How much vehicle deck space is allocated to customers who book in advance?
On some routes we adjust the amount of bookable vehicle deck space depending on how much area is available at the terminal to stage vehicles, how much deck space is on the ferry, and the amount of demand. This includes space for commercial vehicles and buses.
We review historical demand to help decide how much space to set aside. We provide travel certainty for customers who want to book in advance, while keeping a percentage of deck space for customers who want to drive up to the terminal.
Adjusting the amount of reservable deck space helps us to minimize the likelihood of sailing waits for customers travelling without a booking. Approximately 5–25% of customers who book in advance don’t show up for their sailing.
Route |
Lowest % deck space bookable |
Highest % deck space bookable |
Avg % deck space bookable |
Avg % deck space sailed as booked |
Vancouver (Tsawwassen) – Victoria (Swartz Bay) |
Lowest % deck space bookable
50%
|
Highest % deck space bookable
85%
|
Average % deck space bookable
80%
|
Average % deck space sailed as booked
70%
|
Vancouver (Tsawwassen) – Nanaimo (Duke Point) |
Lowest % deck space bookable
70%
|
Highest % deck space bookable
85%
|
Average % deck space bookable
85%
|
Average % deck space sailed as booked
70%
|
Vancouver (Horseshoe Bay) – Nanaimo (Departure Bay) |
Lowest % deck space bookable
0%
|
Highest % deck space bookable
85%
|
Average % deck space bookable
65%
|
Average % deck space sailed as booked
60%
|
Vancouver (Horseshoe Bay) – Sunshine Coast (Langdale) |
Lowest % deck space bookable
0%
|
Highest % deck space bookable
65%
|
Average % deck space bookable
45%
|
Average % deck space sailed as booked
40%
|
Comox (Little River) – Powell River (Westview)* |
Lowest % deck space bookable
30%
|
Highest % deck space bookable
50%
|
Average % deck space bookable
40%
|
Average % deck space sailed as booked
25%
|
* Based on daily sailing frequency, demand and deck space, the percentage of bookable deck space on these routes remains consistent at 30%.
Fully bookable routes
Some of our routes have 100% of vehicle and passenger space available for booking in advance. Sailings on these routes are often less frequent. Booking the entire sailing provides customers travel certainty so they don’t have long waits of hours (or even days) between sailings. The following routes are fully bookable:
- Port Hardy (Bear Cove) – Prince Rupert
- Prince Rupert – Haida Gwaii (Skidegate)
- Port Hardy (Bear Cove) – Central Coast (Bella Coola)
- Vancouver (Tsawwassen) – Southern Gulf Islands
Foot passenger bookings
On June 24, 2021, we introduced foot passenger bookings on our busiest South Coast routes between Vancouver (Tsawwassen) – Victoria (Swartz Bay), Vancouver (Tsawwassen) – Nanaimo (Duke Point) and Vancouver (Horseshoe Bay) – Nanaimo (Departure Bay). On these sailings we allocate approximately 50 foot passenger bookings per sailing. Over time we will look to increase the number of bookable space based on demand.
Foot passenger space is 100% bookable on the following routes between:
- Vancouver (Tsawwassen) – Southern Gulf Islands
- Port Hardy (Bear Cove) – Prince Rupert
- Prince Rupert – Haida Gwaii (Skidegate)
- Port Hardy (Bear Cove) – Central Coast (Bella Coola)