Marina cancels visit to Falklands

[FLcruiser2011]

Just got word that our visit tomorrow to the Falkland Islands has been cancelled because the sea is going to be too rough to tender.  This is a big disappointment.  Second time this has happened to us.  We booked this cruise in large part to see the king penguins at Volunteer Point.  Perhaps we are destined to never visit the Falklands.  There isn't going to be a third try.

 

[Spotbattman]

Sorry to read this. We are on the next Marina cruise, the reverse of yours. I have been watching the weather all week. Winds certainly look higher tomorrow than they are today, around 28mph plus gusts. This is also one of the big draws for us. Hopefully we will have better luck. 

[pinotlover]

Condolences! 😢

 

We are scheduled for the Falklands in early March and have Volunteer Point booked with a group of others. Praying we make it.

 

Never been there. If we miss again, there won’t be another attempt.

 

Is Oceania giving you an extra day in Ushuaia or puerto Arenas, or just floating around with another sea day?

Edited January 23, 2023 by pinotlover

[jazznruby]

Unfortunately, not unusual. I think it's more unusual to actually get there. Attempted in 06 with Celebrity. No luck then either.

[FLcruiser2011]

We were scheduled to go from the Falklands to several days of sailing about Antarctica.  But the captain, instead of saying 'Now we will go directly there and perhaps can see a little more," said 'Now we can sail toward Antarctica at 12 knots instead of 17, so it will be smoother.'  Huh?

 

[Mura]

Our time in the Falklands was many years ago.  I think it was January 2002.  We had perfect weather and spent the day there, but the captain had said that on the previous stop there (we were Buenos Aires-Santiago and he was speaking about the reverse itinerary before ours) the weather was terrible and they could not stop there.

 

It happens.  And I guess there is no predicting when it will.

 

Mura

[Acrusa]

We cruised this in 2004 on Holland America great cruise we made the Falkland had a beautiful day. 

Did not go as far a you did to the Antarctic. We booked the Feb 7 cruise but cancelled air travel too far.

[LouChamp]

13 hours ago, FLcruiser2011 said:

Just got word that our visit tomorrow to the Falkland Islands has been cancelled because the sea is going to be too rough to tender.  This is a big disappointment.  Second time this has happened to us.  We booked this cruise in large part to see the king penguins at Volunteer Point.  Perhaps we are destined to never visit the Falklands.  There isn't going to be a third try.

 

Aloha. Sorry about the cancellation.  We were blessed to visit the Falklands and see the penguins and this very unique place but my parents went a few weeks later and their visit was cancelled.  Unfortunately this is not uncommon.  

[bob brown]

I wonder if it would “pay” for the Falklands to build a cruise ship dock?

Some of the “private islands” in the Bahamas did that to eliminate tendering, although ship’s sometimes still can’t dock there during adverse weather conditions…

[pinotlover]

8 hours ago, bob brown said:

I wonder if it would “pay” for the Falklands to build a cruise ship dock?

Some of the “private islands” in the Bahamas did that to eliminate tendering, although ship’s sometimes still can’t dock there during adverse weather conditions…

Total population of the Falklands is just under 3700 people. Cost to build a pier would be in the $millions of which many would not benefit. Don’t see it happening.

[ToxM]

I read on another group that the entertainment for the night of the FI stop was an Argentinian Folk group .. which is unusually short sighted of Oceania. 

[shepherd really]

1 hour ago, ToxM said:

I read on another group that the entertainment for the night of the FI stop was an Argentinian Folk group .. which is unusually short sighted of Oceania. 

I would say it was tone deaf.

[janecambridge]

We were fortunate to land on Falklands on our sailing.We did the Battlefields tour to pay our respects to the Lads who lost there lives and remain there.

The week before the Princess ship got everyone on land who wanted to go but the weather turned so quick they could not tender back to ship.They stayed with locals for the night.

Its hardly worth watching the weather for the next trip as it changes in minutes.

[ToxM]

5 hours ago, shepherd really said:

I would say it was tone deaf.

if I am honest you are being kind, I was also trying to err on the side of caution. I would not have been a happy camper if I was on board. 

[GeezerCouple]

3 hours ago, janecambridge said:

We were fortunate to land on Falklands on our sailing.We did the Battlefields tour to pay our respects to the Lads who lost there lives and remain there.

