Koastal Karl
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Been on every BC Ferry now!!!!!
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Post by Koastal Karl on Jan 25, 2006 11:29:54 GMT -8
I was looking at the northern schedules today and I see they already have this years Positioning Cruise up. Again it's Oct 1st which this year falls on a Sunday. I am thinking about doing the trip again this year. It was an awesome cruise last year. Maybe we should have a group meeting on this cruise?? That might be a neat idea. Get more young people on the cruise. Start saving up guys!! You think that's a good idea Flugel??? So we can take over the ship from all the old folks there, who sit around all day, lol!! I sent BC Ferries a question as to why they dont do the Northbound cruises anymore. So I will see what they say.
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Post by Low Light Mike on Jan 25, 2006 18:26:03 GMT -8
I had a super time on that Oct.1st cruise in 2005. I'd love to do it again, but I really need to see how much travel-budget I'll have left after summer-2006.
I'll likely do it again in 2006, as it was such a super experience seeing the inside-passage part of Johnstone Straight, etc.
The odds are that I'll do it, but October's still a long way's off.
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Koastal Karl
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Been on every BC Ferry now!!!!!
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Post by Koastal Karl on Jan 25, 2006 18:46:45 GMT -8
Yeah it still is a long ways off. I was suprised they had it up this early about the cruise. I wanna do the inside passage too from Port Hardy to Prince Rupert. I had thought doing it right from Prince Rupert down to Tsawwassen in September but that would cost about 1300 to that I calculated it out. That would be expensive. I emailed BC Ferries about why they dont have a northbound cruise and they said it's because the Queen of the North those times they had the northbound cruise dident go back up north till May to start the summer schedule and she sails back this year April 1st they said. But I still dont know why they couldent have a northbound cruise.
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Post by Balfour on Jan 25, 2006 18:47:03 GMT -8
I would be up for it if my budget and my schedule allows.
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Post by Mike C on Jan 26, 2006 19:02:48 GMT -8
Sunday, eh? That may or may not be possible. I'll know closer to the date that we/you go.
I have never done the cruise before, and would like to do it sometime this year. I'll start saving... I have a low budget...
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Post by Dane on Jan 27, 2006 18:32:05 GMT -8
I've marked it off, hope to get on.
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Koastal Karl
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Been on every BC Ferry now!!!!!
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Post by Koastal Karl on Jan 27, 2006 22:17:39 GMT -8
Dont hope to get on you have to book in advance for the cruise. I booked months before the cruise.
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Post by Dane on Jan 27, 2006 23:47:30 GMT -8
Dont hope to get on you have to book in advance for the cruise. I booked months before the cruise. How far in advance?
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Koastal Karl
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Been on every BC Ferry now!!!!!
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Post by Koastal Karl on Jan 28, 2006 19:48:49 GMT -8
I booked in like March or April I think and they were sold out of cabins and the reserved seating, but that wasent a big deal. In the next few months I would reserve if you want to go on the cruise. I dont think those cruises are ever full cause they have it up on the schedule till like a day before the cruise so I would assume they have it up you can still get on.
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Post by Scott on Feb 11, 2006 23:01:07 GMT -8
No one mentioned it here, but there are two positioning cruises in March as well. Northbound Queen of the North on March 3rd I think... and Southbound on the Queen of Prince Rupert on March 4th.
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Koastal Karl
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Been on every BC Ferry now!!!!!
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Post by Koastal Karl on Feb 11, 2006 23:16:38 GMT -8
BC Ferries dosent do the northbound cruises on the Queen of the North cause I asked them. They dont have them anymore and I am not sure about the Prince Rupert.
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Post by Quinsam on Feb 11, 2006 23:38:35 GMT -8
I don't think I could met us all in Port Hardy, but I might meet you guys at Tsawwassen. What berth did she come in last year?
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Post by Mike C on Feb 12, 2006 14:22:02 GMT -8
Rumour has it it cane into berth 1. I would go, fly home from Port Hardy. I would take the 620 bus from Ladner Exchange to Tsawwassen.
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Post by Low Light Mike on Feb 12, 2006 17:44:06 GMT -8
The Queen of the North docked at Tsawwassen in Berth #2, stern-in.
