If anyone has questions about the Falklands...

[Gixer]

Layers is definatley the key! January is our peak summer month, so you have picked a wondefrul time to visit, having said that you may experience blazing sunshine, fierce winds, snow showers, or all 3 at the same time :D The weather is the most difficult thing to predict at the best of times, but down here we dont know whats going on one moment to the next so an acurate forecast for the next hour is impossible to give let alone a week or so in advance lol

 

First things first is make sure your feet are taken care of, good walking boots come top of the list. I would wear a t-shirt as it can get very hot, bring a sweater and a wind/waterproof jacket. Also something to cover your ears, the wind can be so strong during the summer and after 2 mins of it whistling down your ears you will end up with awful earache. A fleecy hat that pulls down or some earmuffs are essential. And dont forget the sun cream, we are right under the hole in the ozone layer, even on cloudy days the sunburn risk is HIGH.

 

For those of you going off on tours it would be wise to carry some water with you, once your out of Stanley there are no shops at all, just miles and miles of empty nothingness.

[helpmesailaway]

Thank you Gixer. This is exactly the info I need. I usually dress lightly but I want to be prepared. Thank you for telling me about possible ear problems because I live with ear issues every day and need to take care of them.

[tgetz]

Samantha/Gixer

Several months ago you saw a post I made in the family section about bringing children on a South American cruise and you responded that if we were going to be in the Falklands , to look you up because your children were similar ages. At the time we were looking at a Celebrity cruise and we were not going to to the Falklands. We have since changed and are going on HAL Amsterdam and will be in the Falklands on Saturday December 27, 2008. We are doing the rockhopper excursion in the am and then plan to look around a bit in Stanley. Our grandchildren are a boy 9 and a girl 7. We have meet another couple with two girls ages 7 and 9 that will be on the same cruise.We are from Texas and although theother i couple is from the US, they are based in Taipai now. Anyway, since we arrive on a Saturday, would it be fun for your children to meet some American children? I saw on one of your posts that you are going on the Liberty of the seas. The children have done 3 RCI cruises ,and this summer we did the Freedom of the Seas - a sister to the Liberty -on the Nickelodeon cruise so maybe we can answer some of your questions about that ship or the Eastern carribean. You can email me at rshepley@gopublic.com. Hope your house builidng is coming along.

[TravelTammy]

Good early morning Samantha! I've just finished reading your entire thread and am so excited about our upcoming cruise around the Horn and the opportunity to visit your islands!! Huge thanks to you!! :)

I absolutely loved your pictures and was calling my two boys into my office to see your photos! We're very excited now.

My name is Tammy and we live in St Augustine, Fl. We'll be on the Radiance of the Seas and will be there on Jan 23, 2009! My boys are 11 and 14 years old and are HUGE animals lovers. My older one wants to be a vet one day so we're very much looking forward to this trip. It's truly a once in a lifetime experience.

I'll send off emails to a couple tour operators you've mentioned later but just want to thank you so much for all your time and effort you've put into this thread with all you help and suggestions. :D Thanks!

Hopefully we'll have a chance to meet. I told my boys about your horses and goat in the garden. Will they be at your new home I presume?

Good luck with the building, take care!!

[Campbell soup]

Hi Samantha,

Thanks for the email. Hopefully, we will have no trouble getting in and out of Port Stanley. I have recently heard about a new tour called North Pond. have you any info on this? Someone said it was 300 pounds for 4. Does this sound right? Thanks, Karen

[debsjc]

Hi Samantha

 

Thanks so much for all the information you have taken the time to write, i've read all 16 pages, and it was excellent. Your photos are fantastic, thanks for sharing them.

 

Our cruise stops in Stanley at the end of Feb and I'm confused on which penguin tour to take. My mum does have some back problems, so Volunteer Point isn't an option, and I would like to see more than we would at Gypsy Cove.

 

The 3 we need to decide between are the ships tours to Bluff Cove, Sparrow Cove or The Rockhopper Penguin Colony At Murrell Farm.

 

I know in your other posts you mentioned the penguin experience was quite similar at Bluff or Sparrow ...would I right in thinking Bluff is a little easier to get to, as it's bus and landrover, rather than small boat and landrover? Is the landrover bit of the journey easier in one or the other?

 

How would you rate the Rockhopper trip against the other 2, in terms of penguins and travel ease? It is $50-60 more expensive than the other 2, so thats not so good!

 

I know you are busy so sorry for so many questions, any help would be really appreciated

[Gixer]

Hi Karen!

 

So sorry I havent had a chance to email you back yet, the new house is taking up all my time, I am supposed to be looking at Blinds for the conservatory at the moment but the styles and colours are giving me a headache trying to choose so I thought while Im on line I would just pop into the forum for 5mins :o 300 pounds for 4 people sounds about right for a tour, North Pond is part of the Murrell, so lots of Birdlife and penguins to see.

