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| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1986 |
| Headquarters | |
| Parent | FRS Group |
| Website | clippervacations.com |
Clipper Navigation, Inc., is an American ferry operator and subsidiary ofFörde Reederei Seetouristik based inSeattle, Washington. They provide multipletransportation andvacation packages—many of which are offered under the name Clipper Vacations—including hotel and tour packages in Seattle and inVictoria, British Columbia, andVancouver, British Columbia.
The company operates the Victoria Clipper, a high-speed passenger-only ferry service betweendowntown Seattle and theInner Harbour in downtown Victoria.[1]
Clipper Navigation, Inc., was founded in 1986 with the original MV Victoria Clipper I on the Seattle/Victoria route. The MV Clipper II was actually two different boats that ran to theSan Juan Islands. Then the MVVictoria Clipper III (now MVSan Juan Clipper) was purchased. The service between Seattle and Friday Harbor, Washington providesorca andgraywhale watching out of that port and has been in operation since 1991 daily from mid-May through September. As Clipper Navigation grew, it launched Clipper Vacations.[citation needed]
German navigation company Förde Reederei Seetouristik (FRS) acquired Clipper Vacations in 2016. FRS announced plans to expand the company's service to include routes between Victoria and Vancouver, and betweenFlorida andCuba.[2]
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The Clipper fleet currently consists of two high speedcatamarans, the MVVictoria Clipper V and the MVSan Juan Clipper that serve Seattle, Victoria, and Friday Harbor.[3] The Clipper fleet is one of the fastest passenger vessels in the western hemisphere.[4]
Clipper Navigation was also responsible for operating theMVPrincess Marguerite III, a car ferry between Seattle and Victoria. Its operation was discontinued a decade ago due to the extremely high costs associated with the six-hour trip between ports. Currently, there is no car service betweenSeattle andVictoria. The primary choice for passengers with cars is theMVCoho ferry out ofPort Angeles. TheWashington State Ferry fromAnacortes, Washington toSidney, British Columbia to Victoria was discontinued. The WSF announced that they don't anticipate being able to return the Sidney run to service until 2030. Clipper Vacations can book passengers who wish to take theCoho in conjunction with a hotel stay.[citation needed] The Clipper also ran the MVVictoria Clipper I, and the MVVictoria Clipper IV.
The Clipper has one daily round-trip ferry service that travels between Pier 69 inDowntown Seattle and Downtown Victoria, taking approximately 2 hours and 45 minutes. The vessel carries 525 passengers.[5]
Clipper Vacations provides hotel and tour packages inVictoria,Seattle andVancouver.