Travellers wanting to take a ride on a new passenger ferry between Victoria’s Inner Harbour and downtown Vancouver will have to wait a few weeks after the company announced a delay with its launch.

The V2V Empress was expected to set sail on May 1, but the company says the launch has been pushed back to sometime in mid-May.

V2V Vacations, which will be operated by Australian-based company Riverside Marine, says it has contacted all reservation holders to revise their bookings and has offered alternative arrangements or a refund.

“We are incredibly excited to launch our service, but will be delayed in our planned launch date in order to provide further training for our on-board team,” says Nick Cheong, VP of operations for V2V. “Safety is always our paramount priority, and we will never compromise on that, even if it means pushing our launch date.”

The passenger ferry will have its christening in Victoria’s Inner Harbour on April 29 and then enter its final preparations.

The website lists a one-way ticket between $120-$240 per trip.

The high-speed jet catamaran will offer two daily round trips between Victoria’s Steamship Terminal and Vancouver’s Harbour Flight Centre, near the convention centre.

The website lists the journey as three-and-a-half hours long, boasting “unparalleled views” of Vancouver’s skylines, the Southern Gulf Islands and Vancouver Island’s coastline.