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FRS Clipper review

Updated October 1, 2026 · NomadCue Editorial Team · Facts checked October 1, 2026

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Our verdict

FRS Clipper suits travelers whose Pacific Northwest plans run through the Seattle to Victoria ferry, and it sells the crossing alongside hotels, packages and tours so a short trip can be put together without a second site. The company has been running that route since 1986.

Key facts

Best for
Pacific Northwest ferry trips where the crossing and the stay are booked together.
Products
Ferry, Hotels, Packages, Tours↗
Booking fees
$15 rescheduling fee per person; fuel and port fees may apply↗
Cancellation terms
Free cancellation up to 2 days before travel↗
Mobile app
Yes↗
Legal entity
Clipper Navigation, Inc.↗
Headquarters
United States↗
Founded
1986↗
Support channels
Phone, Email, Help-centre↗
Official website
clippervacations.com

Facts checked October 1, 2026, 6 sources

Apps and profiles

Get the app
App Store
Elsewhere
WikidataWikipediaX

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Standard fares are fully refundable until close to the travel date, so a trip can be held while plans firm up.
  • Reservations run through phone, email and help centre, so a booking can be sorted by talking to someone rather than filling in a form and waiting.
  • There is a mobile app, which keeps tickets and sailing details to hand away from a browser.

Cons

  • Booking fees include a per-person charge for changes, assessed on every ticket issued, so a group moving a sailing pays for each traveler.
  • Booking fees also warn that fuel and port charges may apply, so the fare shown at booking is not always the full amount paid.
  • Cancellation terms leave a narrow window before departure in which standard fares are no longer refundable, so a late change recovers little.
FRS Clipper

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Scored 9.4 / 10 by NomadCue.

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Who it suits

  • Travelers whose itinerary depends on the Seattle to Victoria crossing, for a day out or a short island stay.
  • Anyone who would rather arrange a stay, a package or a tour alongside the sailing than search for each piece separately.
  • People holding plans loosely, since standard fares stay refundable until close to the travel date.

Who should look elsewhere

  • Travelers after a wide choice of long-distance airlines or routes, since the offering centres on a regional ferry.
  • Anyone expecting to change a booking at no cost, because booking fees apply a per-person charge to changes.

What you can book

FRS Clipper is built around passenger ferry crossings, with hotels, packages and tours sold alongside them, so a trip that mixes a sailing with somewhere to stay can be arranged in the same basket instead of across separate searches. A mobile app is available, which keeps tickets and sailing details to hand away from a browser, and that booking flow covers the hotel and tour parts of a trip as well as the crossing. For anyone planning a few days rather than a long itinerary, having the ferry, the bed and the sightseeing in one place removes the comparison work.

Fees and cancellation

Fares are charged per crossing, and booking fees add a charge per person when a booking is changed, assessed on every ticket issued rather than once per order. The same terms warn that fuel and port charges may apply, so the fare quoted at booking is not always the full amount paid at the end. Cancellation terms are straightforward for standard fares: they are fully refundable when a cancellation reaches the company in good time before travel, and become non-refundable in the window just before departure.

Who runs it

The service is run by Clipper Navigation, Inc., a US corporation based in the United States, with a Canadian subsidiary alongside it. The catamaran idea between Seattle and Victoria goes back to 1986, and the crossing remains the backbone of the business rather than a sideline. Reservations and questions are handled by phone, by email and through a help centre, so a traveler can pick the channel that suits them when plans move.

How FRS Clipper compares

Frequently asked questions

What does it cost to change a ferry booking?+

A charge applies per person whenever a booking is changed, and it is assessed on every ticket issued rather than once per order, so a group moving a sailing pays for each traveler. Fuel and port charges may also apply on top of the fare. These terms are published by Clipper Navigation, Inc.

Can I still get a refund if I cancel?+

Standard fares are fully refundable when the cancellation reaches the company in good time before travel, and they become non-refundable in the window just before departure. The operator is Clipper Navigation, Inc., registered in the United States, and its published terms set that cut-off for every booking.

Who actually runs the ferries?+

The service is operated by Clipper Navigation, Inc., a US corporation registered in the United States, and it works alongside a Canadian subsidiary. The catamaran concept between Seattle and Victoria goes back to 1986, which explains why the crossing still anchors what the company sells.

How long has this route been running?+

The idea of a year-round catamaran service between Seattle and Victoria was spotted in 1986, and the company has worked the crossing ever since. A crossing run for that long tends to mean timetables, crews and terminals are settled rather than improvised, which matters if you are planning around a specific sailing.

Can I book a hotel together with the ferry?+

Yes. FRS Clipper sells ferry crossings and puts hotels, packages and tours in the same basket, so a stay can be arranged alongside the sailing instead of through a separate search. The hotel and tour parts sit under the same operator, Clipper Navigation, Inc., which means the same terms to read before you pay.

How do I reach someone about my booking?+

Reservations and questions are handled by Clipper Navigation, Inc., which takes calls and email and runs a help centre for answers you can read yourself. There is also a mobile app, and that is where tickets and sailing details sit once a trip is booked, so changes can be made away from a desktop.

Sources

  • apps.apple.com/us/app/frs-clipper/id6754898008 checked October 1, 2026

    Backs: Mobile app

    “trackName=FRS Clipper; sellerName=Hornblower Yachts LLC”

  • support.clippervacations.com/kb/article/6-what-is-frs-cli... checked October 1, 2026

    Backs: Cancellation terms

    “Standard fares are fully refundable for cancellations received 2 or more days prior to travel, non-refundable within 48 hours of travel date.”

  • clippervacations.com checked October 1, 2026

    Backs: Products

    “By ship, seaplane, charter motor coach, train, car or helicopter, our award-winning local staff of Pacific Northwest travel experts will customize your experience”

  • clippervacations.com/about-us/our-company checked October 1, 2026

    Backs: Founded

    “In 1986, Washington entrepreneur Merideth Tall saw the potential for a catamaran service to operate year-round between Seattle and Victoria, BC.”

  • clippervacations.com/contact-us checked October 1, 2026

    Backs: Support channels

    “Call Us for Reservations Toll Free: 800-888-2535”

  • clippervacations.com/terms-conditions checked October 1, 2026

    Backs: Booking fees, Headquarters, Legal entity

    “Rescheduling service charge of $15.00 per person may be assessed on every ticket issued.”

Compiled from 6 source pages, checked October 1, 2026. We did not open an account.

FRS Clipper

FRS Clipper

Pacific Northwest ferry trips where the crossing and the stay are booked together.

9.4/10Visit