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Post by ted on Nov 12, 2009 11:14:05 GMT -8
Looking forward to a couple of days on BC FERRIES and have a couple of questions as I've not ridden as a foot passenger before...
1. Looking at a Friday in early December. 9:00am Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay. Transit bus in to Victoria. Back for the 4:10pm RT to Mayne Island on the Cumberland. 7:00pm Swartz Bay to Tsawwassen. Q's:
Can I use a throughfare leaving Tsawwassen to Mayne with the 5+ hour layover? It seems to be cheaper than just the one way to Swartz Bay even if I throw out the second part.
Any problem to get off the Cumberland at Mayne and jump right back on?
How to buy the throughfare Mayne to Tsawwassen?
Foot passenger waiting facilities at Swartz Bay... are there any or can foot passengers wonder out and use the facilities in the auto waiting area?
2. Next day (Saturday) Horseshoe Bay-Departure Bay.
In Nanaimo it looks like there is a bus (#2) to go either to downtown one direction or a mall in the other... any recommendations on either one for a visit of a couple of hours?
Also same question about foot passenger waiting facilities at both ends... I seem to remember Horseshoe Bay having some shops, coffee, etc. in town immediately adjacent to the terminal.
Thanks in advance.
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Post by Retrovision on Nov 12, 2009 12:02:18 GMT -8
Looking forward to a couple of days on BC FERRIES and have a couple of questions as I've not ridden as a foot passenger before...
1. Looking at a Friday in early December. 9:00am Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay. Transit bus in to Victoria. Back for the 4:10pm RT to Mayne Island on the Cumberland. 7:00pm Swartz Bay to Tsawwassen. Q's:
Can I use a throughfare leaving Tsawwassen to Mayne with the 5+ hour layover? It seems to be cheaper than just the one way to Swartz Bay even if I throw out the second part.
Any problem to get off the Cumberland at Mayne and jump right back on?
How to buy the throughfare Mayne to Tsawwassen?
Foot passenger waiting facilities at Swartz Bay... are there any or can foot passengers wonder out and use the facilities in the auto waiting area? Unfortunately the rule is that you must take the next available sailing in order to benefit from the throughfare ticket price. You could jump off and on again at Mayne but you would only have the time it takes to unload and load vehicles before you board again, though it's enough to get a good view or photograph from land. It's perfectly acceptable to get off and right back on the ' Cumberland (or Mayne Queen for that matter) in the Gulf Islands - outside of busy times when a boarding pass might be required - as it's a return fare and therefore going back to Swartz Bay is free. I'd also assume that it hasn't changed being quite acceptable also to stay aboard for the duration of the r/t to Mayne, particularly during the slower winter months not near a holiday, although you will still need to give the ticket booth attendant an actual destination if it's your final one or not. If memory serves me right then you need only talk to a crew member at the cafeteria of the ' Cumberland to arrange for the discounted throughfare for which you would would then get a boarding pass to travel onto Tsawwassen for at the Swartz Bay ticket booths again. Swartz Bay Terminal has extensive foot passenger indoor waiting facilities but it is perfectly acceptable to travel over to the main vehicle passenger ammenities building in the middle of the waiting lanes, especially now that there is no longer a coffee kiosk in the foot passenger waiting area. The walk outside also makes for some enjoyable ferry and other nautical sights such as of the adjacent Seaspan Coastal Intermodal terminal and any of their ships that might be there at the time. 2. Next day (Saturday) Horseshoe Bay-Departure Bay.
In Nanaimo it looks like there is a bus (#2) to go either to downtown one direction or a mall in the other... any recommendations on either one for a visit of a couple of hours?
Also same question about foot passenger waiting facilities at both ends... I seem to remember Horseshoe Bay having some shops, coffee, etc. in town immediately adjacent to the terminal.
