22 Carnival Cruise Passengers Robbed in Puerto Vallarta

[Cuizer2]

Laura S, I dont understand why this was front page news?:confused:

 

I understand that you like Mexico. Nonetheless, 22 people held at gun point on a bus is front page news anywhere, whether it be New York, Los Angeles, Puerto Valarta, Mexico City, London or Paris.

[gathyfifuth]

It certainly happens. I have heard about it in Egypt, just for a recent example. And they weren't cruise passengers. Buses being stopped and passengers being robbed. And train robberies were a common thing here in days gone by.

 

The best example you could come up with was...Egypt? That place with the political uprising and such? What, couldn't recall anything bad in Afghanistan or Syria? Yes, it does happen everywhere...however, the State Department has been pretty clear that areas of Mexico aren't safe for tourists. This adds another wrinkle. And train robberies???? Quite a few days gone by.

[kbmeow]

I hate the " oh mexico is bad" No some parts of mexico are having issues . And They may not be the safest areas however. Some of the US is having issues too are you going to Judge the Boston on what Happens in Miami no. Research the area's where most of the problem are and do not book vacations going to those areas.

 

This is a horrible incident and I would be angry and scared and so ticked off. I hope these people can get some rest on the cruise on the way home and relax after this but it is going to be hard..

[angelndscz]

Sorry I cannot agree with all these comments that "this happens everywhere" == yes, crime is happening but this should NOT be happening where cruise lines take us == the cruises don't need to be bringing us, their PAYING passengers, to dangerous ports!! They have an obligation to keep us safe! Plus the cruise lines really push the ships excursions on all of us, tours & activities which are supposed to be safer than venturing out with some other local vendors.

 

Huh? Seriously? So if you pay for something, nothing bad should ever happen? This would include airline crashes, amusement park incidents etc. You are not safe anywhere in this world, something bad an unexpected can happen anywhere. Even in your office in the twin towers in the good U.S.A.

[H82seaUgo]

Mousey, comparing a bus load of tourist held up in the US to a bus load of tourist held up in Mexico are not the same because you said you want to take your DS and his friend on a cruise, which means you won't be in the US. Here is another incident:

 

http://www.travelblog.org/Topics/5764-1.html

 

Stuff happens everywhere.

 

ah, but the likelyhood of a recurrance is extremely great.

 

and the warnings are now becomig a reality.

 

it'll be a pass for me.

[H82seaUgo]

Huh? Seriously? So if you pay for something, nothing bad should ever happen? This would include airline crashes, amusement park incidents etc. You are not safe anywhere in this world, something bad an unexpected can happen anywhere. Even in your office in the twin towers in the good U.S.A.

 

or off the shores of.giglio.

[In2why]

We do an annual cruise to the Mexican Riviera every year, and we leave on the next one in 19 day! Puerto Vallarta is one of our favorite ports and we are not going to stop because of this.

 

Mexico is the #1 destination for US tourists and the over-all per capita crime rate is pretty good compared to many US cities... particularly Washington, DC. I have every confidence that Carnival and the Mexican government will provide measures to increase safety.

 

The State Department message is bureaucratic CYA; just doing their job. If you read it carefully, 95% of Mexico is not mentioned.

 

 

I think the bigger issue is whether you will even be going to PV in 19 days. That is why it should be front page news. If Carnival pulls out, then there will be upset people, and if they still go there will be upset people. But either way it is news.

[carsastic]

Mexico ( or at least parts of it) is down right dangerous. There is a civil war going on. People are being be headed, hung from bridges, kidnapped and slaughtered.

Whole police forces are being attacked along with judges, with many just picking up and leaving.

The drug wars while not in the areas that most cruise to still have the effect in the tourist areas. The effect being a break down in the gov , the judicial system , its police force and the Mexican people daily life.

While there is crime in the us , it does not compare to the real issues going on over there.

I understand there are many people /users in this forum that make money off the cruising population and others who love cruising to Mexico ( im one of them). But to compare the violence their to the crimes in most stabile counties is in my opinion over the top and perhaps “sticking one head in the Sand”

For now I will continue to go to coz, but will certainly keep a keen eye out and also heed the state dept warnings.

