Panama canal ..Acupulco port ????

[madera1]

I have read on CC that cruises are NOT stopping in this port for cruises leaving this winter. We will be on a Panama canal sailing in Sping 2012 and wonder when we might expect HAL to make a decision to drop this port of call for our sailing. How far out did HAL cancel the stop for the current season?

[Orionjoel]

Whether HAL make a call or not I cannot say. However earlier in the year on my Panama Canal cruise, it was a port and we stopped there, evn though there was even press at the time that some lines were dropping it.

 

I personally did not leave the port area, as there were some kind of scary stories I heard on my way out. From people on the ship who had already been out. However there was a small bar/cafe in the port area, and just had a bite and a drink and spent the afternoon on the ship.

 

Depending on what the itinery is already, you may or may not come out better if the port is dropped, there may not be any other options.

[Krazy Kruizers]

HAL doesn't have to make a decision until you are on the ship and they see what the situation is.

There is also a fort nearyby that you can visit. You can see the fort from the ship. When you leave the port area -- turn lefy walk a few feet and that the elevator up to the overpass to the fort.

[bigeagle12]

If you do stop in Acapulco and do decide to take a tour, I can highly recommend Rudy http://tourguides.viator.com/tour-guide-rudy-fregoso-1144.aspx

 

We did a 6 hour tour in May with a group of 10 and it was one of the best tours we have ever done. He and his guides are very professional.

[3rdGenCunarder]

If we're on a cruise that stops at Acapulco, we'll stay on the ship. We've been there twice, and even without the recently added problems of violence, we did not like it. Too many people HOUNDING us to buy things. Not like the friendly sellers in the Caribbean, who call out but let you pass. Kids were following us trying to sell us candy and t-shirts. The only reason we got off the ship the second time is that our travel agency gave us a tour with a nice lunch at a beach resort.

[cruz chic]

Not like the friendly sellers in the Caribbean, who call out but let you pass. .

My guess is that you've never been to Jamaica then:D.

[Ine]

Many ships now make a stop in Puerto vallarta instead of Acapulco.

[IPB4IGO]

We will be on a back-to-back Panama Canal Cruise leaving San Diego on November 25. Our original itinerary included Acapulco on the return leg from Ft. Lauderdale.

 

On Sept. 9 we received this from HAL:

 

"Due to guest safety concerns the call to Acapulco has been replaced with a day at sea. We apologize for the inconvenience and a $75 per person shipboard

credit (for the first and second guest in a stateroom only) will be applied to your reservation."

[CRUZBUDS]

I'm surprised they didn't substitute Zihuatanejo. It's a great port.

 

I agree unfortunately Acapulco has seen better days. The fort is terrific and has a very impressive museum, but you still have to go through the gauntlet of vendors to get there.

 

Last year were we had a port call in Acapulco with friends who put together a tour with Rosie. They said it was the best tour they have ever done.

[3rdGenCunarder]

My guess is that you've never been to Jamaica then:D.

 

No, I haven't. Several years ago, I worked with a man who came from Jamaica. I said it was one of the islands we hadn't been to on a cruise. he said "don't go."

 

I was thinking about the Nassau hair braiders and the tour drivers in various ports. Someone we met on a cruise complained about the vendors in St Maarten being aggressive. I hadn't thought they were at all aggressive. I couldn't imagine how this woman would have felt about Acapulco.

[CRUZBUDS]

We've never been touched in Acapulco -- I think what makes it uncomfortable is the shear number of them. It seems like you have to say "No Gracias" to a hundred different people before you are finally free of them.

[madera1]

Thanks for the information. I will go forward with making some plans in case we do stop.

[jschm27]

Sometimes even saying "no garcias" doesn't work. We walked off of the ship and we had one guy who was going to show us around even though we said no thanks. After a short walk, we returned to the pier area and finally lost the guy. Once we were free of him there were still quite a few "vendors" including children working with their mom that we had to get through. Once away from the ship, things settled down.

 

We walked several blocks to a small collection of shops, some of which were open. My DW spied an open shop at the end of a dark, urine soaked ally and bolted down it. I caught up with her about half way down and told her I didn't think it was a good idea to be there. She stopped, looked around and immediately headed out. We got out OK and no one threatened us, but it wasn't the nicest of neighborhoods.

 

Been there once and for my next cruise, I won't be disappointed if we don't stop there. We've been to other, much nicer MX ports.

 

John