VANCOUVER ISLAND – BC Ferries is adding extra sailings for the upcoming Thanksgiving long weekend. Over 55 additional trips are scheduled to service holiday weekend travelers. Forty-four extra sailings will be provided on the Tsawwassen – Swartz Bay route, which is the busiest route in the fleet, from Thursday, October 8 through Tuesday, October 13. Additional sailings have also been scheduled on the Horseshoe Bay – Departure Bay route at peak times. An extra round trip will be provided between Horseshoe Bay and Langdale on the evening of the holiday Monday.
“Thanksgiving long weekend is traditionally a busy weekend at BC Ferries, particularly with foot passengers as many university students will be returning home for the first time this semester,” said Corrine Storey, BC Ferries’ Vice President of Customer Services.
Foot passenger overloads may occur at peak times, such as noon to 7 pm on the holiday Monday at Departure Bay and Swartz Bay, so BC Ferries advises customers travelling as foot passengers to consider travelling earlier or later in the day to avoid congested sailings.
“On holiday Monday afternoons, Duke Point terminal tends to be less congested than Departure Bay, so customers returning to Metro Vancouver from the Nanaimo area may consider Duke Point terminal as an alternative,” said Storey.
Southern Gulf Island customers (Salt Spring, Pender, Mayne, Galiano and Saturna Islands) are reminded the holiday Monday schedule will be in effect on Monday, October 12. Passengers travelling from Tsawwassen to the Southern Gulf Islands also have the option of sailing via Swartz Bay terminal.
BC Ferries recommends travelers check the website for current conditions before heading to the terminals on the Thanksgiving long weekend. For customers with a specific sailing time in mind, BC Ferries suggests making a reservation in advance. Foot passenger reservations are also available for customers travelling from Tsawwassen to the Southern Gulf Islands. For schedule details and reservations, visit bcferries.com.
BC Ferries also reminds customers that a major pricing promotion of 50 per cent savings on passenger fares on the northern routes continues until October 31. Every passenger that travels on the Inside Passage, Haida Gwaii and Alliford Bay – Skidegate routes, as well as the Discovery Coast connector will receive the discount off the regular passenger fare on all sailings.