Is Mexico Scrapped?

[satxdiver]

RCL left the west coast Mexican market due to low profit margins. They are moving the ship to Galveston in the winter and the Mediterranean in the summer because they feel they can increase the profit margin. The Mexican west coast has been very competitive causing rates to be lower. Now that RCL and NCL have left the market, we may see a price increase on the remaining ships.

[Cuizer2]

I heard from a good source that all cruise ships except Carnival, will eliminate cruises to, and docking in Mexico for 2011 and 2012. Is that true, and why?:(

 

Apparently your "good" source is not so good.

[FLACRUISER99]

Here is the reason http://articles.latimes.com/2009/jul/02/nation/na-clean-ships2

[iancal]

Never believe everything you hear or read/see in the media.

[Colo Cruiser]

Here is the reason http://articles.latimes.com/2009/jul/02/nation/na-clean-ships2

 

 

Means they would have to halt all shipping into the port of LA. Not. :eek:

The article is a year old.

[outerspaceguy]

http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/tw/tw_4755.html

 

I keep saying this and people keep poo-poo'ing me.

 

You are absolutely correct in stating this. When I was on my recent PC cruise' date=' I had dinner tablemates who did not think twice about getting on a random bus and going into the "real" Mexico... on their own.

 

I flat out told them that they were either:

a'] much dumber than me

b] much braver than me

or c] both.

 

The security situation in Mexico means less demand, which translates into it being hard to fill a big ship like Mariner each week... hence she leaves....

[Cuizer2]

Here is the reason http://articles.latimes.com/2009/jul/02/nation/na-clean-ships2

 

This makes no sense. Why would ships stop going to Mexico because of an emission regulation in California?

[Colo Cruiser]

I guess that you can tell your co-worker's ex-wife's sister-in-law's former boyfriend's part-time travel agent that he was wrong.

 

 

Can you say that 3 times fast? :D

[Cruisin' Chick]

This thread is an example of trust but verify. And when you find out that your original source is wrong, you know that the next time, this expert speaks is to not trust and verify.

[hb1491]

just looked at Island Princess Panama Canal April 2012 both ways from LA,to FLL no stops in Mexico four sea days out of Los Angeles.

[CruisinChris]

I think you are all being way too literal. Just because there are itineraries right now that have MX listed that in no way guarantees those ports will stay on. Especially given the current state of affairs there and level of violence. Please take some time to inform yourselves beyond the obvious before you start criticizing others. Princess has a long history of not visiting any country that the state dept. advises US citizens to avoid.

[Duck Duck Cruise]

just looked at Island Princess Panama Canal April 2012 both ways from LA,to FLL no stops in Mexico four sea days out of Los Angeles.

 

We are on the repositioning cruise on the Coral in September and it wouldn't bother us to skip the Mexican ports. Been there, done that. More sea days would be excellent for us.

 

If we do stop we probably won't get off the ship unless there are some geocaches right at the port. Then it would be off, find the cache, and back on the ship.

[Cuizer2]

I think you are all being way too literal. Just because there are itineraries right now that have MX listed that in no way guarantees those ports will stay on. Especially given the current state of affairs there and level of violence. Please take some time to inform yourselves beyond the obvious before you start criticizing others. Princess has a long history of not visiting any country that the state dept. advises US citizens to avoid.

 

If cruise lines are going to change their itineraries, they give as much advance notice as possible. If the decision had already been made to skip a port, then the schedules would reflect that decision.

[kath00]

I think you are all being way too literal. Just because there are itineraries right now that have MX listed that in no way guarantees those ports will stay on. Especially given the current state of affairs there and level of violence. Please take some time to inform yourselves beyond the obvious before you start criticizing others. Princess has a long history of not visiting any country that the state dept. advises US citizens to avoid.

 

The Mariner was pulled in April 2010 for January 2011 sailings and beyond. I think the notice is as far ahead as possible and people do NOT like to have their itiniaries changed unless it's an emergency.

 

That said, I would rather sail to San Francisco than Acupulco any day!

 

Katherine

[Sizzlin Sailor]

Escargot - The soft, luxurious density of something delivered divinely from the sea, liberated from its shell by nymphs, relaxed into death by butter.

-Laura Kasischke

 

(the above quote is from a recent post)

Well, Miss Kasischke... you're close. There's no arguing escargot is soft even luxurious in density. I'm uncertain of the nymphs' role in its liberation and inclined to agree about the butter. But... I'm not buying your whole story. Escargot are not from the sea. Escargot are born, live their lives upon and are harvested from trees!

Not that it matters really. They ARE wonderful! The best part is the leftover garlic butter and what it does to the rest of your dinner roll!

Old John

Fan of delicious, if too expensive, appetizers!

[Duck Duck Cruise]

Escargot - The soft, luxurious density of something delivered divinely from the sea, liberated from its shell by nymphs, relaxed into death by butter.

-Laura Kasischke

 

(the above quote is from a recent post)

 

Well, Miss Kasischke... you're close. There's no arguing escargot is soft even luxurious in density. I'm uncertain of the nymphs' role in its liberation and inclined to agree about the butter. But... I'm not buying your whole story. Escargot are not from the sea. Escargot are born, live their lives upon and are harvested from trees!

