October 10, 2025
BC Ferries rolling out new tool to improve travel planning ahead of changes at Horseshoe Bay
VICTORIA, BC – On October 15, BC Ferries will move to advance booking for all vehicles travelling from Horseshoe Bay to Nanaimo, supported by a new digital tool to help customers plan their journeys.
When a sailing is full, customers with standard under-height vehicles can enter their email to get an alert if space opens up. The alert includes a link to the BC Ferries website, where customers can book the sailing on a first-come, first-served basis. Customers can manage their preferences anytime through a self-serve option online.
The booking alert system launched on the Powell River-Comox route on October 8 and will expand to Horseshoe Bay routes to Langdale and Departure Bay on October 15. This coincides with the move to advance bookings only as part of the terminal’s multi-year redevelopment project, where necessary construction work has reduced vehicle holding space by 25 per cent. Once tested and refined, BC Ferries plans to expand this tool to other routes across the system.
“This new tool is designed to help customers stay informed and act quickly if space becomes available,” said Melanie Lucia, Vice President of Customer Experience at BC Ferries. “It reflects our commitment to invest in digital solutions that make travel easier, more transparent, and more certain for our customers.”
A separate digital waitlist tool for select routes will follow later this year, allowing customers to add themselves to a waitlist on sailings where advance booking space was previously sold out. If space becomes available, customers will be automatically booked on the sailing according to available capacity and their position on the waitlist.
“These tools are driven by customer feedback and reflect our broader strategy to expand digital tools, improve transparency, and make better use of system capacity – whether you’re travelling for a vacation, work, a medical appointment, or anything in between,” adds Lucia.
The booking alert system complements a series of measures being introduced at Horseshoe Bay on October 15. On that date, all vehicles must book and pay in advance for travel to Departure Bay. To help customers adjust and improve the overall travel experience, BC Ferries is also offering:
- More Saver fares, doubling availability to make up 40% of all fares on the route, with year-round fares starting at $49 for a vehicle and driver
- Waived change fees on bookings through November 30 to provide added flexibility during the transition.
For more information and travel planning resources, visit bcferryiess.top/hsb-travel.
For a video resource on the digital tool, click here.
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