BC Ferries adding 186 extra sailings for Easter long weekend

The BC Ferries Swartz Bay terminal on Vancouver Island is shown. (Getty Images)

BC Ferries is adding nearly 200 extra sailings to its busiest routes this Easter long weekend.

Over the weekend, the ferry service is adding 128 extra sailings to the Tsawwassen-Swartz Bay route, 42 extra sailings on the Horseshoe Bay-Departure Bay route, and 16 extra sailings between the Horseshoe Bay-Langdale route.

BC Ferries expects more than 400,000 passengers and 160,000 vehicles to travel aboard a ferry between April 6 and April 11.

To help manage the demand, BC Ferries says it has a "mitigation plan" in place, which involves staff being on standby and working overtime, to maintain its schedules.

The ferry service says it's grateful to its workers for helping staff the additional holiday sailings.

"We can’t thank them enough for helping us to protect the long weekend service in the face of a continued shortage of licensed officers," said BC Ferries interim vice president of people and culture, Dean Dobrinsky.

BC Ferries says it's helping 112 licenced officers complete their training and certification requirements ahead of the peak summer season in June.

"There’s no doubt, we’re still critically short of licensed officers and we have more work to do as we head into the summer, but we’ve pulled out all the stops to protect each and every Easter sailing," said Dobrinsky.

Anyone planning to board a ferry by car is encouraged to arrive early and book in advance, BC Ferries says.

Travellers should also expect sailing waits during popular times and consider walking on if possible.

"Over the past month, while less than 1.2 per cent of total sailings were cancelled, BC Ferries acknowledges it’s not the standard of service travellers deserve," said the ferry operator in a release Wednesday.

"In the event of sailing cancellations due to BC Ferries’ inability to secure the required number of staff, customers with bookings will be accommodated on the next available sailing where space is available."

Travellers who have their bookings cancelled may also be eligible for refunds, according to BC Ferries.