BC Ferries bringing ‘booking alert system’ to Horseshoe Bay route as reservations become mandatory

In less than a week, big changes are coming for BC Ferries passengers at the Horseshoe Bay terminal.

With vehicle reservations becoming mandatory on the Horseshoe Bay to Nanaimo route next week, BC Ferries is launching a “booking alert system” for full sailings.

The advance booking requirement, which was announced over the summer, takes effect Oct. 15—a change the company has said is necessary due to construction work taking away vehicle space at the Horseshoe Bay terminal.

Drivers without a reservation will be turned away.

“That’s to ensure that we don’t have backups on the highway, and that we can get the customers that have those reservations through the terminal to get onto the sailings they booked,” said Richard Hayward, regional manager of terminal operations for BC Ferries.

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The alert system launches the same day, allowing those without a reservation to receive an email should a space open up.

The email will contain a link to the BC Ferries website, where recipients can claim a spot on a “first-come, first-served basis,” the company said in a news release.

The alert system—which launched on the less-travelled Powell River to Comox route on Oct. 8—will be made available for Horseshoe Bay sailings to both Nanaimo and the Sunshine Coast.

The construction is expected to last five to eight years, and BC Ferries said reservations will be required throughout the redevelopment, but only on sailings to Nanaimo’s Departure Bay terminal.

Booking will not be mandatory on sailings from Departure Bay to Horseshoe Bay, or any other route.

BC Ferries said another tool is coming to “select routes” later this year as well, allowing customers to join a digital waitlist that will automatically book them to spaces that open up if they’re next in line.

In a statement, Melanie Lucia, vice-president of customer experiences, said both tools were “driven by customer feedback” and are part of the company’s efforts to “make better use of system capacity.”

BC Ferries has also promised change fees on bookings from Horseshoe Bay to Nanaimo will be waived through Nov. 30 to “help customers adjust” to the transition to mandatory reservations.

With files from CTV News Vancouver’s St. John Alexander