect the realities of operating an aging fleet.
“While refit schedules were planned well in advance, unexpected repairs this season have compressed timelines and reduced dry dock availability for other vessels. As a result, the Queen of Surrey and the Queen of Oak Bay, both 44-years-old, experienced delayed out-of-service periods that are now extending into early May,” BC Ferries said in the alert, and added, “while this has disrupted a phased and carefully coordinated refit strategy, all vessels are still expected to be ready in time for the peak summer season.”
Melanie Lucia, vice president of customer experience at BC Ferries said in the release, it’s understood many people are travelling this long weekend. “British Columbians rely on the ferry system and we’re doing everything we can to keep them moving. With a little extra planning, there are still ways to travel smoothly and stay connected to the places and people that matter,” she said.
To help ensure a smooth journey this Easter weekend, BC Ferries encourages customers to:
- Book in advance to secure a spot
- Avoid travelling without a reservation during peak periods — consider travelling on Wednesday, Saturday or Tuesday if flexible
- Walk on as a foot passenger if travelling without a vehicle and consider using public transit to arrive at the terminal
- Explore alternate routes to and from Vancouver Island that may have more availability
Queens update
The Queen of Surrey is currently undergoing its annual refit, which was delayed due to unplanned but necessary repairs on the 60-year-old Queen of New Westminster and the 44-year-old Queen of Oak Bay. The Queen of Coquitlam is providing relief service for the Queen of Surrey and, as a result, was not available to provide the additional sailings typically offered over the Easter holiday period.
Ed Hooper, executive director of shipbuilding at BC Ferries said this issue isn’t about one ship, but rather the challenges of operating a fleet, which includes many vessels more than 40 years old.
“That’s why we’re moving quickly on the four new major vessels recently approved by our regulator, with the goal of awarding vessel construction contracts by June,” Hooper said in the release. “As no Canadian shipyards submitted proposals, our plan is to build globally and maintain locally. We received interest from several world-class international shipyards, and we’re focused on selecting a partner that can deliver the vessels on time, affordably, and to a high standard.”
The release notes while the Queen of Surrey will undergo a life extension concurrent with the New Major Vessels project, neither it nor the Queen of Oak Bay are being retired when the four newly approved vessels begin entering service in 2029. These vessels will continue to play a key role in maintaining service until additional replacements are in place at a later date.
Reservations still available for Friday from Langdale
On April 14, Coast Reporter checked out travel for Good Friday, April 18, and while all of the reservations between Horseshoe Bay to Langdale were sold out with the exception of the 10:55 p.m., there were reservations available for every sailing between Langdale and Horseshoe Bay. There were no reservations available from Langdale to Horseshoe Bay on Monday, April 21.
