22 Carnival Cruise Passengers Robbed in Puerto Vallarta

[bonnie&clydecruzers]

The cruises out of California are in a bad place right now. Mexico cruising from the West is just not as good as it used to be. I have cruised many times from California as I am local and I have been to Mexico many times via car, plane and boat. Mexico is in a state of war between the good the bad and the ugly and the ugly seem to be winning. Mexico used to be a great way to be able to cruise without having to fly to the East Coast for us from California. In 2011 we sailed on 2 cruises to Mexico...and decided they will be our last.

 

It's hard to admit it, but at some point in the near future, I think I might have to decide the same thing.

[bonnie&clydecruzers]

I hope not. I live here and have already seen the Pacific Coast over and over. Mexico is already a plan B for us. A tour of the west coast would suck for us.

 

Yeah it would suck as I love Cabo and PV, but if things get really bad, where would Splendor cruise to since she still has 11 months here in CA.

[Nikki Lisette]

I'm kinda not surprised. The last trip we made to Ensenada at Christmas -

our trip to La Bufadora was kinda sketchy. I mean the tour guide stopped

at the fricking GAS STATION! Lol. It's funny to me now but at the time, I

remember texting my daughter in SoCal and telling her that I was on a

ghetto tour through MX and we were stopped at the La-El-Los gas station.

 

Our tour guide was lost and making lots of phone calls. The whole thing

was extremely shady and the paranoid chick that lives in my head started

coming up with a Plan B and Plan C in the event things got crazy. We all

breathed a sigh of relief when he drove us back to our cruise ship. I am not

exaggerating by any means.

 

My sis and I are looking to book another cruise but we're sick of Baja and

La Bufadora. *shrug*

[CCLNCLRCICRUISER]

I agree with you, and I am a CCL stockholder, so I am very interested in what happens, but I also live on the West Coast and in Mexico, so I am also watching out for both their bottom lines also.

 

I do feel for those in Mexico that depend on tourist dollars, this is a article from a couple of days ago re: Mazatlan

 

http://travel.usatoday.com/cruises/story/2012-02-20/Mexican-port-suffers-loss-of-cruise-ships/53179704/1

[CWcruisers]

Yeah it would suck as I love Cabo and PV, but if things get really bad, where would Splendor cruise to since she still has 11 months here in CA.

 

If she is smart, she will stay put. Do you want to go to the Pacific Northwest? I know I don't.

 

So, Carnival loaned the Port Authority of San Diego a bunch of money to enhance the facilities and then pulled the ships from San Diego. Also, Canrival has said that they want to help Mexico enhance their destinations like some of the fake destinations such as Costa Maya. What happened there?:confused:

[Winterstale]

First of all...It's THIRSTY Frog, NOT Red Frog.

 

And there is absolutely NO comparison between STT and what's going on in Mexico right now. NONE. I sail in the USVI and the BVI frequently...and when I say "sail" ...I mean SAIL, not sitting on a deck chair. I SAIL. On a 40 footer. With a mast. And a mainsail. And a jib. Look it up :D.404 days "on the sea"? Seriously? You call that "on the sea". Talk to me when you're in the middle of a squall that came out of nowhere and you've got 60 seconds to douse the sails.

 

NO COMPARISON. People sitting on cruise ship balconies sipping cocktails have ZERO clue what the actual "sailing" atmosphere of a region is like.

 

And yes, I've sailed the Splendor twice and I'm very bummed she's leaving - I too like to jump on the ship from my "backyard" on the cheap. But there is no denying that things are getting more and more dangerous in Mexico. It's getting hostile. This was a serious incident.

 

Not to mention the fact that after the BVI? Mexico=cesspool. I only go when I get a good rate and there's nothing better to do....

 

Anegada -vs- Puerto Vallarta? ROFL.

 

But then again.... you probably had to "google" Anegada, didn't you? :D

 

There will never be an "excursion" to Anegada...thank the good Lord...

[CWcruisers]

I do feel for those in Mexico that depend on tourist dollars, this is a article from a couple of days ago re: Mazatlan

 

http://travel.usatoday.com/cruises/story/2012-02-20/Mexican-port-suffers-loss-of-cruise-ships/53179704/1

 

Thank You October Destiny and I hope folks will take the time to read the entire article.

 

I miss Mazatalan.:(

[CWcruisers]

First of all...It's THIRSTY Frog, NOT Red Frog.

 

 

Actually, if you want to get into it, we are both wrong:

 

http://www.carnival.com/cms/funship20/pdf/Red_Frog_RumBar_Menu.pdf

 

As far as St Thomas goes, we will agree to disagree.:)

[poolreader]

OK CWcruisers, I mentioned the Sept. 2011 thread to support my statement that this is not the first time there have been problems. And yes I read Threads about difficulties at other ports. But something happening at one port does not make it right to happen in Mexico. I get that you love Mexico, and it is hard for you admit they have any fault in this. We should just not talk about it because it casts a bad light, the cruise lines may not go there, and we may not be able to cruise to the Mexican Riviera.

I really feel sorry for the people in Mexico relying on the cruisers for their income. I was in Cabo right after the cruises first came back to Mexico after the swine flu scare, and the people were so desperate that I bought things I did not want or need to help them out.

