Neil
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Post by Neil on Oct 10, 2023 21:23:13 GMT -8
Looking at the broader picture, I'm wondering if BC Ferries isn't happy that someone else is doing their market research for them. Reports from some of our members indicate that passenger loads are fairly healthy, and when I've looked at the hullo website for a given day, I'm not seeing many window or near window seats available. Despite the historical record, it may just be that a reasonably priced, dependable passenger ferry operation between Nanaimo and Vancouver actually is viable.
Fifteen years or so ago, the David Hahn era BC Ferries wanted to grow the scope of traffic, and got into the drop trailer market, using the experience of Seaspan. There was a legal challenge over rates, but this expansion of the provincially owned service model has worked... I think the division of traffic is roughly 50/50. There is nowhere near the same opportunity for revenue in passenger ferry traffic, but there certainly could be a benefit in terms of new ship construction if foot traffic could be developed instead of constantly increasing vehicle capacity. Maybe BC Ferries wouldn't get into the market themselves; there might be a real benefit in the province subsidizing the expansion of operations like hullo.
In any event, I'm enjoying the postings of members who are using the service. The ferry world is usually pretty static, as it has to be by its very nature, and it's nice to see a new kid on the block, apparently doing fairly well. Maybe this is the start of a real change in how we get about on the coast of British Columbia.
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Post by Starsteward on Oct 10, 2023 21:27:03 GMT -8
Jim, I'm totally 'old school' with you with regard to the crew, mostly importantly 'bridge' crew wearing t-shirts!! Good grief, 'Hullo' is totally brainless in projecting that kind of image! Secondly, what's up with not allowing battery powered wheel chairs on board, totally ignorant in not doing their homework on that issue. I think there's something missing, (like marine experience at least), and make the necessary changes before this enterprise goes the way of the many players we've seen come and fail in this local market. Note to the folks at "Hullo", please see 1st line of this message I am giving Hullo the benefit of the doubt and that they will fix things like the electric mobility scooter issue. That is somewhat of an embarrassment for them, I think. As for the T-shirt thing, I did not actually see the bridge crew people so I can't say for certain they too were wearing T-shirts. I hope they opt for a more (in my opinion) professional look. The chap in the Hullo commercial who is ensconcing himself in the pilot chair is definitely wearing a red T-shirt with Hullo printed on the front. There's a difference between 'professional' and 'casual' .
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Post by paulvanb on Oct 10, 2023 21:38:33 GMT -8
My report after my weekend round trip to Vancouver follows. I was with my wife going for a big family Thanksgiving dinner in North Van.
Disclaimer: - I like ferries that you can walk around on, that actually assist me in getting to my 10,000 foot steps per day. - I like ferries with stairways to where you can get a little extra exercise going up/down. - I like ferries with outside decks.
- I love ferries for use as a photography platform both for shooting other ferries, the passing scenery, birds & wildlife, and the the ferry that you are actually on. - I appreciate ferries with food service, especially reasonably good food.
IMHO, you get all of the above when riding BC Ferries. Not so much with Hullo ...
Notes I took yesterday, both positive & negative:
- Uniforms - who’s who is important. On Hullo the crew is dressed in T-shirts, often covered with something else, such as the rain wear worn yesterday, or sweaters worn over the T-shirts. To me it should be clear who is crew and who is not. Call me old school. - Clarity of announcements could be a lot better. This includes the safety spiel at the start of the trip. I am hearing impaired. What I heard was pretty much unintelligible. My wife's hearing is reasonably good and she says that she could not understand the announcements either. - Punctuality seems good. Voyage time is 75 minutes. Gets you downtown into Vancouver quickly. - Food/beverage service seems pretty much non-existent. Snacks & bubbly drinks upstairs (for the two higher classes) but nothing at all downstairs, inc nothing for purchase. No coffee or tea. Was told that they are working to change that.
