Travel agents & tour operators

When is GST charged?

The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) and Province of British Columbia regard the supply of ferry services as GST and PST exempt. BC Ferries charges GST to our customers as required under the applicable legislation on ancillary services such as cabins, food services and retail. All our Cabin and Aurora Lounge seating fares include 5% GST. Our GST number is #894623206RT0001.
 

What BC Ferries routes are bookable in advance? 

✓ Vancouver (Tsawwassen) – Victoria (Swartz Bay)
✓ Vancouver (Tsawwassen) – Nanaimo (Duke Point)
✓ Vancouver (Horseshoe Bay) – Nanaimo (Departure Bay)
✓ Vancouver (Horseshoe Bay) – Sunshine Coast (Langdale)
✓ Vancouver (Tsawwassen) – Southern Gulf Islands
✓ Sunshine Coast Comox (Little River) – Powell River (Westview)
✓ Central and North Coast Port Hardy (Bear Cove) – Prince Rupert
✓ Port Hardy (Bear Cove) – Central Coast (Bella Coola)
✓ Central Coast Connector (Bella Bella, Ocean Falls, Bella Coola and Shearwater)
✓ Prince Rupert – Haida Gwaii (Skidegate)

 

How do I make a booking for 10+ people? 

For groups of 10 passengers or more, you can either:

1. Fill out a Group Booking form
2. Email your group booking request to group.travel@bcferries.com
3. Call our Customer Service Centre at 1-888-BC FERRY (223-3779) toll free within Canada and the USA, or from outside Canada or USA (applicable toll charges apply) +8-001-BC FERRY (+80012233779)

I'm looking for travel support, who can I contact?

For media request or FAM tours, please submit to our Media Requests Form, and a member of our team will get back to you. 

Who qualifies for the Tour Operator Pricing Program (TOPP)?

We have two programs, one for our southern routes, and one for our northern routes. These programs operate separately and have different benchmarks to qualify: 

Southern Program:  A minimum of 2,000 passengers must be booked annually (April 1 -March 31) on southern routes like Tsawwassen - Swartz Bay, Tsawwassen - Southern Gulf Islands, Horseshoe Bay - Langdale, etc.

Northern Program:  A minimum of 60 passengers must be booked annually (April 1 - March 31) on northern routes like Prince Rupert - Port Hardy, or Prince Rupert - Haida Gwaii, etc. 

How do we submit booking requests? 

For all booking requests, availability, cancellations or amendments, you can now self-serve online from our BC Ferries website and fully prepay with your Corporate Credit Card or BC Ferries Travel Card (TC).  

You’ll be required to activate your online “Master Business” account for the first time and will be asked to change your password. Should you have any issues logging into your Master Business account, please email our groups department at group.travel@bcferries.com.  

How do I book for 10+ passengers? 

For groups of 10 passengers or more, you can either:

1. Fill out a Group Booking form
2. Email your group booking request to group.travel@bcferries.com
3. Call our Customer Service Centre at 1-888-BC FERRY (223-3779) toll free within Canada and the USA, or from outside Canada or USA (applicable toll charges apply) +8-001-BC FERRY (+80012233779)

What happens if I cannot see any availability? 

If you are trying to make a booking and cannot see any availability, send an email to your Travel Trade representative, email traveltrade@bcferries.com, or send an email to our skilled group.travel@bcferries.com team.
 

Issues with my Master Business Account

Should you have any issues logging into your Master Business account, please email our groups department at group.travel@bcferries.com.  To learn more on how you can manage your Business Account, see our YouTube video. For more in-depth details, please refer to our Quick Reference Guide. 

Do you have an industry rate, or can I request free travel? 

We support industry travel through working with Destination Marketing Organizations who organize and host Familiarization trips (FAMS). We do not offer travel agent rates or discounts, but would be more than happy to provide more details on the routes, and provide additional imagery and video footage. 
 