[Hondu]

Mexico is the main reason I hate a Western Caribbean cruise.

[CWcruisers]

Poolreader, it's not the first nor will it be the last. And it is not hard for me to admit Mexico has problems. Just ask me the challenges of living there, even part tiem, and I can come up with quite a few. But then I am one to love a challenge.

 

But, all I am asking is that the entire country not be cast in a negative shadow, because there are still plenty of parts of the country, in paricular, the parts that the cruise ships pay visits to, that are just fine.

 

As for the cruise lines pulling out of the West Coast, not just Mexico, it's all about the money. They're not making it, so they are leaving. And they justify it with the fear that people have. That is not right.

[Jenbo57]

I can't get too worked up about what's going on in Mexico. If you feel endangered, don't go. I love it there, have always felt safe, and am planning a trip to Mazatlan later this year.

 

Where I live there's currently a manhunt going on for someone who's stabbed two people to death and seriously injured a third. Earlier this week a 9 year old girl was critically wounded when the gun a fellow student had in his backpack went off, and a WSP trooper was shot and killed during a routine traffic stop. There have been at least three shooting deaths in Seattle this week (there might have been two more, but I can't remember whether or not the victims died). Yet I doubt whether any of the thousands of cruisers who'll be descending on the area for the upcoming Alaska cruise season are too worried about violence in Seattle...

[CWcruisers]

Mexico is the main reason I hate a Western Caribbean cruise.

 

 

Which happens to be my favorite.:D

 

Different stokes for different folks.:)

[Hondu]

And another. Do you see what I meant?

 

Condemming a whole county for one incident?:confused:

 

Huh! Aruba averages 1 murder per year and when the blonde teen disappeared the whole country was condemned. Mexico is no Aruba when it comes to murder statistics. :(

[Nikki Lisette]

Why is no one else reporting this? Only MSNBC Blog and Cruise Critic.

Oh and the Mexican site.

[CWcruisers]

Huh! Aruba averages 1 murder per year and when the blonde teen disappeared the whole country was condemned. Mexico is no Aruba when it comes to murder statistics. :(

 

The community I live in, in San Diego, is the same way, our murder stats shot up 200% with one murder. You definitely have a point.:)

[CWcruisers]

Why is no one else reporting this? Only MSNBC Blog and Cruise Critic.

Oh and the Mexican site.

 

Well, I could say it's because it's not really news, but I will most likely be flamed for that.:rolleyes:

[Nikki Lisette]

Well, I could say it's because it's not really news, but I will most likely be flamed for that.:rolleyes:

 

Well the Mexican site says that the police of El Nogalito tried to

keep it under wraps. And apparently this happened last night,

not today. Something's fishy.

 

I was able to post on CC during my cruise. I would've flown back

home actually. No way in hell I could continue on with my cruise

as if I wasn't just held up at gunpoint.

[CWcruisers]

Well the Mexican site says that the police of El Nogalito tried to

keep it under wraps. And apparently this happened last night,

not today. Something's fishy.

 

I was able to post on CC during my cruise. I would've flown back

home actually. No way in hell I could continue on with my cruise

as if I wasn't just held up at gunpoint.

 

 

Hopefully nothing like this happens where you live in So. Cal or anywhere else your travel.

[poolreader]

CWcruisers: The dictionary definition of 'news' says a report of recent events so, TOURIST ROBBED IN MEXICO is news. Up until now no one has "flamed you", but with your attitude you are begging for it.

[ferfoodle]

The community I live in, in San Diego, is the same way, our murder stats shot up 200% with one murder. You definitely have a point.:)

 

new math?

[Nikki Lisette]

Hopefully nothing like this happens where you live in So. Cal or anywhere else your travel.

 

I was robbed back in the 90s at a nail shop. The guy came in,

knocked over all the nail polish and lamps, made some demands

and told the nail techs to open the safe in the back. He followed

them to the back (where he later tied them up) and I ran lickety

split out the door and into the restaurant next door. Scariest

thing ever for a 17 y/o. I grew up in West LA, crime and violence

happens but when it happens to you - sucks.

 

That said, I'd hate to see Carnival leave California. So I will just

have to pony up for the long distance HI and AK cruises. :D

[CWcruisers]

Poolreader, each of our communities have recent events. Some worse than others.

 

Bottom line, I do not want the cruise industry to leave the West Coast. And I, IMHO, do not feel that recent "news" events justify that.

 

I want the option to sail from a ship in California and not only to HI or Alaska, that's all.:)

 

Ferfoodle, I am only reporting what they reported. There was one murder the year before, so the murder the next year I guess made it 200%. I really didn't care, I still like living here.:)

[JLC@SD]

This incident continues to confirm that Mexico is a cruise destination that will continue to grow less popular.

[CWcruisers]

This incident continues to confirm that Mexico is a cruise destination that will continue to grow less popular.

 

 

Yes, it hurts all of the West Coast ports, especially, IMHO, San Diego which is one of the greatest ports to cruise from.

 

That is why I am so passionate about keeping these news items in perspective.