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Post by whalebreath on Sept 16, 2015 20:24:23 GMT -8
Well Hope Springs Eternal but looking @ their numbers they don't have a prayerProposed ferry service would link downtown Victoria to Vancouver A new passenger service running between the Inner Harbour and downtown Vancouver could ferry tourists to Victoria as early as next year, officials said in a surprise announcement Wednesday.
Australia-based Riverside Marine is proposing to bring in two vessels similar to the Victoria-Seattle Clipper which would dock in a leased space at Victoria’s Steamship Terminal in April or May 2016.
“What is truly exciting about that opportunity is that once again will bring back a passenger ferry service to the iconic building,” said Harbour Authority CEO Ian Robertson. “That’s going to bring more tourists to Victoria, and I would guess it’s going to be those higher-yield, higher-margin guests. They’re going to want to spend more time in Victoria and hopefully, spend more money.”
The service would run approximately two trips per day with 300 passengers per trip, and would cost $80 for a one-way ticket between the harbour and Vancouver’s convention centre, according to Riverside Marine’s CEO Hume Campbell.
The trip would take about three hours and 10 minutes, and would be focused on providing a memorable experience at a higher cost than BC Ferries.
“We’re not in the $19 to $20 fair market, that’s not us,” Campbell said. “But it’ll be some of those people who just want to have a comfortable ride and get there very quickly and easily from downtown to downtown.”
Campbell, who said he worked on tugboats on the west coast of Canada for years as a young man, said he has been doing business in Australia for decade and runs a similar ferry service there.
“It’s profitable, it’s operating, our company’s been going for 89 years,” he said. “We have 21 vessels on Sydney Harbour, and we used to operate up in the Great Barrier Reef of Queensland.”
But the passenger route between B.C.’s capital and its biggest city may not be without it’s challenges.
It was attempted once in the 80s with jetfoil vessels and did not prove to be profitable, eventually folding.
Hume says his model is different because its privately funded and has been proven to work in his homeland.
With tourism numbers on the rebound in Greater Victoria this year, the timing could be right, said the CEO of Tourism Victoria’s CEO.
“I think what’s really important is that it gives the customers more choice,” said Paul Nursey. “These are private sector operators and they’re really big players and they’ve done their own research.”
The authority also announced Ocean Networks Canada is another possible tenant for the Steamship Terminal.
The organization is a University of Victoria initiative that operates ocean observatories, and would provide a “great experiential learning attraction” for kids, Nursey said.
The Harbour Authority Board still needs to approve both lease agreements.
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Post by Dane on Sept 16, 2015 22:52:40 GMT -8
I'm really interested in following the success if this, and am pleased to see an established company involved. Dock space may be a but tight in the summers but that's a relatively minor poi t I'm sure they'll work out. Pragmatically it could be a bit if s tough sell as that fare is into the territory of a cheap HarbourAir ticket if you can find it or discounted plane tickets for those that buy multiples or are carrying on. Nonetheless the Victoria tourism market is "maturing" a.k.a. Seems to be getting richer and Vancouver continues to have a healthy extended tourist season. There could really be a market here that didn't exist in the time of SeaLink. Additionally with raised ferry prices I know there are organizations, including the Federal government, that are looking beyond traditional ferry travel. I travel to Vancouver about five times a year for work and this ferry would actually cost less than me taking BC Ferries because of time and logistics on the Vancouver end.
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Post by kevins on Feb 16, 2016 20:48:48 GMT -8
Shipfax articleSaga of the Famille Dufour ll It turned out he was Australian and wasn’t sure what “bonjour” meant (so it wasn’t my accent after all), and his company was managing the boat. He was not the captain but described himself as the “owner’s representative.” If I were he, by now I think I’d likely be wanting to strangle the owner. He said the boat had been bought by an outfit that wanted to use it as a passenger ferry between Victoria and Vancouver, B.C. Plan A had been to motor down the river in November, around the Maritimes and on down the Eastern Seaboard to Panama, and then up the other side. Saga
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Post by WettCoast on Feb 16, 2016 21:08:10 GMT -8
All I can say is "Oh dear!"
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Post by Starsteward on Feb 20, 2016 8:56:58 GMT -8
All I can say is "Oh dear!" 'Copy that'....as they say.
