Play Areas

[Scott]

I agree, the Queenof New Westminster has a good play area. If I'm not mistaken, it's on the upper deck? I'm just not sure if I'm mixing it up with the Queen of Esquimalt. The C-class ferries are relatively good, but fairly small. Not much room for strollers and not a lot of seating for parents. I just can't remember the differences, but I think the Queen of Oak Bay has a slightly bigger room with a TV, but I don't recall a TV on the Coquitlam or Cowichan. I just drop my wife and kids off there and don't usually sit down;)

I really don't like the play area on the Spirit class ferries. It's basically a clearing with a TV show going and one or two little things to sit and play on.

The Northern Adventure has quite a nice large play area, located at the front of the main passenger deck... prime real estate

I've heard that the Coastal Renaissance will have two play areas so maybe they won't get so crowded as they seem to be now.

[Ferryman]

admin said:

I agree, the Queenof New Westminster has a good play area. If I'm not mistaken, it's on the upper deck? I'm just not sure if I'm mixing it up with the Queen of Esquimalt.

The play area on the Queen of New Westminster is actually on the Main Passenger deck, mid ship lounge with the Gift shop. When I was a tot, I used to love the play area on the New West too, because of the slide. It will be interesting to see if the play area gets moved when she returns from this major upgrade. Also, I believe all of the V-Class have their play areas in the upper mid ship lounge.

I can remember my childhood quite well, with alot of the trips over to the Mainland we used to do, while we lived on the Island. I'm 19 years old now, and I've been only just starting to see the play areas I used to play in are changing. My parents would only allow me to play in the play areas for a little while, and then I'd have to sit in the quieter areas of the ship for the rest of the journey. I can remember back to either Xmas '91 or '92, coming back from my Grandparents house after opening all of my gifts. I decided to bring my toys to the upper aft lounge on the Queen of New Westminster, and scatter them all over the aft starboard side of the lounge. One of the toys was a fire truck with working lights and sounds. Seeming that was the lounge most of the adults would sit in to get away from the noise, I was up there making all the noise. I think it was a fairly empty sailing anyway, so it probably wasn't a big deal.

Oh the memories!

[Hardy]

Excellent topic choice, 'Shipyard'! As "only an uncle" I tend to neglect things like play areas for the most part, being that I am a "surly truck driver" when I am not my alter ego "Evil Uncle Hardy"!

Analyzing what has briefly been mentioned here, and thinking back about some other posts that I have read, I wonder if this particular topic, "kiddies play areas", is something which needs to be brought more directly to the attention of BCFS. Like me, I think that this may be something that gets overlooked by the good folks at the Queen of Fort Street.

Financially speaking, in terms of upgrades and remembering that we are inviting the world here in 2010, I would think that investing a little money in making sure that ALL vessels have an adequate 'child play/supervision area'.

With some of the unused spaces aboard current vessels, I am sure that a relocation of areas would not be that unfeasible, nor too time/money consuming. I realize that the primary purpose of BCFS is to move pax and vehicles, but, as has been pointed out, having a place to 'park your kids' is very important to family travellers.

I would welcome more discussion on this topic, and especially like to see what the WA-state members have to say about their ferry's kiddies areas.

[Low Light Mike]

The play-area on the Q-Sidney was in the upstairs aft-lounge. However, this was also my study-area....for those years when I was in a long-distance-relationship and also doing courses.

Luckily for me, the upstairs-aft lounge on the Sidney was little-known, and so it was usually quiet.

I think the toys were still there, during the forum's tour of the Sidney a couple of years ago (from Chris' video of the tour).

Another point: I wonder how unsanitary the toys (ie. slides and larger items) are? Would these simply be sprayed-down each day with disinfectant? A ferry play-area sounds like a germ-factory to me....but I'm someone without kids, so anything to do with toddlers creates germ-phobia for me. ;D

[Balfour]

You'd think BCF would clean the play equipment regularly, but you never know... Thankfully for me I've spent 3 winters working in a job that involves a lot of kids so I'm probably immune to just about anything.

[Scott]

Ok, it is the Esquimalt that has a very good play area. Lots of toys and lots of room. I think it's in the enclosed upper deck area (that used to be open-air.