The week before the Princess ship got everyone on land who wanted to go but the weather turned so quick they could not tender back to ship.They stayed with locals for the night.

Its hardly worth watching the weather for the next trip as it changes in minutes.

 

That would be quite an adventure, to stay "with the locals"!

"SURPRISE! We're HERE!" 😄

 

I wonder how often this happens...?

 

This brings to mind when this happened on a vastly bigger scale, on 9/11... when the wonderful people of Gander welcomed thousands of people into their homes when there was a very quick directive to land all planes headed to the USA (and perhaps elsewhere).  They were diverted to Gander, *lots* of them!   It almost doubled the population of Gander.

There are some wonderful and heartwarming reports of how those on the planes were welcomed, and some remained friends.  It was also a very emotional time, of course.

 

But on a more pragmatic note, this is another reminder to take a small supply of any essential meds with you on any excursion off the ship...

 

GC

[FlyerTalker]

If you want to be sure to get to the Falklands -- buy an airplane ticket.  If it was THAT important, then it was that important that you use the most reliable method of transportation.  (oh, or maybe it wasn't that important for you to do that?)

 

If you are expecting to arrive there by ship -- be prepared to be disappointed.

 

Anyone who buys a cruise because of a specific port will sooner or later be disappointed.

[bob brown]

22 hours ago, pinotlover said:

Total population of the Falklands is just under 3700 people. Cost to build a pier would be in the $millions of which many would not benefit. Don’t see it happening.

It doesn’t (necessarily) have to be all financed by the Falklands…the cruise lines might find it worthwhile to contribute substantially, as they have in other ports…

[pinotlover]

47 minutes ago, bob brown said:

It doesn’t (necessarily) have to be all financed by the Falklands…the cruise lines might find it worthwhile to contribute substantially, as they have in other ports…

True. However, as is,  my primary concern becomes that it becomes an easy cancellation from 500 nautical miles away. Oh! the weather and seas are projected to be bad so we’ll just float /dink around here and add two sea days conserving fuel. A new pier would take that away.

 

Case in effect, on the Sirena Day 2, we missed Biarritz on a beautiful day. Captain said he cancelled due to high winds. People calling their scheduled guides were all told how calm it was and that the ship had cancelled the port the day before. The ship dinked going in circles around on a sea day going less than 100 km to Gijon for Day 3. See how easy that was? 

[FlyerTalker]

A pier, in and of itself, doesn't guarantee a port stop.

 

I've had a number of cruises where the conditions are such that docking is dangerous to impossible.  Pretty much all of us have seen those videos of ships crashing into a pier, even in moderate seas.

 

One time off Jeju Island in Korea, the captain spent hours hoping for a break in the weather.  The seas cooperated, but the wind was too strong for safe approach to the pier.

[ToxM]

I don’t think the Islanders want to make it easy for a ship to dock and if you arent sure why then a quick google can clear that up for you. 

[hawkesbaynz]

Fingers crossed for the Marina tendering for the Falklands next month. Can only be optimistic. I will start looking at weather a few days prior. 
 

Unfortunately even flying there cannot be guaranteed as some flights are diverted to Chile due to the harsh weather. 
 

[FlyerTalker]

12 hours ago, hawkesbaynz said:

Fingers crossed for the Marina tendering for the Falklands next month. Can only be optimistic. I will start looking at weather a few days prior. 
 

Unfortunately even flying there cannot be guaranteed as some flights are diverted to Chile due to the harsh weather.

 

And then you try another day, as the flights will run again.  Unlike a cruise ship that has a schedule to meet elsewhere.

[shepherd really]

7 minutes ago, FlyerTalker said:

 

And then you try another day, as the flights will run again.  Unlike a cruise ship that has a schedule to meet elsewhere.

Or much like flights, you could schedule another cruise that stops there in the future.   

[FlyerTalker]

Updating....in Ushuaia today and unable to get ashore.

 

They have a pier - but the winds won't allow ships to either leave the pier or to dock.

[Aloha 1]

1 hour ago, FlyerTalker said:

Updating....in Ushuaia today and unable to get ashore.

 

They have a pier - but the winds won't allow ships to either leave the pier or to dock.

How was the Drake Passage?