I came across several messages about the cruise ships leaving Mazatlan. It seemed as if it were an on-again-off-again situation. As Jennifer mentions in her post, there have not been any incidents involving tourists.

With the litigious society that we live in, perhaps cruise lines are concerned about their liability in case of an incident against one of their passengers. But, really.
Would Ford be responsible if somebody drove one of their vehicles and they were robbed or assaulted at their destination.
Will cruise lines discontinue sailing from Miami, New York, New Orleans or LA because of the crimes committed there? And what about St. Thomas? Has anybody looked at the crime statistics there? Ignorance is bliss except for when it comes to Mexico.

As a regular visitor to Mexico, I find these situations disheartening. Yes, there is a nasty drug war going on, one that makes me cringe. Much of that is in the hot-spot border town of Juarez, which isn’t the land of cruising, because it’s on land and isn’t a resort area. Yet, you will find an ex-pat who believes that one can still enjoy even Juarez despite everything that is happening there. It is refreshing to get another point of view. You do need to know that a long time resident of any city likely knows areas to avoid and takes certain safety precautions.

Mazatlan is working hard to convince its travel partners that it isn’t a lawless land. This article explains that the hotel parking lot shootings took place between two locals. Which other ports will the cruise lines eliminate because of a shooting in their city? There definitely seems to be an strong anti-Mexico sentiment that pervades. That is unfortunate.

Instead of substituting another port for Mazatlan, some of the cruise lines are just adding an extra day in another port like Cabo San Lucas, a tender port that makes it impossible for those with wheelchairs to get to shore.

As an agent, the safety of my clients is a priority. I advise them to not over drink, do drugs, travel alone or go into questionable neighborhoods. Common sense goes along way and travelers need to take the same safety cautions while traveling as they do at home.

Mexico is a fascinating and friendly country that I have visited many times. In fact, I am heading to the Riviera Maya next week and will report on it upon my return.