Departure Bay is located north side of Nanaimo. It only has one berth and it only goes to Horseshoe…read moreBay. I was surprised that this ferry terminal has a food court and gift shops. It is a much more convenient location for us in terms of heading home or getting to Nanaimo. We usually take Swartz Bay or Dupoint. Only complain about this terminal is that you have to drive into Nanaimo and the traffic is not always the best.

Departed from Horseshoe Bay to Nanaimo. PROTIP- if you're taking car onto ferry you must enter from…read morehighway (for those who are staying in Horseshoe Bay). Arrive 1hr to 30m earlier than departure time. You'll end up waiting on long car line to enter ferry. You are allowed to exit your car after you enter line- so u can get coffee or use the bathroom. You have to get back to your car 20/30m before departure time. Then you drive to enter ferry. Park. And go up to enjoy the views, cafe and gift shop. We were lucky to see Orcas and enjoy a big brekkie for CAD$18.49. Starbucks for $2.50! Cruise is 1.5 hours with lots of indoor and outdoor scenic views. Staff and peeps were super nice and helpful. Pets ok to transport too! There's a little kids play room as well.

We don't take Duke Point Ferry Terminal often. Duke Point (Nanaimo) goes to Tsawwassen. This is one…read moreof the more quieter ferry terminal and probably it's due to the limitation that it only goes one place.

On a recent trip to Victoria from Seattle, we decided to take the long way home and drive from…read moreVictoria to Nanaimo, ride the ferry to Vancouver, and spend the day there before returning home. I recommend taking Highway 1A and driving through the little towns of Chemainus (stop here if you have time, otherwise admire the many murals from your car), Saltair, and Ladysmith. 1A will take you to the Duke Point Ferry Terminal, or you can spend some time in Nanaimo and find the best Nanaimo bar (look up the Nanaimo Bar Trail and you'll find many suggestions for who sells them). Situated on a windy finger of land that shares Jack Point and Biggs Park, the ferry terminal itself is well organized and about 20+ lanes across. Buy your tickets online to save time and make sure you get to there an hour before departure. At the window, you can pay your fare or the agent will scan the prepaid barcode In your email. You are then assigned a lane. You can wait in your car or get out and walk around, grab a snack, use the restroom, take in the view, or pose with two orca statues flanking the walkway to the terminal. On the day we were there, two tents were set up with local arts and crafts. A large digital sign gave sailing information and PSAs about COVID safety. When it was time for everyone to board, an announcement was made asking us to return to our vehicles. About 10 or 15 minutes later, attendants guided us to the awaiting ferry. Everything was orderly and well organized, and I can't wait to come back.

To the deck boss on the 8.20am Saltery Bay to Powell River ferry this morning,could you be any…read morelazier and care less about doing your job. Try adjusting the ramp so cars don't bottom out and possibly damage them. BC ferries has a culture of absolutely not giving a .....,and now is run by Nicholas Jimenez who couldn't organize breakfast at a Tim Hortons.

Use their website and book a cheap early ferry. Sign in to make your booking quicker and 3 seconds…read morelater your sailing is gone. Refresh the page and it's open now but instead of $49 it's $95. They are the biggest scumbags in the travel game. At least when you're booking with west jet they reserve your seat until the booking process is done.

Posting same review here because had same fantastic service both ways!!…read more I don't know quite why people seem to dislike this ferry service so much...we absolutely loved every minute of our experience to and from Nanaimo - Horseshoe bay! Both ferries left within 5 minutes of scheduled leaving time. They loaded exactly when they said they would and despite waiting 1 hour the way to Vancouver Island...the way back we made the ferry exactly on time and loaded straight away. Despite having our pooch Irie with us and being confined to car dock 4 we absolutely adored the view and thoroughly enjoyed walking around to all angles of the ship stickin our heads out the open large windows with the cold ocean air spraying our faces. The only annoying thing is the ship's movement sometimes caused some very sensitive car alarms to continuously go off kinda breaking the peaceful sea voyage but other than that spectacular friendly amazing service! Thanx for showing us Quebecers a spectacular view!

What can you say. This is a service that runs between the mainland of vancouver and the outlying…read moreislands. They can be very busy, and you should where at all possible to make reservations in advance.

We took the BC Ferry over to Vancouver Island with a car and booked our tickets online with zero…read moreissues. From start to finish--ticket purchase, boarding, departure, and arrival--the whole experience was seamless and well organized. The ferry itself is spacious with plenty of seating, both indoor and outdoor areas, so it never felt cramped. There's room to walk around, relax, enjoy the views, grab a bite to eat, and even browse a small gift shop. It felt more like part of the journey than just transportation. Food options onboard were okay--nothing memorable, but decent enough if you need something during the crossing. Overall, a comfortable, stress-free way to travel and a great start to a Victoria Island getaway.

