Travel Warning for Mexico

[quincytoo]

I will have a Mango-Margarita...many not just one, but more since we again booked our winterstay in PVR.

 

Only thing that I am fearful about when we are in PV, that I am going to eat and drink way too much..

 

Have a great winter.

 

JR I so agree.....I don't quite understand the hows or whys of it. I think up here in BC we have the odd person who might be scared but we know so many who go down for the winter, own a condo or vacation in Mexico. I don't think the Canadian media (other the Winnipeg SUN) has done the horrible media blitz against Mexico that Faux news has.

[Hlitner]

We still think that the Pacific resorts in Mexico are fine from a safety point of view with the exception of Acapulco which is not a city we would normally visit on a vacation or any other time. There are always those that want to paint Mexico with a broad brush, but it is a very large country and just like in the USA, you cannot judge the entire country by what is happening in a few specific areas such as near the US border. We do find it amusing that cruisers would dismiss Mexico in favor of the Caribbean where crime is probably a bigger problem for tourists. As an example, the island of St Thomas (which is part of the US) has lots of major crime problems (a local told us he can hear gunfire nearly every night in his neighborhood a few miles outside of Charlotte Amalie) but this will never be reflected on the State Department site since they do not post warnings about the US. And then there is Jamaica where most of the decent resorts have seen fit to protect their property with high fences and/or barbed wire (for good cause). We feel a lot safer in PV then we would on either of those islands :)

 

Hank

[bzy1]

Jamaica has a much higher rate of tourist crime than Mexico does. As well, Mexico is the 11th largest country in the world and the areas of crime are on the border, no where near the tourist areas and cruise ship ports. Those areas of crime are directly related to the drug cartels moving drugs into the US.

 

You have nothing to worry about going to Puerto Vallarta, Maz, Cabo, Zihua/Ixtapa, Mazanillo, and even Acapulco. Believe me, New Orleans and St Louis, MO have higher murder rates than Acapulco does. Not to flippantly compare them but if you would not hesitate to travel in many areas of the US or Canada, you have no reason to be afraid to travel to the Pacific tourist towns of Mexico.

 

I've lived here over eight years, I am 5 feet tall, 108 pounds and come from Minneapolis and feel much safer here....go figure.

 

Come down and enjoy- over 2 million people visit Puerto Vallarta every year and they all live to tell about it :D

[jjb415]

Jamaica has a much higher rate of tourist crime than Mexico does. As well, Mexico is the 11th largest country in the world and the areas of crime are on the border, no where near the tourist areas and cruise ship ports. Those areas of crime are directly related to the drug cartels moving drugs into the US.

 

You have nothing to worry about going to Puerto Vallarta, Maz, Cabo, Zihua/Ixtapa, Mazanillo, and even Acapulco. Believe me, New Orleans and St Louis, MO have higher murder rates than Acapulco does. Not to flippantly compare them but if you would not hesitate to travel in many areas of the US or Canada, you have no reason to be afraid to travel to the Pacific tourist towns of Mexico.

 

I've lived here over eight years, I am 5 feet tall, 108 pounds and come from Minneapolis and feel much safer here....go figure.

 

Come down and enjoy- over 2 million people visit Puerto Vallarta every year and they all live to tell about it :D

 

Thanks for posting. I agree with you and hope to be able to head down to Mexico one more time before the Mariner leaves San Pedro.

[belkin]

bzy1 thanks for your 1st hand input. We are planning on doing a self-guided walking tour while in PV starting out at the Hotel Rosita. A message at Metamorfassis Day Spa and eating at Cafe Melissa. I am planning on living to tell about back on this board.

[ma23peas]

We feel a lot safer in PV then we would on either of those islands :)

 

Hank

 

Well, we fearmongers, just booked our flights to LAX to take the Disney cruise down the Riviera...we were SERIOUSLY considering cancelling for a few reasons....we're taking our nieces and have children with us..we just didn't like the idea of risking them...if it were just dh and me, no fear...well, then I guess we'd leave them parentless if we did get into trouble...nah, I digress..

