Route

Nanaimo (Departure Bay) to Vancouver (Horseshoe Bay)

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A new current conditions experience   View new current conditions


We’re testing a new current conditions experience on select routes. This experience is currently available on bcferries.com and will be included on the mobile app at a later date.
  • We heard your feedback and we want to help you make more informed travel decisions
  • We're trialing the new design on a few slect routes to improve usability, design and content
  • Your feedback will be used to further improve BC Ferries' services and design. Please provide your feedback via the green feedback tab. From those who complete the feedback survey, we will draw three winners at random to receive a round-trip vehicle & passenger voucher*.

*For use on our Major & Minor routes only. Northern & Central Coast excluded.

 

Next sailing with vehicle space
The terminal ticket booth is now ticketing the next sailing with available deck space. Estimated space doesn't include vehicles outside the terminal waiting to buy a ticket. Tickets for next day sailings are not available for purchase at the terminal until the day of departure.
Departure

7:15 pm

Sailing duration: 1h 40m Queen of Coquitlam
37% Details

Last updated: 6:43 PM Refresh details

Last updated:  6:43 pm Refresh details

Departures Estimated vehicle space available

6:15 am  Departed  6:17 am
Queen of Cowichan

6:15 am  Departed  6:17 am Queen of Cowichan

Arrived: 7:58 am

7:25 am  Departed  7:25 am
Queen of Coquitlam

7:25 am  Departed  7:25 am Queen of Coquitlam

Arrived: 9:02 am

8:25 am  Departed  8:48 am
Queen of Oak Bay

8:25 am  Departed  8:48 am Queen of Oak Bay

Arrived: 10:27 am

We are loading as many vehicles as possible

10:40 am  Departed  10:58 am
Queen of Cowichan

10:40 am  Departed  10:58 am Queen of Cowichan

Arrived: 12:36 pm

Peak travel. Loading maximum number of vehicles

12:00 pm  Departed  12:03 pm
Queen of Coquitlam

12:00 pm  Departed  12:03 pm Queen of Coquitlam

Arrived: 1:46 pm

1:00 pm  Departed  1:15 pm
Queen of Oak Bay

1:00 pm  Departed  1:15 pm Queen of Oak Bay

Arrived: 3:08 pm

Peak travel. Loading maximum number of vehicles

3:20 pm  Departed  3:39 pm
Queen of Cowichan

3:20 pm  Departed  3:39 pm Queen of Cowichan

Arrived: 5:20 pm

Peak travel. Loading maximum number of vehicles

5:55 pm  Departed  5:59 pm
Queen of Oak Bay

5:55 pm  Departed  5:59 pm Queen of Oak Bay

ETA : 7:39 pm

7:15 pm
Queen of Coquitlam

7:15 pm Queen of Coquitlam

Estimated vehicle space available

37%   Details

8:45 pm
Queen of Surrey

8:45 pm Queen of Surrey

Estimated vehicle space available

42%   Details

10:10 pm
Queen of Oak Bay

10:10 pm Queen of Oak Bay

Estimated vehicle space available

62%   Details

6:15 am  (Tomorrow)
Queen of Cowichan

6:15 am  (Tomorrow)
Queen of Cowichan

Estimated vehicle space available

29%    Details

7:25 am  (Tomorrow)
Queen of Coquitlam

7:25 am  (Tomorrow)
Queen of Coquitlam

Estimated vehicle space available

35%    Details

8:25 am  (Tomorrow)
Queen of Oak Bay

8:25 am  (Tomorrow)
Queen of Oak Bay

Estimated vehicle space available

20%    Details

Webcams

Last updated:  6:43 PM Refresh details

Traffic at the terminal

Traffic to Vancouver (Horseshoe Bay)

Nanaimo (Departure Bay)

# 680 Trans-Canada Highway, Nanaimo, V9S 5R1

Get directions

Route fares

Fare calculator

Plan your trip with ease. Add passenger and vehicle details to calculate your fare for this route.

