If your time is worth anything to you, then consider using Pacific Seaplanes to quickly get you…read moreanywhere on Vancouver Island or the Gulf Islands. Instead of spending at least six hours driving and ferrying from Vancouver to Port Alberni, it was an hour's drive to the airport and then a 35-minute flight from the Seaplane Terminal (at YVR) to the Harbour Quay (in PA). Our pilot Randy was great. The flight was smooth and quick. I even streamed the flights on Periscope.TV since we were flying low enough to get great LTE cell reception throughout our short time in the air. It was alternative I stumbled across trying to figure out a faster route to our island destination. My colleague and I were certainly happy we discovered this 'as the crow flies shortcut' to Port Alberni. My only disappointment was not seeing any sea life in the Strait of Georgia - it would have fantastic to observe a pod of killer whales or dolphins swimming below in the ocean - but maybe next time.

We stayed two nights at the Coast Bastion. The location was extremely convenient as it's right…read moredowntown Nanaimo. It is also within walking distance to a lot of food joints. The parking is a public parkade shared with other businesses and general public. $9/night for parking. The hotel itself is dated but they've gone through renovations inside. The elevators were extremely slow. The front desk staff was friendly and helpful. We had the Coastal King, which included a king bed and a sofa bed. Perfect for 3 adults + 1 kid. The bathroom sink was my only complaint. I had to keep turning off the water to let the water drain. Maybe they need to collab with Draino? The view from our room was spectacular, overlooking the Nanaimo harbour.

We've checked in to this hotel for a night in Nanaimo and was very happy with our stay. We got a…read moreroom on the 12th floor with an ocean view. We also had the best view for Northern Lights. The room was huge with a window-type AC and a King size bed. I am glad there's no carpet in the whole suite and bathroom was spacious and very nice. Staff was friendly and accommodating. Parking fee is $9 per night. The location of this hotel is a winner. It's in the downtown and by the waterfront and close to ferry terminal. This hotel is highly recommended.

We don't take Duke Point Ferry Terminal often. Duke Point (Nanaimo) goes to Tsawwassen. This is one…read moreof the more quieter ferry terminal and probably it's due to the limitation that it only goes one place.

On a recent trip to Victoria from Seattle, we decided to take the long way home and drive from…read moreVictoria to Nanaimo, ride the ferry to Vancouver, and spend the day there before returning home. I recommend taking Highway 1A and driving through the little towns of Chemainus (stop here if you have time, otherwise admire the many murals from your car), Saltair, and Ladysmith. 1A will take you to the Duke Point Ferry Terminal, or you can spend some time in Nanaimo and find the best Nanaimo bar (look up the Nanaimo Bar Trail and you'll find many suggestions for who sells them). Situated on a windy finger of land that shares Jack Point and Biggs Park, the ferry terminal itself is well organized and about 20+ lanes across. Buy your tickets online to save time and make sure you get to there an hour before departure. At the window, you can pay your fare or the agent will scan the prepaid barcode In your email. You are then assigned a lane. You can wait in your car or get out and walk around, grab a snack, use the restroom, take in the view, or pose with two orca statues flanking the walkway to the terminal. On the day we were there, two tents were set up with local arts and crafts. A large digital sign gave sailing information and PSAs about COVID safety. When it was time for everyone to board, an announcement was made asking us to return to our vehicles. About 10 or 15 minutes later, attendants guided us to the awaiting ferry. Everything was orderly and well organized, and I can't wait to come back.

I like this port. Duke Point (Nanaimo) is less busy compared to Victoria. On top, the ride is also…read moresmoother. Pickup is less chaotic. On the ferry to and from Nanaimo, you can get white spot food which is nice. Plenty of parking at this port.

Ferry from Nanaimo to Vancouver [British Columbia]…read more We booked a reservation for an early departure to guarantee a spot in the ferry. Sailings depart from Duke Point to Vancouver (Tsawwassen). We had to arrive at the terminal between 30-mins to an hour prior to our scheduled departure. Sailing time was about 2 hours. Amenities inside the ferry included a snack and coffee kiosks, vending machines, ATM, waiting area, lots of seating. Positive experience. Review #3178

This hotel was accommodating and friendly. Most affordable stay in the city. The bed was clean. My…read morebiggest complaint is the bathrooms were not clean and smelled bad. There was buildup of dirt in the showers.

It's a very nice hostel in a very nice location. But badly…read morethere weren't many people around. Badly, when you want to charge your devices, you also have to turn the light on (at least in the b dorm), what is quite annoying, especially for overnight. This hostel is not suitable for big and heavy suitcases, because there's no elevator, but when you're with a backpack/ smaller suitcase it works just fine. For your convenience there is a bar right around the corner, and the super market and a drugstore/ banks are just about a 10 minute walk away.