Thanks in advance. Downtown Nanaimo on the #2 - the only real wrothwhile stop on the route with so little time - is only a hop, skip and a jump away once you get aboard, just make sure you board the correct direction at Departure Bay Terminal as they utilize the same stop last that I checked. I'll leave it to someone from Nanaimo to recommend anywhere in particular to visit other than the obvious sights along the very useful seawall path such as the public docks and the downtown (to Gabriola) BC Ferries terminal next to Seaspan Coastal Intermodal's own Nanaimo terminal (adjacent to the Nanaimo Assembly Wharf where the two retired 'V' class vessels are moored at (no public access there, but many good views can be had around the area). See the #2 schedule here: busonline.ca/regions/nan/schedules/schedule.cfm?line=2&Similar to Swartz Bay's passenger facilities but modeled specifically after the Tsawwassen Quay, the Nanaimo Quay is located within the Departure Bay Terminal grounds right next to the berths themselves and has quite an adequate selection of dining, etc. Beyond this, however, downtown Nanaimo would probably be your best bet for anything other than gas station fare, etc., near the actual terminal, unless of course you take the relatively short walk following the shore towards downtown to see the Kwuna all wrapped up at the Nanaimo Shipyard. For specific recommendations on where to visit near the Departure Bay Terminal I'll again direct questions to those of us who actually live in the Nanaimo area. Best of luck! |
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Post by Retrovision on Nov 12, 2009 12:37:04 GMT -8
...I wouldn't take the transit bus into Victoria. Takes too long. Better idea is to go to the bus driver's desk and get a ticket aboard Pacific Coach Lines. Far more direct and goes directly to the bus depot downtown. Same going back to Swartz Bay.
Buses used by Pacificoach are much nicer and comfy. I and many others might not agree on this point, with a caveat: If you have the means to do so by all means support PCL, but for an extreme price break - $14.50 one way (according to pacificcoach.com's fare guide for Tsawwassen to Victoria Depot at $28 but minus the ferry fare of $13.50) compared to $2.25 one way - with nearly comparable comfort considering that almost every trip to and from the ferry is served by modern double decker bus with a choice of direct express service timed to meet arriving and departing ferries to and from Tsawwassen (just make sure you board the #70 express - busonline.ca/regions/vic/schedules/schedule.cfm?line=70& - ask your driver to verify) save for a short pull off directly at Sidney and one at McTavish Park & Ride, a very large percentage of travellers these days would suggest transit (in this case). If this were a year ago September I'd be much closer to agreeing that PCL is the way to go - it certainly is a nice luxury if you have the wherewithal to not give a second thought on spending over 6 times as much for what arguably ammounts to the value in time and comfort of 3 times the cost at the very most - but ever since major upgrades to service in September of 2008 that includes all day, all week nearly parallel service with an eye to soon upgrading to BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) that will ammount to treating the bus like a train on a track of highway and with a close resemblance being offered already, transit has become far more than simply a viable alternative in that corridor. |
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Post by Kahloke on Nov 12, 2009 13:05:11 GMT -8
I and many others might not agree on this point, with a caveat: If you have the means to do so by all means support PCL, but for an extreme price break - $14.50 one way (according to pacificcoach.com's fare guide for Tsawwassen to Victoria Depot at $28 but minus the ferry fare of $13.50) compared to $2.25 one way - with nearly comparable comfort considering that almost every trip to and from the ferry is served by modern double decker bus with a choice of direct express service timed to meet arriving and departing ferries to and from Tsawwassen (just make sure you board the #70 express I agree with Retro on this one. If time isn't an issue, then the #70 Express Bus is quite enjoyable. I took it last year on my Coho/Route 1 Queen of Saanich day trip. The #70 takes about an hour to get from Swartz Bay to downtown Victoria, again because of the afore-mentioned stops in Sidney, McTavish Road Park & Ride, Royal Oak Exchange, and others. I would imagine PCL is quicker, but is it worth the extra $$$ for the time saving? |
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Post by Retrovision on Nov 12, 2009 13:24:32 GMT -8
I and many others might not agree on this point, with a caveat: If you have the means to do so by all means support PCL, but for an extreme price break - $14.50 one way (according to pacificcoach.com's fare guide for Tsawwassen to Victoria Depot at $28 but minus the ferry fare of $13.50) compared to $2.25 one way - with nearly comparable comfort considering that almost every trip to and from the ferry is served by modern double decker bus with a choice of direct express service timed to meet arriving and departing ferries to and from Tsawwassen (just make sure you board the #70 express I agree with Retro on this one. If time isn't an issue, then the #70 Express Bus is quite enjoyable. I took it last year on my Coho/Route 1 Queen of Saanich day trip. The #70 takes about an hour to get from Swartz Bay to downtown Victoria, again because of the afore-mentioned stops in Sidney, McTavish Road Park & Ride, Royal Oak Exchange, and others. I would imagine PCL is quicker, but is it worth the extra $$$ for the time saving? In fact - and I didn't even realize how close they are until now - considering that both companies keep a reliable schedule, the published times show less than a ten minute savings at most: www.pacificcoach.com/SchedulesFares/VancouvertoVictoriav. busonline.ca/regions/vic/schedules/schedule.cfm?line=70&And when it comes to the stops themselves, PCL takes the time to stop at almost all the same places as BC Transit's 70 Express except for a handful of extra stops in the city core. Take Royal Oak for another point and the services get even more comparable, where the PCL bus will exit the highway at Elk Lake Dr. for about a kilometre and endure all the lights, etc., that entails, southbound the #70 simply exits and re-enters Hwy. 17 directly at Royal Oak. |
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Post by Balfour on Nov 12, 2009 14:05:52 GMT -8
The Transit option is certainly attractive to University Students from the mainland who enjoy spending a weekend with friends at UVic (due to it's reputation as a "party school"). It makes for a very inexpensive getaway for that demographic expecially considering that many university students run on extremely tight budgets...
