If anyone has questions about the Falklands...

[polinav]

There are 11 pages, not 6, of this thread which I have read, but still have questions. It would be much nicer of you to help and answer the questions instead of posting a nasty reply.

Samantha! I am traveling with 2 little children, so I would like to avoid traveling on 4x4. Which of the above places is a better choice in your opinion? Thank you.

[cookiersmom]

Hi Gixer/Samantha

We are just back from our cruise, and LOVED our trip to Volunteer Point w/ Patrick! We were thrilled to see the King's with their chicks (and some still w/ eggs), the Magellenics in their burrows, and the very very cute Gentoos at the beach and running back to see their chicks! As promised, the ride was very bumpy over the bogs, but lots of fun!

 

I have been sharing videos of the Volunteer point penguins with co-workers for the last two days! I love watching them waddle around!!

 

Wanted to make sure you got the momentos a few of us left at the post office for you!

 

Hope you had loads of fun on your Disney Cruise!

[artye]

I would be happy to try and answer them for you as I live in Stanley. I actually registered to cruise critic to find info about Disney cruises as we are taking the children on a trip in January, and just had a look in this forum out of curiosity!

 

Hope I can be of some help to those of you planning a future trip :)

 

We were just informed that our scheduled trip to Sparrow Cove on 2/22/08 has been cancelled. I Have read from you in a message from last year that we should be able to take a taxi - Is that still possible?

Thanks

[artye]

Are Taxi's still available for a visit to the Sparrow Cove and/or Other rookeries?

Thx,

Artye

[Gixer]

Hello everyone!

 

We got back from Florida on Saturday but its taken me a while to unpack and get sorted - we had the most fantastic time, the cruise was brilliant, I am definatley hooked! I think St John has to be the most perfect place in the world, unbelievably beautiful, I would love to go back and spend a bit more time there, Trunk Bay was breathtaking, I cant imagine there is a more idyllic beach anywhere else in the world!

 

Thanks also too everyone who has dropped off magnets, I have got HEAPS of them! I have been collecting them from all over town, the jetty centre, gift shops, the post office etc etc :D

 

OK, I guess there are some questions that I need to try and help with, so here goes!

 

Thrifty - You are best to take a cruise ship tour to either Bluff or Sparrow cove, some local companies do run private tours but these are for land based passengers only. If you wait and try and organise something when you reach Stanley you will probably find yourself out of luck. We are a very small community, and most tour guides will have already been contracted out by the cruise ships for their tours which is why you will have difficulty in trying to book something privatley. In all honesty the only tours you can book independantly are local taxi trips to Gypsy cove or trips to Volunteer point, for all others I highly recommend booking with your cruise line.

 

dnsnduo44 - Yes, the Rockhopper tour is worth it. You are arriving at a good time to see them, the chicks have already hatched and the adults are moulting before returning to sea so you should get to see quite a lot of little guys! I love Rockhoppers, the are very entertaining and are not shy of humans at all. The journey isnt too rough, so you should be fine.

 

polinav - Bluff and Sparrow cove are very similar tours, you will see Gentoo penguins, ***** penguins and also a couple of Kings. Both trips are excellent and are only half day excursions so that still leaves enough time to have a look around town. The kids will be fine in a 4x4, infact they will probably find the whole trip pretty exciting! If the journey is a big worry for you though, Gypsy cove is very easy to get too and you wont be driving over any rough ground, you will only see ***** penguins at Gypsy cove, unless there are a few visiting kings or Gentoos passing by.

 

Artye - It would be difficult to book a private tour to Bluff/Sparrow cove, the taxi's dont run to those areas as some of the journey is off road. You can take a taxi for about $10 to Gypsy cove which is only 5 mins from town. Im not sure when you are travelling but it might be worth looking into a trip to Volunteer point if you have enough time, there you wil get to see a large King colony, and also plenty of Gentoo's and *****.

 

I havent had time yet too read back a few pages so apologies if I have missed out questions from anyone!

[artye]

Thanks so much for getting back to me. We actually had wanted to go to Volunteer point but were waitlisted via the ship excursion program. We thought Sparrow Cove would be a good alternative then Both Sparrow and Bluff cove tours were cancelled by the contractor. In desperation, I tried to contact Ian Doherty at idoherty@horizon.co.fk and got a an undeliverable message notice. Any suggestions for us at this late date? We're due into Port Stanley at 8am on the 22nd., not much time to do anything I suppose but even if you could verify Ian's address that would be helpful?

