FAQs

Clipper’s team of locally-based Pacific Northwest travel experts are standing by 7 am – 7 pm PDT daily to help you out! From planning your Clipper ferry to selecting the perfect hotel and fun things to do, we’ve got you covered. Customize any trip to fit your needs, all with the free guidance of our travel experts. Call today at 800.888.2535 to plan and book your trip!

If you are traveling between Seattle and Victoria, you will be traveling on our Victoria Clipper V ferry. If you are traveling between Seattle and San Juan Island, you will be traveling on our San Juan Clipper ferry.

Learn more about our vessels.

Our direct route between Seattle and Victoria, BC on the Victoria Clipper V ferry is around 2 hours and 45 minutes between Pier 69 in downtown Seattle and Belleville Terminal in Victoria’s downtown Inner Harbor.

Our direct route between Seattle and Friday Harbor on the San Juan Clipper ferry is around 3 hours and 45 minutes between Pier 69 in downtown Seattle and downtown Friday Harbor on San Juan Island.

Seattle Terminal

The terminal is located on Alaskan Way at Pier 69.

ADVISORY: Please refer to the WSDOT website for updates and directions ahead of your planned travel and allow ample time for arrival to our Wall Street parking garage.

Victoria Terminal

The terminal is located Victoria’s Inner Harbour at 254 Belleville Street, which is about a block from the Hotel Grand Pacific.

Learn more about directions and parking.

Yes. In Seattle, the nearby Bell Street Pier garage offers parking for $10 per calendar day. You can obtain parking validation tickets from one of our agents in our Seattle or Victoria terminals or onboard the vessel.

ADVISORY: Please refer to the WSDOT website for updates and directions ahead of your planned travel and allow ample time for arrival to our Wall Street parking garage.

In Victoria, daily pay parking is available at the terminal and overnight pay parking is available at the Hotel Grand Pacific, which is about a block from the terminal.

Learn more about directions and parking.

Seattle:

6:30 am – 7:00 pm, daily, year-round.

Victoria:

Daily, Jan 1-May 16: 8:30 am – 5:00 pm
Fri-Mon, May 17-June 30: 8:30 am – 7:00 pm
Tue-Thu, May 17-June 30: 8:30 am – 5:00 pm
Thu-Mon, July 1-Sept 8: 8:30 am – 7:00 pm
Tue & Wed, July 1-Sept 8: 8:30 am – 5:00 pm
Daily, Sept 9-Jan 5, 2020: 8:30 am – 5:00 pm

Boarding numbers are automatically assigned at the time that you pay for your reservation, but are not available until check-in. The earlier that you book your trip, the better your boarding number will be. You may check-in and get your boarding passes as well as boarding number assignments within 7 days before departure.

You can check-in online or in person at our Seattle terminal 7 days/week (see FAQ above for seasonal hours noted by terminal). Both terminals offer extended hours during the summer months. We recommend arriving at least one hour before your ferry’s departure.

Pre-boarding is available on most departures if you need a little more time to settle in, such as families traveling with children ages 5 and under and those with difficulty walking. Passport checks are done at the ticket counter for all Seattle – Victoria passengers.

Departing Seattle

Boarding starts 45 minutes before your boat is scheduled to leave. Boarding group numbers will be announced and when yours is called, you will be free to board the vessel. If you are not on the boat 15 minutes before the boat is scheduled to leave, you forfeit your seat and your fare.

Departing Victoria

You are required to process through U.S. Customs & Border Protection before boarding any departure from Victoria. U.S. Customs & Border Protection will start processing passengers at least one hour before departure. Boarding group number announcements will begin for those passengers who have cleared through U.S. Customs and Border Protection 45 minutes prior to departure.

If your boarding group number is called while you are waiting to process U.S. Customs & Border Protection you will be boarded as soon as you have cleared U.S. Customs & Border Protection.

Learn more about check-in and boarding.