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Post by Scott on Nov 12, 2009 17:16:33 GMT -8
I agree with those who say the transit ride into Victoria is just fine. I even enjoy the non-express trip (as long as you're not in a hurry) as it takes you through some of the communities and side roads that you would otherwise miss.
As for Nanaimo, I would choose downtown over the mall, unless you like malls with lots of shopping. In Downtown Nanaimo you can walk the harbor front, visit the heritage section of town, visit the museum, art gallery, library, etc. There are plenty of places to shop and eat down there too.
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Post by Retrovision on Nov 12, 2009 17:18:08 GMT -8
The Transit option is certainly attractive to University Students from the mainland who enjoy spending a weekend with friends at UVic (due to it's reputation as a "party school"). It makes for a very inexpensive getaway for that demographic expecially considering that many university students run on extremely tight budgets... So popular among them that they have a direct route, the #80, to the terminal on Friday's and back from the terminal on Sundays, two and three trips in each direction respectively even. |
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Post by Nickfro on Nov 17, 2009 14:53:07 GMT -8
1. Looking at a Friday in early December. 9:00am Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay. Transit bus in to Victoria. Back for the 4:10pm RT to Mayne Island on the Cumberland. 7:00pm Swartz Bay to Tsawwassen. Q's:
Can I use a throughfare leaving Tsawwassen to Mayne with the 5+ hour layover? It seems to be cheaper than just the one way to Swartz Bay even if I throw out the second part.
Any problem to get off the Cumberland at Mayne and jump right back on?
How to buy the throughfare Mayne to Tsawwassen?
Thanks in advance. Here's what I think is the best value for you and within the rules of BC Ferries. . . Upon arriving at Tsawwassen, acquire an EXPERIENCE CARD at the foot passenger ticket booth, and ask to load $40 onto it. You will have to do so with a credit card or cash. You can use the prepaid money to pay for your ferry fares. The $40 is a minumim you have to load in order to get savings on some routes, in this case the Swartz Bay - Mayne Island route. This way, you can save $3.30 on the Swartz Bay - Mayne Island fare. See page 7 on the BCFS FARES document. You will then acquire a Throughfare ticket on board the ferry brom Mayne to Swartz Bay for your discounted fare back to Tsawwassen. Fare Breakdown:Tsawwassen - Swartz Bay = $13.50 Swartz Bay - Mayne Island = $5.75 (w/ Experience Card) Mayne Island - Tsawwassen = $6.80 (w/ Throughfare, via Swartz) Total Cost = $26.05 Any money left over can be used on your next voyage, so you won't be wasting any of your $40. You could even squeeze in a discounted ride on the Bowen Queen from Downtown Nanaimo to Gabriola Island during your Nanaimo trip! I find it funny (and more beneficial for a ferry enthousiast) that, with the Experience Card, it's cheaper to travel through a Gulf Island en route to Tsawwassen from Swartz Bay than it is to do the direct Route 1 sailing! I did it this past summer with my vehicle, travelling to Salt Spring, enjoying a ride on the Skeena Queen to Fulford and taking the Bowen Queen from Long Harbour to Tsawwassen. |
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Post by ted on Nov 18, 2009 21:40:07 GMT -8
Thanks for all the great advice.
The other thing was I was hoping to ride on one of the new Coastal ships at some point... according to the schedule for early Dec the only chance of that is the 4:00pm Fri out of Swatrz Bay. Is there much of a chance that one of the Spirit vessels will be out for maintenance at that time and replaced by a Coastal all day?
Thanks again.
