Updates to our service notices

We’re making changes to the way we distribute service notices for the routes between Metro Vancouver and Vancouver Island, and Metro Vancouver and the Sunshine Coast, to better personalize what you hear from us and to better empower you to find the information you need, when you need it.

We’ll now be sending only the most critical updates directly to your inbox, such as when your sailing is cancelled. If a sailing is delayed more than an hour, you’ll also get an email directly. But if we’re moving a vessel between routes, or running slightly behind schedule, we won’t be filling up your inbox.

All of the information you need to inform your travel plans will still be available 24/7 on our current conditions pages on our website. We’re encouraging customers to check current conditions for their route on BCFerries.com before leaving home.

If you’ve signed up to receive service notices from BC Ferries, you’ll know we send you multiple emails a day, even on days you aren’t sailing with us. We fill up your inbox with information that, in many cases, doesn’t help you make any different decisions about how or when you travel, or how early you need to show up. We’re working to reduce the volume of emails you receive from us, while empowering you to find the information that is most relevant to your travel plans, as and when you need it.

We are notifying customers of these changes in several ways, including: 

• Changes to the website to make it easy for customers to find the information they need, including making the link to the current conditions page highly visible from the BCFerries.com homepage
• Using X (formerly Twitter) to let people know that changes are coming and to encourage customers to check current conditions prior to travelling with us
• Signage at our major terminals and on our major vessels

We will be providing information about delays and changes via digital screens at the terminal as we do today, and expanding the use of these screens for other notices, such as longer-term schedule changes.

Ticket agents and ship’s crew will also continue to inform customers of impacts like delays, and when elevators are out, so that our customers can make informed decisions about their travel. In addition, customers with reservations will continue to be contacted by us when there are major changes to their sailings, i.e. cancellations, amended departure times, significant impact to travel etc.

These changes are part of a broader plan to make improvements to how we distribute all service notices. We are starting with our major route service notices because of the high-percentage of reserved customers (who we can better contact directly), and the availability of current conditions information for these routes. This makes it easier for us to notify our customers of changes, and for customers to easily find the travel information they need by themselves, as and when they need it.

We are also planning additional upgrades to provide you with even more personalized information going forward, for example SMS messaging capabilities.

Yes. We have made improvements to our back-end systems and the current conditions pages for our Metro Vancouver – Sunshine Coast route are now aligned with all other major routes.

We are currently working on current conditions pages for inter-island routes. Once these pages are ready to go, we will be making some changes to the distribution of inter-island route service notices as well. We will carefully consider the changes we make because we know our inter-island route users are not able to reserve, and are reliant on ferry service for critical travel needs.

Once the changes to the major route service notices are fully implemented, customers connecting between major and minor routes will receive notice of all delays for travel on the minor-route leg of their journey, but will only receive notice of delays longer than one hour for the major-route leg of their journey.

As is the practice today, vessels operating on routes that commonly experience connecting traffic will communicate delays and make adjustments as practicable, with special attention on delays affecting the last connecting sailing of the day. Also, as is the practice today, onboard announcements will assist customers in understanding the impacts of delays to their connecting travel. Connecting travellers are also encouraged to identify themselves at ticket booths, so that ticket agents can pass on information regarding delays that may impact their travel. 

Yes. Customers with reservations will continue to be contacted by us when there are major changes to their sailings, i.e. cancellations, amended departure times, significant impact to travel etc.