 

Deb - If back problems are an issue then I think Bluff would suit you better, the bus ride is easy along track road, and the journey by landrover is quite short and ''well worn'' so not quite as bumpy an experience as some of the others, and transfering from bus to 4x4 would definatley be easier than the boast option at Sparrow. :)

 

Tgetz - Its great that you will have some time in town after your penguin excursion, the 26/27/28 of Dec is when we have our annual horse racing, everyone from town will be up at the Racecourse which is just past Goverment house and up on the left, its a really fun few days and would be nice for you to see, its a carnival atmosphere and Im sure your kids would enjoy it. If we are in town my girls would love to show your kids around the stables etc We usually go out to camp at Christmas as Shearing and Lamb marking happens that week, it all depends on if our new house is finished or not, if its finished we will stay in town, if not we will head out to the farm, I will email you and let you know where we are :)

 

Hi Tammy,

Your boys will have a great time here, my girls will be back in school on the 23rd Jan which I think is a Friday? They start back after the summer break on 19th Jan, quite early this year, the have almost all December off instead, last year it was all January! They dont get out of school until 4pm if your ship doesnt leave until a little later then it would be lovely for us all to meet up! :)

 

Right, I must get back to choosing blinds, hope those of you cruising soon have wonderful trips! :D

Edited November 12, 2008 by Gixer

[Campbell soup]

Hi Samantha,

What a job deciding on blinds. If we had to do it over again, we would have bought the blinds that open from the top or the bottom. Is a conservatory like our sunrooms? Lots of windows? We have a big bay in our kitchen with transom windows on top of each window and doorwall. Boy, the sun pours into those high windows. We only have blinds on the lower windows so we have to suffer. Well, thats my opinion and its not worth much. :)

 

Should we cancel Sparrow Cove ($135.00 ea) with the ship and try North Pond? Will we see as many penguins at North Pond as Sparrow Cove? Birdlife is not important to me. We have only seen penguins in the zoo so this is a big event for us. Thanks and have fun with your blind purchase.

 

Did I tell you we changed the date of our trip from Feb to Jan? Lots of reasons but hoping it will be wonderful. Karen

[tgetz]

Gixer

Thanks for taking the time between blind picking to reply... We recently boughta beach home and i had to do the same thing. At some point you just need a break.... and building a home you have made so many decisons... Can't imagine having to do it all on line... i would be crazier than i am already.. :-) We have a boy 9 and a girl 7 so maybe it will work out. Another couple has a 7 and 9 year old girl. They are on a different shore excursion, but may have time also. I know you would like to have your home finished, but also know it mihgt be nice to take a break and get away if it is not. The horse racing sounds like fun. Glad we can b there for an annual event. Always makes travel more fun. On board, Mike will be checking his email mike@gopublic.com if you find hte girls are available. We sail on Dec 15th and leave for Santiago on the 12th of Dec. Wehn things settle some from your building you can email me at ruth@gopublic.com if you have questions about your upcoming cruise..

[debsjc]

Thanks for the reply Samantha, that's very helpful, Bluff Cove it is for us.

Good luck with picking your blinds. ;)

[Peregrina651]

Thank you Gixer!!!

 

This is the most helpful and most informative thread for anyone stopping in the Falkland Islands.

[ChloeGG]

Thanks for all your great posts.

I too am choosing between Murrell Farm, Sparrow Cove and Bluff Cove. No time for Volunteer point unfortunately.

 

We DON'T have any back problems. So which is the "best" tour for both the penguins and the scenery? Are the Rockhoppers that unique that we should go see them while we have a chance?

 

Chloe

[mvkor]

Dear Samantha,

 

Thank you very much for the so usefull information.

I have one question.

Do you know - Is anybody Russian or Russian speaking lives on the island?

Do you have his/her contacts?

[ScottishMaid]

Is end of November too early to visit? I am considering the first cruise of the season. Will it be very rough on the cruise from the Horn? Is it harder to land that time of year?

Thanks!

[cruise&dive]

Gixer,

 

Best wishes with the new house. I haven't posted here for a while, but I have a question. Did I read correctly that atm's were not readily available when we stop in Port Stanley? I was reluctant to change dollars for pounds beforehand in case we don't make it in but Patrick Watts' tour is really a better deal now in pounds since the dollar has rebounded.

 

Any advice for exchanging currency?

 

Many thanks for all the great information!

[BurBunny]

Gixer,

 

Best wishes with the new house. I haven't posted here for a while, but I have a question. Did I read correctly that atm's were not readily available when we stop in Port Stanley? I was reluctant to change dollars for pounds beforehand in case we don't make it in but Patrick Watts' tour is really a better deal now in pounds since the dollar has rebounded.

