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Is Acapulco safe and what to do there?


mundocruiser
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We are on Oceania in June for the Panama Canal. One of our stops is Acapulco. We are TX residents and have been told by visitors to Mexico that Acapulco is very dangerous. We have heard news reports here of people being robbed at gun point on the beach. What can you safely do in Acapulco? Thanks.

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When I used to go to Acapulco in the 80s we did everything and went everywhere and felt safe. When I went back in 2007 on a cruise, what a huge difference. I was in shock. We took a cruise excursion to a hotel, and there were armed guards everywhere along the promenade as we drove south, and when we actually made it to the resort, there were armed guards at the gated entrance and armed guards by the POOL and walking up and down the beach with rifles. In retrospect, I don’t think we should have gone, and my parents stayed on the ship.

Now, this was 10 years ago and maybe things have changed since then, but Acapulco had a decidedly different feel to it than the other places we’ve been to, rather menacing, I would say.

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Make a shipexcursion to be sure you will be safe. Hardly any tourists apart from mexicans will go to Acapulco. The place still has a dangerous reputation.

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Princess use to have 10 night cruises from FLL to Acapulco (then back so was easy to make into a 20 day B2B) ... but quit doing this because Acapulco wasn't safe.

No excursions were offered by the ship in Acapulco ... only made the port stop to let folks off who were only on for 10 days and pick up others embarking from Acapulco.

Those of us doing the B2B were encouraged to stay on the ship for the turn-around day.

Too bad! There was a time when Acapulco was very nice ... but not now. :(

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When I used to go to Acapulco in the 80s we did everything and went everywhere and felt safe. When I went back in 2007 on a cruise, what a huge difference. I was in shock. We took a cruise excursion to a hotel, and there were armed guards everywhere along the promenade as we drove south, and when we actually made it to the resort, there were armed guards at the gated entrance and armed guards by the POOL and walking up and down the beach with rifles. In retrospect, I don’t think we should have gone, and my parents stayed on the ship.

Now, this was 10 years ago and maybe things have changed since then, but Acapulco had a decidedly different feel to it than the other places we’ve been to, rather menacing, I would say.

 

Things have changed.

 

It's worse now.

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Let me start by saying we love living in Mexico during the winter (Puerto Vallarta) and have done if for 12 years. DW and view Mexico as our 2nd home, have no problem taking some trips outside the Puerto Vallarta area (including a 5 hour bus trip to Guadalajara) and have grown to adore many things Mexican...including the people. But at the current time there is no way we would go back to Acapulco..nor would we recommend the city for any friend. We would also note that most cruise lines have stopped calling at this cruise port.

 

As to the OP,,,,we can only echo the advice of the US Department of State. "Stay in the major tourist area" (near the port). We would also suggest avoiding going off on your own in a taxi. As much as we dislike cruise excursions, this is one place where we would either stick with the excursions or pre-book a private tour with a reputable provider.

 

I would mention an experience we had 3 years ago while on a long cruise from Quebec City through the canal and up the West Coast (with many port stops). Our ship stopped in Huatulco (our first visit) where we met an interesting Canadian lady on the beach. She told us she had lived in Acapulco for over 10 years a worked as a licensed realtor. This lady was fluent on Spanish and obviously knew Acapulco very well. She told us that she had recently relocated to Huatulco because she no longer felt safe in Acapulco...not to mention the collapse of much of the real estate market for her type of client who were generally expats looking to buy in Mexico.

 

Hank

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Hank has given you excellent advice.

 

I think as a tourist no matter where we travel we have to still remember we are a tourist and as such more prone to making a mistake or two and sometimes going into areas that are not wise to for us to be in.

 

I too would use extra caution in this city and a tour would be a good idea.

 

Keith

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Make a shipexcursion to be sure you will be safe. Hardly any tourists apart from mexicans will go to Acapulco. The place still has a dangerous reputation.

 

It is a well deserved reputation in this day and age. I agree that it is best to go with a ship's tour in this location.

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On our last visit to Acapulco about 10 years ago, our tour happened upon a shooting right on Ave Costera Aleman that happened just minutes before in broad daylight. Bodies of the dead and injured in two cars, in the north and south bound lanes had been removed, but the carnage was apparent.

This is a very very dangerous place; whether you are on a ship tour or a private tour is not a factor. If the bullets start flying, no one cares how you booked the tour.

This is a beautiful, scenic place with so much history and culture. It is a shame what has happened. Chances are nothing will occur, but do not be lulled into a false sense of security just because you booked some ship excursion.

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if we do a snorkel thru the ship, is it safe to assume that it will consist of walking off the ship, and walking to a nearby catamaran? i would *hope* that's the safest option. i figured the other excursions would involve buses/road travel which are more likely to be stopped/held up? this is the write up (see the last sentence) leads me to think there is no busing to another location: Enjoy a cruise to the best snorkeling location of the day, selected by your Captain and dive master. Water conditions vary from site to site, so this tour is designed for you to be able to snorkel at the best site possible. The location varies but the content of the tour will remain the same.

 

You’ll stop for an hour of easy snorkeling at a spot with calm, clear, warm waters under the supervision of experienced instructors. The tour includes an open bar, soft drinks, snorkeling and all the Mexican beer you can drink, after snorkeling. Then, enjoy beautiful views of the bay during the relaxing cruise back to the pier.

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  • 1 month later...

My husband and I went on a cruise to Acapulco about 9 years ago. I would never go back again. If by chance I took a cruise that did go there, I would stay on the boat for sure. People were very aggressive and pushy, and I can only imagine it has gotten worse. We took a cab ride and they took us places that we didn't want to go. We felt unsafe a lot of the time. We were so happy to be back on the ship. Never again would I put myself in that situation.

With that being said, it does sound like you will just walk to a catamaran or boat of some type and board there. If you have to get in a taxi or perhaps even a bus, I might just consider calling it a loss and heading back to the ship. And personally, if you can get your money back on your excursion, you might want to even consider that. Unless your cruise line can guarantee your safety within that tour group, I don't know if the risk is worth it.

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  • 1 month later...

We did a ship excursion to see the cliff divers. It was an ok tour but not one I’d do again because we didn’t feel very safe on the road in the bus. Also the street vendors on the dock are very aggressive and don’t like to take no as an answer. We were relieved to be back to the ship and if we ever go there again we will stay on the ship.

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