When traveling between Canada and the United States, it will be necessary to pass through Customs and Border Protection at the border. If you are a U.S. or Canadian citizen, you will need one of the following travel documents:

• A Passport
• Passport Card
• Enhanced Driver License or an Enhanced ID Card (EDL/ID) applicable to select states/provinces only, this is different than the new Real ID
• NEXUS Card

When traveling by land or sea, U.S. or Canadian children under age 16 and infants are required to provide proof of citizenship. They may present one of the following documents:

An original or copy of his or her birth certificate

• A consular report of birth abroad
• A naturalization certificate
• A citizenship card

If both birth parents are not present, you must provide a signed (preferably notarized) statement from the parent(s) authorizing the child to travel out of the country or proof of custody.

Children from countries other than the US or Canada will require a passport and possibly a Visa. Failure to provide such evidence may make you inadmissible to Canada.

Learn more about required travel documents.

Felonies could prevent you from entering Canada. This means anything that’s considered a felony in Canada, even if it’s not a felony in the U.S. Even a misdemeanor Driving While Intoxicated conviction (DUI/DWI) is considered a felony in Canada and could result in you being denied entrance into Canada.

You can travel from SeaTac Airport to Seattle Clipper terminal the following ways:

• Sound Transit Light Rail: Approximately $2.75 each way for airport to Westlake Station in downtown Seattle. You would require about a 5-minute taxi to get to the Victoria Clipper terminal at Pier 69. No reservations are required.
• Taxi: Taxis are available on the 3rd floor of the SeaTac Airport Parking Garage.

No. The Victoria Clipper V and San Juan Clipper vessels are both passenger-only ferries. However, you can park your car at nearby parking garages before boarding the Clipper (Bell St. Garage near the Seattle terminal, hourly parking at the Victoria terminal or the Hotel Grand Pacific in Victoria).

Seattle – Victoria

Yes. You are allowed to check up to two pieces of luggage on the Victoria Clipper ferry at the cost of $15.00 USD per checked bag. Each checked luggage item must weigh less than 50 pounds with linear dimensions that do not exceed 62” (length + width + height) including handles and wheels. Luggage items over 70 lbs. will be charged $37.00 USD per leg of travel.

All checked luggage items must be fully closed and contained (no protruding pieces or unclosed parts) to be accepted. NOTE: checked luggage will be checked in and paid for at the Clipper terminal on your day of travel. Please allow ample time in your schedule to check in required luggage.

You can also carry on one small piece of luggage and one personal item.

Seattle – San Juan Island

There is no fee for checked luggage for the Seattle to San Juan Island route.

Learn more about checked luggage, carry-on luggage and bicycles.

Seattle

During the summer (when the kiosk is open) there is a luggage storage area at the Seattle Clipper terminal where you can store your luggage (for $5.00 per bag, 9:00 am to 6:00 pm) while you see the sights in Seattle.

Victoria

Luggage can be stored year-round (when the terminal is open) at the Victoria Clipper (for $5.00 per bag) while you explore in and around the city. Your bags can also be checked and stored onboard on the vessel starting at 9:30 am on the day of travel.

Learn more about luggage storage 

Yes. You can bring pets onboard the Victoria Clipper and San Juan Clipper ferries, if they are in a carrier and accompanied by a person (animals cannot be transported as cargo). Pet space is highly limited, so we strongly recommend you book in advance.

Learn more about traveling with pets.

The Clipper Café, is conveniently located in the ticketing area at Pier 69, Seattle, offering Caffe Vita coffee, breakfast sandwiches, Blazing Bagels, fresh salads and sandwiches for purchase prior to departure or take on board to enjoy en route. The Clipper Café is open daily, from 6 am and closes at 2:30 pm Monday-Friday and 9:00 am on Saturday-Sunday.

On board the vessels, A selection of locally-sourced and freshly prepared meals, such handmade sandwiches on Macrina Bakery bread, Ellenos Real Greek Yogurt parfait and light snacks are available for purchase on board as well as a full range of beverages options, including locally-distilled spirits. You may also bring other food onboard, but no outside alcohol may be consumed onboard.

Victoria Clipper Onboard Menu (sample menu, subject to change)

San Juan Clipper Onboard Menu (sample menu, subject to change)

The Clipper vessels are cashless, meaning purchases must be made with Visa, MasterCard, American Express or Discover Card. We do not accept cash, checks or debit cards requiring a PIN.