 

Any advice for exchanging currency?

 

Many thanks for all the great information!

 

 

In case Gixer doesn't respond for a bit, I'll tell you what I learned last year. As of January, 2008, there were *zero* ATMs in Port Stanley. I found the most convenient way to purchase pounds in advance, at least for US residents, is through Wells Fargo Currency Exchange. They had the best rate and lowest fees I found.

[w.kroy]

Hi Gixer/ Samantha,

 

I just completed a cruise which made a stop in lovely Stanley. I used your information in planning this trip and really appreciated it. Following some suggestions on here, I went by the post office to drop off a magnet from my hometown of Miami, only I could not remember your last name (I blame it on penguin-induced euphoria) so I simply asked them to hold it and offered to pass the word along to you. Hope you receive this small token of my appreciation.

 

Thanks,

Berti

[sailandcruise]

In case Gixer doesn't respond for a bit, I'll tell you what I learned last year. As of January, 2008, there were *zero* ATMs in Port Stanley. I found the most convenient way to purchase pounds in advance, at least for US residents, is through Wells Fargo Currency Exchange. They had the best rate and lowest fees I found.

 

When I was there in December 2007 the shops accepted US$. Prices were posted in both pounds and dollars.

 

I think that most ships will also exchange currency, although I've never used this service and don't know about limitations of amount, frequency, etc.

[Keeria]

In case Gixer doesn't respond for a bit, I'll tell you what I learned last year. As of January, 2008, there were *zero* ATMs in Port Stanley. I found the most convenient way to purchase pounds in advance, at least for US residents, is through Wells Fargo Currency Exchange. They had the best rate and lowest fees I found.

 

I fully agree. I was in Port Stanley in February 2008 and liked the journey so much that I will do it again in a few weeks' time. There are no "ATMs'" in Port Stanley whatsoever. Furthermore, it was a Sunday and the bank was closed. But, we had not problems paying in USdollars. The menue card in the Pubs, and the prices in the shops were quoted in Dollars as well. Also the taxi driver accepted USDollars, i.e. there is no need at all to get Pounds Sterling. What I also noticed was that my cell phone did not work. No sms possible.

[leggydiva]

Gixer/Samantha -

 

I cannot thank you enough for the wealth of information you have provided for all of us curious cruisers! Bless you for taking the time out of your busy life!

 

I will be visiting the Falklands on the Star Princess on January 21st with my family and after reading your postings and seeing your pictures, I can't wait to see your fair island!

 

I am the proud mother of 2 ragdoll cats - one sealpoint mitted and one blue lynx mitted (named Legolas, nicknamed Leggy - add that to my profession of opera singer and you get my user name). Aren't they the best cats ever?! I'm curious - is there a ragdoll breeder there in Stanley or did you have to import your Gixer?

 

All the best,

Amy

[Crown Prince]

RICKI:

Any of us would be glad to write to Patrick for you; however, I have scrolled this whole page and no reference to his e-mail address. I know it is somwhere on these 8 pages.

It would have been smart for you to give Patrick's e-mail address. ;)

[BurBunny]

I've contacted Patrick on Ricki's behalf already, just awaiting his response to confirm the cancellation :)

[azmimi]

My husband and I will be in Stanley on April 3, '09 . I know it's pretty late in the season, what's the probability of seeing penguins? Is there one spot over the others we should go? Hope you'll take the time to answer me.

[A&G]

Hi Gixer

 

I wanted to let you know how much I have enjoyed reading your posts about the Falkland Islands. The information is so informative and helpful. We are booked with Patrick for Volunteer Point on Friday, January 23. I am sure our penguin experience will be a highlight we will remember always.

 

I will leave a small thank-you gift from Australia for you at either the post office or Michelle's cafe, or with Patrick if we run out of time. [it's not a magnet:D LOL]

 

- Glenys

Edited January 11, 2009 by A&G

[Vancouver gal]

I was on the Amsterdam that arrived in the Falklands Dec. 27th and I love it there! I looked for a hop on hop off bus and found it to Gypsy Cove and it's absolutely beautiful there, but VERY windy. I saw lots of penguins and even one King penguin hanging out with the little guys.

I asked the bus driver if she knew you but I couldn't remember your name at the time. Her name is Linda and drives the bus and works when school is in with the handicapped children. A very friendly lady!

Thanks for the tip about Gypsy Cove.

I write a blog and doing a day by day trip from when we left Varipariso to Antarctic and then finished doing the Falklands today. I'll continue to write about the rest of the trip to Rio.

Come look at my pictures if you have the time or inclination.

http://itsaboutyouandme.blogspot.com

Thanks for all your interesting writing.

Vancouver gal.