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Neil
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Post by Neil on Nov 18, 2009 22:38:07 GMT -8
The other thing was I was hoping to ride on one of the new Coastal ships at some point... according to the schedule for early Dec the only chance of that is the 4:00pm Fri out of Swatrz Bay. Is there much of a chance that one of the Spirit vessels will be out for maintenance at that time and replaced by a Coastal all day? No, not a chance. Spirits virtually never break down and hardly ever need maintenance. They are as impervious to injury as a BC Lions quarterback. Never miss a day. |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 10, 2015 16:10:30 GMT -8
However, even though the Spirits will most likely be in service, going on Duke-Point-Tsawwassen may put you on a Coastal ship.
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Neil
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Post by Neil on Aug 10, 2015 20:50:03 GMT -8
However, even though the Spirits will most likely be in service, going on Duke-Point-Tsawwassen may put you on a Coastal ship. Not at all clear on what this comment relates to. |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 11, 2015 5:39:57 GMT -8
I know that's from 5 years ago, but if you want to catch a Coastal Class FERRY, you should go Duke Point-Tsawwassen. that's what I mean.
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Post by Kahloke on Aug 11, 2015 6:37:52 GMT -8
I know that's from 5 years ago, but if you want to catch a Coastal Class FERRY, you should go Duke Point-Tsawwassen. that's what I mean. You can catch a Coastal Class vessel from any of the 3 lower mainland to Vancouver Island routes this time of year. Route 1 has Coastal Celebration, Route 30 has Coastal Inspiration, and Route 2 has Coastal Renaissance. In the winter, your best bet for catching a Coastal will be Route 1 as the Coastals are often run in place of the Spirit Class vessels when those ships are rotated out for their annual maintenance, and maybe also for the favourable economics of running the Coastals vs. the Spirits. Of course, the Spirits will be getting a major mid-life-upgrade (MLU) pretty soon, so we may be seeing more of the Coastals on Route 1 during that refit time. Oh, and I think Route 30 has Coastal Inspiration on it pretty much year-round, except when it is out of service for maintenance. |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 11, 2015 6:45:02 GMT -8
I know that's from 5 years ago, but if you want to catch a Coastal Class FERRY, you should go Duke Point-Tsawwassen. that's what I mean. You can catch a Coastal Class vessel from any of the 3 lower mainland to Vancouver Island routes this time of year. Route 1 has Coastal Celebration, Route 30 has Coastal Inspiration, and Route 2 has Coastal Renaissance. In the winter, your best bet for catching a Coastal will be Route 1 as the Coastals are often run in place of the Spirit Class vessels when those ships are rotated out for their annual maintenance, and maybe also for the favourable economics of running the Coastals vs. the Spirits. Of course, the Spirits will be getting a major mid-life-upgrade (MLU) pretty soon, so we may be seeing more of the Coastals on Route 1 during that refit time. Oh, and I think Route 30 has Coastal Inspiration on it pretty much year-round, except when it is out of service for maintenance. I'm trying to answer a guy who wants to go and both Spirit class vessels are in service then. |
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Post by Low Light Mike on Aug 11, 2015 7:28:38 GMT -8
I know that's from 5 years ago, but if you want to catch a Coastal Class FERRY, you should go Duke Point-Tsawwassen. that's what I mean. Hint (request) If you are responding to a post from 5 years ago, please quote it in your response (use the "quote" button). Otherwise, no one will know what you are talking about (such as in this case), and so your post will be meaningless. If you want to have a meaningful post, then please give us context. So far, you've posted on other threads as if we should read your mind and know which Coho captain you know, and to also know which town you live in. - Posts without context are frustrating and useless on a forum. |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 11, 2015 7:30:30 GMT -8
I know that's from 5 years ago, but if you want to catch a Coastal Class FERRY, you should go Duke Point-Tsawwassen. that's what I mean. Hint (request) If you are responding to a post from 5 years ago, please quote it in your response (use the "quote" button). Otherwise, no one will know what you are talking about (such as in this case), and so your post will be meaningless. If you want to have a meaningful post, then please give us context. So far, you've posted on other threads as if we should read your mind and know which Coho captain you know, and to also know which town you live in. - Posts without context are frustrating and useless on a forum. Thanks for letting me know! I'll try to start doing this. |
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Post by Low Light Mike on Aug 11, 2015 7:41:35 GMT -8
Hint (request) If you are responding to a post from 5 years ago, please quote it in your response (use the "quote" button). Otherwise, no one will know what you are talking about (such as in this case), and so your post will be meaningless. If you want to have a meaningful post, then please give us context. So far, you've posted on other threads as if we should read your mind and know which Coho captain you know, and to also know which town you live in. - Posts without context are frustrating and useless on a forum. Thanks for letting me know! I'll try to start doing this. It's just good conversation skills, like any adult should have. |
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Post by skyblaster on Aug 22, 2016 11:27:13 GMT -8
Hello everyone, I'm planning my families first trip to SSI from Tsawwassen this weekend, heading to Ruckle Park.
