Hello Everyone,
I'm Mary-Ellen and my husband is Darren. We've been travelling from Victoria-Vancouver for 4 years for pick-up/drop-off of Darren's kids. Last year we lived in Nanaimo, where the Stork Express offered a ferry chaperone service which we utilized every weekend. Now we are back, and we think it's about time Victoria-Vancouver had one. I am an LPN and Darren is an HCA. We both have criminal record checks done as a condition of our employment with Island Health (and to be licensed/registered with our professional associations) and we also both have first aid and CPR training done annually. So with that introduction done, we offer a chaperone service on the Swartz Bay-Tsawwassen ferry route. We will travel on your behalf for children, special needs adults, seniors, and any non-checked items you want delivered that can be picked up by a person on the other side. We will arrange in-person meet and greets in Greater Victoria, your home or ours, because let's face it; you don't just drop your loved ones off with a stranger these days, now do you? If you would like to get to know us, but live in Vancouver, then join us for a ferry trip some time, see how we interact with the other clients, and decide if you want to give it a try. FEES:
Prices are for one way travel:
$40 for discount fare travellers (11 and under)
$45 for full adult fare travellers (12+)
Sibling rates: $5 discount per child. SINGLE Traveller rate: $80. In the event I have no additional reservations, a person wishing to send their traveller has the option to pay the single traveller premium of $80. These rates include the ferry ticket that I will purchase for your reserved traveller. Exception: if your traveller uses the disability program, you will need to purchase his or her ticket and meet me at the assigned meeting area. The fee for this service is $35 plus pre-purchased ticket. Reservations are generally accepted Monday 9am-Wednesday at 9pm for the following weekends' travel. I will accept reservations in advance, but they must be confirmed again by 9pm the Wednesday before the travel date. Please enquire for further fees for late arrivals, no shows, and no-contact. Families who incur these fees may be subject to a security deposit to continue using The Ferry Godmother service. Payment for this chaperone service is cash only, and no COD is accepted. In order to stay 'afloat' I need to be able to count on prompt and dependable payment. Finally, each family will sign a contract agreeing to the terms regarding fees, drop off, and pick up. Fees for breach of this contract will be clearly stated in the contract and must be paid prior to further service. DROP OFF/PICK UP:
Drop off is 30 minutes before the scheduled sailing time. Swartz Bay meeting place is the Departures entry by the automated ticketing machines. Tsawwassen meeting place is up the Departures escalator near the beginning of the long hallway to the berth. You will need a visitor pass to wait up there.
****If the sailing is delayed, I still expect you to arrive per the scheduled departure times, as Tsawwassen does not allow customers through beyond the 10 minutes to SCHEDULED sailing cut off time.****
CONTACT INFORMATION:
Every traveller must have a contact person on both sides of the ocean. These contact persons must be the person dropping off or picking up the traveller that day and must be available by phone for 1 hour before scheduled departure from Swartz Bay sailing to 1 hour after scheduled arrival back in Swartz Bay. (IE 4pm to 9:30pm or per scheduled travel for that day)
This service is about the travellers, and we want to ensure their safety and security. They need to know that they will have their pick up person available. I accept text messages as confirmation by telephone. FERRY RULES:
Every traveller must have with them a coat, a backpack, and a meal/snack. Travellers must have free hands during embarking and disembarking. No pull-along suitcases are allowed on the boat. These must be checked at the gate prior to meeting at the appointed meeting place. It is too difficult to manage children and pull along luggage. Travellers are not permitted to spend any money on the boat. If money is to accompany the traveller, it is their responsibility to keep it in their backpack. We will not visit the arcade, gift shop, or restaurants. I will not accept cash to purchase food for a traveller. You may send whatever meal/snack you choose, as long as it is in the backpack prior to drop off. Travellers may bring electronic devices, games, crafts, or books, but these remain 100% the responsibility of the traveller. I will of course do a thorough check of the area before leaving the boat but, for example, if a Nintendo gets dropped or otherwise damaged The Ferry Godmother is not liable for damages. Any further questions can be directed to us by private message. Full details of terms and conditions and a copy of the Ferry Godmother contract is available upon request.
