lois1112

2 hours ago, Bella0714 said:

Close enough to touch on the Coral Princess? We were on a ship a quarter of the size and never got close enough to touch unless we were on land or in a Zodiac. Do you mean in South America?

yes your right that was a slight exaggeration! But we had several places where we could see them extremely well.  ( on ice bergs etc or porpoising) well enough to be able to tell which ones were seen.

I looked at several of the expedition type ships before I booked this one, and some of them are quite big too. 

For me, I saw what I went to Antarctica to see.   Beautiful landscapes, Ice bergs and wildlife

On 2/13/2020 at 11:35 AM, Bella0714 said:

Congratulations, Bob. We just got off of Roald Amundsen and had a great time. The ship is beautiful, the staff is great and Antarctica is beyond words.

 

I think you made a good choice. We also got an offer we couldn't refuse on RA, and although I know some passengers paid twice what we paid (which, in my mind, was way too much for a one-landing-a-day expedition), for what we paid, it was perfect.

 

One thing that never occurred to me until we got to Antarctica was that although penguin colonies are large, penguins themselves are small and, I would imagine, hard to experience on a drive-by. On RA, we literally had a Gentoo hop into our Zodiac (and then hop out).

I saw many penguins close up (close enough to touch) on my "drive by cruise" we passed many icebergs with all differnt types of penguins (on the trip I saw king, gentoo, adelie, chin strap, macaroni, rockhopper, and Magellanic)

20 minutes ago, clo said:

Do you wish you could have gone ashore or traveled out on a zodiac?

Not at all.    My goal was to

go to and see Antarctica which I did

i would do it this way again 

8 hours ago, WoodstockGirl said:

 

 

What reasons did your 4 friends give? 

 

As mentioned already, there is a promenade deck, on both starboard and port side, it just doesn't go all the way around the bow and stern. And there is some intrusion from the tenders and life rafts for a section.  But, as was also pointed out, it has nice little open areas with lounge chairs.

 

One thing I really like about the Sky is how it never feels crowded.  I don't know how they do it, but as we'd walk around the shops and public areas, we'd feel the crush of the crowds more on the smaller ships, with less people, than on the Sky.  MDR always felt spacious and uncrowded.

 

Yes, there is the World Market buffet, and also the Horizon Court buffet.  Two buffet sections, that are different - plus the Pastry shop with .... Pastries! All were rarely - if ever - crowded.

 

 

 

It was the lack of outdoor space and the feel of being on a ship

they loved the buffet and crew

to much “retail” space

thank you everyone.

I wasn't trying to compare Coral and Sky- just people I met on the Coral who'd been on the sky (4 separate people) said they didn't like the sky and would not sail on her again

I'm booked on the Sky Princess for September and thinking of canceling

I'm just off the Coral, the people I talked to who had sailed on the Sky did not like it at all

one of my favorite cruise things it to walk the promenade deck?

any opinions?

Just back from my "sail by" on Princess

I would recommend  it 100%

it was a cruise of a lifetime- 

On 1/3/2020 at 7:10 PM, NMTraveller said:

I was just wondering where the best place to go in the Falkland Islands is for a penguin tour?  There are about 3 or 4 different places.

I'm just back from there. 

Patrick Watts volunteer point if you really want to see Penguins

we saw 4 types.

It is a long bumpy ride

Just returned and it was cold

I am from southern California and needed all the layers I brought. 

It did snow- it rained

On 2/6/2020 at 11:42 AM, HAL Sailer said:

Considering Antarctica before new regs go in place. Debating between a drive by cruise -v- a step on expedition.  For those that have done either or both, what else should I consider in addition to whether I value stepping onto the 7th continent, the ship size/amenities, and the cost? How did you decide?

I'm just back (yesterday) from my drive by cruise on the Coral Princess. I would say the drive by is enough and wonderful . I would do it again in a heartbeat. 

1 hour ago, gottagocit said:

Hey, it’s good to hear from you.
It was a special trip for sure and one that will be difficult to top. 
 

I don't think it is possible to top

4 hours ago, gottagocit said:

We just returned home yesterday from our Buenos Aires to Santiago cruise that included Antarctica. What an experience!
 

Captain Todd McBain was excellent. The enthusiasm and excitement he openly expressed when discussing our voyage each day, particularly the Antarctic portion, was infectious and wonderful to see and hear. He mingled with passengers in the dining room, horizon court and other areas multiple times and never disappointed when approached for a hand shake or photo. He passion for doing everything he can to ensure a safe and enjoyable cruise is obvious and seems very important to him. The crew was also excellent and seemed happy to take care of everyone.
 

Maria from trivia and other games and Jovi (Jovi Cash) from Bingo, trivia and other venues stand out as awesome hosts. After 16 voyages this turned out to be our favorite so far. The 4 days in Antarctica were amazing as was The Falklands. 
 

