South America

[Cosmic Rays]

Has anybody heard of any updates of HAL's Veendam visiting the Falklands this Winter 2012/13 following the 'Argy Bargy' with Argentina and the attacking of shipping offices recently in Buenos Aires?

[KirkNC]

No nothing specific. We are cruising there on X in Feb of 2014. I am not going to be happy with Argentina if they make us miss the port.

[ScottishMaid]

Has anybody heard of any updates of HAL's Veendam visiting the Falklands this Winter 2012/13 following the 'Argy Bargy' with Argentina and the attacking of shipping offices recently in Buenos Aires?

 

Holland America has canceled all stops at the Falklands and eliminated all mention of the Falklands on their website. The Veendam is going to Puerto Madryn instead.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/cruises/cruise-news/9741833/Cruise-ship-row-strangling-Falkland-Islands.html

[Laminator]

According to the crew of the Veendam 2 years ago the Falkland Islands were missed twice due to inclement weather. Last year it was missed more than 50% of the time. It became such a hit and miss experience that HAL canceled it entirely. This was done several months ago.

 

That being said Ushuaia is also a 50/50 proposition according to the crew so good luck making that port.

 

We got pounded on the Nov.20th cruise with winds that were steadily between 50mph to 90mph for several days. We sat in calm waters for several hours one day avoiding a storm. Weather was not on our side on that cruise.

[jars]

We must have been extremely lucky as we did that cruise on the Veendam 2 years ago, and got into both Ushuaia and the Falkland Islands with no problems what so ever.

[Laminator]

We must have been extremely lucky as we did that cruise on the Veendam 2 years ago, and got into both Ushuaia and the Falkland Islands with no problems what so ever.

 

From the way the crew was talking I would have played the lotto when you returned home. Ironically one of the calmest days, and it was nowhere near calm, was rounding Cape Horn!

[Krazy Kruizers]

Holland America has canceled all stops at the Falklands and eliminated all mention of the Falklands on their website. The Veendam is going to Puerto Madryn instead.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/cruises/cruise-news/9741833/Cruise-ship-row-strangling-Falkland-Islands.html

 

Thank you for the link and information.

[0bnxshs]

Has anybody heard of any updates of HAL's Veendam visiting the Falklands this Winter 2012/13 following the 'Argy Bargy' with Argentina and the attacking of shipping offices recently in Buenos Aires?

 

Holland America has canceled all stops at the Falklands and eliminated all mention of the Falklands on their website. The Veendam is going to Puerto Madryn instead.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/cruises/cruise-news/9741833/Cruise-ship-row-strangling-Falkland-Islands.html

 

LOL... and here I was thinking "Argy Bargy" meant that there had been a "bargain made with the Argentinians"! :rolleyes: Thank goodness for online dictionaries! :cool:

 

When we were in the Falkland Islands on Veendam in Dec 2010 we were told then by a few of the crew that we were lucky to have them on the itinerary and that HAL was considering removing them due to the continuing row between the UK and Argentina.

 

Thanks for the link, ScottishMaid.

[Hawaiidan]

Have attacked shipping offices, ransacked them, and staged protests against ships who stopped at the falklands. All this while the police stood by and watched. In Ushuea ships were prevented from or denied docking. Seabourn was delayed 7 hours by dock workers strike because of a Falkland stop.

 

Holland America has totaly cancelled all future Falkland stops So ha German Aida, P&O ( which is keeping Falklands but canceling all Argenitne ports from Usheua to Buenos Aires) Regent, Azamar, and the list is growing

 

This is not about weather, it is about a inept government and a failing economy with 20% inflation, Pumping up nationalism to a frenzy to take the publics eye off the massive national problems.

 

The falklands issue will not go away till their economy or government changes

 

I will be making a cruise this Jan/Feb, and if we miss the falklands, I plan on spending zero dollars in Argentina... Spending only time... I wish the cruise lines would do as P&O and skip all Argentina.. 2 can play this game and pull deny millions to support a bully country. ( I wold not plan either in visiting Syria or Egypt either)

[Coolcruise02]

This is sooo sad! I feel for the people on the Falkland Island. So glad we got to visit!

[Salacia]

"...Ships from two other Carnival Corp. brands have cancelled calls in recent days in Argentina. Holland America's 1,350-passenger Veendam and Seabourn Cruise Line's 450-passenger Seabourn Sojourn both skipped early December visits to Ushuaia, Argentina, with the lines citing expectations of difficulty in their arrivals. The cancellations came after the Seabourn Sojourn reportedly was delayed for seven hours in leaving Buenos Aires, Argentina on Dec. 4 after port workers demanded the ship not go to the Falklands..."

 

quoted from http://www.usatoday.com/story/cruiselog/2012/12/14/argentina-falklands-cruise-ship/1769441/

 

"...The livelihoods of hundreds of Falkland Islanders are under threat as a result of cruise ships continuing to cancel stops at the capital, Port Stanley, due to intimidation from Argentinian nationalists..." quoted from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/cruises/cruise-news/9741833/Cruise-ship-row-strangling-Falkland-Islands.html

[donh1]

Holland America has canceled all stops at the Falklands and eliminated all mention of the Falklands on their website. The Veendam is going to Puerto Madryn instead.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/cruises/cruise-news/9741833/Cruise-ship-row-strangling-Falkland-Islands.html

 

It appears as if they caved in to this blackmail. Loyal Commonwealth people everywhere who enjoy freedom from this type of intimidation should launch peaceful protests against HAL. A few well placed protests in Vancouver or some ports in Great Britain might make HAL regret their short sighted decision.