Clipper Vacations

Unreliable transportation. The Clipper will cancel it's trips with little notice due to 'wind'. Instead they will put you on a bus for a 7.5 hours ride back to Seattle, which also uses up what would otherwise be a full day in Victoria. more

We scheduled an overnight with Clipper for my wife (me) and her grandma who was visiting from Minnesota. At the time we were experiencing the worst snow storm in Seattle in 20 years (12/2008), however the Nat'l weather service had been predicting a change to rain a few days before our scheduled departure. The afternoon before we were scheduled to leave, out of nowhere we got blasted with another 5" of snow on top of our already 19" snowpack, and we were stuck at home. I called Victoria Clipper to cancel and request a refund, since this was obviously an extreme circumstance (at this point the Governer of WA had declared a statewide state of emergency because of the snow). Long story short, we got the run around, and my wife was spoken to rudely and at one point hung up on. They offered us 2 crap options: 1) reschedule for a 15% fee....which was stupid since the trip was for my wife and her VISITING grandma who was leaving soon thereafter. OR 2) cancel and send in a refund request with NO guarantee that a refund will be issued. It was bad enough being snowed in but then to have this sorry excuse for a travel company holding our money hostage made it even worse. They could have earned a customer for life if they would have just played fair. We even called the hotel directly that we had booked through Clipper Vacations, and they agreed right away to cancel and give us a full refund do to the extreme circumstances (this was Mike at Executive Suites in Victoria...they were awesome to deal with, and they aren't even in Seattle!) We decided to cancel and send in the form, so now we're in the waiting period to see what they say....it can take up to a MONTH....like they're some national travel agency. What do they do all day, sleep? Anyways, we filed a complaint with the BBB and will be doing more than that if they refuse refund. Nobody should have to gamble their money away on 'maybe's' when they are already facing a difficult situation. more

It is a fun one day trip for a quick getaway to the Victoria Island. The staff at the terminal is very friendly and knowledgeable about things to do on the island. Be sure to ask for specials and coupons from the staff. The best is that Victoria Clipper is in the entertainment book, buy one get I free ferry fare. more

For people who are looking to go on a great, and quick getaway, I'd like to recommend taking the high-speed catamaran operated by Victoria Clipper. They leave form downtown Seattle and go into downtown Victoria, B.C., in about two hours. The staff is incredibly friendly and efficient, and, they take care of all vacation plans for you - from hotels to city tours, to afternoon tea at the Empress Hotel. They give you good deals (even compared to on line vendors), especially if you travel in the middle of the week. And you don't even need a passport to go. Anyways, it is a great way to get out of town for a couple of days for relatively little money and hassle. more

Having heard many people rave about the Victoria Clipper, a hydrofoil high speed boat that travels between Seattle and Victoria in just less than three hours (when the weather cooperates), I was quite excited to take my first trip on it. My first trip will be my last. Given the fairly minimal price difference between the Clipper and flights to Victoria, it just doesn't pay to sit in what amounts to a bus on the water for three hours. Passenger embarkation and debarkation was a long slow process not helped along by the inefficient set-up. The layout of the boat does not allow a good view if you're not one of the first few people on, with the view being markedly obstructed by the low ceilings and scratched windows on the lower deck. When it comes down to it, the Clipper is transportation, nothing more. Certainly it's much better than the alternative drive to the San Juans or Olympic Peninsula, but certainly nowhere as good as a slightly more expensive Kenmore Air flight that takes one-third as long. more

Looking for a quick way to get to Vancouver B.C.? The Victoria Clipper is just your ride. Its a ferry that transports you between from Vancouver B.C. and Seattle. It comfy, fast, and fun. There is also one that makes a stop at he San Juan Islands. Its very inexpensive in my opinion, and a lot better than driving. Its nice and luxurious inside and they also serve food there. Its a great source of travel. more