Ferry passengers travelling between Tsawwassen and Swartz Bay will soon be able to imbibe in alcohol.

As soon as this June, beer and wine will be offered in the Pacific Buffet on the Spirit of Vancouver Island, Spirit of British Columbia, and Coastal Celebration.

It was disclosed in an internal staff memo obtained by The Orca, which is an online publication.

"This pilot project is an initial small-scale implementation that is intended to prove the viability and scalability of providing this offering to our customers," the memo states. "This pilot project enables the company to manage the risk of a new idea, gather feedback from employees and customers, and identify any deficiencies before rolling this out to other vessels."

The memo also reveals that a 2018 survey indicated about 50 percent of passengers would be more interested in spending time in the Sitka Lounge, Seawest Lounge, Arbutus Coffee Bar and/or the Pacific Buffet if beer and wine were served there.

This pilot project has generated a fair amount of discussion on Reddit. One commenter recommend that B.C. Ferries conduct a "simple safety check":

"1. You need to show your ticket receipt to buy alcohol (not your boarding pass, the slip you can keep);

"2. No alcohol allowed if your ticket receipt shows you brought a vehicle onboard and you are the only adult.

"Of course it's not foolproof, but it would encourage designated drivers."

Another commenter followed up with a suggestion that B.C. Ferries create receipts that indicate if the person is allowed to buy alcohol onboard.

B.C. Ferries already has a smoke-free and vape-free policy, which prohibits smoking of cigarettes and cannabis.

B.C. Ferries boosts service this weekend

In other ferry-related news, the Crown-owned company plans to add 89 extra sailings on the Easter long weekend.

That includes 70 on the Tsawwassen–Swartz Bay route, 11 between Horseshoe Bay and Departure Bay, and eight between Horseshoe Bay and Langdale on the Sunshine Coast.

The Spirit of Vancouver Island will also return to service after undergoing a conversion from diesel power to liquefied natural gas.