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If anyone has questions about the Falklands...


Gixer
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Well, It looks like I've been found out, though I didn't hide myself well I will admit, yes it was me your driver. I do drive for Bluff cove but also work for other tour guides as well.

 

Maybe you can help me! We would like to do the Bluff Cove excursion when we are there in December but at this time you can NOT book it through HAL. I called and they said it should be available at the end of the month. If they don't offer the excursion who can I book it with locally? The web site you provided said to book it through the cruise line. What if they don't offer it?

 

Thanks!

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We will be on HAL ms Veendam 12 december 2010 at Port Stanley (8.00 til 16.00) This is a sunday. Does this give problems to visit the place? Note we are not looking for museum or battle fields but simply an impression of Stanley as town.(Closed shops etc??) Outside a look at Stanley itself we would like to see of course pinguins and other wildlife if any. Wud Sparrow cove be a possibility?

We prefer visit on our own or use public or localbuses or taxi.

The cruise excursions are always outside fair rates!

What would you suggest?:)

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Maybe you can help me! We would like to do the Bluff Cove excursion when we are there in December but at this time you can NOT book it through HAL. I called and they said it should be available at the end of the month. If they don't offer the excursion who can I book it with locally? The web site you provided said to book it through the cruise line. What if they don't offer it?

 

Thanks!

 

HAL are apparently going to offer this but if for some reason this dosen't the owners of Bluff cove will find a way to do it, just go to their website and drop them an email and they'll advise you of what is going on.

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We will be on HAL ms Veendam 12 december 2010 at Port Stanley (8.00 til 16.00) This is a sunday. Does this give problems to visit the place? Note we are not looking for museum or battle fields but simply an impression of Stanley as town.(Closed shops etc??) Outside a look at Stanley itself we would like to see of course pinguins and other wildlife if any. Wud Sparrow cove be a possibility?

We prefer visit on our own or use public or localbuses or taxi.

The cruise excursions are always outside fair rates!

What would you suggest?:)

 

Your best bet if you are not going on a cruise ship tour is Gypsy cove (make sure you spend a little time and wonder off the track a little you'll get to find some quiet spots and look at the wildlife) you can get taxis and busses from the jetty centre (where you get off the tender). I would then when you return just take a walk down the front road down the harbour pop into the cathedral look pass victory green look at the 82 monument pass the 8th december monument and onto the museum and then take the free shuttle back to the jetty centre and finish off in one of the pubs for some fish and chips and a drink after all you deserved it after that :-)

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Jason, I will also be in Stanley on the 12th. As jpver pointed out, that is a Sunday. Will there be fewer guides available that day because of that? And will shops in Stanley be open?

 

Jpver, I hope you decide to join CoolCruise2 and me on our roll call thread. Right now we are in the trading info stage, but I am hoping to have enough people as we get closer to our sail date, that HAL will sponsor a get together for us.

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It doesn't really matter what day you come in there will be shops open, unless you want to get some timber to build a house.

 

Stanley is well geared towards the tourist industry, in fact there might be more guides/drivers around because of the weekend, the tourist industry is not big enough to employ many people full time so a lot of guides and tourist have other jobs/businesses.

Edited by jasonflk
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It doesn't really matter what day you come in there will be shops open, unless you want to get some timber to build a house.

 

.

 

Thanks, Jason. Since we should not count on buying timber, we can get a smaller cabin. ;) I appreciate your insight and you taking time to answer all of us.

Edited by mconthehighseas
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Yes, it's finally available. Excellent news as I've only heard good things about Bluff Cove.

 

 

Unfortunately, for our November sailing, it's already waitlisted!:mad: Can you suggest a second choice location?

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Whoops! I checked again and it IS available. The wording on some of the HAL excursion descriptions is very confusing. The one that's waitlisted is for rockhopper penguins, but it doesn't say where. Jason, have you any idea where it might be?

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The rockhoppers are on the murrel farm which is close by to Stanley.

 

Often with the tours the cruise ships will only release some of the available spaces for the website and hold back others until the ship sails, different companies will have different policies on this.

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Hi Jason,

 

You mentioned earlier in this thread that a store there does sell winegums - I love winegums & jelly babies & would love to pick some up - you said "Just pop along to the west store when you are in and you'll see plenty". Is 'West' the name of the store where I can find them?

 

Thanks as well for all the info you gave all of us on this thread & the other one regarding the differences on the penguin tours. Couldn't sleep last night until I made up my mind - and as much as I wanted to try out the Bluff Cove tour, those rockhoppers kept tugging at my heart. I may never get to see them anywehre else, so I thought we should do that one. We will have to go back to the Falklands a couple of more times for Volunteer Point & Bluff Cove!

 

Jim (husband) also thanks you for all the info on the pubs & beer!

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The weststore is the name of the store only a few minutes from the Jetty.

 

Glad you've made your choice I'm syure you will enjoy it as I've said on many occassions the rockhoppers are my favourite penguin, though I tend to go elsewhere in the Islands to see them.

 

And Jim enjoy the Pubs :-)

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Jason, are they still running the vans to Gypsy Cove? Our call on the Veendam is only 6 hours long (including the time used up in tendering) and that looks like our only way to pay a "penguin visit" and still see part of the town.

 

Can you recommend a good pub style place for lunch?

 

Many thanks,

Marnie

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KoshLong, yes there are still minibuses going to gypsy cove to see the magalenic penguins.

 

If you manage to get on one of the first trips for the shorter excursions (bluff cove, sparrow cove, rockhoppers) you should get some time in the town as well.

 

England Swings, Patrick is good, just read the comments about him on the forum, especially this thread.

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Jason, are they still running the vans to Gypsy Cove? Our call on the Veendam is only 6 hours long (including the time used up in tendering) and that looks like our only way to pay a "penguin visit" and still see part of the town.

 

Can you recommend a good pub style place for lunch?

From what I can see, you can easily take the Bluff Cove excursion in that time and it comes highly recommended. There should be plenty of time left to find a pub as well!

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Sorry missed the question about the Pub.

 

Have to be careful as I like all pubs :-)

 

If you are looking for a non smoking pub then Millers is the place (the narrows is also an option but that is 20min walk from the Jetty)

 

The Globe I would recomend for keeping an eye on the tender queue before returning to your ship.

 

The Vic is probably the one I would choose first just far enough away not to get too busy with tourist but not a long walk away.

 

Hope that helps

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