The Coral is still a great ship and in good shape from all indications. Even with a sold out voyage it rarely felt crowded. The only exceptions were during the usual rush to get ashore for port stops or immediately after a show or other event. Breakfast in the horizon court was sometimes hectic but that’s the exception. The weather and seas were excellent almost every day which made for a huge plus in so many ways. 
 

Thanks Princess,

Chris 

Chris I agree with this 100%

Of over 30 cruises with Princess this was by far my favorite.

Captain McBain was great

3 minutes ago, Rickster50 said:

Hi All,

 

We are thinking of doing the 16 day Antarctica & Cape Horn cruise on Jan 3, 2021 on board the Coral Princess.

I was wondering whether any of you folks here have done that cruise, and if so, how was it?

Cheers

Rick 

I am on the coral princess doing that cruise right now.     ( I’ve done 30) Go for it.  It had been my favorite cruise so far.   Most beautiful places I’ve ever seen

i don’t think anyone on ship had been disappointed 

10 hours ago, Reina del Mar said:

We will be flying internationally...GB to Buenos Aires...will be less than 14 days prior to embarkation...wonder what additional screening we will have, above the three extra questions ?

I am currently on the coral   We sailed out of Buenos Aires on the 21st.   There were no health screenings

36 minutes ago, azbirdmom said:

 

Had it been prearranged with Princess?  And did the coordinator for your group invite the officers?  We were on the cruise before your's and we had a decent turnout of both officers and CC members despite the fact that we were still in San Antonio given our delayed departure.  It was at 11 AM and the bar was open.  I spoke to the Bar Manager just before things got rolling because the usual "private event" sign wasn't there but other than that everything went well.

Yes it was per arranged. I spoke to someone at 19 am that morning who assured me it was all set yp

 and arranged

not sure what happen d

the bottom left me is we did meet up and I think everyone was happy

I agree the blank my name is and some sharpies works well

im aboard the coral currently.  Even though I was assured they would no one from princess ( officers or cruise director) showed up. It was wheelhouse bar and I was also assured bar would be open.   It was not

13 hours ago, ebeluga said:

If cruise mapper is accurate, it appears that Coral is around Elephant Island for the most part of today since 11 am and now it's 8:37 pm ship time.

We were around it for hours.   However fog never lifted.   Other than a brief glimpse we missed it

however today has been spectacular. 

I’m going to try to post penguin picture.  No promises

pictues don’t do it justice 

On 1/26/2020 at 4:15 PM, gottagocit said:

After leaving Montevideo we enjoyed two seas days with mostly sunny skies and mild seas. The temperatures began drifting lower but was not yet cold enough to be a problem. 

 

On the morning we arrived in Stanley we were very fortunate to have almost no wind at all in the bay where we we dropped anchor and therefore had as smooth of a 20 minute tender ride to shore as we could hope for. 
 

With there being 3 ships in port carrying over 4,500 passengers we were very fortunate to have secured reservations with Patrick Watts even when we booked some 15 months prior to our arrival. On shore Patrick stood at the end of the pier where the tender dropped us and patiently checked in each person by name who had booked with him. Once everyone was present he introduced each group of 4 to their driver and sent them on their way. Understand that autos can not carry more than 4 passengers and a driver so if you have a number different that 4 in your group you will be placed in an auto with others you may not know. Not an issue for most but something to know. 
 

Most of the 4x4’s were late model Toyota land rovers, Nissan, or other full size suvs with a few older models mixed in. Each group left the port area on their own when everyone was loaded up into their assigned auto. The first 1/2 hour or so on a paved road followed by another 1/2 hour or so on a semi smooth gravel road.
 

Approximately half way to volunteer point each auto stops at the entrance of a farm where there are restrooms. There is also an honor system “Bake Safe” where you can select from an assortment of home made cub cakes, brownies and other snacks while leaving a payment you feel is appropriate for the item chosen. After a short break all the other 4x4’s have arrived and within a few minutes everyone loads up again and the convoy of 10-12 autos take off across the farms open terrain where there are no roads. For the next hour or so you cover 13 miles over very uneven and rocky fields, ditches and slopes covered in roughly two feet of peat topped with some grass and other plants.

 

The ground, though surprisingly dry after two days of rain, is spongy from the peat below as the tires move over it and only the oversized wide tires keep the autos from sinking up to the axles. Occasionally a makeshift “bridge” composed of boards or metal pieces provide means to cross narrow shallow drainage trenches or other wet spots. This section is very uneven and is covered very slowly. You will rock side to side almost continuously and you’ll feel like you’re on a rough ride at the fair. Since there are no roads a designated lead auto selects the exact route and everyone follows him/her. We were told each passage is along a slightly different route to avoid severely rutting up the farmland. There are occasion gates in barbed wire fences that are opened by the lead auto driver and closed by the last one in the convoy. 
 