 

Another issue is that my husband may not be allowed INTO the country, he has a clearance issue and when there are warnings they flag his passport and will not let him in! So, did we really want to travel someplace we could not get off the ship?

 

But, the bottom dollar wins out, we booked kids sail free on a spring break week that both nieces share (never have, so it's amazing they're sync'd like that) we found airfare for $158 RT from the South to LAX! So even if we stay on the ship the whole time, we'll have fun! :)

 

that said, Hank! Love your tips on the bus, we're fearless bus travelers, do you have any other cheap travel tips for Cabo San Lucas and Mazatlan?

 

Thanks!!

Tara

[psbtrvlr]

 

that said, Hank! Love your tips on the bus, we're fearless bus travelers, do you have any other cheap travel tips for Cabo San Lucas and Mazatlan?

 

Thanks!!

Tara

 

In Cabo, we just take the tender in, find a water taxi, and head to Medano Beach. We take our kids and the nieces and nephews this way. Everyone always has a great time.

Haven't been to Mazatlan yet, but we are going to spend a week there in January. Stone Island is highly recommended on these boards and that is one of the activities that we have planned.

[househunter]

Well, we fearmongers, just booked our flights to LAX to take the Disney cruise down the Riviera...we were SERIOUSLY considering cancelling for a few reasons....we're taking our nieces and have children with us..we just didn't like the idea of risking them...if it were just dh and me, no fear...well, then I guess we'd leave them parentless if we did get into trouble...nah, I digress..

 

Another issue is that my husband may not be allowed INTO the country, he has a clearance issue and when there are warnings they flag his passport and will not let him in! So, did we really want to travel someplace we could not get off the ship?

 

But, the bottom dollar wins out, we booked kids sail free on a spring break week that both nieces share (never have, so it's amazing they're sync'd like that) we found airfare for $158 RT from the South to LAX! So even if we stay on the ship the whole time, we'll have fun! :)

 

that said, Hank! Love your tips on the bus, we're fearless bus travelers, do you have any other cheap travel tips for Cabo San Lucas and Mazatlan?

 

Thanks!!

Tara

 

If your husband has issues, he will not be able to board the ship at all. No one checks passports when getting off at a port, they check them when checking in for the ship. I would get that part taken care of asap!

[Hlitner]

that said, Hank! Love your tips on the bus, we're fearless bus travelers, do you have any other cheap travel tips for Cabo San Lucas and Mazatlan?

 

Thanks!!

Tara

 

Thanks for your kind words. We cannot help with Cabo or Mazatlan since our only real knowledge of Mexico is for PV where we live part of the year. We have only been to Cabo and Mazatlan on cruises.

 

Hank

[mexico8]

bzy1 thanks for your 1st hand input. We are planning on doing a self-guided walking tour while in PV starting out at the Hotel Rosita. A message at Metamorfassis Day Spa and eating at Cafe Melissa. I am planning on living to tell about back on this board.

My DH and I have spent 3 plus months every winter in PV now for many years and have had no problems. We walk around, take local buses and taxis and enjoy our time there. We have heard of more crime in other cities in Canada and the U.S. than in Puerto Vallarta and hope that people continue to travel to PV. We feel safer there than many other places.

 

BTW, you might want to get a massage (instead of a message). I hear that place is great.

 

Wendy

[Wavesprite]

Wendy, can you give me advice on anything I need to know abotu catching a taxi (with my hubby and 2 kids) at the cruise terminal going to the water park called Aquaventuras???

[tonit964]

We are planning on going to the Cheeky Monkey for the first time and I can't wait. We usually do a resort excursion but not this time.

We LOVE Mexico!!

Happy cruising.

Toni

[bzy1]

Wavesprite,

Take a yellow city taxi to Aquadventures. They are not the white taxis and vans you see outside of the gates, those are federal port taxis and much more expensive. yellow city taxis are about a block or so away at the main road. Negotiate the price first- it should be about 200 Pesos to the water park.

