NCL Star Review & Port Nightmare

[OceanDreaming2]

We were recently on the Star. The name Jocel is not familiar. What is her capacity on the ship?

 

I wonder if your cruise insurance covers any of the loss you have incurred?

[ImpulsivePuppy]

Wow, what a terrible experience. I am so glad everyone made it home ok. I hope you never have to go through anything like that again!

[CC Help Michell]

This was, without a doubt, a true "nightmare." :eek: This is the kind of post to link to when someone posts a review of their "nightmare cruise" where the worst complaint was no towel animals and having to wait 20 minutes for a table in the evening. :rolleyes:

 

To the OP, I'm so glad you all returned home safe and sound, and I'm sure the financial stuff will work itself out -- though no doubt you'll have to be persistent about it.

 

Your post, and those adding that other cruiselines are now explicitly warning people about these violent crimes directed at cruise passengers, have made me drop any cruises visiting Mexico (especially the west coast of it) to the bottom of my list. I've always wanted to visit Ixtapa, Mazatlan, etc -- but now?

 

Between stories like this, the frequent news reports of carjackings and other crimes of personal violence occurring in the Baja area, the for-profit kidnapping crews (not to mention those targeting FBI agents!), and so on -- accompanied by an obvious inability of the Mexican government to do anything to stop it -- I am wondering why the US State Department hasn't issued advisories about visiting Mexico? They currently have no travel warnings for Mexico (I just checked).

[Wavesprite]

That is so horrible!!!! I have to tell you, I didn't feel so safe in Cabo or Mazatlan. Puerto Vallarta, I felt safe. I think probably because we went right to a resort. I don't know. You must have been so terrified.

 

I'm wondering what week did you cruise????

[Al_Frescoe]

That port agent sounds like he might have had some connection with this whole thing, very suspicious.

 

Glad it worked out ok for you and your family.

 

Al

[melthemadhatter]

Wow! My fiance and I ALMOST booked our honeymoon to Mexico, and we decided to go to Bermuda instead.

 

I am so sorry you went through that. I am glad your children are safe and sound. That must have been so terrifying!

 

I seriously cannot imagine the terror you felt about your kids!

 

:(

[Whippets]

Thank you for your review. I was considering a similar cruise but will rethink it now. I am thankful that you and your children (even though they are adults) are all safe back home. Hope that you have a wonderful holiday season and can put the negative memories behind you. I know your next cruise will be somewhere else besides Mexico.

 

Merry Christmas

[jilly08]

Thank you Everyone for your kind words.

I still get that sick feeling in the pit of my stomach when I think about it. It was horrible but I am SO thankful that nothing serious happened to them. Personally, I just wanted to hold them both in my arms for the rest of the trip. LOL But at 24 and 22 that wasn't really practical.

 

I planned the trip so we could all spend a week together as we don't have a chance to spend that much time together. Especially the two kids--they live in different towns.

 

I think the reason I was able to write a 'balanced' review despite everything that happened was that I felt so blessed to get them both back unharmed. The inconveniences and the money seemed minor. The whole time they were missing though, I kept saying this is like Natalie Holloway. I honestly didn't believe the people on the ship when they said they were found and OK. I just had to speak to them before I would believe it.

 

I will try to answer some questions that were posted:

 

That port agent sounds like he might have had some connection with this whole thing, very suspicious.

Honestly, we felt the same thing.

 

We were recently on the Star. The name Jocel is not familiar. What is her capacity on the ship?

I can't remember her exact title but she was some sort of supervisor at the front desk.

I wonder if your cruise insurance covers any of the loss you have incurred?

Funny you should mention that, for the first time EVER I didn't get travel insurance. It was about a week before the trip and I realized that I hadn't purchased it. At that point, my thoughts were Oh nothing is going to happen to prevent us from going.,,,never thought about what could happen on the trip.

I stuck a link on the ports board earlier this am.