Another first for us is staying at a first-come-first-served campsite.
With the intention of getting there as early as we can Saturday morning and to catch the Fulford-Ruckle bus, I'm planning to purchase Thru Fare tickets via Swartz Bay.
My first question is: how likely is it for foot passengers to make the 08:30am connection to Fulford if taking the 07:00am Tsawwassen sailing to Swartz Bay?
I realize the sailing time to Swartz is 1h,35min which conflicts with the departure time to Fulford, however I swear I noticed a bunch of foot passengers B-lining it for the SSI ferry on a past cycling trip to Victoria. Just trying to avoid the 06:00am sailing if at all possible.
My second question is: how likely is it to get a camping site at Ruckle if arriving on Saturday?
Cheers!
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Post by Cascadian Transport on Aug 22, 2016 12:32:15 GMT -8
Hello everyone, I'm planning my families first trip to SSI from Tsawwassen this weekend, heading to Ruckle Park. Another first for us is staying at a first-come-first-served campsite. With the intention of getting there as early as we can Saturday morning and to catch the Fulford-Ruckle bus, I'm planning to purchase Thru Fare tickets via Swartz Bay. My first question is: how likely is it for foot passengers to make the 08:30am connection to Fulford if taking the 07:00am Tsawwassen sailing to Swartz Bay? I realize the sailing time to Swartz is 1h,35min which conflicts with the departure time to Fulford, however I swear I noticed a bunch of foot passengers B-lining it for the SSI ferry on a past cycling trip to Victoria. Just trying to avoid the 06:00am sailing if at all possible. Cheers! It is extremely unlikely that you could make that connection. There is no way the 7:00 sailing could get into Swartz Bay before 8:30. Plus, when you get to SWB, You will have to walk up to the ticket counter, trade your through-fare voucher in for a boarding pass, and then walk all the way back down to the berth. There's no way you could do that in time. I think your best bet is to take the 8:00 sailing out of Tsawwassen, than catch the 10:00 to SSI. That puts you at SSI at 10:35, which is still fairly early. |
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Post by skyblaster on Aug 23, 2016 8:47:17 GMT -8
It is extremely unlikely that you could make that connection. There is no way the 7:00 sailing could get into Swartz Bay before 8:30. Plus, when you get to SWB, You will have to walk up to the ticket counter, trade your through-fare voucher in for a boarding pass, and then walk all the way back down to the berth. There's no way you could do that in time. I think your best bet is to take the 8:00 sailing out of Tsawwassen, than catch the 10:00 to SSI. That puts you at SSI at 10:35, which is still fairly early. Thanks for confirming the unlikelihood of the connection and your recommendation. It's really too bad the Ruckle bus only runs twice daily. I was trying to avoid bringing a vehicle, needing to arrange for a taxi, or hitchhiking. Too far of a hike with fully loaded packs and a toddler. |
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Post by WettCoast on Aug 23, 2016 12:00:46 GMT -8
Ruckle Park has some reservable walk in camp sites. Check this link for more info. Without a reservation I would think walk in sites would be available early on a Saturday morning but there is no way to know for sure. Have you considered going to Montague Park on Galiano Island? It is a lovely park & very family friendly, but way too far to walk from the Sturdies Bay ferry terminal. |
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Post by skyblaster on Aug 23, 2016 13:59:41 GMT -8
Ruckle Park has some reservable walk in camp sites. Check this link for more info. Without a reservation I would think walk in sites would be available early on a Saturday morning but there is no way to know for sure. Have you considered going to Montague Park on Galiano Island? It is a lovely park & very family friendly, but way too far to walk from the Sturdies Bay ferry terminal. Thanks WettCoast. Yes, Montague Harbour was our first foray into the Southern Gulf Islands. We made the exhausting trek in late July and thoroughly enjoyed our stay on Galiano. Thanks to a most generous islander we got a lift back to Bellhouse Park. |
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