Safety in Mexico

[Hrhbob]

Sailing Panama Canal on Joy Nov 30 - Dec 15. One of our ports is Acapulco, which, from what I’ve read, is under a State Dept travel warning of do not travel. Do you think we’ll actually stop in Acapulco or might NCL change to another port? If we do port there, will anyone actually get off the ship in that environment? DW and I certainly will stay aboard!

[1025cruise]

Yes, the ship will still stop and yes, people will get off.

[www3traveler]

I would be more worried about some of the ports in Southern Mexico than Acapulco right now.  There is a wonderful enclosed shopping area on the pier just steps off the ship (very safe) and a great place to go Christmas shopping.  Shopped till I went broke the last time I was there.

[BirdTravels]

23 minutes ago, Hrhbob said:

Sailing Panama Canal on Joy Nov 30 - Dec 15. One of our ports is Acapulco, which, from what I’ve read, is under a State Dept travel warning of do not travel. Do you think we’ll actually stop in Acapulco or might NCL change to another port? If we do port there, will anyone actually get off the ship in that environment? DW and I certainly will stay aboard!

 

Ships call in Acapulco all the time. Ships call in ports with travel advisories every week. 

 

The Joy will call in Acapulco on your cruise. The vast majority of the passengers on your ship will disembark in Acapulco and enjoy the port call. Only DW and you will lose out the opportunity to visit Acapulco if you decide to stay on the ship. The touristy areas are as safe as touristy areas in other ports. 

 

Consider, there have been 20 mass shootings in Florida this year. Does that mean you are going to avoid Florida and not get on your cruise? The travel advisory is for the entire state of Gerrero. It is like saying that there is crime in the entire state of Florida. 

[Até]

NCLH ships are practically the only ones willing to stop there, other lines avoid it and for good reasons.  Went once on the Jewel and don't plan to ever go back. 

 

https://www.cruisetimetables.com/acapulco-mexico-cruise-ship-schedule.html

[njhorseman]

15 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

 

Ships call in Acapulco all the time.

To follow up on what @Até said, few ships other than those owned by NCLH...NCL, Oceania and Regent Seven Seas, call on Acapulco. 

 

Per cruisetimetables.com, of 24 Acapulco port calls scheduled in 2025, 23 are by NCLH ships, with the lone exception being ms Europa 2 on May 9. A total of 24 port calls in a 365 day year hardly makes Acapulco a port where ships call "all the time".

 

My wife and I were born and raised in NY City. We know how to be street smart. I used to ride the subway system in the wee hours through some gritty neighborhoods without problem. We understand big city crime problems.

 

We stopped in Acapulco once on an Oceania cruise and if we are ever unlucky enough to make a port call there again we will stay on board. The city is like an armed camp with police and military armed with automatic weapons seemingly on every street corner. On a ship's excursion that made a stop at a hilltop hotel for refreshments there were armed guards protecting us...and this was in a seemingly quiet neighborhood.

 

I'll take my chances on the streets of NYC, LA or Miami any day over Acapulco.

[njhorseman]

1 hour ago, www3traveler said:

I would be more worried about some of the ports in Southern Mexico than Acapulco right now.  There is a wonderful enclosed shopping area on the pier just steps off the ship (very safe) and a great place to go Christmas shopping.  Shopped till I went broke the last time I was there.

Spending my time in a foreign country at a shopping area is hardly my idea of what I want to do when visiting a city I've never seen before. 

[Travelling2Some]

On our Bliss Panama Canal cruise, Acapulco was substituted for Costa Rica at the last minute.  They actually stated the change was "for our safety".  Just incredible.  The State Department Level 4 warning (both US and Canada) specifically called out the tourist areas of the city NOT just the province.  We live in New York and have always been intrepid travelers so we might have gotten off anyway if there was something we really wanted to see but we gave it a miss.

[DominicAUS]

We stopped there in January this year. The Bliss was the first ship back post the hurricane. Was a huge deal with TV cameras and whole lot of pomp! 