Thank you for doing that. I wrote a review for CC but it hasn't been approved yet.,

I suggest you contact the New York Times and have them cover your story. Also a major TV network like NBC. From what you said, if you had been with them and also been drugged the ending may have been much worse. Mexico is becoming increasing dangerous. There are more kidnappings there now than Colombia. I am not saying not to cruise to Mexico but people need to be very cautious.

I thought about doing that but I haven't done anything yet.

Ketzela

ps- Jilly- I live near Hanover now! Hi, neighbor!

You are very close to us. It's amazing how small the world has gotten with computers! My daughter lives in Lancaster.

 

Again, thank you for all your wonderful wishes and comments. I'm looking forward to spending time with the kids at Christmas. I will be showing them this post -- to show them that many people do care and maybe restore their faith in mankind a little bit.

Happy Holidays to All,

jilly

 

[jilly08]

That is so horrible!!!! I have to tell you, I didn't feel so safe in Cabo or Mazatlan. Puerto Vallarta, I felt safe. I think probably because we went right to a resort. I don't know. You must have been so terrified.

 

I'm wondering what week did you cruise????

 

We cruised 11-28 to 12-6 (the sat. after Thanksgiving)

[VillaHappy]

SO sorry to hear about your bad experience! :eek:

 

Hopefully everything gets straightened out soon with the erroneous charges.

[AWorldCruise4Me]

Due to the current events in India and Bangkok I checked the US Travel Alerts web site just to see what other ports had activities I needed to be aware of. And there was Mexico with a warning about kidnapping and violence. I was very surprised and didn't pay much attention to it until I read this post.

 

http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/pa/pa_1766.html

Current Travel Alerts

 

Travel Alerts are issued to disseminate information about short-term conditions, generally within a particular country, that pose imminent risks to the security of U.S. citizens. Natural disasters, terrorist attacks, coups, anniversaries of terrorist events, election-related demonstrations or violence, and high-profile events such as international conferences or regional sports events are examples of conditions that might generate a Travel Alert.

 

India 12/19/2008

South Pacific Cyclone Season 12/10/2008

Mali 12/10/2008

Mexico 10/14/2008

Arabian Peninsula and Persian Gulf 09/23/2008

Comoros 08/12/2008

China 07/03/2008

[apeller]

OMG! I am so glad that your kids got home safely. I almost skipped reading this too, thinking people were whining about chait hogs at the pool or jeans in the dining room. Boy was I wrong! You really had a nightmare. We are taking this cruise in April and my DH is already nervous about being in Mexico. He is ready to cancel the trip, but I keep telling him we will be fine. I do know that if we do go, my 17 year old DD will not be out of my sight any time we are off the ship.

[CanadianTwosome]

I think it's really sad that a country with such a large percentage of their population earning their living from tourism has the potential to suffer so much as a result of the actions of a few whose criminal activity is going to scare away a LOT of travellers. I don't know about US citizens, but just over the past couple of years, there have been numerous Canadians murdered while on land vacations in Mexico - with nobody ever brought to justice. As a result, though I happily travelled there in the past and enjoyed myself feeling quite safe, I would no longer even consider a land trip there. As it is, I feel comfortable visiting the ports (even the Mexican Riviera last January), but I will not leave the well marked and populated tourist areas, and now, of course, I will never accept anything even resembling a sample in any establishment! I likely never would have anyway, due to other reasons, but as our OP noted, I might have if I was 21 and not travelling with a child. When I was in Mazatlan at the age of 23, I actually think it's extremely UNlikely that my friends and I would have refused a free shot of tequila. (mind you, we also took drinks from people in bars with no fear of rufies back then)

 

I feel very badly for all of the hard working people who are going to be affected when people stop travelling to Mexico, and I'm certain that many already have.

[Budget Queen]

Unfortunately this is nothing new, to Mexican travel. I do like the Pacific sailing, but now, don't even bother getting off the ship. There is nothing that I am interested in seeing in Mexico.

 

There are other locals to consider, which I do.

 

So sorry that this happened, and certainly a worthwhile report for others to consider.

