NCL cancelling Roatan (MERGED THREADS)

[rarasnake]

Very true about Disney security. Years ago my son dropped his Key to the World card as he was entering the turnstile. I didn't see it happen but someone grabbed it and left in the crowd. He freaked and was crying. He said someone stole his card. As soon as he said that there was a very big athletic guy asking us what happened. That was when I noticed the ear piece he had and he was instantly communicating to others about the stolen card. He brought us to the ticket counter and they replaced my son's card in about 3 minutes.

 

I am shocked that this happened personally... 7 years ago, we went to Disney with our girls (the ages at the time where 2-1/2 and 4 months old).. I got separated from my Hubby because I had to go through bag check but he went straight up with our oldest (thankfully, I had the vehicle keys in our bag, more in a minute) but he took off, thinking I went to the baby station, then he seen a stroller, just like ours, in the train line for Neverland (found this out later), so he took off there. I was freaking out because for 30 minutes I could not locate him. I ended up going to the baby station and talking with 4 attendants. After another 30 minutes, they finally got security to issue a APB on both of them (they flat refused to do anything for 30 minutes)... After another 3 hours, I finally left the baby station because security could NOT locate them (note: my Hubby is a bigger guy and definitely stands out. I had a picture of them even with my camera, on the walk in, that they took and used for verification, along with a detailed description.) Anyways, 3 hours later, I walk out of the baby station at the Magic Kingdom, go towards the front gates and guess who is standing there, right by the front gate area, inside the park, 5 employees right near him and 2 security officers standing there, asking for IDs before anyone leaves, but my Hubby with our daughter. He was trying to figure out how to leave the park and see if we were at the vehicle, because unknown to me, I had his wallet in my diaper bag...

 

Long story short, the Magic Kingdom security is definitely not fail proof and I definitely do not trust their security guards..

[cdamion]

I have vacationed throughout Honduras (I am an off-the-beaten-path traveler) including Roatan.

 

Roatan is a wonderful place to visit. Unfortunately the area where the cruise ships dock is a very bad area and when I was there I was advised to avoid it at night. Even during the day it can be sketchy if you wander off of the main road. That is why the cruise dock area is so secure. The rest of the island for the most part is pretty safe.

 

Just 3 or 4 blocks from where the ships dock is an area called "El Swampo" which remains one of the most poverty stricken places I have ever seen. The only reason I was not robbed back there was because I was with a local, who was scared when very stupidly took a shortcut to get up to a shopping center.

 

Unfortunately, I am not at all surprised this has happened. While I would most definitely return to Roatan because of it's beauty, friendly people, and safety over at West End, I would only do it if I can fly in directly. Over on the mainland things have deteriorated so much that you have a 25% chance of the taxi from the San Pedro Sula airport taking you to be robbed.

 

So sad for the man's family. So sad for the good people of Honduras.

[Hendricks Clan]

Yes indeed there are travel warnings to Honduras http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/english/alertswarnings/honduras-travel-warning.html

[larkz]

Chicago. Milwaukee. South Bend. East St. Louis. Etc. All within a few hours or less from me, and all with high violent crime stats. Wander around the wrong places with any kind of valuables, or even clothing that doesn't blend with the locals, and you're putting yourself at risk.

 

It's always wise to keep your wits about you when you're traveling, no matter where it is.

 

Roatan remains my second favorite Caribbean stop.

[Winterstale]

Incredibly sad :( It is tragic that things like this happen.

 

I visited Roatan on the Dream in October - we got off the ship and took a taxi to West Bay Beach and had a wonderful time - I certainly did not ever feel in danger or anymore uncomfortable than I have felt on other islands in the Caribbean.

[cdamion]

The site OP posted is a long time cruise hater website.

 

While the murder rate in the country is extremely high, those statistics do not apply to Roatan. While Roatan can certainly be rough around the edges, it is nothing like the mainland.

[KPfromCT]

I have never been to these ports, and have no desire to do them.

Never have.....

But when getting off a cruise ship, to spend the day in "paradise", I don't want to see armed guards standing there, with machine guns.

It would be VERY unsettling to me, and I would not be able to relax.

 

With that being said, you really have to be careful, no matter WHERE you go. It's just common sense.

[ma_t_gus]

NCL fan page put a statement in FB. Alleged suspect is in custody. Dawn and Jewel are cancelled this week.

Edited April 8, 2014 by ma_t_gus

[frito58]

http://www.thenewage.co.za/122732-1020-53-Honduras_makes_arrest_in_killing_of_Filipino_sailor

 

 

They have caught him according to this site .

[cruizinisthebest]

I don't understand why visiting these ports is being viewed by some as no big deal. I live close to NY and Newark, NJ so I'm used to hearing about violence. But if I'm choosing a place to escape for a break for the norm, sorry I'm not inclined to pick a place where there's a high rate of violence and with recent incidents of tourists and cruise ship employees being mugged and/or killed. Of course violence can happen anywhere but I can think of plenty of other beautiful Caribbean islands and other places to go on a cruise that are just as beautiful with better stats in terms of safety.