- Save your money - 'Comfort Class' seems fine & the view is better. There is a forward facing view which there is not upstairs. We had seats 2L & 2M on the return trip which were auto assigned & are good for taking in what view there is. I have to check if you can select seating downstairs (no doubt for an extra fee). Also, there is a 'Senior's Fare', but only for comfort class. - Online booking needs work. At present it’s only marginally better than useless. - Marshalling areas both sides are outdoors (some cover in Vancouver). In poor weather conditions should be indoors or at least under cover. - Unlike conventional ferry you are pretty much confined to your seat. - There are locations for wheelchairs but no evident means of securing them. Looks like only two spots (maybe four if narrow chairs). There is no access to upper deck for people in wheelchairs. - Looks to me like opportunities for passenger experience enhancement (& revenue generation) going un-fulfilled (food sales, perhaps movies, etc) - A number of seats that face each other across a table - good for conversations, cards, laptop use etc.
- Crew super friendly! - Free parking on the Nanaimo side. Don't know about parking on the Vancouver side. I suspect it to be much more limited and not free. Free parking at Nanaimo is "until further notice". After that I hope rates will be no more expensive then at Departure Bay. - Transit system connections - Fair to excellent on the Vancouver side, poor on the Nanaimo side. We found the walk to from Waterfront (Skytrain, Seabus) station to be relatively short, and interesting. - Lengthy walk in Nanaimo from where you park to the terminal building and then to the boat. For me I appreciate the exercise opportunity but some may find it to be a bit of a negative, especially in lousy weather like it was yesterday. - Pretty much smooth sailing for us both coming and going. Seas in mid-strait were not flat calm and might have been a little rough for an open canoe. I'm fairly sure that really rough seas will yield a really rough ride, and cancellations ... - Luggage (thanks, Paul) - There is limited luggage storage available on the lower (main) deck. You are encouraged to only bring 'carry-on' type luggage, but I did see a few people with large luggage such as if coming or going from the airport or a cruise. Hullo needs to do some more work on this file. - Electrical outlets as well as USB A & C charging ports are everywhere (every seat, I am pretty sure). This is good.
Will I ride Hullo again? Yes, under some conditions where it makes sense. But it should be clear that my preference is for conventional ferries such as the ones BCF operates.
You are all welcome to ask questions about my report and challenge, if you wish, what I have written.
See attached photos, one of the view out the front in poor weather while passing under the LG Bridge, the other of the wheelchair spots.
Jim, don't hold back now, tell us how you really feel. I do agree with you. I did miss being out on deck, but not sure how much fun that would be at 35 knots in the rain.
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WettCoast
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Post by WettCoast on Oct 10, 2023 21:40:55 GMT -8
... I agree with the sentiments expressed, but if there isn't any confusion from customers, this blurring of the lines between the public and the mariners is probably just going to have to be swallowed. I wonder if Transport Canada is okay with that?
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Post by Starsteward on Oct 11, 2023 12:44:50 GMT -8
... I agree with the sentiments expressed, but if there isn't any confusion from customers, this blurring of the lines between the public and the mariners is probably just going to have to be swallowed. I wonder if Transport Canada is okay with that? Hate to "sorta speculate", but I wonder if there is even a 'section' on the books that even addresses this issue?
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Post by Blue Bus Fan on Oct 12, 2023 10:32:54 GMT -8
I took Hullo for second time today. I got to look at front window which was fun. I witnessed what the crew while do when something gets stuck in water jet which seems need to be dealt with right away with vessel stopping turning around using backwards to get rid of stuck objects, it takes around five minutes and really doesn’t effect arrival time. How fast can vessels actually go?
The transit connection in Nanaimo could be way more direct in my opinion without a need of bus.
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WettCoast
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Post by WettCoast on Oct 12, 2023 10:37:02 GMT -8
For those that like to check out this sort of thing ...