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Post by kevins on Mar 3, 2016 19:14:57 GMT -8
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Neil
Voyager
Posts: 7,171
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Post by Neil on Mar 21, 2016 22:00:38 GMT -8
This is an intriguing development in our local ferry world. For a change, we've got a private operator with a proven track record, and apparently, fairly deep pockets.
On the other hand... I'm not sure about their operating model, and how it might find its niche. They're talking about a crossing time of over three hours. The CPR used to do it in four, if they weren't running overnight. I believe the fare is in excess of $80, which makes them a lot cheaper than flying, but a lot longer, and it compares roughly to the BC Ferries rate for car and driver, but you don't take your car with you. Also, with BC Ferries, if you add the reservation fee, your transit time might not be a lot more, not having to arrive super early to make the next sailing.
The market advantage might be the downtown to downtown connection, and perhaps, if they can establish some sort of premium service aspect to their route. Apparently, they're launching in May with one round trip daily. I hope they do well, if for no other reason than that it will add an interesting dimension to our rather settled transportation dynamic.
Another venture to watch is the hybrid whale watching/cross strait service being launched this spring by Prince of Whales. Very expensive, but something that's never been tried before... invites the comparison between pure tourism, and high end transportation.
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Post by Dane on Apr 14, 2016 6:15:12 GMT -8
V2V Vacations now on Facebook: m.facebook.com/V2VVacations/Lots of great shots of their new boat being unloaded and in the Victoria Harbour. No Facebook account required to view
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Post by whalebreath on Apr 26, 2016 17:23:21 GMT -8
The other player in the game is stepping back for the momentVictoria Clipper puts Vancouver passenger ferry plans on hold The Victoria Clipper’s dreams of launching a passenger ferry service between Victoria and Vancouver have been put on hold until next year. In a letter to the tourism industry, Clipper chief executive Merideth Tall said the service will start when they can “get it right.” “While we are fully committed to this expansion in Vancouver, we have decided to postpone the start date, and plan to launch service in Spring 2017,” she said. “We've built our reputation around trust, reliability, safety and customer service for over 30 years of operating year round in this region. We are committed to getting this new service right, and a critical factor is choosing the right vessel that meets all our standards for service. “With the wrong vessel, we know that the Salish Sea between Victoria and Vancouver can present a challenge to customer comfort. The right vessel will meet or exceed our travelers’ expectations by providing the best onboard customer experience. We are not willing to compromise Clipper quality standards or excellence.” The decision to postpone the launch means the only passenger service that will leave from Victoria’s Inner Harbour and arrive in Vancouver this year will be operated by Prince of Whales. The whale watching outfit has been offering a six-hour tour that takes customers from the Inner Harbour to Vancouver's Coal Harbour. Earlier this month, Riverside Marine, which intended to start a passenger ferry between Victoria’s Inner Harbour and Coal Harbour in Vancouver this summer, announced its vessel would not likely be ready for service this year. Brisbane, Australia-based Riverside said a complete refit of its vessel, berthed at the Wharf Street marina, is expected to take five or six months and that work will not start until at least late May. Nick Cheong, Riverside’s vice-president of operations for the Victoria-to-Vancouver service, said transporting the vessel from Quebec took longer than expected and they are not sure when it will be ready for service. “We recognized that when we set out to do this we could set all the targets we wanted, but what we are not willing to compromise on is the quality of the experience for the guests coming aboard,” he said in an interview in early April. “Whether it’s this summer or next summer, we won’t compromise the quality. You have one chance to give a positive impression to people on board the ship. We will not take that for granted.” - See more at: www.timescolonist.com/news/local/victoria-clipper-puts-vancouver-passenger-ferry-plans-on-hold-1.2239695#sthash.slVnQV3z.dpuf
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Post by Dane on Aug 31, 2016 11:42:57 GMT -8
V2V's ship is out of the water for a very extensive refit. The pictures at the link must actually be from the first few days as she's been out of water for about three weeks and is stripped down entirely. Pictures / Info from their website: v2vvacations.com/?p=3161
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Post by Low Light Mike on Aug 31, 2016 15:43:47 GMT -8
A new thread for this venture.