My wife & I did the positioning cruise, and the total trip costs were $650, for ferry fare on the cruise, ferry fare home from Tsawwassen, and 2 nights hotels.
We looked on this weekend trip as a bit luxurious for us, price-wise.....and so we treated it as a special trip that we wouldn't necessarily make each year. (but I'll see if I have any travel budget left for this year's trip....because it was sure a nice trip!).
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Post by NMcKay on Feb 12, 2006 18:08:32 GMT -8
lemme think.
Cost of Ferry : 83.00 +7.85 fuel surcharge 1 Adult Car: 193.00 +16.50 fuel surcharge Food: 250.00 Hotel: 200.00 Gas: 50.00 Car to DEP: 47.00
Total: 847.35
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Post by Low Light Mike on Feb 12, 2006 18:16:22 GMT -8
With that high total cost, you can see why it was popular with the "affluent seniors travel crowd", who did a bus trip.
The positioning cruise last year had very few younger families or very few people below 40 for that matter.......and hardly anyone below 20.
So it was not a family-type event for most.
that being said, all this talk on this thread is making me think about doing this trip again in 2006.......maybe I can skip paying my property-taxes for a year?
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Post by NMcKay on Feb 12, 2006 18:33:53 GMT -8
im gonna drop the price when i find out the exact cost. but those are ballpark (minus the BCF stuff. thats all at cost)
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Post by Mike C on Feb 12, 2006 18:59:31 GMT -8
I'm not taking my car, so that reduces the cost for me. I'll fly from Port Hardy, on Pacific Coastal. They do business cheap.
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Post by Low Light Mike on Feb 12, 2006 20:10:45 GMT -8
I'll fly from Port Hardy, on Pacific Coastal.. Do you mean that you'll fly "to" Port Hardy....because that's where the October cruise starts from. PS: SonicBlue Airways also did business cheap....
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Doug
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Lurking within...the car deck.
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Post by Doug on Feb 12, 2006 20:14:03 GMT -8
I'll fly from Port Hardy, on Pacific Coastal.. PS: SonicBlue Airways also did business cheap.... Ya...and they also have a safety record better than all of the airline companies in North America....
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Post by Scott on Feb 12, 2006 22:40:35 GMT -8
BC Ferries dosent do the northbound cruises on the Queen of the North cause I asked them. They dont have them anymore and I am not sure about the Prince Rupert. The following page on BC Ferries website has a Northbound cruise on the Queen of the North scheduled for Friday March 3rd, 2006, and Southbound on the Queen of Prince Rupert scheduled for Saturday/Sunday March 4/5th, 2006. www.bcferries.com/schedules/inside/pocr-1.html
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Post by hergfest on Feb 13, 2006 1:41:56 GMT -8
For the best part of both cruises it will be dark, what is the point?
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Koastal Karl
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Been on every BC Ferry now!!!!!
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Post by Koastal Karl on Feb 13, 2006 10:46:09 GMT -8
Yeah that seems kinda stupid why they would have the cruises at those times. And does the Queen of Prince Rupert really takes 17 hours to sail from Port Hardy to Tsawwassen??? That seems like a long time. The North did it in under 13 hours. But then again the North probably goes faster. I could see the Queen of the North Northbound cruise wouldent be that great cause of the night arrival in Port Hardy some of the best scenery you wouldent see cause it would be dark. But the Queen of Prince Rupert Southbound trip would be neat cause I never been on the Prince Rupert but departing at 10pm is kinda stupid. They should depart at like 6am from Port Hardy then and arrive at Tsawwassen at 11pm. That would be a better sailing. At least the nicer scenery you would see during the day.
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Post by Curtis on Feb 13, 2006 11:19:29 GMT -8
Yeah it would be nicer scenery. Looking at the Speeds the QPR goes 18 Knots and the North goes 20-22 knots so the North is under 5 knots faster than the QPR
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Koastal Karl
Voyager
Been on every BC Ferry now!!!!!
Posts: 7,747
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Post by Koastal Karl on Feb 13, 2006 12:43:24 GMT -8
or here is another idea. Take the Queen of the North northbound cruise on the 3rd. Stay in Port Hardy the next day, the take the Queen of Prince Rupert southbound cruise on the 4th back to Tsawwassen, only as a foot passenger though cause that would be expensive taking your vehicle.
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