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Nick
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Post by Nick on Oct 13, 2023 11:25:58 GMT -8
I just wanted to comment on a few things. Disclaimer, I have not yet ridden Hullo. (Intend to soon...) Hullo's ships are governed and classed as High Speed Craft. To my knowledge, they are the only ships in Canada to be certified to this standard. The Pacificats pre-date the IMO HSC code, and therefore would have never been constructed to this standard. One of the fundamental pieces of the HSC is that outdoor spaces are severely restricted for safety purposes. Not just against wind, but also spray and vessel movement. If the ship has to make an abrupt maneuver to avoid a log or other floating object, it will knock anyone standing to the ground. If they are oustide, this could easily result in a person-overboard situation. There are also very strict restrictions on dangerous cargo under the HSC. Lithium batteries are considered DG in many circumstances, and I'm betting this is the reason the motorized wheelchair was restricted. The communication surrounding some of these problems could certainly be better, but there are fundamental differences between traveling at 40kts on a small, light craft and 20kts on something displacing 10,000 tonnes. The public is going to have to get used to that fact. www.imo.org/en/OurWork/Safety/Pages/HSC.aspx
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Post by whalebreath on Oct 15, 2023 18:16:17 GMT -8
Well posted Nick!
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Post by Dane on Oct 18, 2023 12:15:25 GMT -8
Pay parking signage was up, but payment terminals not working yesterday at Nanaimo.
My first rough sailing. Wasn't great lol. But on time and advertised crossing time.
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WettCoast
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Post by WettCoast on Oct 18, 2023 15:39:03 GMT -8
Just for interest sake some might like to have a look at our thread we have for Royal Sealink which connected Vancouver with Victoria & Nanaimo using three boats. This was 30 years ago. The Vic-Van transit time was 2 hours & 30 minutes; to Nanaimo 65 minutes. They had their Vancouver base steps away from the Waterfront SeaBus Terminal.
Attachments:
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Nick
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Post by Nick on Oct 19, 2023 12:28:00 GMT -8
Just for interest sake some might like to have a look at our thread we have for Royal Sealink which connected Vancouver with Victoria & Nanaimo using three boats. This was 30 years ago. The Vic-Van transit time was 2 hours & 30 minutes; to Nanaimo 65 minutes. They had their Vancouver base steps away from the Waterfront SeaBus Terminal.
Thanks for posting these, WC.
I'm blanking on what the reason was for Royal Sealink's failure? Lack of ridership? Mechanical?
For some reason I thought Royal Sealink used hydrofoils, not jet propelled catamarans.
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Neil
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Post by Neil on Oct 19, 2023 16:37:23 GMT -8
Just for interest sake some might like to have a look at our thread we have for Royal Sealink which connected Vancouver with Victoria & Nanaimo using three boats. This was 30 years ago. The Vic-Van transit time was 2 hours & 30 minutes; to Nanaimo 65 minutes. They had their Vancouver base steps away from the Waterfront SeaBus Terminal.
Thanks for posting these, WC.
I'm blanking on what the reason was for Royal Sealink's failure? Lack of ridership? Mechanical?
For some reason I thought Royal Sealink used hydrofoils, not jet propelled catamarans.
Nick, I've got a Vancouver Province article from September 24th, 1993, and the headline is, Poor summer sinks ferrySealinks's 19-month struggle nears endSome of the reasons given for its demise: -Very low passenger counts; 25% capacity in winter, only rising to 38% in summer. -January startup, meaning that nineteen months in, they only had one higher revenue season, and were facing their second low season. -Poor summer weather in 1993. -Unwillingness of the Feds to waive the import duty on their three vessels. -Collision in fog in Active Pass with a BC Ferry; the article didn't say how expensive that was. -Competition, for example BC Air dropping fares to pretty much match Sealink's. Sealink started with a $40 fare to Victoria, but discounts meant they were often charging only $20. Right below this article was another one detailing how a rival Norwegian based company, Ulstein Maritime, was mulling over getting into the BC passenger ferry market. I don't know if they ever did. -
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Post by paulvanb on Oct 23, 2023 16:33:37 GMT -8
The good ship, Sphuels, passing Ambleside this afternoon in choppy seas.