 

Not that it matters really. They ARE wonderful! The best part is the leftover garlic butter and what it does to the rest of your dinner roll!

 

Old John

Fan of delicious, if too expensive, appetizers!

 

 

Yes, we know it is wrong but it sounds so good...and tastes even better.

 

Artistic license, don't you know?

[m steve]

and they mostly skip Mexico and have 4-5 days at sea. Doesn't make sense as we did the same distance on a west coast cruise with 3-4 stops to San Diego. There doesn't seem trouble along the coast except for Acapulco. I wouldn't want to just do sea days on that cruise.

[CruisinChris]

If cruise lines are going to change their itineraries, they give as much advance notice as possible. If the decision had already been made to skip a port, then the schedules would reflect that decision.

 

 

I am not suggesting that the decision HAS been made - merely suggesting that the original poster might be correct that Princess is reviewing the situation (or monitoring it). Think of what they just did in Israel as an example. And again, just a fews years back Cartagena was ALWAYS on the published panama canal itineraries and nearly as often skipped for the same type of reasons as what's going on in Mexico now. Just saying....

[outerspaceguy]

I wouldn't want to just do sea days on that cruise.

 

I'd prefer sea days to Mexico. This article popped up today:

 

[snip]

Very few residents dare to drive on one of the roads out of this watering-hole for migrants, fearing they will be stopped at gunpoint. They worry they will be told to turn around after their gas tanks are drained or, worse, be kidnapped or killed.

 

A shootout that left 21 people dead and six wounded on the road last week is the most gruesome sign that a relatively tranquil pocket of northern Mexico is quickly turning into a hotbed of drug-fueled violence on Arizona's doorstep.

 

...

 

Luis said schools closed early this year without explanation. Soft-drink vendors and electricity meter readers refuse to come. ... Journalists who cover the small villages stopped visiting several months ago, saying it is too dangerous.

[/snip]

 

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/americas/mexicos-drug-war-heats-up-near-arizona-border/article1628933/?cmpid=rss1

 

Granted, _this_ instance is near the border (and not on the coast), but locations can change...

[Cuizer2]

I am not suggesting that the decision HAS been made - merely suggesting that the original poster might be correct that Princess is reviewing the situation (or monitoring it). Think of what they just did in Israel as an example. And again' date=' just a fews years back Cartagena was ALWAYS on the published panama canal itineraries and nearly as often skipped for the same type of reasons as what's going on in Mexico now. Just saying....[/quote']

 

And if there is unrest in Miami, the cruise lines might skip that port also. We know what might happen. The OP said ...

 

I heard from a good source that all cruise ships except Carnival, will eliminate cruises to, and docking in Mexico for 2011 and 2012. Is that true, and why?:(

 

Such wild unsubstantiated rumors do nothing but cause confusion.

 

Even if Mexico was as calm as a pre-school at nap time, there might be changes, so your statement that there might be changes in the future means nothing.

[sassyredhat]

My Mariner cruise in April 2011 was canceled for economic reasons, not any problems at the ports.

 

We were there 3 times this year, April, May, and June. We saw NOTHINg that made us fear for our safety. That said, we did take ships' tours.

 

I'm not afraid to go to Mexico. The cruise lines would not take us there is it wasn't relatively safe. They could get sued, and they can't afford that.

 

Pat

[outerspaceguy]

My Mariner cruise in April 2011 was canceled for economic reasons, not any problems at the ports.

 

Pat

 

I think you might be confusing cause and effect. Less safe = less people want to travel there = very hard to fill a big ship each week = cancel for economic reasons and then redeploy the ship (to somewhere lots of people feel comfortable visiting).

 

To personalize this, I absolutely would consider a cruise which is heavy on Mexican ports... I live in AZ, after all... I could _drive_ to LA in just over 5 hours, or fly there on Southwest for really cheap+free_bags.... but not right now. No way. There are so many other places which are just as good and way safer.

 

I'm sure I am not the only one thinking this...

 

My two cents.

[RickEk]

One of the biggest reasons that Princess is scaling back the Mexican Riviera cruises is the low yields. They just don't make that much money on the voyages. I'm sure that's a factor in the other lines pulling their ships from the market.

[Cruisin' Chick]

I just read tonight (will verify later on, but figure in the spirit of this thread, I'll post anyway) that Carnival will be having some RT Hawaiian cruises from the Port of LA (not Long Beach). Also that same ship, the Spirit,will be starting their MR cruises from LA and not SD.

[Cuizer2]

I just read tonight (will verify later on' date=' but figure in the spirit of this thread, I'll post anyway) that Carnival will be having some RT Hawaiian cruises from the Port of LA (not Long Beach). Also that same ship, the Spirit,will be starting their MR cruises from LA and not SD.[/quote']

 

I don't know if the Spirit is moving from San Diego to Los Angeles, but the Spirit is doing at least two round trips from California to Hawaii.