What is the commission strcuture and when is commission paid? 

Travel agent commission is available on our Northern Routes only, based on total annual passenger volumes. To receive 10% commission payment, a minimum of 24 passenger fares must be booked within a 12-month period. Commission cheques or Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) will be issued twice annually.

Commission Payment Periods:

•  April 1 to September 30 – commissions paid in October

•  October 1 to March 31 – commissions paid in April

Should a travel agent book 24+ passenger fares within the first 6 month period, BCF will issue a commission cheque or EFT at that time. Any bookings after the initial 6 month period will be paid out in the second installment, provided the travel agent has met the 24 passenger requirement. Commission is calculated on the Gross Total Revenue for regular passenger fares, vehicles, cabins & Aurora Lounge seating. 

What types of fares are excluded from commission? 

Discounted fares are excluded from commission calculations as they are already discounted (i.e. senior/group).

Is there a Travel Agent program for the Southern Routes? 

At this time we do not have Travel Agent commission available on our Southern Routes. If you are booking for groups of 10 or more you are eligible for a discount on select south coast routes. Please refer to our Group Booking page for more details. 

How should I make bookings? 

Login or create a BC Ferries account on the BC Ferries website. Once you have done this, you can "add a business account" on your account settings page. Highlighted in pink.

When purchasing for clients, please ensure you "switch" to your Business Account each time you are logged in. The account will automatically login to your unique login, and you must manually switch each time to your business account. Highlighed in green.

A YouTube video is available here, and a quick reference guide is available here, with more in-depth details. 

What happens if I cannot see any availability? 

If you are trying to make a booking and cannot see any availability, send an email to your Travel Trade representative, email traveltrade@bcferries.com, or send an email to our skilled group.travel@bcferries.com team.

Can you provide more insight on the Inside Passage summer sailing experience?

Boarding in Port Hardy (Bear Cove) the Northern Expedition disembarks on an (approximately) 16 hour voyage through Inside Passage all the way up to Prince Rupert. 

There are many scenic points along the route, such as Scarlett Point Lighthouse, Bella Bella, Boat Bluff Lighthouse and more. Learn about all the Points of Interest with our handy guide. During your trip, keep an eye out for signs of orcas and humpback whales. On your journey, you will pass through Grenville Channel, one of the most spectacular stretches of the Inside Passage which features a narrow, winding fjord that feels like a journey through another world. This natural corridor is a highlight for anyone sailing between Prince Rupert and Port Hardy, offering some of the most jaw-dropping scenery. 

Onboard the Northern Expedition you can find the Canoe Cafe which offers meals, beverages, and snacks, Passages Gift Shop with local gifts and homeware, and the Raven Lounge. The vessel offers comfortable seating both inside and on the outerdeck, or for a paid premium you can purchase a spot in the Aurora Lounge, which has the best views and reclining seats. If you would like additional privacy or a quiet place to nap, you can book a cabin that includes sleeping accommodation and a private washroom. These are limited and may sell out, reserving in advance is recommended. For those with small children, kids play areas are onboard. 

See imagery and b-roll footage of the Northern Expedition and Inside Passage sailing.

How should I make bookings?

For all booking requests, availability, cancellations or amendments, you can now self-serve online from the BC Ferries website, and fully prepay with your Corporate Credit Card.

You’ll be required to activate your online account for the first time and will be asked to change your password. If you have any issues logging into your account, email our groups department at group.travel@bcferries.com.

For groups of 10 passengers or more, you can either:

1. Fill out a Group Booking form
2. Email your group booking request to group.travel@bcferries.com
3. Call our Customer Service Centre at 1-888-BC FERRY (223-3779) toll free within Canada and the USA, or from outside Canada or USA (applicable toll charges apply) +8-001-BC FERRY (+80012233779)

For your added convenience on all Northern bookings, payments can be made on line with any of your saved payment cards (Visa, MasterCard or American Express) including your BC Ferries Travel Card.