 

Maybe it's better that you just not know some things, because I have a cruise planned visiting this port and planned all along to proceed with the same caution I always do when travelling. Seeing this; however, bothers me and makes me think twice about bringing my two small children. Belize is another port on the same itinerary that doesn't have the best reporting in terms of violence. I completely understand the desperate situations the locals find themselves in. Much of it isn't any different from the poverty and crime connection that exists in the U.S. and elsewhere. But I agree that ships should rethink calling on this port lest a message be sent that we'll bring our tourists to you no matter how dangerous. Flame all you want, but this is how I feel. And I'm no wilting flower either.

Edited April 8, 2014 by cruizinisthebest

[BeachChik]

I am shocked that this happened personally... 7 years ago, we went to Disney with our girls (the ages at the time where 2-1/2 and 4 months old).. I got separated from my Hubby because I had to go through bag check but he went straight up with our oldest (thankfully, I had the vehicle keys in our bag, more in a minute) but he took off, thinking I went to the baby station, then he seen a stroller, just like ours, in the train line for Neverland (found this out later), so he took off there. I was freaking out because for 30 minutes I could not locate him. I ended up going to the baby station and talking with 4 attendants. After another 30 minutes, they finally got security to issue a APB on both of them (they flat refused to do anything for 30 minutes)... After another 3 hours, I finally left the baby station because security could NOT locate them (note: my Hubby is a bigger guy and definitely stands out. I had a picture of them even with my camera, on the walk in, that they took and used for verification, along with a detailed description.) Anyways, 3 hours later, I walk out of the baby station at the Magic Kingdom, go towards the front gates and guess who is standing there, right by the front gate area, inside the park, 5 employees right near him and 2 security officers standing there, asking for IDs before anyone leaves, but my Hubby with our daughter. He was trying to figure out how to leave the park and see if we were at the vehicle, because unknown to me, I had his wallet in my diaper bag...

 

Long story short, the Magic Kingdom security is definitely not fail proof and I definitely do not trust their security guards..

 

IMO I wouldn't expect security to be in a rush to locate an adult that is not disabled. Families get separated all the time at disney. I would expect them to immediately help look for a child, which I know they do as someone I know lost a toddler at magic kingdom, but a fully functioning adult? No. And it isn't easy to locate someone in a theme park that holds 60-80 thousand people (no one knows exactly the amount each park holds so I am just guessing). And since it was an adult maybe only select security were activity looking.

 

And you example is exactly why you should always have a meeting point if you get separated, assuming both parents don't have a cell phone.

[BeachChik]

I don't understand why visiting these ports is being viewed by some as no big deal. I live close to NY and Newark, NJ so I'm used to hearing about violence. But if I'm choosing a place to escape for a break for the norm, sorry I'm not inclined to pick a place where there's a high rate of violence and with recent incidents of tourists and cruise ship employees being mugged and/or killed. Of course violence can happen anywhere but I can think of plenty of other beautiful Caribbean islands and other places to go on a cruise that are just as beautiful with better stats in terms of safety.

 

Maybe it's better that you just not know some things, because I have a cruise planned visiting this port and planned all along to proceed with the same caution I always do when travelling. Seeing this; however, bothers me and makes me think twice about bringing my two small children. Belize is another port on the same itinerary that doesn't have the best reporting in terms of violence. I completely understand the desperate situations the locals find themselves in. Much of it isn't any different from the poverty and crime connection that exists in the U.S. and elsewhere. But I agree that ships should rethink calling on this port lest a message be sent that we'll bring our tourists to you no matter how dangerous. Flame all you want, but this is how I feel. And I'm no wilting flower either.

 

I live in orlando Florida. This city functions through tourist dollars. Yet here's some facts for you:

 

"Despite its family-friendly, theme park-loving atmosphere, Orlando tops the list of the 10 worst cities for crime.

 

According to a study from CreditDonkey, a credit card comparison and financial education website, the City Beautiful topped the list because it ranks near the top in incidents per 100,000 residents in each of the five crime categories examined in the study:

 

Violent crime

Total crime

ID theft

Fraud

Internet crime

 

The survey relied most heavily on the first three criteria, based on national rankings.

 

A city’s rankings in each category were combined to create an overall rank on the list, with lower numbers indicating a higher ranking.

 

Orlando’s overall score was 67, the lowest overall total, making it the highest ranked city for crime."

 

So just because thousands chose it as a vacation destination, more families than anything else, doesn't mean crime doesn't exist. Most of the places cruise ships go to are poor. Poverty increases the crime risk.

 

There are very few places that I would put on a do not visit list. Places like central Mexico, the Middle East, including someplace I would love to go someday, Egypt, are places that are very unsafe for anyone to visit. Outside of that I use normal caution just as I would in my own city when traveling. I loved Roatan, we did a private driver and toured the whole island. I would not hesitate to go back.

[OCruisers]

I

Roatan is a wonderful place to visit. Unfortunately the area where the cruise ships dock is a very bad area and when I was there I was advised to avoid it at night. Even during the day it can be sketchy if you wander off of the main road. That is why the cruise dock area is so secure. The rest of the island for the most part is pretty safe.