[MartiniGal]

While reading your post, I couldn't believe what I was hearing and am so sorry you and your family had to go through this - because of your experience, we decided against cruising to Mexico with NCL on April 11 - just too risky, especially since DH and I would be bringing our 16-year old daughter and friend with us. I honestly don't know if I would have handled it as well as you . . . am so glad your kids are safe. Horrifying and too scary for words.

[April7901]

How truly awful.

 

Your daughter is quite lucky if that is "all" that happened - I doubt that's "all" that would've happened here in the States. I do hope she, and others who read this post, learned a valuable lesson, as drugs in drinks is hardly uncommon anywhere.

 

Just one more lesson to people to be cautious. There are hundreds of similar stories of things happening everywhere - not just Mexico. Thankfully, there are also thousands of stories of folks who have had a fabulous time. There's something to be said for being cautious and aware of your surroundings when it comes to your safety.

[OceanDreaming2]

We have friends who own a resort in a small town between Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta. I sent them an email expressing concern about travel in Mexico...

 

"We keep hearing about how dangerous it is to travel in Mexico. I know is it VERY BAD in Juarez and other border towns but how is it once you are away from the border cities?

We are starting to be busy, as always in Christmas, and I do understand how the bad news runs faster. I think there are cities that can be dangerous in some areas, but I believe México is still safe to travel, to drive, We have a friends from Canada, that have been driving in México and they only have good stories, if you get in touch with good people the good people stay in safe places, if you are looking for trouble, you are going to find it."

BTW, the advisory mentioned in a previous post was for the border cities.

[AWorldCruise4Me]

Actually the advisory was for 3 things:

 

• Violence Along the U.S. - Mexico Border
  
• Crime and Violence Throughout Mexico
  
• Demonstrations and Large Public Gatherings
  

You can click on the word 'Mexico' in my previous post and it takes you to the advisory.

 

Best,

Michelle

[Cruisin' Ron VA]

Thank you for sharing your story!

 

Back in Feb. we stopped in Cozumel on Carnival Liberty. While shopping we made sure to stay on the main street in sight of the ship and pier area.

 

There were men standing on the corner trying to get people to follow them. One of the men stopped me and told me I could have a free shot of tequila if I came to his shop. He was pointing down a side street that didn't look all that safe and boy the red flags went up and we quickly walked away.

 

Unfortunately there are many people who will never see your post. I wonder how many tourist who visit Mexico (or other ports) end up in the same situation.

 

I am sorry this happened to your family and glad everyone came out of it ok. I can only imagine what could have happened to your daughter.

[pliskin]

WOW! What an incredible story and we were on the same boat as you I think, the Star sailing Dec 13th? So glad all turned out OK. Great timing for a safety reminder as we are taking our 18 year old daughter and her friend on a 4-day cruise in March to Ensenada.

 

As a person who has traveled a lot and in some pretty scary places, it is always important to be vigilant and keep your awareness up in any place, even in the USA. I have traveled extensively throughout Mexico and found the Mexican people to be kind and generous and have loved each experience. However; what does seperate Mexico from many other places is the corruption among law enforcement and this tale echoes that.

 

The other thing to remember, and I am in no way making light of what happened to your daughter, is as pretty as Mexico is, it is still very much a 3rd world country and has a massive amount of poverty. Always stay on the beaten path, if you sense danger, find a crowd, if you are in any store alone, leave immediately as odds are 100% you will find the same thing at another store. Never ever ever break any law. If you make a wrong turn, get back to where you were right away.

 

Not sure where this occurred but I don't think that legit stores in any city would risk losing business from tourists but a block or two off the main street can get shady fast.

 

Last thing I will say is again, I have found Mexico to be a wonderful place and I have heard scary stories about Jamaica, Natalie Holloway in Aruba, etc etc. Danger lurks everywhere, even where you currently live. My wife just relayed a story where someone drugged her drink at a party in Florida so it really can happen anywhere.Don't be afraid to travel but always be on your guard, especially if you are female. Anyone who is really nice to you for no apparent reason isn't really nice.

[Don Haynes]

You should expect unpleasant things to happen to you when you flash money or credit cards around, especially in a foreign county. Any good travel book recommends carrying your valuables in a money belt, both women and men. Never stray from the public path, no back alleys. Never surrender your passport. I hope you and your family learned these lessons. Always remember, you are not in the USA. And act accordingly.

