Just sailing around idly between Vancouver and Victoria?

[KKmom69]

My family has always wondered about something.  If anyone has an idea I would love to hear it! 

 

I grew up in the suburbs of Vancouver and for the last 21 years we  have lived east of the city in the Fraser Valley.  To take the ferry to Victoria, you go to the ferry terminal in Delta.  Do a google maps search and you'll see what I mean. The terminal is about 30kms south of the airport.  The ferry ride takes about 90 minutes.  The dock on the other side is on the end of the Saanich peninsula. From there is about a 25 km drive south to Victoria.

 

So when the cruise ships that do coastal cruises sail away from Vancouver around 5pm at night, why is the ship docking around 6am the next morning at Odgen Point south of Victoria?  What the heck do they do all night?

[scottbee]

28 minutes ago, KKmom69 said:

My family has always wondered about something.  If anyone has an idea I would love to hear it! 

 

I grew up in the suburbs of Vancouver and for the last 21 years we  have lived east of the city in the Fraser Valley.  To take the ferry to Victoria, you go to the ferry terminal in Delta.  Do a google maps search and you'll see what I mean. The terminal is about 30kms south of the airport.  The ferry ride takes about 90 minutes.  The dock on the other side is on the end of the Saanich peninsula. From there is about a 25 km drive south to Victoria.

 

So when the cruise ships that do coastal cruises sail away from Vancouver around 5pm at night, why is the ship docking around 6am the next morning at Odgen Point south of Victoria?  What the heck do they do all night?

It's probably 80nm by the time out get out of Burrard Inlet, around the islands, and into Ogden Point.  @ 10kts, that's still 8 hrs...

[Milhouse]

When my buddy did a Pacific Coastal cruise down to San Fran, their first stop after boarding at Canada Place was Victoria.

IIRC, he said they were told the crew scheduled some instrument recalibrations (??) during evening while in the Strait of Georgia.

[Langley Cruisers]

The cruise ships do not go the same route as BC Ferries. They can't fit, obviously, so they go another route.  Yes, they go slower than they would normally (about 1/2 speed, as scottbee said). On board, it's still a busy night for the crew and staff as they have dinner, the casino, entertainment, bars/lounges, and shops operating as they normally would. It's just a slower pace, basically.

 

By the way, did you see an actual itinerary for this, or it was just a general question?

Edited December 10, 2019 by Langley Cruisers

[scottbee]

Because a picture is worth a lot of words, this shows why ferry (red)  is faster than a cruise ship (blue)

 

[Heidi13]

As others have mentioned it is a completely different route, with cruise ships using Patos Island, Turn Point & Haro Strait. The distance is closer to 100 miles. In addition to distance, you also have to consider tides and harbour speed restrictions. From Canada Place or the N/Shore shipyard it takes about 2 hrs to reach Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal, once you clear 1st Narrows and can increase to 20 kts.

 

The ferries mostly use Active Pass, which is a little over 20 miles, depending upon entry to Swartz Bay. When the ferries can't use Active Pass it is 2 - 3 hrs to Tsawwassen, depending on number of engines available.

 

Very few pilots will attempt an Active Pass transit, unless it is slack water, hence the longer route using Haro Strait. In 30 + years, I have only seen a couple of small cargo ships in Active Pass. Therefore, the cruise ship will spend the night on 2 engines at 10 - 12 kts. 

[KKmom69]

On 12/10/2019 at 10:30 AM, Langley Cruisers said:

The cruise ships do not go the same route as BC Ferries. They can't fit, obviously, so they go another route.  Yes, they go slower than they would normally (about 1/2 speed, as scottbee said). On board, it's still a busy night for the crew and staff as they have dinner, the casino, entertainment, bars/lounges, and shops operating as they normally would. It's just a slower pace, basically.

 

By the way, did you see an actual itinerary for this, or it was just a general question?

No itinerary, I was just wondering.  Hi from Chilliwack.

[KKmom69]

On 12/11/2019 at 9:49 AM, scottbee said:

Because a picture is worth a lot of words, this shows why ferry (red)  is faster than a cruise ship (blue)

 

Thanks for the photo Scott.  Hi from Chilliwack.

[Langley Cruisers]

13 hours ago, KKmom69 said:

No itinerary, I was just wondering.  Hi from Chilliwack.

 

Hi back. 😊