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Volunteer Point

rollingstone

By rollingstone,
in South America

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rollingstone

rollingstone

Posted
Posted

To those going to the Faulklands, DO NOT miss Volunteer Point!!!

We booked a year in advance with Patrick Watts. His price was half of the cruise lines price.

Patrick had 16 Land Rovers while Princess had 4. We all drove out to Volunteer Point in the same "convoy". All vehicles (Patrick & Princess) carried 4 passengers.

I was AMAZED when we got to VP. There were about 2,000 king penguins. (the other places may offer 1 or 2) Also about 1,000 magellanic & gentoos. There is a beautiful beach where you can walk & photograph the penguins. I took almost 200 pictures of penguins!! If you stay still, they will come close to you.

A group of about 700-800 kings were "singing" when we got there. It sounded like choir practice!

This was the port that I was most looking forward to and it was above & beyond my expectations!!

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chloe kitty

chloe kitty

Posted
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Hello rollingstone,

 

This is chloe kitty. We were with you on the tour you mentioned below. I completely concur with everything you said.

 

It was great meeting both of you.

 

Ellen

 

To those going to the Faulklands, DO NOT miss Volunteer Point!!!

We booked a year in advance with Patrick Watts. His price was half of the cruise lines price.

Patrick had 16 Land Rovers while Princess had 4. We all drove out to Volunteer Point in the same "convoy". All vehicles (Patrick & Princess) carried 4 passengers.

I was AMAZED when we got to VP. There were about 2,000 king penguins. (the other places may offer 1 or 2) Also about 1,000 magellanic & gentoos. There is a beautiful beach where you can walk & photograph the penguins. I took almost 200 pictures of penguins!! If you stay still, they will come close to you.

A group of about 700-800 kings were "singing" when we got there. It sounded like choir practice!

This was the port that I was most looking forward to and it was above & beyond my expectations!!

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Peregrina651 "Live from...." Rare

Peregrina651

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I agree. The trip out to Volunteer Point was amazing.

 

The King penguins don't have the same strict breeding cycle as the Magellanics and when we were there, we saw a chick that had been born just the day before. The winning picture in the ship's photo contest was of a chick taking a peek out from under its parent's feet. It must have taken a long time for the photographer to get the shot because they don't poke their heads out very often. The Kings, with their elegant necks and amazing coloring, are so photogenic. Thank heavens for digital!

 

We booked our tour very early and were assigned to Patrick's jeep. I don't know about the other drivers but he is more than a driver, he is a guide as well and we learned a lot about the Falklands (especially the war with Argentina) while driving to and fro.

 

Heads up: 1) For those with back and neck problems, it is a long ride over very bumpy terrain. While the vehicles are designed for off-roading, it is still a rough ride.

2) The penguins share their territory with sheep. Open toed shoes are not a good idea.

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DougH

DougH

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I agree, fantastic excursion with Patrick. When they write the shore excursion descriptions and warn about a rough ride THIS is the excursion they are talking about. I could have spent hours here, be sure and head down to the beach area for some fantastic photos.

 

Worth every penny it cost with Patrick, may even be worth the price Princess charges :)

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helpmesailaway

helpmesailaway

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Let me add to your anticipation. Volunteer Point was just amazing. Patrick Watts tour was the best. The penquins are so cute - as well as the wild sheep and birds.

 

Dress for very windy weather so you can be comfortable while visiting. Also, if time permits, walk around the town - we found it very charming.

 

I would love to go back again some day.:)

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Nonna and Papa

Nonna and Papa

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Would you advise outerwear pants for a cruise such as this one or would we be alright with just jeans? I never pack jeans for any of our cruises, but for this cruise we probably will, as a heavier weight pants for the tours. I'd probably never wear the outerwear slacks again. We bought windproof jackets, hats and scarves.

 

Thanks for adding to our excitement!! Patrick sounds great and our communications with him lead us to believe, as others have said, that this is going to be quite a memorable tour!

 

Mary

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Peregrina651 "Live from...." Rare

Peregrina651

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We brought jeans on this trip and wore them frequently for touring.

 

The weather on this trip is so hard to predict. There is just no way of telling what you are going to run into. It can be chilly in the morning and toasty by noon. It can be unseasonably warm or unseasonably cool. Bring layers.

 

Another comment about the bathrooms: one person on our tour did leave his name with the wardens, asking them to look for his camera when they pumped out the chemical toilets. It was in his pocket and just slipped right out, ker-splash! He just wanted the memory card if they did manage to retrieve it.

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helpmesailaway

helpmesailaway

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I was very comfortable in a windproof fleece and a very lightweight outer shell that was also windproof. The brand was golite which I bought for a great bargain on Sierra Trading Post. Peregrina gave the best advise to layer. I had a regular hat and a very lightweight fleece scarf. Regular gloves were fine. I had some outer pants but never needed them.

 

Gixer - the Falklands resident here on cruise critic said be sure and have ear covering because of the wind and that was great advise. I had "ear warmers" too but they didn't stay on my head all that well. I needed them because my ears are more delicate than most.

 

I was a bit obsessed about my comfort level so that I could really enjoy Volunteer Point and it was perfect.!!!!!

 

You have so much to look forward to on this cruise. :)

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MightyQuinn

MightyQuinn

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We booked with Patrick several months ago for our February visit and are greatly looking forward to this excursion. Love to read all the positive comments everyone has....keeps the anticipation up!

Since you booked far enough in advance, make sure you’ll be in the 4x4 vehicle with Patrick Watts. He makes the bumpy ride to Volunteer Point a ton of fun! While I’m sure all the guides are great, Patrick is in a class by himself. He’s so much more than a guide/driver. He’s part naturalist, part historian, part storyteller, local hero & all-round great guy. He obviously loves Falklands & is so eager to share it with others. You’re in for a real treat.

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Nonna and Papa

Nonna and Papa

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Peregrina and helpmesailaway,

 

I think I'll forego the outerwear pants. I know I'll never wear them again, so I won't spend the money for a purchase like that. We should be ok then with jeans, and the outerwear that we've already bought. Based on hints from the folks on these boards, we've bought 3 in 1 squall jackets, (mine from Land's End and my husband's from LLBean). Both are windproof and have removable fleece inserts. The remainder of our headwear is geared to keep out the wind - I still have to pick up ear muffs or something similar. Other than that, we'll layer as we usually do. Thanks so much for the comments.

 

Mighty Quinn,

 

I think we are scheduled for Patrick's 4x4, but I will email him to make sure. Thank you for the suggestion. I'm sure he'll make all the difference.

 

Mary

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Nonna and Papa

Nonna and Papa

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Your clothes sound perfect!!!

 

I just wanted to add that I took an extra pair of pants in my bag - just in case in rained hard. I didn't need them but that Falkland Island weather is just unpredictable according to our expert Gixer.!!

 

I want to go back!!!!:)

 

Thanks! Come on with us!! I'm sure we can find you a cabin!!:)

 

Mary

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tak2

tak2

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How long was your total tour? Our ship is there 10 am till 4pm only and I'm thinking 6 hours is not enough including tendering.

 

It takes approx. 2.5 hrs each way to go from pier to Volunteer point..

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