BC Ferries is making tweaks to its Horseshoe Bay routes in anticipation of major construction at the terminal starting this fall. BC Ferries expects the vehicle staging space to decrease by 25 per cent during the multi-year construction period.
The biggest change –– previously announced –– is that the Horseshoe Bay to Nanaimo section of Route 2 will be reservation-only for vehicles, including motorcycles, starting Oct. 15. The return direction (Nanaimo to Horseshoe Bay) will still allow drive-up travel.
The big change for the Sunshine Coast is that the 5:30 p.m. commuter run from Horseshoe Bay will be replaced with a 6:10 p.m. sailing, BC Ferries says, “to help reduce terminal congestion and improve on-time performance.”
“Minor schedule adjustments” are also coming for the Earls Cove-Powell River and the Gambier-Keats-Langdale routes. Bowen Island, however, isn’t facing schedule changes. (It was previously announced that the Bowen ferry’s passenger capacity would be increased for select sailings.)
More Horseshoe Bay to Nanaimo tweaks
Exclusive to Route 2 (Horseshoe Bay-Nanaimo), BC Ferries is introducing tools that will let customers subscribe to email notifications to alert them when space comes available on previously sold-out sailings, and will introduce a waitlist capability. It will be available for both directions of Route 2.
For the Horseshoe Bay to Nanaimo direction, customers will choose between prepaid and saver fares, with saver fare availability rising to 40 per cent of all fares on those sailings between Oct. 15 and March 31. Commercial vehicles’ fare structures and payment processes will remain the same, but they too will need to book in advance.
During the fall transition period, from Oct. 15 to Nov. 30, the ferry corporation is waiving change fees for travel between Horseshoe Bay and Nanaimo.
“We understand this is a big change, and for a terminal that already has limited space, it may feel frustrating at first,” said Melanie Lucia, BC Ferries vice president of customer experience in an email. “No one wants to be turned away when they’ve made the trip to the terminal. By requiring advance bookings, we’re giving customers more certainty and a better chance of securing their spot, especially as space becomes even tighter during construction. It also helps our crews manage the terminal more smoothly and safely, so they can focus on getting everyone where they need to go.”