Or, download our complete PDF fare guide.

Parking:  13% Available

13% long term parking available

Parking at Departure Bay terminal is independently operated and managed by Robbins Parking.

Capacity: 526 spaces
Short term: 177
Long term: 349

Payment options: HONK App and the PayByPhone App (licence plate number required), Visa, Mastercard and American Express.

Parking rates:
Meters required exact change or credit card payment.

Short term – Licence Plate Number required to purchase parking.

  • $1.00 for 30 minutes, maximum 2 hours
  • $23.00 for each 24 hour period
  • Multiple day parking allowed

Long term – Licence Plate Number required to purchase parking. Take your ticket with you.

  • $7.50 for 6 hours
  • $15.00 for each 24 hours
  • $7.50 for each additional 12 hour period after the first 24 hours

Note:

  • Onsite parking meters
    • If paying by credit card, enter your mobile phone number to receive a text notifying you that your parking is about to expire. You can then follow the text instructions to extend your parking up to 24 hours.
  • Cash acceptance
    • Meters accept coins only—no change given.
    • One meter accepts bill/coins and provides change (yellow colour meter) located in long term lot. For long term parking only.

Towing:
Mid Island Towing
250-758-1728

Learn more about current conditions

What is current conditions?

Current Conditions is a real-time planning tool that helps customers make informed travel decisions. Current Conditions provides information about sailing status, arrival times, departure times and deck space availability by sailing. Current Conditions also displays live web cams at terminals and parking capacity information.

Why do some routes have Current Conditions pages and others do not?

Current Conditions is available at terminals with Traffic Towers. We are looking into adding additional routes where we can install cameras for live traffic tracking.

How do we calculate Estimated Deck Space Available?

Estimated Deck Space Available is the approximate percentage of vehicle deck space that remains available for sale on a particular sailing. It is calculated after counting the number of reservations and the number of drive-up customers already checked in at the terminal. This percentage changes as more vehicles are processed through the ticket booth.

Around 10–20% of customers do not check-in for their bookings. After the booking check-in window closes, which is around 30* minutes before departure, we free up these spaces for drive-up customers.

*Some exceptions apply find and review the check-in and cut-off times at your departure terminal.

What does Now Ticketing mean?

The Now Ticketing section of Current Conditions informs customers of the sailing currently being sold at the ticket booth. It indicates for those customers without a reservation in the pre-ticketing area with the sailing they can expect to travel on. As sailings become full during the day, Now Ticketing displays the next sailing with available deck space for non-reserved traffic.

Are commercial vehicles calculated as part of Estimated Deck Space Available?

Yes. We calculate all types of vehicle traffic, including commercial vehicles and buses, as part of Mixed Vehicle Deck Space Available calculations. Foot passengers are not calculated as they do not take up vehicle deck space.

Why do the cameras show an empty lot, but Estimated Deck Space Available indicates the sailing is full?

Estimated Deck Space Available includes advanced vehicle bookings. In most cases, these customers can check-in up to 30 minutes* before their sailing. If customers have a booking but haven’t yet arrived, the terminal lot may appear empty.

*Some exceptions apply find and review the check-in and cut-off times at your departure terminal.

How often is Current Conditions updated?

Current Conditions retrieves live data from all terminals every five minutes.

Why does Current Conditions not show a sailing as delayed until after it departs?

There is currently no way for a terminal to update the anticipated departure time without affecting the scheduled sailing time online.

What is displayed when a sailing is cancelled or late departing?

When a sailing is delayed or cancelled, the sailing will display a message that indicates the reason. This will appear on the Departures/Arrivals page under Status.

Why does Estimated Deck Space Available only show departures for today?

Estimated Deck Space Available is built on a 24-hour clock and is designed to be a near-term planning tool that displays real-time conditions at the terminal. We have recently made updates to Deck Space Available that now show the day’s sailings as well as the first three sailings of the next day.

Sailing status by route

Select destination (city)

City Terminal

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