Review #2 for 2026…read more We used the ferry to take a day trip to Victoria while in Vancouver. The ferry is big! You can even drive your own car on the ferry! There is plenty of seating!! No need to rush on board to be one of the first ones seated. Unless you plan on sleeping the entire trip, you will most likely be changing seats at some point. We sure did! We went to different places to get different views. There is both inside and outside seating. Sitting outside can get very cold and windy depending on the season. We went during mid-May and it was very cold and windy outside. Only went out for a little bit to look around and take pictures. They have a cafe inside and the prices are actually pretty decent. Food is premade, so I do not think you can customize very much. They just scoop it like at a cafeteria. The ferry itself is very affordable. I think it converted to about $25 round trip per person for the ferry. If you bring a car, it believe it does cost significantly more. If you get there early, like we did, you can also ask to board an earlier ferry as to not wait around. We were not thinking properly and refused to pay the few bucks to get on the earlier ferry and instead waited around for about an hour. They also tell you to get there and check in an hour before your ferry. Trust me, that is not necessary. There was other people who go there early like we did and we had to wait in the check in area. You were not allowed to go past the entrance to the inside waiting area until it was close to boarding time, like 15 minutes before. The inside waiting area has bathrooms and a store like cafe with snacks and coffee. After waiting, we regretted not paying the extra few bucks to just board on an earlier ferry so we could get going and have more time in Victoria! The trip takes about 1.5 hours each way. I do not know how much parking is here as we took an uber (expensive ~$90 EACH way) from downtown Vancouver. Know that this place is pretty far from downtown Vancouver and takes nearly an hour to get to!! They also have public transit that comes here for a fraction of the cost, but we had a group and a 14 month old so we did not want to navigate public transit and deal with transfers to get here. However, once you get to Victoria, there is a public bus you can take for a few dollars that will take you directly downtown and is way cheaper than a $60 uber ride. It will take about 45 minutes from the ferry station to downtown Victoria when you arrive. Next time we will rent our own car in Vancouver, ubers are expensive in Vancouver. Anyways, the ferry ride itself is pretty smooth. I have read that some people spotted whales, but there were no whales spotted during our ferry ride. Would I go on this ferry again? Yes! I plan on coming back to Vancouver in the future and I do plan on going back to Victoria as we did not have enough time to explore the island. I think the ferry is the only way to get here unless you arrive by certain cruise ships that stop in Victoria. However, the ferry is a very affordable way to get to Victoria. It is also very easy to navigate. It is just far from downtown Vancouver.

Amazing. These Aquabus things are great. The staff is so…read moreinformative, friendly and resourceful, I rode to multiple stops, checked out places, then jumped back on to cruise around more! And it's extremely reasonable Kudos!

I've been on the Aquabus twice this past summer (& several times over past summers) & only now have…read moreI just realized - it's awesome. What took so long!? What a great way to see different angle views of False Creek. I've had guests staying over from overseas & they just absolutely loved it. The next time you're at Granville Island & have some extra time to kill, I'd highly recommend doing the round trip from Granville Island & back. It costs about $15 return & it's worth it. A day pass is also available for multiple trips as well - I highly recommend this option if you have a few hours to spare. Pay onboard. Do this during a clear blue sky summer day. If it's cloudy or overcast, don't bother. Staff are friendly & helpful. The seating is comfortable & you can get up to take pictures as you move through False Creek. Like I said I experienced the Aquabus twice this summer & found it so relaxing to be on the water after dinner. Kinda had sea legs after my last trip, when I got back & started walking. LOL. It's a great way to see False Creek along the water. Open daily from 7am till 915pm.

I like this port. Duke Point (Nanaimo) is less busy compared to Victoria. On top, the ride is also…read moresmoother. Pickup is less chaotic. On the ferry to and from Nanaimo, you can get white spot food which is nice. Plenty of parking at this port.

Ferry from Nanaimo to Vancouver [British Columbia]…read more We booked a reservation for an early departure to guarantee a spot in the ferry. Sailings depart from Duke Point to Vancouver (Tsawwassen). We had to arrive at the terminal between 30-mins to an hour prior to our scheduled departure. Sailing time was about 2 hours. Amenities inside the ferry included a snack and coffee kiosks, vending machines, ATM, waiting area, lots of seating. Positive experience. Review #3178

A Hidden Gem with a Big Heart!…read more We absolutely loved our ride on the Plover! For a very small price, you get a truly unique experience and a beautiful view of Blaine from the water. I went with my daughter and my young grandson--it was his very first time on a boat, and now he's totally hooked! The captain went out of his way to make it extra special for him, and I'm so grateful to the entire crew for making us feel so welcome. It's clear this little boat has a big heart. We'll definitely be riding again many times next summer! The ride between Semiahmoo and Blaine is smooth and scenic. It's just a short, easy walk to the resort and restaurant in Semiahmoo, and in Blaine, you're steps away from waterfront dining and charming shops. Don't miss this special experience. We love the Plover!

If you missed Disney's jungle cruise and wondered what a cannery themed one might be like, look no…read morefurther. This quaint water taxi is not fast, it's not got witty banter and it's not on rails but the captain and crew are kid friendly and there are seals and lots of birds. Take some time and enjoy a charming ferry ride.

* SAILING CHANGES o4/14 *…read more Over 32 nautical miles to Comox. . This terminal also service Texada Island. There was barely enough to qualify a sailing, but off we went. We arrived in record time and since it was Daylight savings time last week it was still light when we made it to the resort. I Imagine it is a bit busier in the summer since they just invested the money in a small pavilion with washrooms.

This bus company is one of the best. The personalized service makes you believe you are dealing…read morewith friends and not a company wanting your money. They fit whatever you want into your itinerary and offer the best of services. Tanya in the booking department is amazing and we have had Vinh drive for us on two trips. These two make it impossible to not have a great time. Thanks for the wonderful service and will be traveling with you again soon.

We reserved an 11 passenger van for the day, after getting off a cruise, before getting on a…read moreflight. We wanted to visit various sights that we preplanned. The van was great, fit 8 of us and our luggage, and the driver was very professional. Pre-trip communication was very good too.