Glad you enjoyed the Disney cruise and the Carribea.

And thanks so much for being so helpful!!!!

Art Portnoy

[artye]

Thanks so much for taking the time to keep us Falklands neophites on the right path. I have contacted Patrick and Allen so we'll see; regardless of the outcome we really appreciate your help. I f we are in Stanley with time how do we find you and express our thanks.

Art and Jane Portnoy.

[bjb1957]

I am looking forward to a visit to Port Stanley on Friday, April 4. We will be in port from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. This will be the last visit from the Norwegian Dream.

I am wondering if I am too late to see any penguins? I have read the posts here about the weather for all months except for April. Can you help me with what kind of weather I should expect?

[Gixer]

The weather at the best of times can be unpredictable, the saying 4 seasons in one day - more like 4 seasons in half an hour in the Falklands! I would plan for the worst and hope for the best, layers would be a good idea and a windproof/waterproof coat is essential. A fleecy hat that covers your ears and sunglasses, if its sunny it can be exceptionally bright with lots of glare coming off the water. You may be lucky and have a beautiful calm autum day, but most likley you will experience the odd rain shower.

 

If you take a trip to bluff or sparrow cove you will have no problems viewing penguins, the Gentoos are resident all year round. The jackas penguins will start to return to sea in April, but as your here towards the beginning of the month then you will definatley see some at Gypsy cove, but probably not the entire colony.

[Thrifty]

Gixer: I gather that some or most or all of the owners of private penguin coves will allow cruise ship passengers to visit only as part of cruise ship tours and not with a local tour agent. Among those of your local friends and acquaintances who are not involved in the tourist business, is that considered a fortunate or an unfortunate situation?

[Crown Prince]

#1 Today, 01:43 PM gooch47 Join Date: Apr 2006

Location: Central Ohio - Posts: 610

 

Star Princess, Buenos Aires to Santiago (Cape Horn), January/February 2008

 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=13420356#post13420356

 

Here are my videos from our Cape Horn Princess Cruise. Buenos Aires to Santiago, Chile:

 

Part I - Buenos Aires (Pre-Cruise)

 

Part II - Montevideo; Stanley, Falkland Islands

 

Part III - Cape Horn, Beagle Channel, Punta Arena

 

Part IV - Puerto Montt, Valparaiso, Santiago

 

I hope you enjoy them.

__________________

________

Linda

 

Thank you, Linda - nicely done - enjoyed your Live from the Star Princess.

[Tarheelbelle]

Gixer,

Thanks. Fortunately, I was able to see lots of Kings and some Gentoos at Grytviken in South Georgia. I did make a good experience for myself the day I had in Stanley, with Gypsy Cove and lots of walking, meeting locals, the museum, shopping, pubs, etc.

[Gixer]

Gixer: I gather that some or most or all of the owners of private penguin coves will allow cruise ship passengers to visit only as part of cruise ship tours and not with a local tour agent. Among those of your local friends and acquaintances who are not involved in the tourist business, is that considered a fortunate or an unfortunate situation?

 

Its not really an issue, we are a population of aprox 2000 people, so one cruise ship alone can bring in double our population all in one go! All cruise ships contract out to the local tour agents which is why its almost impossible to book anything independantly - the cruise ships have already booked everyone up in advance! Local tour agents are not missing out, they are the people taking you to the private coves on the cruise ships official excursions.

 

This is sort of how it works, say you have 10 local tour agents, well a local company like International tours and travel for example will book up all 10 local agents for the day that the cruise ship comes into port, then International tours and travel are contracted by the cruise ship to run the official ecxursions, the result being no local tour opperators are avilable for private trips that day because they have all been booked up in advance to run cruise ship excursions.

[artye]

Thanks to your input we got in touch with Gus and Paula who have been able to arrange a trip to penguin colonies for us, also many thanks to Stephanie at the Jetty Visitor Center. Your help, perseverance and the internet have helped finish the job.

