Posted: Wednesday, April 30, 2025

Busy Weekend Anticipated
Horseshoe Bay (Vancouver) – Departure Bay (Nanaimo) Route
May 2 – May 5, 2025

We’re expecting busy travel days at Horseshoe Bay from Friday, May 2, through Monday, May 5, with the highest demand expected on Friday, May 2, and Sunday, May 4. While the Queen of Surrey is out for refit until May 6, there will be no extra service to keep traffic moving during peak travel times.

To help manage the anticipated high traffic volumes, we’ve added the following bookable sailings on Thursday, May 1:

• 8:05 pm departing Horseshoe Bay 
• 10:10 pm departing Departure Bay 

As always:

• Booking in advance is the best way to secure space on board. If you have a reservation, please arrive at the terminal 45-60 minutes before your scheduled departure to check-in. 
• Walk-on passengers should plan to arrive at least 45 minutes before the scheduled departure. 

For customers without a vehicle reservation, we recommend travelling as a foot passenger or on an alternate route.

Important Travel Reminders for Horseshoe Bay:

• While we typically add extra sailings to meet demand, we’re limited this weekend on the Horseshoe Bay to Departure Bay route due to the Queen of Surrey being out of service. This underscores the importance of continued investment in our aging fleet to maintain service reliability and support the growing demand for travel. 
• The first weekend of May typically brings a spike in travel—and with sunshine in the forecast, we’re expecting high volumes across all major routes, especially on Friday and Sunday. Midday and afternoon sailings are expected to be busiest, so if you can, aim for early morning or late evening departures which tend to have more space. Or consider alternate routes to Vancouver Island like Tsawwassen–Duke Point or Tsawwassen–Swartz Bay. Checking all options and being flexible can make for a smoother trip.
• Horseshoe Bay sees high traffic volumes during peak periods, and its compact layout and unique traffic patterns can make vehicle flow more challenging when demand surges. 

We understand that weekends like this can be stressful, and we appreciate your patience as we work to accommodate all travellers. We look forward to welcoming you on board this weekend.

• Click here to view Travel Tips
• Click here for Service Notices

For up-to-date sailing and departure information, check Current Conditions, follow @BCFerries on X or phone 1-888-223-3779 for further assistance.