[alwayshappytocruise]

I understand that you like Mexico. Nonetheless, 22 people held at gun point on a bus is front page news anywhere, whether it be New York, Los Angeles, Puerto Valarta, Mexico City, London or Paris.

 

Thank you C2, you took the words right out of my mouth. What about this incident isn't "front page worthy"?!!

[agabbymama]

I went to Puerto Vallarta in 1988 and Jamaica in 1989. Once was enough for me. No need to ever return. I just choose to not travel to poverty stricken, 3rd World countries on a vacation, to spend my money to have a good time. There is nothing pleasant in seeing people living in cardboard boxes, children handing you notes and begging for shoes or school supplies, or even to bring them home with you. Or when you sit in a restaurant at a resort hotel and have 5 or 6 men (including one police officer) sit down at your table and start asking to come to the US with you, that's not my idea of a pleasant experience.

 

But as others have stated bad things happen everywhere. Oslo Norway comes to mind. There was a front page news event there last year. So one never knows where disaster will strike. While the attack wasn't against tourists, it could have been.

 

The only thing we can do is try to minimize the dangers. To my mind, traveling to a country that is known to be having drug wars, killings, beheadings, etc. is just asking for trouble.

[Nikki Lisette]

:rolleyes: 48 hours after the incident, a "blog" on MSNBC and

CC are still the only ones reporting this. My cousin saw it on

the local SoCal news but as far as online news sources... nada.

[Crusing Nut]

Celebrity had an cruise sponsered excursion that was carrying a bus load of passengers robbed at gunpoint at St Kitts. Within hours LE at St Kitts captured some of the robbers and had captured them all within a few days. Celebrity informed St Kitts that they would pull their ships from that port unless action was taken.

 

 

I don't think Mexico will be so fortunate to capture these robbers. Just a warning but the US State Department had recently issued a warning for those traveling to Mexico.

 

http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/tw/tw_5665.html

[ChrisYMQ]

Mexico ( or at least parts of it) is down right dangerous. There is a civil war going on. People are being be headed, hung from bridges, kidnapped and slaughtered.

Whole police forces are being attacked along with judges, with many just picking up and leaving.

The drug wars while not in the areas that most cruise to still have the effect in the tourist areas. The effect being a break down in the gov , the judicial system , its police force and the Mexican people daily life.

While there is crime in the us , it does not compare to the real issues going on over there.

I understand there are many people /users in this forum that make money off the cruising population and others who love cruising to Mexico ( im one of them). But to compare the violence their to the crimes in most stabile counties is in my opinion over the top and perhaps “sticking one head in the Sand”

For now I will continue to go to coz, but will certainly keep a keen eye out and also heed the state dept warnings.

 

That would be up north right on the border to the US (!). If the US wouldn't allow all them drugs to cross their border, the problem wouldn't exist. Either way, there were + 1.400.000 cruise passengers in PVR last year. A minor, non-harmful robbery on 20 out of 1.400.000 is really not that big deal.

[dancing bear]

What a shame! I've been going to PV since the late 1960's and staying in the area south of the Rio Cuale where most of the Mexican tourists stay. I first went to El Nogalito about a decade later when it was nothing but a pristine forest with one tiny shack serving cold drinks and limited food. Then, when Arnold Schwartzenegger filmed "Predator" there, they renamed and expanded the restaurant to one called "Chino's Paraiso"...a cheap play on the more famous Chico's Paradise up the highway from the beach at Mismaloya. That's where they filmed "Night of the Iguana" and where it also was undeveloped until the 1980's, When we first went there, you had to wade acrosss the Nogalito River to get to the main beach where there were just Mexican kids, pigs, dogs and chickens and one tiny cantina. It was a paradise! Two years ago, we took the local bus (5 pesos) from PV to Mismaloya while on a cruise with RCI's Mariner of the Seas. High rises, lots of vendors and wall to wall tourists lined the beach. We probably won't go back, but let's hope the Mexican authorities can finallly rein in and control the drug lords who control so much of this beautiful country. Until then, "Vayo con Dios."

[elcuchio24]

They bring us to St Thomas daily. A 14 year old girl was killed in the crossfire of a drug gang. And they never stopped going to St Thomas.

