Magnificent view from the Swartz Bay terminal
The Spirit of Vancouver is one of three Super C Class ferries in the BC Ferries’ fleet. These are the largest double-ended ferries in the world and provide a truly luxurious experience for their travellers for a highway connector. I traveled on the Tsawwassen to Victoria route and had the fortune to board the same ferry both ways.
To provide a sense of scale for this vessel it has seven decks including the bridge and the engine room, two passenger decks, and the rest for vehicular traffic. That’s a lot of cars! Thirteen years ago, my aunt brought me to Victoria by car and we boarded as vehicular passengers, but this time I boarded the ferry as a foot passenger having taken a bus to the terminal. A fairly spacious and naturally lit waiting room greeted me with spectacular views of the Straight of Georgia. The complimentary WiFi was fast enough to load google maps and high resolution images, but has some trouble streaming video content as mentioned on BC Ferries website. The wireless internet access also extends to most passenger areas of the vessel…
Pure decadence in the buffet, the clam chowder was very nice combination with roast beef
Once inside passengers have the use of a video arcade, a shop with an expansive collection of items (think on-board general store), generous seating space, a quiet lounge with refreshments, and three eateries. My favourite place to hang out on the ferry is the Pacific Buffet; starting at just around $13 their food selection (and the view) is just the best on the vessel. Not even the revolving restaurant in Vancouver has views of such pristine islands floating on calm and shiny seas. If you catch an evening sailing, who’s to say you won’t be able to admire sunset!
The staff on board are courteous and helpful with your safety and comfort in first priority. Critics will be quick to point out their frustrations with BC Ferries such as their reservation fees and exorbitantly priced assured loading cards, but that’s only for vehicular passengers…foot passengers only pay the one price. Though I do have one suggestion – they could serve Nanaimo made Nanaimo bars on their ships to tie it in to the destinations they serve.
Sunset on the sea
Munching on carved roast beef then gobbling away at a velvety chocolate cake for supper while watching the islands being tinted in gold from the setting sun is an experience worth paying for. You’ll be a fool for not considering this romantic vessel as a location to propose in.
My tip: take the seaplane there and the ferry back to wake up later and get a relaxing evening.