[tiyana4]

We are considering this exact same itinerary for Spring Break 2010.

Although I am not much of an alcohol drinker, I would never accept anything to eat or drink while off the ship. Your story really makes me rethink our choice.

 

We have been to Mexico more times than we can count and have always found the people to be friendly, nonaggressive and accommodating. As the single parent of a teenage girl, I am always wary while in port or leaving the all-inclusive resorts but your story really takes the cake! Having visited Jamaica, I didn't think things could be worse than that. Boy was I wrong!

 

So sorry that your experience was not all positive. One thing I would recommend is some counseling for you and your children. The Cruise Critic family appreciates you sharing your story and it is probably thereapuetic to some degree for you to get the word out to others. But you may find more solace in speaking with a family counselor about your ordeal.

 

Best wishes to you and your family.

[pliskin]

Your story really makes me rethink our choice.

 

I don't know...I think there are safety risks everywhere. I live in LA and in a very safe neighborhood but you go a few blocks to the East of me and it gets sketchy fast. I think anywhere on Earth, if you are in a place that is unfamiliar to you, you should always be cautious. NOTE: I don't know any details around what happened to this person's daughter and it is truly a horrible event so I am not saying anything about this particular event, only in general.

 

You should always use caution anywhere, even here in the USA and trust your instincts yet at the same time, you should not allow fear to dictate your life as it will truly rob you blind.

 

If you are a woman traveling without a man, you need to exercise 10 times the amount of caution. Sorry, that is just reality. If you are a man traveling with a woman, never let her out of your sight. With that said, people don't grab random strangers, they look for easy targets. Don't be a target.

 

Never look lost, even if you are. Look like you belong there and know where you are going, especially if you find yourself in an area with little or no foot traffic. Walk like you have a purpose, not like you are lost and scared. Get back to a crowded area as quickly as possible without looking like you are getting there as quickly as possible (if that makes sense).

 

Always be aware of your surroundings and aware of the people in it.

 

Always know what or who is behind you. Do random things occasionally like walk across the street instead of staying on the same side.

 

If someone is staring at you, don't avoid eye contact but don't challenge them either. Be calm, make friendly eye contact and move on.

 

One other thing to keep in mind, and I am by NO MEANS condoning what happened but remember that when you travel to a 3rd world country (like Mexico, Jamaica, etc.) there is abject poverty just steps away from the nice shops and restaurants. When impoverished, people will do almost anything to feed their families, even steal. While this thing was all kinds of wrong, the absolute best thing you and your daughter can do is to forgive these people. As hard as that may be to do right now, that is honestly the absolute best advice I can give you for cleansing your soul and not letting this thing affect you in the future.

 

I can say that from experience. I have visited many 3rd world countries, gone miles off the beaten path and even survived 6 weeks in a war zone all without issue by following some careful rules and being keenly aware of what was going on around me at all times. However, the one time I put my guard down, I paid the price and my wife and I were robbed at gunpoint and dragged into the jungle and you cannot imagine the sight of a gun pressing against the back of your wife's head. Forgiveness, no matter how difficult, will save you years of therapy. That event, as traumatic as it was, has not stopped either my wife or I from enjoying traveling as often as possible because fear is a prison and forgiveness of others is one of the greatest human gifts we can give to ourselves.

[snooksmum]

What a terrible experience. I'm so glad you made it home safely. One tip for travelers, that was passed on to me by an NCL employee: leave your passports in the safe on board and take either your drivers' license or a photocopy of the first page of your passport - either are acceptable as ID to get back on board. (though typically only the key card is needed). I also take only one credit card off the ship. Hope that helps. I guess I was lucky -- everyone I met in Mexico was kind and helpful; no one even tried overcharging me even though I was distracte by a child and uncertain of the correct exchange rate.

[curiouscat]

CABO has had a travel advisory for a while. There are more violent crimes/kidnapping there than other parts of Mexico....

 

CC