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Post by roeco on Jan 5, 2016 14:18:22 GMT -8
Summer service should work...off season could be a challenge...it will be interesting to c how it plays out. 300 passenger vessel could be a little big for the market on a year round basis.
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Post by whalebreath on Jan 19, 2016 8:33:54 GMT -8
the harbours are going to be getting crowded!With new ownership, "Clipper Vacations" plans Victoria to Vancouver service January 19, 2016 07:11 from Ryan Price
Just as a downtown Victoria to downtown Vancouver passenger ferry prepares to launch, we might be getting another one. A global ferry and shipping group has acquired a majority interest in the firm that operates the Victoria Clipper and they want to establish and Victoria to Vancouver run. Fast Reliable Seaways, or FRS, currently operates 60 vessels in 12 countries. Meredith Tall, founder, CEO and Chair of Clipper Vacations, will continue in her role as CEO and retain minority ownership of the company. The newly purchased Clipper Vacations says it will expand its services to run between downtown Vancouver and Downtown Victoria. There are no details as of yet. With the support of Clipper, FRS says it also has plans to offer ferry services between hubs in Florida and Cuba. This news comes as another ferry service is about to launch. Riverside Marine of Australia plans to start a catamaran service between Victoria and Vancouver aimed at tourists. It’s expected to begin this summer.
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Post by WettCoast on Jan 19, 2016 9:24:40 GMT -8
If anyone can make a Victoria - Vancouver downtown to downtown passenger only service work over the long run it just might be this Clipper/FRS partnership.
Is there room for two such operations in addition to BC Ferries & the various air choices? NO!
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Post by northwesterner on Jan 19, 2016 17:24:14 GMT -8
the harbours are going to be getting crowded!With new ownership, "Clipper Vacations" plans Victoria to Vancouver service January 19, 2016 07:11 from Ryan Price
Just as a downtown Victoria to downtown Vancouver passenger ferry prepares to launch, we might be getting another one. A global ferry and shipping group has acquired a majority interest in the firm that operates the Victoria Clipper and they want to establish and Victoria to Vancouver run. Fast Reliable Seaways, or FRS, currently operates 60 vessels in 12 countries. Meredith Tall, founder, CEO and Chair of Clipper Vacations, will continue in her role as CEO and retain minority ownership of the company. The newly purchased Clipper Vacations says it will expand its services to run between downtown Vancouver and Downtown Victoria. There are no details as of yet. With the support of Clipper, FRS says it also has plans to offer ferry services between hubs in Florida and Cuba. This news comes as another ferry service is about to launch. Riverside Marine of Australia plans to start a catamaran service between Victoria and Vancouver aimed at tourists. It’s expected to begin this summer. MODS: If you feel my response here is better suited for the Victoria Clipper thread, feel free to move it. It's easier for me to respond, however, to the quoted news article, which is here. This is an interesting move by Clipper Vacations. Note that Meredith Tall, who is identified as founder, CEO, and Chair of the Clipper, is a name that I am unfamiliar with. A privately held company, the long time CEO, Darrell Bryan retired last year. He had equity in the company, too, but its unclear what the split is. A quick google search of Meredith Tall reveals very little ... she is the daughter of the family that started Tall's Camera, a once local camera chain that sold out to nationwide Ritz Camera many years ago. She has had a very background role with the Clipper for many years, mostly as chairman of the board of directors (of a privately held company, so answering to herself and the other equity holders). Did Bryan retire last year because she told him she intended to sell and needed full operational control to do so? Did she sell because after stepping into Bryan's role it was too much for her? It's unclear at this point. One thing I will hang my hat on, though, is that she will be out of the picture with six months. Founders usually have their exit plan figured out at the time they sell their company.
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Post by Starsteward on Jan 20, 2016 9:25:45 GMT -8
This development should be interesting to watch as it unfolds. I agree with other learned members here that I doubt there is room for two operators on this city to city route.
As an related aside, has there been any more chatter about the proposed passenger only ferry service between downtown Nanaimo and downtown Vancouver?
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Post by roeco on Jan 20, 2016 16:08:22 GMT -8
one of these operations should do a Nanaimo to Vancouver service No competition and they would have the market to themselves..! On Victoria to Vancouver ..Theirs no way theirs enough passengers especially in the off season for this to work. Even summer is kinda iffy! THe Australian venture already has space in Victoria and Vancouver ...Clipper is kinda lacking a Vancouver dock.