The traffic was bad due to some protest, saw heaps of arm guards. Took a tour to release baby turtles had the best time but didn’t walk round as many places were still closed, we loved our tour and never felt unsafe. I am not sure I’d go walking around the back streets but the main drag by the water you’d be fine 
 

 

[European_CruiseGirl]

10 hours ago, njhorseman said:

To follow up on what @Até said, few ships other than those owned by NCLH...NCL, Oceania and Regent Seven Seas, call on Acapulco. 

 

Per cruisetimetables.com, of 24 Acapulco port calls scheduled in 2025, 23 are by NCLH ships, with the lone exception being ms Europa 2 on May 9. A total of 24 port calls in a 365 day year hardly makes Acapulco a port where ships call "all the time".

 

My wife and I were born and raised in NY City. We know how to be street smart. I used to ride the subway system in the wee hours through some gritty neighborhoods without problem. We understand big city crime problems.

 

We stopped in Acapulco once on an Oceania cruise and if we are ever unlucky enough to make a port call there again we will stay on board. The city is like an armed camp with police and military armed with automatic weapons seemingly on every street corner. On a ship's excursion that made a stop at a hilltop hotel for refreshments there were armed guards protecting us...and this was in a seemingly quiet neighborhood.

 

I'll take my chances on the streets of NYC, LA or Miami any day over Acapulco.

Wow, only 24 port calls scheduled for 2025. Thats a very low number. I live in a city in Europe that is not considered as a major cruising destination. Still we have 74 scheduled port calls for 2025 with a multitude of different cruiselines. In that number I excluded our own regional small cruiselines. So only 24 scheduled port calls to Acapulco and 23/24 of those being NCLH  says quite much. 
 

Edited Wednesday at 11:21 AM by European_CruiseGirl

[roger001]

My only Acapulco stop was about 10 years ago on a PC cruise.  I got off and wandered around.  Leaving the port area look threatening.   I hustled along and returned to the ship.  I didn't take my wife off then. While wandering the shore line along the street I came upon a public restroom.  I stepped in to pee.   Was stopped immediately.  A guard that said I would have to pay to pee. I didn't have the correct change. I had to use a bigger bill and he didn't give change. I do remember walking away from the ship area , I was immediately hustled by folks wanted to walk with me and give me a tour of the area.  I eventually got them to take no as my answer.  My Acapulco impressions from ten years ago.  

[Distinctive-Destinations]

I wouldn’t be the least bit worried, especially if you stay near the port or take an NCL excursion.

 

On the other hand, if you want to go to the bad part of town (inland) by yourself, you might possibly have issues.

 

Keep in mind, the cartels want nothing to do with tourists. They’re trying to stay undetected by police for their actual business. The last thing they want is more heat on their operation after stealing some gringo’s wallet.

Edited Wednesday at 12:50 PM by Distinctive-Destinations

[cruiseny4life]

12 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

 

Ships call in Acapulco all the time. Ships call in ports with travel advisories every week. 

 

The Joy will call in Acapulco on your cruise. The vast majority of the passengers on your ship will disembark in Acapulco and enjoy the port call. Only DW and you will lose out the opportunity to visit Acapulco if you decide to stay on the ship. The touristy areas are as safe as touristy areas in other ports. 

 

Consider, there have been 20 mass shootings in Florida this year. Does that mean you are going to avoid Florida and not get on your cruise? The travel advisory is for the entire state of Gerrero. It is like saying that there is crime in the entire state of Florida. 

Thank you for being the voice of reason on this one! 

[njhorseman]

50 minutes ago, Distinctive-Destinations said:

I wouldn’t be the least bit worried, especially if you stay near the port or take an NCL excursion.

 

On the other hand, if you want to go to the bad part of town (inland) by yourself, you might possibly have issues.