 

Laura S, I dont understand why this was front page news?:confused:

 

How many people have been killed in crossfire from drug gangs in Miami? Pretty poor argument. I would be shocked if this WASTN'T front page news, and the reason the mods put up a sticky is so that 15 new threads don't get started within 24 hours.....

[H82seaUgo]

How many people have been killed in crossfire from drug gangs in Miami? Pretty poor argument. I would be shocked if this WASTN'T front page news, and the reason the mods put up a sticky is so that 15 new threads don't get started within 24 hours.....

 

how many cruisers is that? i'm not aware of those counts.

 

please advise.

[elcuchio24]

how many cruisers is that? i'm not aware of those counts.

 

please advise.

 

I have no idea. But I'm sure its some. What, you think no tourist has ever been murdered in Miami:confused:

 

But my point is really the opposite. I was quoting someone who was comparing the incident in ST.T to this particular incident. I don't think that's a far comparison, as Mexico is far more dangerous, as a country, than the USVI's. There is crime everywhere, obviously. But it's a pretty tough sell to tell me that Mexico, right now, isn't dangerous in many areas.

[H82seaUgo]

I have no idea. But I'm sure its some. What, you think no tourist has ever been murdered in Miami:confused:

 

But my point is really the opposite. I was quoting someone who was comparing the incident in ST.T to this particular incident. I don't think that's a far comparison, as Mexico is far more dangerous, as a country, than the USVI's. There is crime everywhere, obviously. But it's a pretty tough sell to tell me that Mexico, right now, isn't dangerous in many areas.

 

it's your post. if you have no factual data, yet posted anyway, i'll move on.

[elcuchio24]

it's your post. if you have no factual data, yet posted anyway, i'll move on.

 

Oh wow, thanks so much. Let me thup though the last decade of homicides in Miami-Dade and I'll find you a couple, would that satisfy you? I'll be back in a couple hours:confused:;)

[H82seaUgo]

Oh wow, thanks so much. Let me thup though the last decade of homicides in Miami-Dade and I'll find you a couple, would that satisfy you? I'll be back in a couple hours:confused:;)

 

see you then!

[elcuchio24]

see you then!

 

Fine! I'll get my reading glasses. If I get a papercut I'll have words for you.:)

[H82seaUgo]

:D

Fine! I'll get my reading glasses. If I get a papercut I'll have words for you.:)

 

i will get the mecurochrome ready. ;)

[carsastic]

I have no idea. But I'm sure its some. What, you think no tourist has ever been murdered in Miami:confused:

 

But my point is really the opposite. I was quoting someone who was comparing the incident in ST.T to this particular incident. I don't think that's a far comparison, as Mexico is far more dangerous, as a country, than the USVI's. There is crime everywhere, obviously. But it's a pretty tough sell to tell me that Mexico, right now, isn't dangerous in many areas.

 

About 10 years ago there were several carjackings targeting rental cars right outside Miami airport

A couple of German tourists were killed

An advisory was put out by German gov

It was front page news here in Florida for weeks

The rental co stopped put obvious signs that the cars

we're rentals.

Miami dads set up task forces , stepped up police presence

Went after the gangs that were doing it

Many were captured , in fact those gangs are not in exsistance today

It's not about the crime but how the gov / municiples in charge react

In the Us it's treated aggressively , in Mexico while I'm sure they want it to stop

The gov is loosing the battle as its been going on for years

Very news worthy

[cdamion]

I've never heard of it (a large group of tourists on a sponsored outing being robbed at gunpoint) except to cruise passengers.

 

It happens every so often. I just read about it in recent years in St. Lucia and St. Kitts.

[cdamion]

My itinerary already has 2 days in Cabo. What are they going to do now? Take out PV and make it a 3 day cruise to Cabo?! :eek: I hope not.

 

Btw, we live in a very affluent part of South Orange County, CA. DH's store was just robbed at gunpoint last night around 8pm. Bad stuff happens everywhere.

 

Cabo/Cabo/Cabo would suck and would be the end of MR cruises. I will be pretty upset if that what happens in 4 weeks.

 

Sorry to hear about your husband's store. Unfortunately you are right. Bad things can happen anywhere.