BC Ferries passengers facing 9-sailing wait from Vancouver-Victoria on Tuesday
CTV
Passengers hoping to catch a ferry from Vancouver to Victoria without a reservation faced a nine-sailing wait Tuesday morning, with the Coastal Celebration vessel still undergoing repairs.
Passengers hoping to catch a ferry from Vancouver to Victoria without a reservation faced a nine-sailing wait Tuesday morning, with the Coastal Celebration vessel still undergoing repairs.
Every sailing leaving Tsawwassen for Swartz Bay through 6 p.m. was listed as "full" on the BC Ferries website by 9 a.m., with approximately two-thirds of the deck space on the 7 p.m. accounted for as well.
"Reserved traffic moving normally for all upcoming sailings," BC Ferries wrote on Twitter.
There were delays for travellers heading in the opposite direction as well, though not as extreme, with the 11 a.m. and 12 p.m. sailings full hours in advance.
The Coastal Celebration, one of the main vessels running between the terminals, was dry docked last week so crews could fix the vessel's propulsion system, forcing dozens of sailing cancellations.
Some 7,000 travellers had reservations on those sailings, but were moved onto alternative departures.
The cancellations are just the latest headache for ferry passengers amid ongoing staffing shortages and a series of other mechanical issues on vessels. Premier David Eby has promised BC Ferries' new CEO Nicolas Jimenez is working to address those problems.