 

Keep in mind, the cartels want nothing to do with tourists. They’re trying to stay undetected by police for their actual business. The last thing they want is more heat on their operation after stealing some gringo’s wallet.

Attributing street crime in Acapulco to "the cartel" is like attributing street crime in NYC to "the mafia". 

Yes, neither group is looking to pick the pocket of a random tourist. It's other criminals who are committing the street crime.

How many places have you visited that have police and military armed with automatic and semi-automatic weapons stationed on street corners in busy areas during daylight hours?

[schmoopie17]

On our 2019 Panama Canal cruise we had three Mexico stops...Cabo, Mazatlan and Acapulco.

We roamed all around Cabo, did an excursion in Mazatlan (which had the best shrimp we've ever eaten)...and got off the ship in Acapulco only to take a picture with the "Acapulco" sign. Had no desire to go anywhere else...especially thinking we'd have the ship to ourselves. Wrong.

 

The ship was packed, almost like a sea day. The pool was swamped and bars were loaded (as were the passengers). Apparently, most of the passengers had the same thinking about getting off in Acapulco as we did.

 

Edited Wednesday at 01:54 PM by schmoopie17

[Distinctive-Destinations]

8 minutes ago, njhorseman said:

Attributing street crime in Acapulco to "the cartel" is like attributing street crime in NYC to "the mafia". 

Yes, neither group is looking to pick the pocket of a random tourist. It's other criminals who are committing the street crime.

How many places have you visited that have police and military armed with automatic and semi-automatic weapons stationed on street corners in busy areas during daylight hours?

I agree with what you’re saying, I was addressing what I thought was a possible concern of the original poster.

 

And not that it’s relevant, but SEVERAL places. I’ve been to San Pedro Sula, which makes Acapulco look like Disneyland.

[njhorseman]

1 hour ago, cruiseny4life said:

Thank you for being the voice of reason on this one! 

Why is it that no major cruise line holding company other than NCLH will make port calls in Acapulco? Why did most of the major hotel chains pull out of Acapulco years ago?

 

No, everything is not rosy just because NCLH chooses to make port calls there. A pollyannaish outlook masks reality.

 

This article may provide some insight...and things only got worse when Acapulco was devastated by a hurricane last year:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/nathanielparishflannery/2019/03/21/how-acapulco-exemplifies-mexicos-ongoing-security-crisis-part-1/#2ded65ae7b57

Edited Wednesday at 02:04 PM by njhorseman

[9tee2Sea]

stopped in Acapulco this Feb.  Still signs of Hurricane damage ( I think it was Hilary) from last year.  Ships were still piled up , and sunk. Some buildings still damages.  Lots of armed guards walking the streets ( that's the usual though).  Used to go t the "swap meet" market, but not any longer due to the safety issue.  I was off ship for about 1 hour, the came back on to enjoy the serenity of a mostly empty ship.  Everywhere you go no has some sort of issue. Just keep your eyes open, be aware of your surroundings, dont be a flashy tourist ,and if your inner voice says "DONT', then dont.

[hallux]

3 hours ago, DominicAUS said:

We stopped there in January this year. The Bliss was the first ship back post the hurricane. Was a huge deal with TV cameras and whole lot of pomp! 

Were you on the cruise starting in Miami or LA?  I embarked in Miami, we had TV cameras covering our arrival.

3 hours ago, DominicAUS said:

Took a tour to release baby turtles had the best time but didn’t walk round as many places were still closed, we loved our tour and never felt unsafe.

I did the same tour, it was amazing!  I had the same feeling.

25 minutes ago, 9tee2Sea said:

stopped in Acapulco this Feb.  Still signs of Hurricane damage ( I think it was Hilary) from last year

I was on your same cruise, second ship visit to Acapulco since the hurricane.

 

As awesome as it is to travel the Panama Canal, I think I rank Acapulco as one of the most meaningful days on the cruise.  Seeing the devastation of the landscape and the resilience of the people, and contributing to their recovery by bringing tourist $ just warmed my heart.