[pulledporky]

If your husband has issues, he will not be able to board the ship at all. No one checks passports when getting off at a port, they check them when checking in for the ship. I would get that part taken care of asap!

 

You skip this and those taxis or massages won't matter. Your Disneycruise will turn into a very expensive DisneyLAND vacation. Do yourself a big favor and get this squared away (with Disney AND immigration) and have a great cruise.

[mexico8]

Wendy, can you give me advice on anything I need to know abotu catching a taxi (with my hubby and 2 kids) at the cruise terminal going to the water park called Aquaventuras???

Someone else told you how to go to the water park (I have no idea where it is - my specialty is eating and shopping!!).

 

Have fun.

 

Wendy

[Travelcat2]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101003/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/lt_drug_war_mexico

[dforeigner]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101003/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/lt_drug_war_mexico

 

Yep, but people insist that Mexico is safe claiming that the violence is at the border towns.

[bobnsofi]

And now, a travel warning to Europe. Thankfully, we know the odds, and try to keep our best chance of mayhem to a minimum, the 1:130 chance of death by automobile accident, right here in the USA

 

New Travel Warning to Europe => http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/03/world/europe/03security.html?_r=1&hp

[ma23peas]

If your husband has issues, he will not be able to board the ship at all. No one checks passports when getting off at a port, they check them when checking in for the ship. I would get that part taken care of asap!

 

 

He would be able to get ON the ship, just not get OFF...we traveled to the Mediterranean and there was some question that he might not be able to get off in Tunisia...it all depends on dept of defense warnings at the time...essentially they just don't want you leaving the ship in areas where security is an issue...but he can get on...no problems there...

 

Tara

[blackfoot]

Nice safe vacation place for tourists-murder&kidnapping!I wonder what the US State Department reports?

[gomexico]

7 Mexican tourists were kidnapped in Manzanillo last week, in addition to the 20+ group taken in Acapulco.

[realmccoy]

In the past week, it seems things are getting a little more heated along the border...spilling into the US side. Yesterday, a couple jet skiing on a Lake which borders Mexico were attacked by Pirates and one person was killed. And this is happening in the US! I am an avid traveler to Mexico, but now have some serious concerns if they are targetting US citiziens...and not their drug cartels. We cruise in a few months so I hope something is resolved before we go.

[Aussiemick]

In the past week, it seems things are getting a little more heated along the border...spilling into the US side. Yesterday, a couple jet skiing on a Lake which borders Mexico were attacked by Pirates and one person was killed. And this is happening in the US! I am an avid traveler to Mexico, but now have some serious concerns if they are targetting US citiziens...and not their drug cartels. We cruise in a few months so I hope something is resolved before we go.

 

Almost every incident in Mexico turns out to have some kind of drug cartel connection. Again, if you are not using, transporting, buying or selling drugs most Mexico cities are as safe as cities of the same size in the US. Let's see, there are how many cruise ships that visit Mexico every month x how many thousands of passengers and I have yet to hear of an incident more serious than petty theft to a cruise line passenger. Of course, you still have an option of cruising to Europe where there was just a travel warning posted by the State Department. The advice I saw on TV was just don't advertize that you are an American. Hmm, seems to me that being an American in Mexico might be safer than being one in Europe where they are targeting soft targets like busses, subways, luxuary hotels, etc.

[tonit964]

I am just worried that the ships will decide it's not worth going to Mexico and cancel the cruises! :eek:

I have three coming up and I love Mexico, can't wait!

Toni

[Ine]

I am just worried that the ships will decide it's not worth going to Mexico and cancel the cruises! :eek:

I have three coming up and I love Mexico, can't wait!

Toni

 

Donot worry, the ships will sail. It is unfortunate that every incident in Mexico gets too much bad press. Yes, there have been killings, but again mostly not in the areas where tourists go or stay.

People seem to forget what happens in other countries.

Another interesting article recently published.

http://www.mexicopremiere.com/?p=4166