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Post by mybidness459 on Feb 17, 2017 13:16:20 GMT -8
I watched the coverage on a newscast last night. What a Friggin Joke! Mark my words this company will not be last more than about a year or so. When are these Fast ferry companies ever going to learn this type of service has never ever worked in BC and never will. You can always smell a doomed venture when you see one. They are just wasting their time and money could be invested in better opportunities that at least have a hope and prayer of success.
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Post by whalebreath on Feb 17, 2017 13:42:01 GMT -8
I watched the coverage on a newscast last night. What a Friggin Joke! Mark my words this company will not be last more than about a year or so. When are these Fast ferry companies ever going to learn this type of service has never ever worked in BC and never will. You can always smell a doomed venture when you see one. They are just wasting their time and money could be invested in better opportunities that at least have a hope and prayer of success. Maybe you could write them a letter.
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grk
Chief Steward
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Post by grk on Feb 17, 2017 15:51:27 GMT -8
I too predict a failure, and a quick one. I am sure their loads will be very low, and that they will cut the loses and pack it in by the end of July. At those prices they have ignored the regular tourist crowd; the same group of travellers that ran away for Pacific Coach Lines when their fares became so high. Locals crossing the pond for the weekend will need deep pockets to afford their pricing. Business travelers will still use the 35-45 minute service of Helijet and Harbour Air at very similar pricing. It amazes me that they have ignored the well heeled "day trippers" heading to Victoria for the day, as the return schedule leaves no time to hit the highlight of Victoria (crewing costs the cause?). Clipper Navigation has very successfully tapped this market with their scheduling, with close to 75% of the passengers just spend the day in Victoria. V2V will go the way of the other similar operations!
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Post by Starsteward on Feb 18, 2017 10:07:12 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. Thanks for dragging me out of dreamland, and into a financially viable reality, which reminds me, yet again, that I must make more of a concerted effort to get out to the west coast of Vancouver Island and experience the vessels you mention before they too disappear into the annals of history.
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Post by Dane on Feb 28, 2017 20:03:37 GMT -8
I don't yet have access to photos I can share publically yet but the wrap is coming off the V2V Empress in portions. Most of the paint scheme is visible now. I'm out of country but if no one beats me I'll head down Thursday to grab some photos which can be shared here.
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Post by dofd on May 4, 2017 23:23:52 GMT -8
Well the V2V is in Vancouver, photos on the my cel. But the boat is here, Harbour Air Staff are saying next week maybe. As they where told this week. Will post tomorrow, but maybe some of the Vancouver people will win.
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Post by roeco on May 5, 2017 16:16:15 GMT -8
Yep V2V I doubt will make one season, You need the scheduling to take day trip people to Victoria a fuel efficent vessel that is capable of handling the crossing and a smaller vessel. Also marketing to large groups is key too. And packaging trips to /from Victoria would also be key! Clipper should fare much better when they start up they've been in the business along time.
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Neil
Voyager
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Post by Neil on May 5, 2017 17:35:45 GMT -8
Yep V2V I doubt will make one season, You need the scheduling to take day trip people to Victoria a fuel efficent vessel that is capable of handling the crossing and a smaller vessel. Also marketing to large groups is key too. And packaging trips to /from Victoria would also be key! Clipper should fare much better when they start up they've been in the business along time. If you look at their website, you'll see a number of packages for Vancouver Island... and how do you know they're not marketing to larger groups?
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Post by Dane on May 6, 2017 9:42:14 GMT -8
Well the V2V is in Vancouver, photos on the my cel. But the boat is here, Harbour Air Staff are saying next week maybe. As they where told this week. Will post tomorrow, but maybe some of the Vancouver people will win. It's today for Day 1. I'll be sailing Tuesday.
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Post by dofd on May 6, 2017 11:02:25 GMT -8
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Post by mybidness459 on May 6, 2017 16:09:39 GMT -8
Their website is dull.
Anyway I dropped them a simple email all I said was Service too expensive sticking with BC ferries. Nice looking vessel though.