 

Just 3 or 4 blocks from where the ships dock is an area called "El Swampo" which remains one of the most poverty stricken places I have ever seen. The only reason I was not robbed back there was because I was with a local, who was scared when very stupidly took a shortcut to get up to a shopping center.

 

Sadly, this is true!

I often :rolleyes: when people say to get out of secured ships dock area and see the Real Roatan and have only been to West End places where it is quite nice with no heartbreaking boney dogs and pitifully thin chickens and people living is horrid conditions. Just saying ... West End is not the Real Roatan either.

LuLu

~~~

[riclop]

Cruise lines should abandon that port, just like some of the mexican ports.

[rarasnake]

One thing for certain, if you are ever in this same situation, NEVER fight a hold-up, unless they are wanting to take YOU somewhere. This problem could have easily been solved, if he would have just given up the cellphone.

 

No electronic device is worth a life, period. It is a shame that it happened, but it does happen. The reason I was worried about Hubby lost in Disney, is because I did try his phone and got no reception. I was worried that something happened to them (I later learned also, that his cellphone fell out of his pocket and was smashed on the ground, breaking it to the point that there was no way he could make a call)..

 

Anyways, when you are on vacation, yes, you want to have a fun and relaxing time but you NEVER need to leave your guard completely down. Don't carry alot of cash, keep valuables locked away, only carry what you deem as necessary and finally, remember, items can be replaced but YOU cannot be. If you are being robbed, give them what they ask for, if they want you to come with them, scream and yell, Finally, try to always place yourself with open, public areas at all times...

[Branman]

While that's true, this past week a cook on an NCL ship was murdered while standing in front of the mini mart across from Coxen Hole using their wifi. The guy who shot him was after the cook's tablet. Now NCL ships are canceling their cruises to Roatan.

 

While that is a tragedy, that's a single instance. You cannot make decisions based on anecdotes when there is actual statistical information. Furthermore, you cannot say that you want to be absolutely safe or have zero tolerance because that is impossible.

 

The appropriate thing to do in this instance is to see how Honduras reacts to this incident. It is in everyone's best interests to continue to sail to Roatan and for Honduras to improve security around tourist areas.

[MzMelissa26]

I was just there last week. Had a private driver and spent the day at West Bay. No problems but it makes you think

[Jimmy Geegitz]

Never liked this stop anyway. We don't book cruises that go to Roatan or Belize.

[Smart Arsenal Fan]

While that is a tragedy, that's a single instance. You cannot make decisions based on anecdotes when there is actual statistical information. Furthermore, you cannot say that you want to be absolutely safe or have zero tolerance because that is impossible.

 

The appropriate thing to do in this instance is to see how Honduras reacts to this incident. It is in everyone's best interests to continue to sail to Roatan and for Honduras to improve security around tourist areas.

 

But that's the general Standard Operating Procedure on these boards regarding facts and procedures.... :D

 

"X happened on my cruise, therefore it is true for all ships, all sailings and all ports..." :rolleyes:

[BeachChik]

During our tour there, our driver told us that not that long ago fishing was the primary source of income for the people on Roatan. However with more and more cruises stopping there tourism has become a significant source of income. And that is is hard when the cruise ship misses this port or cancels due to the huge amount of money lost. I have no doubt the people of Roatan will do everything they can to make/keep this a safe destination for tourists.

[golfb4cruzing]

Your right stay the hell out of Philadelphia.

 

East side of Cleveland is averaging one murder a night lately.

[oncruisecontrol]

It gets me when stories like this come out and everyone jumps up in arms because it happened in a tourist area...

 

We see this same thing happen on the 5 o'clock news every week, in major cities (and even in smaller cities). The guy was being robbed for his cellphone and he refused to relinquish it, so the robber shot him.

 

It is so sad to see a young person die and he apparently was a father to a small child. Now, that small child has to grow up without a father anywhere present in their life.

 

Am I saying that it is right, heck no! But, remember, no area is completely without crime. All it would have taken, was just to hand over the cellphone and he probably would never have been shot. Remember people, think with your head. The electronic devices you carry are not worth your life..

Amen. Well stated.

[brenjmull2]

This is so sad.. Roatan was our Favorite port. We liked it so much that we have been looking a renting a house for two weeks instead of a cruise next winter.. We took a tour all around the island and the lady that took us said if it were not for the cruise ship there would be 80 percent unemployment there.. How horrible for that this could potentially ruin there already bad economy.. I feel sad for the crew member family and for all the people relying in the ships to come there.. It is such a Beautiful island..

[rjrice1]

If we abort every island there was crime there be no more cruises.

On the Valor we were in St. Thomas and had to do several detours to get back to the ship due to shootings..

There is crime every where.. from kids committing it to grannies.

Cathy

[t1adams]

Me and my family were just there two days prior (Fri.) to this murder. We were soooo upset that day because the port time was so short! We ALL had to be back on board by 2:30 at the latest. We didn't even get off the boat until around 9:30. No time to explore at all. I even inquired with the local vendors at the carnival "Compound" about resorts to stay at because i was determined to come back and stay in Roatan sometime since we missed any tours. What I was was absolutely gorgeous! Now I'm too afraid to even consider it. :-/

 

 

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