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Post by Ollie on Oct 24, 2023 17:15:52 GMT -8
I booked a Hullo sailing on the Hullo online booking page but their website and booking confirmation doesn’t seem to show which ferry I will be going on. Since they now use both of their ferries is there no way to choose between Sthuqi and Spuhel like how BC Ferries shows ferry names in their booking page and fare calculator?
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WettCoast
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Post by WettCoast on Oct 24, 2023 20:11:25 GMT -8
I was looking around on Hullo's website to see if there is anything like BC Ferries' Service Notices page. I was not able to find anything. I had wondered if their sailing this evening was happening and if it was not how are they communicating with passengers & the public in general?
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Post by Ollie on Oct 24, 2023 21:28:35 GMT -8
I was looking around on Hullo's website to see if there is anything like BC Ferries' Service Notices page. I was not able to find anything. I had wondered if their sailing this evening was happening and if it was not how are they communicating with passengers & the public in general? They do show "service updates" on one of their social media pages ( link), but there isn't any dates on the service updates.
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Post by Ollie on Oct 26, 2023 21:19:37 GMT -8
Sthuqi in Vancouver, today
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Post by Dane on Oct 27, 2023 17:39:19 GMT -8
New shuttle bus service has presumably started. Hullo has sent one of their now business-as-usual vague emails:
Free Shuttle Bus - Now Running!
The day has come and we are now bringing guests right into downtown Nanaimo from our Nanaimo Port Authority terminal. Here's what you need to know: Our shuttle bus operates every day between 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM, and can carry a capacity of 20 guests. Getting into downtown Nanaimo has never been easier, with two drop-off locations: Near the Bus Loop (corner of Port Drive and Front Street) and in front of the Coast Bastion Hotel. Your luggage, pets, and belongings are welcome aboard the shuttle with you.
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I can't find a schedule anywhere. My guess is it is a dial-a-ride situation for departing sailings and waiting for passengers on arrival? A welcome addition.
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Post by Ollie on Oct 30, 2023 11:58:23 GMT -8
Spuhel has stopped being used again for some reason
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Post by paulvanb on Nov 9, 2023 21:24:57 GMT -8
For those of you who have traveled on Hullo, did you receive an email to do a survey? I received one today. I suggested that they use their social media better for informing their clientele about sailing cancellations, etc. instead of gladhanding.
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Neil
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Post by Neil on Nov 9, 2023 22:19:11 GMT -8
For those of you who have traveled on Hullo, did you receive an email to do a survey? I received one today. I suggested that they use their social media better for informing their clientele about sailing cancellations, etc. instead of gladhanding. I'm not clear on your meaning, here... has Hullo been cancelling sailings with no prior warning?
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Post by Blue Bus Fan on Nov 9, 2023 22:25:47 GMT -8
For those of you who have traveled on Hullo, did you receive an email to do a survey? I received one today. I suggested that they use their social media better for informing their clientele about sailing cancellations, etc. instead of gladhanding. I did hopefully this can lead to Hullo doing something different to try to stay in business.
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Post by paulvanb on Nov 9, 2023 22:28:54 GMT -8
For those of you who have traveled on Hullo, did you receive an email to do a survey? I received one today. I suggested that they use their social media better for informing their clientele about sailing cancellations, etc. instead of gladhanding. I'm not clear on your meaning, here... has Hullo been cancelling sailings with no prior warning? When they started up, their communication with the general public was horrible. Nothing about cancelations, but about how wonderful they were.
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Post by Blue Bus Fan on Nov 10, 2023 20:17:58 GMT -8
Hullo has canceled this evening sailing due gale force winds.
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