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22 Carnival Cruise Passengers Robbed in Puerto Vallarta


LauraS

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Sorry I cannot agree with all these comments that "this happens everywhere" == yes, crime is happening but this should NOT be happening where cruise lines take us == the cruises don't need to be bringing us, their PAYING passengers, to dangerous ports!! They have an obligation to keep us safe! Plus the cruise lines really push the ships excursions on all of us, tours & activities which are supposed to be safer than venturing out with some other local vendors.

 

You are being naive to think this is only happening in Mexico. Crime is EVERYWHERE. If you want that sterile of an environment, you better find a cruise that just goes to the cruise lines' private island.

 

I have traveled extensively throughout the Caribbean and most islands have a pretty high crime rate - sometimes it spreads to tourists. One van of robbed tourists frankly does cause me concern because I was planning to be in that very same area via taxi, but I can't be scared of PV as a port - yet. If more things start happening in PV, then who knows.

 

It doesn't take much of a search to find out about very high crime and murder rates in many Caribbean countries that ships make regular calls to.

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I think that if you were on that bus with your child some of you wouldn't be so flip about what is going on in Mexico. I love Mexico! I've been their many times as my SIL has a timeshare on the beach in Cabo. I've been all over the CC boards today looking for info re the Splendor as we were thinking of taking our annual spring break cruise there. Now we will have to give it some very serious thought because I'm sailing with the DH, DS (16) and his friend (16). I really doubt now that my DS's friend's parents are going to let their son go with us and I understand that because I don't want to endanger my kid's or anyone's elses kid. There is very little crime where we live, very little. And that is why we live where we do. So, we'll have to give it a lot of thought before we buy our tickets. I'm very sad about this for lots of reasons. I'm especially sad for the 22 people that had their lives put in danger and I pray that they will all be okay emotionally going forward. This was not a simple little incident to the people on that bus and I don't think the situaltion calls for "well it happens everywhere"! When was the last time you've heard of a busload of tourists being held up at gunpoint in the U.S.? Get real people!:confused:

 

While I disagree with most of your position. You have a very good point when it comes to what level of risk you are willing to tolerate when it comes to the children.

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In the midst of all this argueing as to whether this is safe for travel to Mexico,,I have a question.

 

Since I AM going in April,,unless CCL says I am not,,I want to know does anyone have any idea on what excursion this occured?

 

I ask because on the CCL excurions list for me for my booking number, nothing seems to have been canceled. Supposedly excursions were cancelled,,I see nothing.

 

BTW, I have an independent zip excurions scheduled for this sam area. My wife said "#**# it,,let's go anyhow,, jsu tleave all ouf our stuff on the ship".

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it's your post. if you have no factual data, yet posted anyway, i'll move on.

 

Here is factual data on what I have posted (just to save you the trouble of coming after me next):

 

Tour bus in St. Kitts with 16 Celebrity passengers (plus mention of the poor girl killed in St. Thomas): http://travel.usatoday.com/cruises/post/2010/11/celebrity-passengers-robbed-on-st-kitts/131080/1

 

Tour in Jamaica (Carnival): http://www.travelblog.org/Topics/5764-1.html

 

3 incidents in St. Lucia (NCL+ from cruising's biggest fan): http://www.*****************/St_Lucia_Tourist_Robberies_Continue_August_9_2010.html

 

Not unheard of unfortunately.

 

EDIT: Oh the guy's site is blocked. Just google St. Lucia cruise robbery or something similar and you will find some stories of passenger robberies. NCL ended up yanking the port after several incidents back in 2010.

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This whole incident really is a non-issue. Nobody got hurt. And if one is stupid enough to not leave their Cartiers and Rolexes, credit cards and documents other than a drivers license in their safe on the ship... When I go on a shore excursion, I have my drivers license, $40, a cheap casio watch and a $150 camera on me. Anything happens, I hand it over and get over it. Let's move on.

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This whole incident really is a non-issue. Nobody got hurt. And if one is stupid enough to not leave their Cartiers and Rolexes, credit cards and documents other than a drivers license in their safe on the ship... When I go on a shore excursion, I have my drivers license, $40, a cheap casio watch and a $150 camera on me. Anything happens, I hand it over and get over it. Let's move on.

 

I agree and disagree. I would hardly call it a non-incident. Anytime somebody points a gun at me or more importantly my kids, it is a major incident.

 

This being said, like you when I travel off of the ship (or from a hotel on land-based trips - even here in US) I carry ID, cash, one credit card, small camera. I usually have extra cash stashed somewhere just in case I am ever robbed. Im not paranoid, just being prepared.

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In the midst of all this argueing as to whether this is safe for travel to Mexico,,I have a question.

