Victoria-Vancouver passenger ferry to launch in spring at $120-$240 per ticket

Ferry service banking on booming tourism industry A ferry service operating between Victoria's Inner Harbour and downtown Vancouver is almost ready to welcome its first passengers.

A new passenger ferry service that will link Victoria’s Inner Harbour with downtown Vancouver starting this spring has unveiled pricing and travel package options.

V2V Vacations, which will be operated by Australia-based company Riverside Marine, is launching the service on May 1, according to its website.

The newly updated site also gave a glimpse into how much a ticket between the cities will cost and what amenities will be offered aboard the 254-seat vessel.

While the company initially estimated $80 as the cost of a one-way ticket, the website is offering one-way tickets for between $120-$240 per trip.

“Comfort” class tickets for $120, the cheapest available, will offer complimentary seat selection and options for larger groups travelling together.

“First Class” and “Royal Class” tickets, for $199 and $240 respectively, will offer three-course meals and complimentary beverages as well as luxurious premium seating.

Comfort class tickets for children will be discounted at $60, while infants under 24 months travel free.

The ship also comes with WiFi and outlets at each seat for charging electronic devices, the company said.

A la carte food will be available for purchase by all passengers.

The V2V Empress, a 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.

It also offers a number of packages that combined hotel accommodations and sightseeing packages with ferry tickets.

It’s possible that V2V won’t be the only company offering passenger service between the two cities.

Last year, Seattle-based Clipper announced plans to launch a connector service in spring 2017.

Last April the company said it was delaying its launch in order to find the right vessel to traverse the Salish Sea.

Contacted on Thursday, Clipper said it would release more details in an official announcement in about a month's time.