Vancouver Island is famous for many things, and the new luxury ferry service through the Inside Passage is just one of them! This highly recommended ferry service takes visitors on a journey through some of the world's most spectacular scenery and is not to be missed. Only when you take a trip through the Inside Passage can you really appreciate just how large the province of British Columbia is. The 274 nautical miles between Port Hardy, at the northern tip of Vancouver Island, and the town of Prince Rupert on the mainland of BC, takes no less than 15 hours. A whole day's travel on a ferry may not sound like much fun, but the scenery and opportunities for spotting wildlife more than make up for the length of the journey. Travellers making the trip through the Inside Passage from Port Hardy to Prince Rupert, or indeed the other way around, will benefit from a service on board the brand new ferry, M.V. Northern Expedition, from May 2009 onwards. This service through the Inside Passage is provided by BC Ferries and is just one of the many routes they offer between Van Isle and the rest of B.C. The Northern Expedition ferry is capable of carrying 600 passengers and crew and 130 cars, though if you're planning to bring a vehicle advance booking is highly recommended. Advance booking is also highly recommended if you'd like to make use of one of the 55 modern staterooms; a great place to relax and unwind in private. Travellers not lucky enough to book a stateroom can make use of the seating lounge, plus there's a restaurant and a café, and a gift shop and TV viewing area to enjoy too. On a clear day you'll probably want to spend much of your journey through the Inside Passage outside on the deck, where you can take in the scenery and watch out for wildlife. Much of the time you'll be near land, so spotting birds and animals is always a possibility. Watch out for marine life too though as whales and dolphins are regularly seen, especially in Queen Charlotte Sound.