Stressful & unsafe two weeks. Minimal and unhelpful response from Nanaimo Yacht Charters (NYC)…read more This was our 2nd time chartering from NYC and decided to charter the same boat (52 foot power boat - Rock n Rye). Previous year had small issues on the boat but overall positive experience. This year was drastically different. Boat had not been maintained and we were sent out on a very unsafe boat. Night 1: Windlass stopped operating and lost generator power. This began two weeks of major power issues, the inability to anchor due to slow response and service, and incurring unexpected costs. We were forced to stay at marina's the entire time. At one point, the anchor came dislodged in the middle of Johnston strait banging against the boat. We were stressed and exhausted after week 1. We spent two days in Port McNeill waiting for the windless to be fixed. Going in to week 2, the windshield exploded above the galley - yes- while sitting at the marina on a calm evening. We then had a broken windshield, continued power issues (not enough power to operate much of anything while not on shore power). The first night we attempted to anchor after the windlass was supposedly fixed, there was not enough power to drop or pull up anchor without re-setting the fuse every 10 seconds. After two very expensive and stressful weeks we met with Andrew, the owner, who assured us he would 'make it right' and 'cover our costs'. It's been three months and we have been trying to reach him and he has not responded. We hope you don't make the same choice we did . Go with a different, reliable, safe and responsive charter company.

We just returned from our 4th year of chartering with Nanaimo Yacht Charters. As usual, the boat…read morewas well-prepared (we've used a different boat each time), Ian was as generous with his time as he needed to be, and the equipment was all present and worked (we didn't ever use the anchor windlass, though). We sail early in the season, when the wind is best, but also know that wind usually is a bit variable in this area, and very light as summer whams up. We've always found Ian, Sherry and Lorraine to have plenty of suggestions and advice about where to sail and stop, different activities, and they want to see us have fun (without breaking the boat, preferably). When we've had problems, Ian has been quick to answer the phone and offer suggestions. And it's worth the price of admission to watch them bring the boat back into the slip at the return. Nanaimo is also a great location for going to Princess Louisa Inlet, Desolation Sound, or the Gulf Islands, better than Vancouver or Sidney if you're interested in those destinations. Dodd Narrows is a great introduction to navigating BC waters.

We are in awe of how well planned all the ferry terminals in Canada are. Multiple lane entries to…read moreembark on your ferry and at the checkin you get assigned one lane. The best part is you can just leave your car parked in that lane and walk to nearby terminal building to use restroom or eat or shop. The one in Nanaimo had decent food options. We tried from three places. Chachi's Mac n cheese, Hiro veggie and tofu udon and pizza place that had tandoori chicken pizza. All three were great. There is plenty of tables for you to sit and eat. There is also a small play structure outside that kept the kid busy. The restrooms were clean. It was 10/10 experience from embarking to disembarking. BC ferry itself offered clean restrooms, cafe to eat and a small play area. They also gave crayons and a picture for coloring. The most positive experience with the way it is operated. Note: if you want to change reservation the ferry timing there is a fee per person. Tip: if you are in lower vehicle deck you have to get down. But upper decks

Departure Bay is located north side of Nanaimo. It only has one berth and it only goes to Horseshoe…read moreBay. I was surprised that this ferry terminal has a food court and gift shops. It is a much more convenient location for us in terms of heading home or getting to Nanaimo. We usually take Swartz Bay or Dupoint. Only complain about this terminal is that you have to drive into Nanaimo and the traffic is not always the best.

Great service in my ride to NRGH. Driver was friendly, courteous and efficient. He was on time &…read moreprebooking worked really well. Thanks ac.

I feel the need to share our experience with AC Taxi on November 4th, 2022. Our family required a…read morevan as we were travelling with five passengers to Departure Bay for a 10:40 ferry. We called AC Taxi at 8:01AM to request a van to attend our address at 9:30AM. At 9:40, we called in to AC Taxi to check the ETA of our requested van. The dispatcher mentioned that the cab was another 10-15 minutes away. We expressed to the dispatcher to please let the driver know of our need for urgency as we had a ferry to catch. The dispatcher confirmed that the driver has been notified of this and would be there ASAP. Upon our driver's arrival, the driver leisurely exited his vehicle and walked to the back of the van. No greeting was made, just a lackadaisical demeanour that emulated the company's scheduling organization. Then after arranging the seats for our trip, the driver stood to the side of the vehicle and re-entered his leisure state. My family loaded our luggage ourself, our driver daydreaming; almost seeming as though he was attempting to show his disinterest in our urgency. It was obvious the lack of empathy and service in our driver. Upon our arrival, our driver continued his status quo. Allowing us to open the lift gate and remove our luggage. In terms of reliability, AC Taxi has proven to be untrustworthy. If you need to arrive at a location at a specific time, find other arrangements. Very disappointed in this experience as a whole.