BC Ferries ‘confident’ crew shortages won’t be an issue ahead of busy summer season

Anticipating a “record-breaking” summer season with more than eight million passengers and 3.2 million vehicles (that would be a 7% increase over last year) expected to fill their vessels between June and Sept., BC Ferries is scheduling an additional 350 sailings to push the total past 56K.

“Summer is going to be tough for us. It always is, frankly. But we're ready,” said Jeff Groot, BC Ferries’ executive communications director.

Here’s a look at some of the key takeaways from BC Ferries’ summer sailing announcement:

Coastal class ships will be back this summer

After mechanical issues plagued the ferry company last year, with issues in the rotor motors of all Coastal class ships experiencing problems. It’s been an ongoing issue for years, but over the last few months, the Coastal Renaissance and Coastal Celebration have had all motor rotors replaced. The Coastal Inspiration is in the shop for that very repair right now and is expected to be back in service the third week of June.

BC Ferries ‘confident’ that crew shortages won’t cause issues

Last summer’s mechanical issues were the main source of cancellations, but the summer before dealt with a massive crew shortage— tied to the global mariner shortage occurring, leading BC Ferries to pull mariners out of retirement just to have enough onboard to sail legally. Since 2022—less than two years—roughly 1,700 crew members were hired—1,200 last year and 500 this year.

Darren Johnston, VP of marine operations, said BC Ferries is “very confident” that crew shortages would not be the cause of cancellations. He called the risk “significantly reduced.”

He said the cancellation percentage dropped to 1.3% last year from 1.6% in 2022, which he largely attributes to hiring and retaining crew.

Saver fares to make up one-third of all fares

For less busy sailings, such as early morning or late evening, there will be reduced fares if you book in advance, with 30% of all sailings offering these fares.

Saver fares for a vehicle and driver between Victoria and Vancouver will start at $49 and foot-passenger Saver fares will cost $15.

“I can't stress enough, in a system that is this busy, that planning ahead is your absolute best strategy,” said Lindsay Matthews, the company’s VP of public affairs.

Fuel surcharge removed this summer

A 4% fuel surcharge will be removed this summer, as the fuel for the year has been paid off. This will be a temporary removal of the surcharge and BC Ferries did not confirm when it would be added back to fare costs.

Free menstrual products and gender-neutral washrooms on board

Free menstrual products are now available in all women and gender-neutral washrooms onboard and at terminals for passengers and crew. Single-use washrooms have now been converted to gender-inclusive facilities for passengers and crew on most ships, and BC Ferries is looking at adding this option to terminals. There are also plans to add braille to all washroom signs over the next year.

Outdoor pet areas

Six vessels serving the Sunshine Coast now have outdoor pet areas on the upper decks. While outdoor pet facilities have yet to be confirmed for Swartz Bay-Tsawwassen sailings, the company will announce more routes with this feature in June. Currently Swartz Bay-Tsawwassen sailings have pet areas on the vehicle deck. In the outdoor areas, dogs will need to remain on a one-metre leash and cats must stay in a travel carrier.

Entertainment while you wait

The “busiest terminals” will have kid-friendly entertainment this summer to make sailing waits less painful. There will be tents to provide shelter and shade with activities such as outdoor education, art projects, face painting, misting stations, and First Nations partnerships.

Information pamphlets on car alarms could be handed out

Johnston says car alarms going off during sailings continues to be an “ongoing issue.”

“You think it'd be pretty simple to tell people to turn off their car alarms and that'll solve the problem,” he said. “I think the reality is that a lot of people don't know how to do that.”

He said BC Ferries is considering options to educate passengers to alleviate the problem, including handing out information pamphlets at ticket booths that offer instructions for specific car models that tend to go off. However, he says this could slow down the ticket booth process, making BC Ferries hesitant to launch such an initiative.