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Stanley penguin tour am I too late?


Mckwonghie
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Hi all, I am new to cruise critic and only learned that the Penguin tours on at Port Stanley get fully booked months in advance. Does anyone have any suggestions on how we might get to view penguins if we can't book with the cruiseline or one of the independent tour companies?

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I Appreciate your suggestion. We will soon be leaving on HAL Zandam Jan11/15 and will take a look at the Roll Call. Thanks for your help!

 

That's really soon! I suggest you go to the shore excursion desk as soon as it opens when you board the ship. The cruise line might save a few spots on excursions for people who book onboard. Have a great cruise!

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I'll be in Port Stanley next week. I was able to book a Volunteer Point tour with Patrick Watts two weeks ago. He had two spaces available for our first day at Port Stanley. Estancia Tours could have accommodated us on our second day there. While these tours do fill up, there must be cancellations as well. If you contact the various tour operators by email directly you may be able to yet get on a tour.

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As the ship's excursions on the Falklands are really really expensive I'd first try to e-mail a few tour operators ( for example google Patrick Watts or Estancia Tours, both can be recommended) . If that is too late, you can either take the chance to book a last-minute tour directly in Port Stanley or book onboard. Some of the shorter tours can ONLY be booked onboard, for example Bluff Cove is exclusively reserved for the ships tours.

The best penguin tour is the trip to Volunteer Point if your back, knees and neck are up to the bumpy ride on the 4WD tracks. Check the Zaandam's time in port, if it's 8-18 or so you'll be fine. The private tour operators like Patrick Watts don't risk the Volunteer Point trip if the ship only arrives at 10 o'clock, as the trip itself takes about 7 hours all in all and there is the tendering process to be considered.

In any case try to get the earliest tender ticket possible - that's the biggest chance to get a late-minute tour.

Good luck and enjoy your cruise!

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Look, for future reference, you can actually WALK from the jetty in Stanley to Gypsy Cove in 2 hours and see the penguins there for free. Or take a $10 shuttle bus, or a taxi.

 

You don't need expensive tours or guides. Just saying.

 

Yes, Volunteer Point is slightly special in that it has 3 types of penguins breeding there. But so has Murrell farm, about 3 miles from Stanley.

 

Personally, I value my back too much to spend 6 hours in a bumpy 4x4....

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Hi all, I am new to cruise critic and only learned that the Penguin tours on at Port Stanley get fully booked months in advance. Does anyone have any suggestions on how we might get to view penguins if we can't book with the cruiseline or one of the independent tour companies?

 

I want to book this tour also. not good computer. looking to see whats available also prices we sail Feb15th

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Look, for future reference, you can actually WALK from the jetty in Stanley to Gypsy Cove in 2 hours and see the penguins there for free. Or take a $10 shuttle bus, or a taxi.

 

You don't need expensive tours or guides. Just saying.

 

Yes, Volunteer Point is slightly special in that it has 3 types of penguins breeding there. But so has Murrell farm, about 3 miles from Stanley."

 

thanks for the reinforcement peterscot! ships tour to bluff cove is US$400- for 2 people. for 4 hours... how do we get to Murrell farm?

 

thanks again!! :)

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Try looking at the Falklands tourist site - http://www.falklandislands.com which has most of the tours and contacts listed.

 

Murrell farm is run by Adrian and Lisa Lowe.

 

The issue about scarcity and high price of tours, is that a) there are too many visitors in one day for the tours to cope with everyone , ie supply and demand. Your ship may have more people on it than the whole of the Falklands, and b) all the tours, except at Gypsy Cove, are on private land, and the landowner can decide the price and type of tour allowed.

 

I have not been to Bluff Cove. I can see penguins at Gypsy Cove (government owned) for free. I dont want to pay to see them at Bluff Cove.

 

So, you must book ahead because of supply and demand. Or you can go to Gypsy Cove, without booking and for a minimal cost. The shuttle bus leaves from the public jetty, where you arrive in Stanley.

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Try looking at the Falklands tourist site - www.falklandislands.com which has most of the tours and contacts listed.

 

Murrell farm is run by Adrian and Lisa Lowe.

 

The issue about scarcity and high price of tours, is that a) there are too many visitors in one day for the tours to cope with everyone , ie supply and demand. Your ship may have more people on it than the whole of the Falklands, and b) all the tours, except at Gypsy Cove, are on private land, and the landowner can decide the price and type of tour allowed.

 

I have not been to Bluff Cove. I can see penguins at Gypsy Cove (government owned) for free. I dont want to pay to see them at Bluff Cove.

 

So, you must book ahead because of supply and demand. Or you can go to Gypsy Cove, without booking and for a minimal cost. The shuttle bus leaves from the public jetty, where you arrive in Stanley.

 

Several weeks ago I contacted the Lowes, having found their address on the Falkland Tourist site but they wrote back that they are committed to the ships' tours.

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Grayjay, That may well be true for that ship, because of its size. But I can't see it happening for every ship (about 25 call in per year). So, the Lowe's may well offer tours direct to other ships' passengers.

 

It may be that the ship (I'm guessing here, but it's possible) pays the tour guides a retainer, so that they don't offer alternatives to the ships tours.

 

But, in any case, there are other operators/farm owners who may not be "signed up" to that ship, and there is the Gypsy Cove alternative. Plus there may be some freelance guides at the jetty who don't have prior bookings.

 

The message here is that, you are likely to only be in Stanley once in your life. It's worth planning ahead to make the most of your visit.

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I'm late to this thread, but for those who, like me, blunder into it....

 

Yes, the Volunteer Point excursion doesn't come cheap. Yes, it's a rough ride. And yes, I saw penguins in the wild at two other ports, too. But Patrick Watts' trip to VP - iffy weather, getting bogged down, and all - remains the single best adventure I've ever had at a cruise ship port, bar none.

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  • 2 weeks later...
What kind of currency do we need to use for the bus or taxicab in Stanley? We are last minute and will cruising there on the 24th of February.

 

GBP - British Pounds are best, but I think taxis and tourist buses might also accept US-$ if the notes are crisp and clean.

We used GBP - pay attention when you get back the change and ask for British coins and notes back. Falkland pounds aren't accepted anywhere but on the islands.

Enjoy your cruise and your Falklands stay - we loved Port Stanley and of course the penguins!

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GBP - British Pounds are best, but I think taxis and tourist buses might also accept US-$ if the notes are crisp and clean.

We used GBP - pay attention when you get back the change and ask for British coins and notes back. Falkland pounds aren't accepted anywhere but on the islands.

Enjoy your cruise and your Falklands stay - we loved Port Stanley and of course the penguins!

 

Thanks for the help!

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  • 2 weeks later...
Hi all, I am new to cruise critic and only learned that the Penguin tours on at Port Stanley get fully booked months in advance. Does anyone have any suggestions on how we might get to view penguins if we can't book with the cruiseline or one of the independent tour companies?

Write to Patrick Watts, and see if he has space. Things happen, and perhaps someone won't make it.

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