Excursions question for Port Stanley, Faulkland Islands

[Ready to Sail!]

Stanley is a tender port. We are planning on doing an  optional tour and the included tour.  Seems like the best plan would be to do a morning one, have lunch in Stanley and then do an afternoon one.  I would assume we would not need to return to to the ship after the morning tour to meet up with the afternoon tour.  Is that correct?  We could just meet after lunch at the pier for the afternoon tour?  

 

We've never done 2 tours in one day before so just want to be sure we are allowing enough time inbetween and following the right procedure, considering it is a tender port.  

 

Any input, suggestions or advise would be appreciated, especially from those who have been to Stanley.  Thank you.

 

[snookie1]

In my experience, if you sign up for an afternoon excursion, your meeting place will be on shore near the tender dock.  Viking realizes that many passengers will already be on shore from morning excursions or time on their own, so this way you do not have to make your way back to the ship.  

We did the Falkland Islands as part of our South American cruise in 2022.  That was our favorite port.  We were able to walk right through groups of penguins.  It was fabulous.  Beware though -- this port is frequently missed due to high winds.  If you do get on shore, dress warmly for the wind makes it colder than you might think!

[wolfie11]

The Falklands are the most frequently missed port in the world.  I’ve been there a number of times and am batting about 50-50.  The Falklands Islands are the best for penguins outside Antarctica.  Volunteer Point and Bluff Cove are the best spots. You won’t regret it.  You will see plenty of the countryside driving out to the penguins.  Stanley is small but tons of history.  I usually do my penguin tour and spend the rest of my time walking around town taking pictures.  It was a repair station for sailors my ships demasted while sailing round Cape Horn, and a whaling town.

[Mich3554]

We had a fabulous tour on the Falklands War…..given by the only injured person in the war.  Not my choice, but my husband’s and he was enthralled with his stories.  He was so good that he got me invested in it too.  
 

We’ve been to the Falklands twice.  Our betting average is 50/50 too.

[OnTheJourney]

I second the suggestion for Bluff Cove! We had an amazing day there - and only needed to wear sweatshirts. Going along with what Wolfie11 mentioned, the one shopkeeper said that had we come the day before...we wouldn't have even been able to use the tenders due to bad weather.  Luck of the draw down there.

Edited September 9 by OnTheJourney

[OnTheJourney]

18 hours ago, wolfie11 said:

You will see plenty of the countryside driving out to the penguins.

Yep..and that drive was a real butt massage! But well worth it!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited September 9 by OnTheJourney

[SantaFe1]

On 9/8/2024 at 11:11 AM, Ready to Sail! said:

Stanley is a tender port. We are planning on doing an  optional tour and the included tour.  Seems like the best plan would be to do a morning one, have lunch in Stanley and then do an afternoon one.  I would assume we would not need to return to to the ship after the morning tour to meet up with the afternoon tour.  Is that correct?  We could just meet after lunch at the pier for the afternoon tour?  

 

We've never done 2 tours in one day before so just want to be sure we are allowing enough time inbetween and following the right procedure, considering it is a tender port.  

 

Any input, suggestions or advise would be appreciated, especially from those who have been to Stanley.  Thank you.

 

On our WC in 2019 we were supposed to have two days in Port Stanley.  We booked both a morning included excursion and afternoon optional excursion.  We stayed in town for lunch and caught the second excursion from town, no going back to the ship.  However, we were supposed to be there two days, overnight.  The seas were so choppy, that the first night around 8 pm, the Captain rounded up everyone from the three pubs and brought them back to the ship and we sailed out before the deadly winds.  So you never know what you will get.  I’d book two tours the first or only day and hope for the best. 
and I should say upon editing, that we lost our Penguin excursion the next day.  We booked another later on

  

Edited September 10 by SantaFe1

[RobEsson]

My wife and I did the Falklands War tour in the morning, came back to where the buses are near the pier, and then took the tour to Bluff Cove. There wasn't time for lunch (as if one needs every meal after a week or so as a human foie gras goose on Viking) but there was tea/coffee and cake at the Bluff cove cafe. We do agree that the guide for the Falklands War tour was absolutely fascinating although he wasn't "the only person injured in the war" ... lots of deaths, lots of injuries.

[Mich3554]

19 hours ago, RobEsson said:

My wife and I did the Falklands War tour in the morning, came back to where the buses are near the pier, and then took the tour to Bluff Cove. There wasn't time for lunch (as if one needs every meal after a week or so as a human foie gras goose on Viking) but there was tea/coffee and cake at the Bluff cove cafe. We do agree that the guide for the Falklands War tour was absolutely fascinating although he wasn't "the only person injured in the war" ... lots of deaths, lots of injuries.

The only one from the Falklands injured from the war.

[RobEsson]

6 hours ago, Mich3554 said:

The only one from the Falklands injured from the war.

Hmmm ... not 100% sure that that's correct either unless perhaps you are differentiating injured from other casualties - certainly 3 islanders lost their lives in the liberation of Port Stanley and the "Falkland Islanders Resistance" plaque refers to " the loss of over 250 men and women" which I'm pretty sure includes service people, but hey, that could be an interesting question to ask at the tour "How many Islanders, who were not service people, were injured during the fighting?".

[Mich3554]

6 hours ago, RobEsson said:

Hmmm ... not 100% sure that that's correct either unless perhaps you are differentiating injured from other casualties - certainly 3 islanders lost their lives in the liberation of Port Stanley and the "Falkland Islanders Resistance" plaque refers to " the loss of over 250 men and women" which I'm pretty sure includes service people, but hey, that could be an interesting question to ask at the tour "How many Islanders, who were not service people, were injured during the fighting?".

This is what we were told on the tour by the tour guide (who was injured).  

Edited September 14 by Mich3554

[OneSixtyToOne]

An OT comment but I distinctly remember thinking at the time of the invasion that this was not going to end well for Argentina after seeing an NBC News report of how the invading Argentine soldiers were busy trying to hook up a satellite feed to watch the upcoming World Cup on TV. Meanwhile the UK was mobilizing their fleet and starting to steam south.

 

On a side note, one of my hobbies is board games and there happens to be a war simulation about the Falkland’s War that is excellent: 

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/35614/where-there-is-discord-war-in-the-south-atlantic