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Neil
Voyager
Posts: 7,150
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Post by Neil on Mar 23, 2016 22:05:40 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. Please forgive me the hubris of quoting myself, but I thought I would add this note on what seems to be a unique sort of service offered this spring by Prince of Whales. It sort of begs the question- is this a whale watching expedition, or a passenger ferry operation, or a mini cruise? Maybe a bit of all three, at a hefty price. Victoria to Vancouver, with a detour... very interesting concept.
princeofwhales.com/victoria-tours/
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Nick
Voyager
Chief Engineer - Queen of Richmond
Posts: 2,078
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Post by Nick on Mar 24, 2016 11:24:54 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. Please forgive me the hubris of quoting myself, but I thought I would add this note on what seems to be a unique sort of service offered this spring by Prince of Whales. It sort of begs the question- is this a whale watching expedition, or a passenger ferry operation, or a mini cruise? Maybe a bit of all three, at a hefty price. Victoria to Vancouver, with a detour... very interesting concept.
princeofwhales.com/victoria-tours/
I'm pretty sure this has been done for at least a few years already. I seem to recall seeing a poster advertisement on a Spirit a while back for it.
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Neil
Voyager
Posts: 7,150
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Post by Neil on Mar 26, 2016 21:06:04 GMT -8
Please forgive me the hubris of quoting myself, but I thought I would add this note on what seems to be a unique sort of service offered this spring by Prince of Whales. It sort of begs the question- is this a whale watching expedition, or a passenger ferry operation, or a mini cruise? Maybe a bit of all three, at a hefty price. Victoria to Vancouver, with a detour... very interesting concept.
princeofwhales.com/victoria-tours/
I'm pretty sure this has been done for at least a few years already. I seem to recall seeing a poster advertisement on a Spirit a while back for it. The reason I posted was an article in the Vancouver Sun, last September 30th. You're right- the service isn't entirely new, but they've elevated it for this year, with a new $3.5 million, 24 metre catamaran built in Port Angeles, the Salish Sea Dream. Appears to be a considerable step up from their glorified inflatables... qualifying perhaps as a micro-mini-cruise ship, and signifying a real investment in cross-strait and whale watching operations.
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Post by kevins on Mar 31, 2016 19:04:20 GMT -8
City of Nanaimo issues expression of interest for passenger ferry service more info
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Post by Dane on Dec 6, 2017 9:28:34 GMT -8
Clipper cannot secure a dock in Vancouver.
Their new boat will be in service between Victoria and Vancouver Seattle.
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Nick
Voyager
Chief Engineer - Queen of Richmond
Posts: 2,078
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Post by Nick on Dec 6, 2017 14:16:46 GMT -8
Clipper cannot secure a dock in Vancouver. Their new boat will be in service between Victoria and Vancouver. I assume you mean Seattle not Vancouver?
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Post by mybidness459 on Dec 6, 2017 14:46:57 GMT -8
Fast ferry operators may run into a little problem if they are thinking of using the Seabus terminal in Downtown Vancouver.
That problem is the new compass card system. You need to swipe in and out at the Waterfront terminal. Granted I only used Seabus once during the current system, and can not remember where you swipe. But given the location of the fast ferry dock, I would assume you need to swipe before entering the floating dock.
So the question is would TransLink refuse usage of its terminal due to the Compass card system?
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Post by Dane on Dec 6, 2017 14:48:45 GMT -8
Clipper cannot secure a dock in Vancouver. Their new boat will be in service between Victoria and Vancouver. I assume you mean Seattle not Vancouver? Lol yes
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Post by Dane on Dec 6, 2017 14:50:14 GMT -8
New ‘Clipper V’ to service between Victoria and Seattle next springwww.cheknews.ca/new-clipper-v-to-service-between-victoria-and-seattle-next-spring-395007/A newer, faster vessel for passengers of the Clipper ferry service between Seattle and Victoria will start in the spring of 2018. Clipper announced the Clipper V is a 52-metre high-speed catamaran that will carry 440 passengers and travel up to 36 knots or more than 65 kilometres per hour. The vessel was originally announced for Victoria-Vancouver service back in March, but the company says it was scrapped due to “unexpected operational costs associated with the dock in Vancouver.” The vessel has been operating in the North Sea between Hamburg and Heligoland, Germany and will be arriving via heavy lift carrier this month. The company says the Clipper V will get final interior modifications before starting service in the new year. Clipper says the travel time will remain about the same at two hours and 45 minutes, but a much larger platform gives more reliability in rough weather. Pricing can be found on the Clipper Vacations website. “Seattle has grown and changed significantly with increased demand for travel between the two cities,” Clipper CEO David Gudgel said in a release. “Victoria has also grown tremendously as a destination city with so many attractions to offer. Clipper V is the perfect vessel for us to provide an even better customer experience while matching market demand.”
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