One port already changed

[PEB]

We have received an email stating that they will be eliminating the port of Acapulco and adding an un-named port for our cruise that is more than a year away. I know this happens and it does not bother me but more than a year in advance seems strange. ;)

[kazu]

We have received an email stating that they will be eliminating the port of Acapulco and adding an un-named port for our cruise that is more than a year away. I know this happens and it does not bother me but more than a year in advance seems strange. ;)

 

Not strange at all. Just as Turkey has been wiped out of HAL itineraries for 2018 due to danger and violence, Acapulco is suffering from the most violence in a decade. There have been tourists killed as they are caught between the cross fire of the drug cartels who are fighting over this area.

 

There is no sign that this is abating. When a port is too dangerous, HAL will not put their passengers at risk and call there.

 

Many ports in Mexico are fine if they are not in the path of the cartels, but sadly, this popular tourist spot has become a focus for the drug lords.

 

I think HAL made a wise call and they have given lots of notice to those booked or booking.

[OlsSalt]

My suspicion would be crime in Acapulco remains an ongoing threat. Which is why this formerly premier tourist destination port has rarely even been offered at all as a cruise port in the past years. Same thing happened with Mazatlan - drug gang crimes riddled that city too.

 

But now is back again on Mexican Riviera itineraries after a several year hiatus. Plus there were also hints about extortionist conduct by the Mazatlan port authorities.

 

Who knows if that is the case with Acapulco too. Sad, because it is a stunning port and was such a desirable tourist destination in times past - often the honeymoon resort choice for US West coast residents too. Now the very name Acapulco today brings up thoughts of shoot-outs, kidnappings and grim gang war beheadings screaming at us in the headlines.

 

Other smaller cruise lines still have retained Acapulco however, as so often there is a huge disconnect between the headlines an the experience on the ground. (Oceania and Regent mainly, and some NCL)

 

While a year out seems like a long time to predict whether the local crime scene will change, unfortunately Acapulco has been on the notorious list for a long time. Same with Istanbul and Turkish ports. A trip of a life time for many, but now also off limits for an undetermined time. An unstable and volatile world. I am sure HAL wishes it had a crystal ball, but alas no such luck.

 

Erring on the side of public safety obviously will always prevail. Same for some Middle East North African ports that had a short window of opening a few years bak - hard to believe there was a cruise ship going to Syria to visit Palmyra not that long ago.

 

It will be interesting to learn more about this change - both for the good that Acapulco is improving and the bad, that it has not after all. Or that some other totally unrelated factor has played a hand in this decision too.

[Cruizer Bill]

We were on one of the last cruises that stopped in Acapulco for a while. We were on the Celebrity Infinity doing a Panama Canal cruise in April 2010. The day before we stopped there, five people were killed downtown, right where some tourists would normally be. It was a fight between the cartels. This news was kept from us and not mentioned in the American media at all.

 

We stopped in Acapulco and everywhere we went, heavily armed soldiers were in front of us. It was bad. Glad to see the place but I understand cancelling this stop until the situation improves.

[Mary229]

Acapulco is one of the few ports that I turned around and ordered a bus trip instead of doing independent hike about. It has become a less than desirable place to visit. What did they replace it with?

[OlsSalt]

LA Times covered this 2010 Acapulco incident fully: http://articles.latimes.com/2010/mar/14/world/la-fg-mexico-acapulco14-2010mar14

 

Living in California, we are kept very well aware of the drug crimes and violence in Mexico. We cringe now when we hear the name Acapulco, which is very, very unfortunate.

[Copper10-8]

HAL has been skipping Acapulco, Guerrero for a while now due to safety concerns (organized crime) Sad!

[Krazy Kruizers]

You aren't missing much by not going to Acapulco -- we have been there many times and I would recommend ships tours there. A couple of times we went out on our own and were harassed by people claiming they "worked" for the "authority" to guide tourists. We just waved them off and said that we had been there many times and went into a shop and turned around and went back to the ship.

Hope HAL lets you know what the new port will be.