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Neil
Voyager
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Post by Neil on May 6, 2017 17:50:54 GMT -8
Their website is dull. Anyway I dropped them a simple email all I said was Service too expensive sticking with BC ferries. Nice looking vessel though. I don't think they'd be fazed by your comment about affordability. I don't get the sense that they're looking to compete with BC Ferries in any meaningful way. I think they're trying to skim a bit of traffic from the top end of the market that might just be tourists, or those who are going downtown to downtown and might want a bit of a change from the plane or chopper. And maybe a few BC Ferries customers. They're not calling themselves a ferry company, and the boat is referred to as a 'cruise vessel'. This is a niche service, and while it failed last time it was tried twenty something years ago, there is a lot more effective data analysis that companies can do these days, so the owners have obviously gambled on their target clientele having grown since 1993. I can see myself doing a trip some midweek day this summer, maybe taking the 9am BC Ferries sailing from Tsawwassen, and coming back on V2V. I'm not willing to pay for anything more than steerage though, or what they call 'premium comfort', which from the looks of things probably means a wrapped Bread Garden type sandwich and a bag of chips. One positive note: they've learned how to spell 'strait' since the last time I looked at their website.
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Post by Blue Bus Fan on May 6, 2017 20:23:08 GMT -8
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Post by Dane on May 11, 2017 11:07:06 GMT -8
On what should have been the fourth and fifth day of service the V2V Empress was out with mechanical issues. I believe it is sailing today (day six).
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Post by futureferrydriver on May 31, 2017 11:25:24 GMT -8
I saw the V2V Empress in service for the first time yesterday. This was taken from the Coastal Celebration on the way to Swartz Bay (I believe that is Moresby Island in the background). I was surprised by how small it is. I've only ever seen it docked in the inner harbour, so seeing it from the CCel really put it into perspective. I'm curious to see how V2V does this summer, it's going to be an interesting one to watch.
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Post by Dane on Jun 5, 2017 13:24:36 GMT -8
While veiled behind a series of promotional codes the fare is essentially semi-permanently $80. If you use SUM17 that will work for the reduced fare until October 2017.
There's been a lot of critique about the fare. A lot was based on people that thought V2V was a literal transportation ferry, which it is not, but even for the tourism market many thought they'd gone too high on pricing.
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grk
Chief Steward
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Post by grk on Jun 19, 2017 17:39:34 GMT -8
Friends used the service last week, and really enjoyed the service on board as well as the downtown to downtown ports. They were surprised at the passenger load, estimating it to be less than 100. Today I was on the harbour and watched as she unloaded here in Victoria, and only 38 passengers off loaded. It was a Monday, and not a great weather day, but still a very disappointing load. How long can this survive?
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Post by Ferryman on Aug 15, 2017 18:06:04 GMT -8
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Neil
Voyager
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Post by Neil on Aug 15, 2017 20:17:33 GMT -8
Last I read, their passenger counts were pretty low. Don't suppose it has anything to do with the problem, but last week I was leaning on the railing of the concourse west of the cruise ship terminal, noticing the visible and very noxious clouds of smoke billowing from the stern of the V2V Empress as she idled at berth... no doubt spoiling the lunch of Mahony's customers, as a northwest breeze blew it all right at them. If that's been a regular feature of this vessel, I'm not sure its time out will be mourned in all quarters.
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dave2
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Deckhand!: Todo: Introduction post (I was born less than 100 feet from the ocean. The tide was...)
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Post by dave2 on Aug 15, 2017 20:34:57 GMT -8
Four weeks? Well that's the end of that operation imo.
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John H
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Post by John H on Aug 15, 2017 21:15:43 GMT -8
Yes it is bad timing. I noticed recently that they've purchased ads on the sides of the buses in Vancouver. That will be wasted.
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Post by whalebreath on Aug 16, 2017 7:24:42 GMT -8
Four weeks? Well that's the end of that operation imo. Well it depends how deep their pockets are doesn't it?
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Post by dofd on Aug 22, 2017 9:49:33 GMT -8
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Post by Dane on Aug 22, 2017 17:57:24 GMT -8
Not that I know anything about marine engines. But doesn't September 15th seem unrealistically optimistic for service to resume if they're getting two new engines installed that they don't even own yet? I realize that they've worded it in such a way that September 15 is only the first milestone but still seems unrealistoc? Would be neat if they found another vessel though - by sure what that would actually look like though.
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John H
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Post by John H on Aug 28, 2017 20:58:27 GMT -8
Came across the V2V Empress today while heading out on a daytrip to Mayne Island. Didn't seem to be going too fast, then I noticed the tug ahead of it - heading for repairs in Victoria. It's currently in Victoria's Upper Harbour, just off Point Hope Maritime.
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