With more and more awareness of terrorist acts, gang activity, and dangerous situations worldwide, cruise travelers can be understandably aware of and concerned about the potential risks of visiting certain cruise ports.
This is especially true when the US Department of State issues travel advisories urging caution or even suggests that travelers completely reconsider or avoid traveling to certain destinations. Cruise ships, however, continue to call on ports in those countries, but why?
Carnival Cruise Line has responded to the concern and offered tips for guests to enjoy port destinations safely and comfortably.
The issue was raised to John Heald, Carnival Cruise Line’s official Brand Ambassador, in a recent Facebook post. Heald regularly answers questions about ports of call and related issues such as itinerary changes and shore excursions.
“I saw a travel advisory for the Mexican Riviera ports yesterday. We’re leaving on the Panorama on the 11th – have you heard anything about whether we should get off the ship?” the guest asked.
Carnival Panorama is homeported from Long Beach, California and offers 6-, 7-, and 8-night Mexican Riviera itineraries. The ship’s January 11, 2025 departure is an 8-night voyage visiting Cabo San Lucas, La Paz, Mazatlan, and Puerto Vallarta, before returning to California on Sunday, January 19.
As of January 3 – just over a week before the ship’s departure – all four ports of call are in Mexican states with some type of warning from the US Department of State. The warnings, however, vary at different ports and don’t all include regions cruise travelers would typically visit.
“Please don’t worry, these are sadly quite normal for parts of Mexico these days,” Heald responded. “We would never take you anywhere that is not safe.”
It is true that cruise lines will occasionally cancel port visits if certain regions are considered unsafe. In mid-2022, for example, both Carnival Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean cancelled visits to Ensenada, Mexico due to escalating cartel violence.
Similarly, Royal Caribbean paused all visits to its private destination of Labadee, Haiti for several months following a dramatic increase in violence in that country. Carnival Cruise Line does not offer calls to Haiti.
Heald does note that cautious cruisers will always be mindful of their surroundings and exercise proper precautions when in any port of call.
“We always advise you to please stay in the tourist areas and take an excursion from the ship,” he said. “But absolutely you will be able to go into port and enjoy this fabulous place.”
This is sound advice for any sort of tourist visit. In the most popular tourist areas, police presence is typically higher and the region is considered safer than if guests ventured further from the port.
Shore excursions may travel some distance from the port, but cruise lines regularly investigate the companies they recommend for shore tours to ensure all proper safety precautions are being taken.
Is It Dangerous to Cruise to Mexico?
Cruisers with itineraries visiting Mexico are right to be concerned, as there are many travel warnings in place for different states in the nation.
Cabo San Lucas and La Paz are both in Baja California Sur, which has a “Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution” warning due to widespread crime. There are no other explicit warnings for the state.
Puerto Vallarta is in Jalisco, which has a “Level 3: Reconsider Travel” warning. This is because of violent crime and kidnapping, which is most prevalent in Guadalajara – 120 miles east of Puerto Vallarta. There are no specific restrictions or warnings related to Puerto Vallarta.
Mazatlan, which is in Sinaloa, has the most worrisome travel warning at “Level 4: Do Not Travel.” The US Department of State warns that violet crime is widespread and “criminal organizations are based in and operating in Sinaloa.”
Read Also: Are Cruises Safe? What You Really Need to Know
Most notably, there are direct restrictions on travel for US government employees in Mazatlan. The Zona Dorada (Golden Zone – the top tourist region of the city) and historic town center are the only two areas of Mazatlan where US government employees may visit.
Only two states – Campeche and Yucatan – are listed as “Level 1: Exercise Normal Precautions” with no restrictions. It should be noted that Mexico’s most popular cruise ports, Cozumel and Costa Maya – are both in Yucatan.
At this time, no cruise lines have made any itinerary adjustments or port cancellations based on travel advisories, but they do take such warnings into consideration.
