While compensation is not provided for sailing cancellations that are outside of our control (e.g. weather, medical emergencies, rescue operations, natural disasters, security and law enforcement issues, terrorism/security threats, etc.), if a cancellation within our control occurs (e.g. mechanical issues, crew availability, human error) that prevents you from reaching your final booked and ticketed BC Ferries destination on the same operational day, you can submit a compensation request with your receipts to our Customer Relations department.
We provide compensation and reimbursement for reasonable gas, meal, accommodation and alternate transportation expenses that you would not have incurred otherwise.
Compensation policies
If you incur out-of-pocket expenses due to a sailing delay or cancellation within our control, on a sailing you booked, that prevented you from reaching your ticketed BC Ferries destination on your planned operational day of travel, you may submit a request for reimbursement. This also applies for customers who have received a ticket/boarding pass at the terminal to travel on one of our non-bookable routes where alternate travel is not available.
In the event BC Ferries can accommodate you through alternate service (e.g. water taxi, standby availability on alternate routes, foot passenger space availability) reimbursement of expenses may not be available.
Guidelines for reimbursement
We review requests for reasonable expenses that qualify within our guidelines. Itemized receipts* along with tickets or refund receipts for attempted travel are required. If approved, we will provide reimbursement up to our maximum amounts, posted below, to the booked customer.
Parking
In the event of a cancellation within our control where alternative travel requires overnight parking at our terminals, we will reimburse parking expenses* from the date of the service disruption until one calendar day after service resumes, permitting you to return and recover your vehicle upon resumption of service.
*Parking expenses refer to costs incurred at a BC Ferries parking lot. Parking tickets or fines are not eligible for reimbursement. For more information about extending your parking session, select the appropriate terminal here and find our parking service partner.
Gas
Reimbursement is based on the distance in kilometres between your original departure and arrival terminals via alternate departure and arrival terminals.
See the automobile allowance rates from the BC Government here. We will confirm kilometers submitted using Google Maps.
Meals
In the event of a cancellation within our control where no other sailing options on the same day were provided, we will cover meal expenses as applicable (per person) up to a maximum of:
- Breakfast: $20 CAD
- Lunch: $25 CAD
- Dinner: $30 CAD
Itemized receipts are required*. Alcoholic beverages are not valid for reimbursement.
Accommodation
We will provide reimbursement at the lowest necessary room price proposed by the service provider, to a maximum of $200 CAD per night.
Contact us to open a compensation request, and for information about how to submit your itemized receipts*. You can also mail your receipts to:
BC Ferries Attn:
Customer Relations
Suite 500-1321 Blanshard Street
Victoria, BC V8W 0B7
Cancelled bookings
Customers with bookings that are cancelled without being moved to or accommodated on an alternate sailing will be fully refunded (reservation fee and fares) and provided a complimentary voucher for future ferry travel. Customers with bookings for standard and oversize vehicles will receive one (1) BC Ferries travel voucher for a standard vehicle and driver per cancelled booking on any route between Vancouver Island and the Mainland. Customers with foot passenger bookings will receive one (1) BC Ferries Adult Passenger voucher per passenger booked.
Customers who submit their expenses, if approved, will have the standardized value of the voucher removed from their total reimbursement.
Alternate transportation including travel by air
Reimbursement will be provided at the lowest logical fare proposed by the transportation provider. In rare instances where a chartered flight is required, we will reimburse up to the cost of a seat on a commercial flight that same day.
We do not reimburse expenses for cellular roaming charges, missed entertainment/sporting/excursion events, lost wages or missed connections to flights or cruises.
If you have purchased travel insurance and a sailing cancellation impacted your flight or connection to a cruise, contact us and we will provide you with confirmation of the sailing cancellation to submit to your travel insurance company.
*Itemized receipts are required to provide a documented record of the date and time the financial transaction occurred and help us confirm the expense is valid for reimbursement.