 

Mexico overall - I walked the port area in Puerto Vallarta alone, I walked much of Mazatlan on my own.  Never really felt unsafe.

Edited Wednesday at 02:37 PM by hallux

[dexddd]

2 hours ago, roger001 said:

My only Acapulco stop was about 10 years ago on a PC cruise.  I got off and wandered around.  Leaving the port area look threatening.   I hustled along and returned to the ship.  I didn't take my wife off then. While wandering the shore line along the street I came upon a public restroom.  I stepped in to pee.   Was stopped immediately.  A guard that said I would have to pay to pee. I didn't have the correct change. I had to use a bigger bill and he didn't give change. I do remember walking away from the ship area , I was immediately hustled by folks wanted to walk with me and give me a tour of the area.  I eventually got them to take no as my answer.  My Acapulco impressions from ten years ago.  

Wait, are you sure that wasn't Nassau?

[zqvol]

58 minutes ago, njhorseman said:

Why is it that no major cruise line holding company other than NCLH will make port calls in Acapulco? Why did most of the major hotel chains pull out of Acapulco years ago?

 

No, everything is not rosy just because NCLH chooses to make port calls there. A pollyannaish outlook masks reality.

 

This article may provide some insight...and things only got worse when Acapulco was devastated by a hurricane last year:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/nathanielparishflannery/2019/03/21/how-acapulco-exemplifies-mexicos-ongoing-security-crisis-part-1/#2ded65ae7b57

Anything recent, that article is over 5 years old, and is thus meaningless. 

[Até]

We took a private tour and lucky only traveled about a mile from the port.   The glamorous old city has been destroyed, and not just from the hurricane.   It was already left derelict from decades of infighting. Every local that operates in the area must pick who they are aligned with. 

 

The cartels aren't only fighting over drug routes.  There's also fierce competition to control the few tourist dollars left.   Any search about what's (still) going on in Acapulco shows certain cartels are also fighting over control of the tourist areas and often it's not just the cartels killing each other.  So when visiting some vendor in a market or a tour guide approaches you hope that they aren't encroaching on territory controlled by another faction.  Tourists and bystanders frequently get hurt by being in the way. 

 

Heavily armed Federales and the tourist police try in vain to keep the fighting away from the port and beaches/resorts. Venture just a short distance away and you'll have local police warning you that you are in direct danger - if you are lucky. 

 

I hope NCLH is just stuck in some 1950's dream about Acapulco and that it's a selling point of these sailings rather than apathetically putting their passengers in danger because it's a cheap stop. 

 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/acapulco-grocery-store-killings-after-bodies-found-mexico-resort-city/

 

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/killings-acapulco-police-deployed-beaches-cartels-recruit-youths-social-media/

[G-DawgMN]

1 hour ago, njhorseman said:

Attributing street crime in Acapulco to "the cartel" is like attributing street crime in NYC to "the mafia". 

Yes, neither group is looking to pick the pocket of a random tourist. It's other criminals who are committing the street crime.

How many places have you visited that have police and military armed with automatic and semi-automatic weapons stationed on street corners in busy areas during daylight hours?

 

 Rome, Naples...other ports in Europe...

 

 

[njhorseman]

15 minutes ago, zqvol said:

Anything recent, that article is over 5 years old, and is thus meaningless. 

It's not meaningless because it's every bit as crime ridden now.

@Até has posted two articles written this year. 

Acapulco is if anything worse off now due to the devastation caused by Category 5 hurricane Otis in October 2023.

Few tourists from anywhere other than Mexico now visit Acapulco. 

Edited Wednesday at 03:20 PM by njhorseman

[Até]

6 minutes ago, G-DawgMN said:

Rome, Naples...other ports in Europe...

Saw this first hand as I was on an Epic sailing in 2015 when the Paris terrorist attacks happened.   And I've been back several times since.   But it's nothing compared to the chaos I saw in Acapulco.