 

Since I AM going in April,,unless CCL says I am not,,I want to know does anyone have any idea on what excursion this occured?

 

I ask because on the CCL excurions list for me for my booking number, nothing seems to have been canceled. Supposedly excursions were cancelled,,I see nothing.

 

BTW, I have an independent zip excurions scheduled for this sam area. My wife said "#**# it,,let's go anyhow,, jsu tleave all ouf our stuff on the ship".

 

It was some kind of hiking excursion, don't know the name - and word is that it was removed from the list.

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Why Carnival? What are the odds???

 

It was only weeks ago that we were adding up the incidents in the first 42 days of this year....and now this!

 

I am not religious - but I believe there should be a blessing or exorcisim on each and every ship!!!! (She says half-jokingly)

 

This is crazy crap!:eek::eek:

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In the midst of all this argueing as to whether this is safe for travel to Mexico,,I have a question.

 

Since I AM going in April,,unless CCL says I am not,,I want to know does anyone have any idea on what excursion this occured?

 

I ask because on the CCL excurions list for me for my booking number, nothing seems to have been canceled. Supposedly excursions were cancelled,,I see nothing.

 

BTW, I have an independent zip excurions scheduled for this sam area. My wife said "#**# it,,let's go anyhow,, jsu tleave all ouf our stuff on the ship".

 

It was the zip-line excursion, through Carnival.

 

I went and looked at the write-up on MSN, just for more info (there wasn't anything not already on this site). The 200+ comments on the story were terrible. Basically everyone saying that the tourists were all "ignorant" for going to Mexico (or "Mexi-hole" as one wit kept calling it) and basically got what the deserved for venturing there. Really kind of put me in a funk, as we're booked on Splendor for our first cruise ever in July (same itinerary) and am now thinking...is this going to be safe for my family? (I have 2 grammar-school aged kids). And if they drop PV, will it even be fun?? :o

 

I have been so giddy about this trip, but this news definitely puts a pall on the whole thing. I'm hoping that a) it really was an isolated event, and not a sign of brewing trouble in the area and b) if so, that Carnival doesn't drop this port. Because I can visit Catalina for a LOT less. :cool:

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Like when this happened in st Kitts http://travel.usatoday.com/cruises/post/2010/11/st-kitts-celebrity-mercury-cruise-ship-robbery-gunpoint/131361/1

 

I think carnival should pull this port. Once the flow of money slows down, maybe the government will spend less time trying to cover this up and more time trying to find a solution.

 

(On a similar note, I find it really dissapointing that so many people are fighting so hard against people having an opinion on this...the fact that someone would attempt to push this incident under the rug makes me question taking my child anywhere in the area. Why are only the Carnival sponsored excurions being robbed? Are they being targeted? Or have there been families getting held up at gunpoint and without the cruise line to back them up, are being swept under the rug and hushed up by well meaning Mexico-lovers and the government?)

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(On a similar note, I find it really dissapointing that so many people are fighting so hard against people having an opinion on this...the fact that someone would attempt to push this incident under the rug makes me question taking my child anywhere in the area. Why are only the Carnival sponsored excurions being robbed? Are they being targeted? Or have there been families getting held up at gunpoint and without the cruise line to back them up, are being swept under the rug and hushed up by well meaning Mexico-lovers and the government?)

 

Carnival visits Puerta Vallarta once a week, so I imagine it would be an easy target for a robber to figure out when and where to commit a crime.

 

Not sure what you mean by families, which families. Not other cruise ship passengers because as you see, that news gets published very quickly.

 

Crime is everywhere, as evidenced by the link you provided. It's what happens afterwards that truly matters and if the Mexican government cares about it's tourist, it will step up to the plate and provide the necessary security to keep it's tourist safe. So let's see what happens next.:)

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It was the zip-line excursion, through Carnival.

 

---

 

I don't think it was. I believe it was the City and Tropical Jungle Escape tour. Why? because that particular tour is no longer listed for my upcoming cruise on Splendor.

 

I was going to book it, but after reading poor reviews I was planning on doing a similar tour via private taxi instead. Now maybe not, we'll see.

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By famililes I mean:

There are people saying, "it's not a big deal", "it's not news", "this shouldn't change anything."

 

If you don't think 22 people being robbed at gunpoint on a cruise sponsored excurision is newworthy, that SERIOUSLY makes me wonder how many smaller crimes occur that are not newsworthy to you, but might be to someone like me...

 

Someone gets raped on a cruise ship, it CAN be international news. Someone getting raped in a port of call, on their own, by a taxi driver in the middle of nowhere...would that make international news? Probably not. But IMO it IS news because I DO want to know that I shouldn't be by myself at this port. Or my family shouldn't take a cab to some waterfall 20 miles away...