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Neil
Voyager
Posts: 7,171
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Post by Neil on Aug 31, 2016 21:55:48 GMT -8
As this story develops, it's becoming more clear that this group is the most credible one so far in the recent (forty years or so) history of wannabe private ferry operators on our coast. The willingness to wait until they've got their vessel well suited to the market and the financial ability to do so bodes well for their venture. There's always been a lot of debate about whether the market is big enough to support an unsubsidized passenger ferry operation between Vancouver and Vancouver Island. Until now, no one's had the long term ability to properly test the waters. That might be changing. Very intriguing.
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Post by Dane on Sept 9, 2016 15:37:32 GMT -8
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Post by northwesterner on Sept 9, 2016 16:43:49 GMT -8
It's official, there's something in the water in British Columbia. Can't come up with a decent name for a ferry, no matter the company involved.
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Post by Dane on Oct 6, 2016 19:15:15 GMT -8
You, yes YOU can design the paint scheme for the V2V Empress! Contest details are at the below link, but basically you can submit multiple unique designs prior to October 31st 2016. v2vvacations.com/design-competition/May the odds be ever in your favour.
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Post by Dane on Nov 15, 2016 8:24:45 GMT -8
Here's the paint scheme voting options for the V2V Empress: www.cheknews.ca/v2vcontestI feel like the decision has already been made, in part because it looks like they're doing some painting on the boat now, and also because some of the final entries are a bit, different.
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Post by Starsteward on Nov 15, 2016 11:42:18 GMT -8
Here's the paint scheme voting options for the V2V Empress: www.cheknews.ca/v2vcontestI feel like the decision has already been made, in part because it looks like they're doing some painting on the boat now, and also because some of the final entries are a bit, different. Numbers one and ten look suspiciously alike but I could be mistaken. Either one of those would work for me.
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Post by WettCoast on Nov 15, 2016 13:46:16 GMT -8
I would go with keeping it simple. My vote is for #5.
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Post by Low Light Mike on Feb 16, 2017 13:00:19 GMT -8
They have a website. They have prices and packages. They won't have me as a customer. HERE
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Neil
Voyager
Posts: 7,171
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Post by Neil on Feb 16, 2017 14:07:18 GMT -8
They have a website. They have prices and packages. They won't have me as a customer. HEREBecause of expense? $120 is pretty pricey, probably for a seat away from a window.
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Post by Low Light Mike on Feb 16, 2017 14:43:45 GMT -8
They have a website. They have prices and packages. They won't have me as a customer. HEREBecause of expense? $120 is pretty pricey, probably for a seat away from a window. Yes, that price point scares me away. I'll have more fun photographing and oggling it from shore.
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Post by WettCoast on Feb 16, 2017 17:15:43 GMT -8
I would much rather sink my money into a Vancouver Island west coast cruise aboard an old-fashioned slow boat ...
At the prices listed I don't think this venture will last long.
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Neil
Voyager
Posts: 7,171
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Post by Neil on Feb 16, 2017 17:54:49 GMT -8
I would much rather sink my money into a Vancouver Island west coast cruise aboard an old-fashioned slow boat ... At the prices listed I don't think this venture will last long. If you're in the 'cheap' ($120) seats, you're apparently going to be eating from a sandwich cart that gets wheeled around. Not what people are used to on a ferry, and not very good for a three and a half hour trip. Hard to say with this one. From a lot of locales, you can do the same time with BC Ferries, but take your car with you. Planes are a lot faster. If they do the more expensive options right, maybe they'll find a clientele for a boutique type ferry service. But sitting in a pre-assigned $120 seat for that long, away from windows, eating a tuna sandwich... not for me, either. And they also need to learn how to spell 'strait'.
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Post by Starsteward on Feb 17, 2017 7:35:36 GMT -8
I would much rather sink my money into a Vancouver Island west coast cruise aboard an old-fashioned slow boat ... At the prices listed I don't think this venture will last long. Vancouver Island west coast cruise aboard an old-fashioned steam-belching, quiet, roomy slow boat, overnight service?, oh Wett Coast, now you've blissfully sent my mind pining for yester-years' mode of transiting the sea lanes from "V" to "V".
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Post by WettCoast on Feb 17, 2017 8:56:04 GMT -8
Vancouver Island west coast cruise aboard an old-fashioned steam-belching, quiet, roomy slow boat, overnight service?, oh Wett Coast, now you've blissfully sent my mind pining for yester-years' mode of transiting the sea lanes from "V" to "V". I was thinking more in terms of the Frances Barkley, or Uchuck III, things that are real possibilities here in the 21st century.
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