Does NCL no longer go to Mexico?

[reefgirl]

I've looked at NCL's website a couple of times in the last couple of days and noticed that Mexico is not on the list of vacation options. Is this an error on the website or is Mexico out of the lineup?

[OceanDreaming2]

I've looked at NCL's website a couple of times in the last couple of days and noticed that Mexico is not on the list of vacation options. Is this an error on the website or is Mexico out of the lineup?

 

The Star did it's last Mexican Riviera cruise the past April. You can still visit the east coast cities - I believe they are listed as Western Caribbean cruises.

[spacepotatoes]

In the past, there has been a ship doing the Mexican Riviera during the Alaska off-season but in the Project Breakaway thread, someone posted that NCL won't be continuing to have a ship do that anymore.

[electricron]

To add to this discussion, NCL wasn't the only major cruise line to pull all their Mexican Rivera cruises; Royal Caribbean and Celebrity joined them.

Holland America still sails Mexican Rivera cruises, but only from San Diego. Carnival, Princess, and Disney still sail Mexican Rivera cruises from Los Angeles; San Pedro and/or Long Beach.

 

Apparently crime issues has taken a toil on some Mexican Rivera cruises. It doesn't help that Disney is moving into this market too, chasing some cruise lines away. It's not like the Los Angeles ports had many cruise terminals to support many cruise ships for the selected, hard to get, weekend dates.

[Dayenu]

Before they had several winter RTs from San Francisco, now you can hardly see any stops in Mexico on any cruise. No, it's not a website error. Probably safety issues.

[garycarla]

Just checked. Spirit is going to Cozumel and Costa Maya, both in Mexico weekly.

[VideoTech]

Just checked. Spirit is going to Cozumel and Costa Maya, both in Mexico weekly.

 

I think the OP was asking about west coast Mexican destinations. Many of the cruise lines have stopped going to those ports due to the huge increase in drug cartel violence that is affecting many parts of Mexico.

 

Caribbean Mexico (Costa Maya and Cozumel) have not yet been subject to these problems, but I suspect if the lawlessness and crime spread there, you will see the cruise lines drop those ports too.

[STARFISH*4]

not sure if the Panama Canal stops have changed on NCL i know that some lines dont stop in Mexico anymore but Huatulco (love that place), Acapulco

(wish they would have skipped) and Cabo (love to whale watch here) were on the PC cruise which was our BEST cruise ever!!

 

we being here in the mountain west will miss our quick trips to LA for the Mexican Riviera:(

[Army/Police Vet]

The drug violence has chased them out.

[4774Papa]

I have no interest in going there anymore.

[MagnoliaBlossom]

While the MR is gone, if you are looking for west coast departures, there are a few Pacific Coastals which include, CA, OR and Canada ports of call.

[garycarla]

I think the OP was asking about west coast Mexican destinations. ...

 

Maybe, but they left it for us to guess or assume.

[che5904]

Maybe, but they left it for us to guess or assume.

 

Actually the OP stated "I've looked at NCL's website a couple of times in the last couple of days and noticed that Mexico is not on the list of vacation options". I think they meant that the drop down list used to state Mexico as it's destination when designing your vacation on their website. The Mexican Ports they go to now is within other destinations of ie. "Western Caribbean" from the drop down list.

.

[thescot123]

The cruise ships still go to the Yucatan portion of Mexico. This includes Costa Maya, Cozumel, Calica.

 

Just heard that Princess cruise lines has decided to quit going to puerto vallarta, due to safety reasons. This is a shame as I thought that was a safe place. Mexico better get a handle on these drug problems otherwise they will loose millions more $$$ if they pull out of the W. Carib,

[newmexicoNita]

I've looked at NCL's website a couple of times in the last couple of days and noticed that Mexico is not on the list of vacation options. Is this an error on the website or is Mexico out of the lineup?

 

Several lines have pulled out of the Mexican Riv. They do go to the gulf side.

 

Nita

[newmexicoNita]

To add to this discussion, NCL wasn't the only major cruise line to pull all their Mexican Rivera cruises; Royal Caribbean and Celebrity joined them.

Holland America still sails Mexican Rivera cruises, but only from San Diego. Carnival, Princess, and Disney still sail Mexican Rivera cruises from Los Angeles; San Pedro and/or Long Beach.

 

Apparently crime issues has taken a toil on some Mexican Rivera cruises. It doesn't help that Disney is moving into this market too, chasing some cruise lines away. It's not like the Los Angeles ports had many cruise terminals to support many cruise ships for the selected, hard to get, weekend dates.

 

 

Apparently the crime issue is one reason and the lack of interest was another. There are very few ports on the Mexican Riv side and there are still lines that do the itinerary, yes, Disney entering the market made the competition a little different as well. How many lines and how many times can you do 4 or 5 ports?

[mitsugirly]

I'm just as confused as everyone else. The OP doesn't state Mexican Riviera, just "Mexico", which would lead me to believe it's actually Mexico. If so, of course they still go there. I'm booked on one of their cruises now to Mexico.

[che5904]

I'm just as confused as everyone else. The OP doesn't state Mexican Riviera, just "Mexico", which would lead me to believe it's actually Mexico. If so, of course they still go there. I'm booked on one of their cruises now to Mexico.

 

It was the way it was worded mitsugirly the OP stated "I've looked at NCL's website a couple of times in the last couple of days and noticed that Mexico is not on the list of vacation options". The only "Mexico" that used to be in the drop down list of vacation options on NCL's website was the MR, which is now not there anymore.

 

Yes Mexican ports are still included with other desinations in the drop down list there is just no longer one titled "mexico". I think that is where the confusion is coming from.