Arthur

[Gixer]

Thats great news Art! glad you managed to get something sorted - enjoy your trip - Fingers crossed for you that the weather holds out! :D

[CruzinNoony]

Hi Sam,

Welcome back from your cruise and trip to Florida. I hope you had a great time. I was on the Jan. 26 sailing of the Star Princess. We went to Sparrow Cove and loved it!! Did you get the magnet that we brought to you from Las Vegas? It was a pair of flip flops and we left it at Michele's Cafe. I had forgotten to write down your name, and forgot what the cafe was called where your friend works. Well, when we were on the small boat that took us back to the Star after our Sparrow Cove tour, I asked the girl who was part of the tour if she knew who you were. I told her your CruiseCritic name is Gixer and you helped people with Stanley questions. She told me "no one who lives here on the island is doing that. I would know, because I know everyone here". She was sure that you were pulling "my leg". There were three other people on that little boat (the boat only holds 12 people) that had also checked out your posting, and they argued as well that you were "real". We were all getting irratated with this blonde girl who thought we were "being taken for a ride"!

 

When we got back to the ship, we took the ship's tender to Stanley and my husband and I went into a shop and there was an advertisement on the wall for Michele's Cafe. Right away, I recognized the name and went there and met your friend. At first, she didn't have a clue about the "Gixer" thing either, and called her boss. But, while I was on the phone with her, it clicked with your friend and the mystery was solved!!

 

Thank you for all your help with the Falkland questions!

 

Meredith

[Gixer]

Yes I did the magnet! Thanks!

 

Nobody would know me by my cruise critic user name - a Gixer is the type of motorbike my husband usd to ride - hence the user name! Glad my friend at the cafe managed to solve the mystery for you though!

 

I just sort of dropped in here by accident, I was researching our Disney cruise, and everyone in other the parts of the forum had been so helpful and I got such a lot of useful info that I thought it might be nice to try and repay the favour - must admit I hadnt quite expected such a huge response to the thread!

 

If there is something I dont know off the top of my head then I will always ask around and try and found out the most acurate info for you, glad that other cruise critic members have found the thread helpful, I know that the Disney forum and carribean ports of call forum made a world of difference to me when I planned my trip!

[lianaks]

Hi Gixer,

Our cruise will arrive April 4, I understand it is autum in Stanley, is the trees changing color, if it is what stage will it be in early April (early or peak)?

 

Liana.:)

[Gixer]

Hi Gixer,

Our cruise will arrive April 4, I understand it is autum in Stanley, is the trees changing color, if it is what stage will it be in early April (early or peak)?

 

Liana.:)

 

 

We dont really have any trees, not native ones anyway! the wind is too strong and the soil too acidic due to the peat. There are a few trees in and around Stanley but they are evergreens, so there will be no autum show of turning leaves for you too see Im afraid :(

[Crown Prince]

The End of the Earth.

 

That may be the reason it is called: "The White Continent."

 

The White is Beautiful. I can hardly wait. :D

[1abeach]

This is our first trip to your part of the world. We have done many trips to all parts of the Carribean and the northern part of South America. We have also cruised the east and west Mediterranian. Our ship is the Norwegian dawn cruise starting March 30, 2008. Many of the trips from the ship are too expensive for us or too vigorous for my husband as he has health problems. Your information on the Faulklins is very helpful! as we are going from Buenos Aires to Valpariso do you have any suggestions for other ports? Lynn

[Sandy Shores]

Dear Gixer,

We will be there the end of March - will there still be pkanty of penguins?

Sandy SHores

[edinburgher]

Gixer,

 

Thanks again for all your helpful advice.

 

We leave tomorrow, fingers crossed for Rotterdam tenders running on March 11th.

 

If you see them running, its time to put on that kettle of yours and look out your best china.:)

 

I think there are 1300 pax onboard.:D

[THE DANCING DUOS]

gixer, thank you for your excellent advice on penguin tours. i was incredibly lucky and at sparrow cove i had a gentoo(as i sat) repeatedly walk across my legs. we wondered how unusual this occurance was and if you would like to see the video?on speaking with fellow cruise travelers the penguins were definitely more curious and interactive at sparrow cove than at bluff cove.

[lianaks]

Hi Gixer,

I have a question about temperature at Volunteer Point in April. I plan excursion with the Princess to Volunteer Point April 3. Just wonder what the air and sea water temperature. I understand the weather can be vary from rain, windy, cold, warm, within hour.

 

Liana.