No, there is no smoking or vaping onboard the Victoria Clipper V or the San Juan Clipper. However, cigarettes available for purchase duty-free onboard the Victoria Clipper V.

Yes, both vessels offer a gift shop with a wide array of fun and unique Pacific Northwest apparel including t-shirts, sweatshirts, hats and beanies as well as stickers and postcards. Check out our sample Victoria Clipper V gift shop menu and San Juan Clipper gift shop menu.

On our international route, the Victoria Clipper V also offers onboard duty-free sales of alcohol and cigarettes where you can save up to 50% off regularly taxed prices!

Free Wi-Fi is available in both our Seattle and Victoria, BC terminal. Since our boats travel far from the shore on portions of our journey, we are unable to offer Wi-Fi onboard our vessels. We strongly encourage customers to take advantage of the time to unplug from technology! Soak in outstanding ocean vistas and the fresh air, relax and play a card game with friends or cozy up in your comfortable reclining seat with a good a book.

While we don’t normally sail over rough waters, occasionally it can be choppy once we’re underway due to Mother Nature and sudden weather changes in the Salish Sea. If you are prone to seasickness or motion sickness, we proactively provide complimentary ginger candies as well as Dramamine and Meclizine, which we recommend you take as soon as boarding is completed.

Our whale watching tour from Seattle is a fun adventure and the perfect way to learn and catch sight of our beloved orca, humpback and gray whales as well as a variety of other wildlife.

Under the guidance of our onboard expert naturalist, the tour is highly educational and a great way to learn about whales in their natural habitat. Check out our magazine feature What to Know Before You Go: Whale Watching FAQ to discover what to expect and how to prepare for an epic whale watching trip aboard the San Juan Clipper.

Victoria Clipper V

Yes.The Victoria Clipper V can accommodate both standard and motorized wheelchairs on the main deck of the vessel. Tie-downs are located at the front of the vessel on both the left and right side and at the back of the ship on the left side. Our vessel also features one wheelchair accessible bathroom onboard.

Due to limited loading capabilities, motorized scooters are typically not allowed in the cabin and are instead stored on the outside deck. If you are traveling with a motorized chair, be sure to bring along a charger in case your chair runs out of power during your trip.

San Juan Clipper

The San Juan Clipper can accommodate non-motorized, standard 32-inch wheelchairs along the side of the bow of the vessel. Our vessel also features one wheelchair accessible bathroom onboard. Due to limited loading capabilities, we are unfortunately unable to accommodate motorized wheelchairs and scooters at this time.

When traveling on either vessel, please let us know ahead of time if you need wheelchair accessibility and we will arrange to have you boarded early. For further information, call our expert team of travel agents at 800-888-2535 so that we may best accommodate your needs and help plan your trip.

Most cell phones work just fine in Victoria, but some cell phone carriers charge additional fees for roaming and data without a Canadian or international phone plan. Before leaving for your trip, contact your local carrier for information on call pricing, text messaging and internet usage.

If you don’t have an international data plan, be sure to disable your phone’s data settings until you can find a hot spot to avoid charges.

Credit and debit cards are widely accepted across Canada, and ATM machines with 24-hour access are available throughout greater Victoria. The extent to which you can use your card and the fees that apply depend on your credit card company and bank. Be sure to call your bank and credit card companies before departing to avoid any surprise charges and to inform them of your travel plans to prevent your card from being deactivated.

Many businesses in Victoria accept U.S. dollars, but they are able to set their own exchange rate, so the rates may vary from store to store and change will be given in Canadian dollars.

Yes, Clipper offers travel insurance through Allianz Travel Insurance.

Please call our travel agents at 800-888-2535 for any questions or for trip cancellation needs.

Additional case specific cancellation details can be found in Clipper’s Terms and Conditions.

Our group sales department offers a variety of discounts for groups of 20+ individuals traveling together. Learn more about our group and charter offerings. We also offer special discounts for children and military personnel.