[CruisinMaterial]

I'm just as confused as everyone else. The OP doesn't state Mexican Riviera, just "Mexico", which would lead me to believe it's actually Mexico. If so, of course they still go there. I'm booked on one of their cruises now to Mexico.

 

After the Norwegian Spirit repos to Europe next summer, the amount of port calls in Mexico on the Caribbean side is going to drop. NCL has taken a new approach to the Western Caribbean by putting Jamaica in (ICK, ICK ICK!) and going to Grand Cayman. I'm not sure why they've dropped a lot of the East coast of Mexico ports as well further out. Maybe there's a fear the drug violence is going to eventually spread that way and Cozumel for whatever reason, will be isolated from it? :confused:

[newmexicoNita]

After the Norwegian Spirit repos to Europe next summer, the amount of port calls in Mexico on the Caribbean side is going to drop. NCL has taken a new approach to the Western Caribbean by putting Jamaica in (ICK, ICK ICK!) and going to Grand Cayman. I'm not sure why they've dropped a lot of the East coast of Mexico ports as well further out. Maybe there's a fear the drug violence is going to eventually spread that way and Cozumel for whatever reason, will be isolated from it? :confused:

 

I guess none of us really know why ports are dropped or added, but my guess is, even the gulf side of Mexico is not considered all that safe plus they have done the gulf for so long it is getting boring. I know we are tired of the same old ports. As much as I do not care of Jamaica I would probably book a cruise stopping there rather than say places like Cozumel which we have probably been to 10 times. Costa Maya is nice, but again, how many times can you visit Maya Chan? (I am being a little smart ass now, there are a lot of other things to do in Costa Maya, but I am trying to make a point.)

[mitsugirly]

NCL has taken a new approach to the Western Caribbean by putting Jamaica in (ICK, ICK ICK!) and going to Grand Cayman. I'm not sure why they've dropped a lot of the East coast of Mexico ports as well further out. Maybe there's a fear the drug violence is going to eventually spread that way and Cozumel for whatever reason, will be isolated from it? :confused:

 

I can't stand Jamaica. I had a bad experience there back in the 80's and really don't want to ever go back there. All I ever hear is bad things about that port these days still. I'm not sure why they even go there. I would be perfectly happy if they completely removed it off their list! :cool:

[reefgirl]

Actually the OP stated "I've looked at NCL's website a couple of times in the last couple of days and noticed that Mexico is not on the list of vacation options". I think they meant that the drop down list used to state Mexico as it's destination when designing your vacation on their website. The Mexican Ports they go to now is within other destinations of ie. "Western Caribbean" from the drop down list.

.

Yes, that's what I was asking. Thanks for the replies. Guess I'll have to go elsewhere.

[newmexicoNita]

I can't stand Jamaica. I had a bad experience there back in the 80's and really don't want to ever go back there. All I ever hear is bad things about that port these days still. I'm not sure why they even go there. I would be perfectly happy if they completely removed it off their list! :cool:

 

Jamaica isn't my favorite place either and we were there in th 90s. That being said, we had a couple of positive experiences there as well. I would not get off the ship in Montego Bay unless it has changed, a couple other areas are not that bad. I do know how you feel, we have a bad experience in St Lucia about 10 years ago and I don't want to go back. I know it isn't a bad port, I just can't forget what happened. Yes, Jacaica has a bad reputation.

 

Nita

[CruisinMaterial]

I can't stand Jamaica. I had a bad experience there back in the 80's and really don't want to ever go back there. All I ever hear is bad things about that port these days still. I'm not sure why they even go there. I would be perfectly happy if they completely removed it off their list! :cool:

 

The first time we went to Jamaica I split up from my mother and sister on the Coral Princess cruise in 2003. I wasn’t the wiser and ill-informed tourist at the time. It was shortly after that I discovered this site. Mom and my sister were brought into the back of a tent at Dunn’s River Falls and that was why I couldn’t find them. I climbed the fall and they went to the shopping area which turned out to be a big mistake and scary experience for them. After that time, I went back once more on the Caribbean Princess cruise and the locals were just as bad as before. I just went to Margaritaville and it required a short walk outside the pier area but that was bad enough. I can’t stand the island and it’s beyond me why NCL decided to add it to their itinerary. Roatan is SO much better and the people are MUCH nicer there.

[CruisinMaterial]

Jamaica isn't my favorite place either and we were there in th 90s. That being said, we had a couple of positive experiences there as well. I would not get off the ship in Montego Bay unless it has changed, a couple other areas are not that bad. I do know how you feel, we have a bad experience in St Lucia about 10 years ago and I don't want to go back. I know it isn't a bad port, I just can't forget what happened. Yes, Jacaica has a bad reputation.

 

Nita

 

Nita – Jamaicans, for the most part, do not respect their primary source of income, which is tourism. They constantly harass the tourists into buying all sorts of legal and illegal substances. The police there are corrupt and so are their laws. I can’t say anything really positive about the island of Jamaica. They have a lot of natural island beauty but the people of the island make it so bad that it’s really no point to get off the ship when it pulls into Ocho Rios. I’ve never been to Montego Bay so I can’t speak for there. The James Bond pier is a nice welcome, you get off the ship and it smells so bad that you feel like you’re going to puke. What kind of welcome is that? The International pier in Ocho Rios we docked at the second time and thankfully didn’t have that smell. Glad you had some positive experiences there because I haven’t yet and don’t plan on giving them any more tries. It’s my vacation and I want to relax, not be hassled, worry about my personal safety or keep eyes in the back of my head. That’s not relaxing.