BC Ferries bookings from Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay, Duke Point sold out until Saturday afternoon

If you’re going to the island this weekend, you’ll want to plan ahead on getting there… and coming home.

Posted July 29, 2021 2:14 pm.

Last Updated July 30, 2021 11:46 am.

TSAWWASSEN (NEWS 1130) – The long weekend push to get out of town is already on, and if you’re planning a trip to the Island, you’ll have a tough time getting on a ferry if you don’t have a reservation.

Virtually all sailings from Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay and Duke Point are full until Saturday afternoon.

There is limited availability from Tsawwassen to Duke Point Friday, however, that should sell out quickly.

5:27 – @BCFerries Report:

Tsawwassen – Swartz Bay:
6am – Full
7am – Full
8am – 95% Full
9am – 83% Full

Tsawwassen – Duke Point:
7:45am – Full
10:15am – Full
12:45pm – Full
3:15pm – Full
5:45pm – 92% Full

— NEWS 1130 Traffic (@NEWS1130Traffic) July 30, 2021

BC Ferries spokesperson Deborah Marshall says this long weekend is unlike many others.

“[There is] probably a lot of pent-up demand. People have been looking forward to getting out and doing some staycations this summer. So, we are seeing customers book well in advance with their reservations.”

And while the rush right now is to get away for the weekend, Marshall recommends planning your trip back ahead of time if you can.

She suggests coming home on less busy days, such as Sunday or Tuesday, when there are still reservations available on sailings.

On Thursday, the final sailing to Duke Point from Tsawwassen (10:45 p.m.) sold out before 3 p.m. and the last trip to Swartz Bay (9 p.m.) was fully booked shortly after.

3:17 – @BCFerries:

????⚠️All sailings from Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay & Duke Point have reached capacity for the day. ⚠️????

There are no current sail waits between Horseshoe Bay & Nanaimo. ✅ https://t.co/QIEKq9mVDH

— CityNews Vancouver Traffic (@CityNewsTraffic) July 29, 2021

Marshall believes the extra ferry traffic may be due to people avoiding trips to the Central Okanagan, with a travel advisory issued for that region due to COVID-19 concerns.

“We’re anticipating there might be some folks who were planning on going to the Interior for the long weekend and they’re changing their plans and perhaps coming over to Vancouver Island,” said Marshall.

“We are on a full summer schedule right now. We ramped up our service at the beginning of July, so we do have lots of extra sailings. But I would expect sailing waits at peak times this weekend,” she added.

People are being told to check the BC Ferries website for current conditions before heading to terminals.

Listen live to NEWS 1130 every 10 minutes on the ones for any major traffic updates. You can also follow us on Twitter @NEWS1130Traffic or stay up to date with the NEWS 1130 app.

– With files from Robyn Crawford

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