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By famililes I mean:

There are people saying, "it's not a big deal", "it's not news", "this shouldn't change anything."

 

If you don't think 22 people being robbed at gunpoint on a cruise sponsored excurision is newworthy, that SERIOUSLY makes me wonder how many smaller crimes occur that are not newsworthy to you, but might be to someone like me...

 

Someone gets raped on a cruise ship, it CAN be international news. Someone getting raped in a port of call, on their own, by a taxi driver in the middle of nowhere...would that make international news? Probably not. But IMO it IS news because I DO want to know that I shouldn't be by myself at this port. Or my family shouldn't take a cab to some waterfall 20 miles away...

 

Yeah, and until about 2010 CRUISE TOUR BUSES were a lot more safe.

 

Google St. Kitts Carnival Miracle robbery of a bus full of cruisers

 

Third world countries are hurting and "you" can be the mark now.

 

In many countries they have two armed army jeeps one in front of the BUS and one in back.

 

Choose wisely like in the Indiana Jones III movie.

 

I wouldn't want the old KNIGHT to say, "they chose poorly."

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That would be up north right on the border to the US (!). If the US wouldn't allow all them drugs to cross their border, the problem wouldn't exist. Either way, there were + 1.400.000 cruise passengers in PVR last year. A minor, non-harmful robbery on 20 out of 1.400.000 is really not that big deal.

 

It was to the 22 people on that bus.

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This whole incident really is a non-issue. Nobody got hurt. And if one is stupid enough to not leave their Cartiers and Rolexes, credit cards and documents other than a drivers license in their safe on the ship... When I go on a shore excursion, I have my drivers license, $40, a cheap casio watch and a $150 camera on me. Anything happens, I hand it over and get over it. Let's move on.

 

A non-issue??? Its the victims' fault. You are a defense attorney's dream.

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Check out the latest Carnival Cruise Line news from Cruise Critic:

 

22 Carnival Cruise Passengers Robbed in Puerto Vallarta

 

Have I seen too many Steve McQueen films? If the passengers were on the bus and the bus is moving, how do armed gunmen stop it? Someone tried to get in my car as I left work last month ( the hospital I work at is in a sketchy part of town). I gunned the engine and if he wanted to keep holding on to my door handle I would have gladly given him a ride down James Street!

 

I say don't stop if you don't have to, and if they want to keep standing in front of the bus - goodbye to bad rubbish & the street cleaners can wash down the mess. Once they are ON the bus with semi automatics in hand, they have even more power to kill everyone at their leisure.

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Have I seen too many Steve McQueen films? If the passengers were on the bus and the bus is moving, how do armed gunmen stop it? Someone tried to get in my car as I left work last month ( the hospital I work at is in a sketchy part of town). I gunned the engine and if he wanted to keep holding on to my door handle I would have gladly given him a ride down James Street!

 

I say don't stop if you don't have to, and if they want to keep standing in front of the bus - goodbye to bad rubbish & the street cleaners can wash down the mess. Once they are ON the bus with semi automatics in hand, they have even more power to kill everyone at their leisure.

 

If they were waiting on the bus, they could have laid something across the road to make the bus stop. Then when the bus stops,surround the vehicle.

 

Im sure next week more details will come out in the reviews.

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Have I seen too many Steve McQueen films? If the passengers were on the bus and the bus is moving, how do armed gunmen stop it? Someone tried to get in my car as I left work last month ( the hospital I work at is in a sketchy part of town). I gunned the engine and if he wanted to keep holding on to my door handle I would have gladly given him a ride down James Street!

 

I say don't stop if you don't have to, and if they want to keep standing in front of the bus - goodbye to bad rubbish & the street cleaners can wash down the mess. Once they are ON the bus with semi automatics in hand, they have even more power to kill everyone at their leisure.

 

 

I don't know about here but at the one in St Kitts, they had knocked a tree down in the road. When the driver got out to check it out and see if it could be moved, the thugs entered the bus.

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CCLNCLRCICRUISER and topofE - that makes sense that they would have had to do something to the road to create an obstruction. Like everywhere we have car jackings in the news here & you are better off doing anything than letting someone like this in your car.

 

Having the armed jeeps in front & back of the tour buses is starting to sound like a good idea. Sad.

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Obviously, the odds are that nothing will happen to you in these ports, but personally I would stay on the ship if I was going to a MR port in the near future. I wouldn't feel good about taking children with me into the ports. I've read a lot of posts on CC about people staying on the ships. The cruise lines make a lot of money on shore excursions. If everyone stays on the ship it's not that lucrative for the cruise line to go there. I enjoy this route, but I won't be booking it anytime soon.

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