After arriving at Volunteer Point each auto stops and everyone momentarily exits in order to “wash” the soles of their shoes in a small pool of soapy water in a shallow concrete bath before climbing back into the auto and proceeding another hundred yards to the parking area. This procedure is repeated as you leave the site later.

 

After parking a sandy beach is on the left and the colonies of king and gentoo penguins can be seen approximately 300-500 meters to the right along a small plateau. Important to note there ARE bathrooms at the parking area. Don’t expect anything fancy but they do serve the purpose. 
 

The drivers remain in the parking area and you are allowed walk to the colonies and can spend the next 1 1/2 - 2 hours on your own taking as many photos as you like. The ground was not wet or muddy at all however there are countless piles of droppings to avoid but we did not find that difficult. I suppose if it was raining it could get slightly muddy but not very bad I think. 
 

It’s so worth the rough ride to see, and hear, the colony of penguins. If you’ve never seen it, it’s simply an amazing and unforgettable experience. Some of the drivers wonder around through the tourists and ensure you do not approach the animals closer than 20 feet. If while you’re taking photos a penguins approaches you, you are allowed to remain still and photo them but do not touch or feed them. This happened several times with some young gentle actually pecking gently at the feet of some looking for a meal. 
 

You must return to the parking area at a specified time or few minutes earlier if you want to eat the provided light meal consisting of a sandwich, bag of chips, bottle of water and snack bar before departing on the bumpy ride. It’s best to eat this before scheduled departure time. You will also be asked to pay for your tour as this point, in cash. You’ll pay the lead driver but save your tip, if you chose to give one, for your specific driver. 

We were so fortunate again with regards to the weather. On the way to the point the few wind mills we passed stood silent and motionless but while we were visited with the penguins winds did pick up and made it much cooler feeling than the 45 degrees we had when we first arrived. On the way back to town most of the windmills were spinning fast. I almost left my jacket in the 4x4 but was so glad I didn’t. Wearing a long sleeved undershirt and flannel like outer shirt I was completely comfortable until the winds began blowing. The coat and gloves were needed after that. 
 

Overall I will say the tour is certainly worth the effort and cost to do. Patrick seems to be extremely organized with his reservations and email replies and update. Our driver, Naomi was very good and seemed experienced with off-road driving. She provided insights to the area and tour along the way and was happy to answer typical tourist questions. 
 

We were back in town at precisely 3:00 pm as expected and had a little over 2 hours to explore the small town before getting in line for the tender back to the ship when the final tender was to be at 5:30. I would not be concerned about doing this tour independently outside (as we did) if Princes sells out or to save money as the organization works well and during key parts of our trip the autos travel in a group to ensure no one is left stranded should they get stuck or breakdown. No one did on this trip. There is sufficient time to allow for this without impacting our making all aboard time. If you simply can’t handle the bumpy ride there is another option. Recently a company has started carrying people to the remote site in a Robinson helicopter and dropping them on a nearby knoll. During our visit it took off and landed 3-4 times so I think they had far less time inside than we did.  
 

I’ll come back later with more updates,

 

Chris

I think this is a great / perfect description of the trip  

i would also add I would not hesitate to use Patrick watts again.  So far for me this was the trip highlight 

18 minutes ago, travellingnana said:

How bad was the trip out to Volunteer Point?  Husband insists on going (we're on the Jan 2021 cruise), but I'm worried it will kill his back.

If you’re thinking of doing this with Patrick watts book very early as he sells out quickly ( I booked 18 months in advance)

9 minutes ago, travellingnana said:

How bad was the trip out to Volunteer Point?  Husband insists on going (we're on the Jan 2021 cruise), but I'm worried it will kill his back.

Trip from Stanley to volunteer point is about 1 hour on paved road. 2-2 1/2 hours across very bumpy terrain (and back)

that said for me it was more than worth it

i would do it again in a heartbeat 

I am also currently aboard the coral

the weather in Stanley was not bad and water shuttles not rocky at all

currently we are at sea heading to Antarctica. It is 8C. Wind 14kts . So far temperatures on ship have been very pleasant 

I am currently on coral

so far great weather

had calm seas and great weather in falklands.     I would highly recommend volunteer point ( I used Patrick watts)

For the person who asked about wine packages all I see is the premier beverage package: beverages up to $12 cocktails and wine by glass.  Available first day of cruise only 59.99 per per per day.  Unless you are huge drinkers I would just buy the wine you like.   Not ate huge selection of “local” wines on menu (about 7) one of head waiters told me it had to do with consistency in getting wine on board

10 minutes ago, Wiusa said:

The weather cleared up nicely!

wow