Is Mexico safe to travel to now?

[Travelling2Some]

13 minutes ago, hallux said:

Which is a shame - when I was on that itinerary in 2019 I actually liked the stop in Mazatlan the best.  I got off the ship and self-toured the city, walked 5 miles (I think), had lunch at a local restaurant, saw a few sights, just walked the city and took in what was going on...

It is a shame but the key words are "right now".  Actually our Bliss itinerary does not stop in Mazatlan anyway but I was initially disappointed that it did not.  We are stopping at Acapulco, which has been sketchy for quite awhile, including incidents on the beaches.  Part of my decision to just do a ship's excursion there is because, frankly, it just doesn't seem all that interesting.  If there was something I really wanted to see I would go see it anyway.  I'm getting old now but had foreign adventures that were wildly foolhardy in my youth.  Don't want any trouble these days 🙂

[Travelling2Some]

13 minutes ago, Liljo22 said:

The Cartels are not targeting tourists.  There has been gang violence between gangs which have killed tourists but not gangs purposely attacking tourists.

Dead tourists are always bad for business.  Most of the violence takes place at night and in neighborhoods that are not touristy.  However, the cartels do like to occasionally make a show in order to terrify the authorities and/or extort local businesses and it is possible to get caught in the crossfire at those rare times.  But I do agree with your general point that tourists are not deliberately targeted.

[RocketMan275]

10 hours ago, Liljo22 said:

The Cartels are not targeting tourists.  There has been gang violence between gangs which have killed tourists but not gangs purposely attacking tourists.

True, but I didn't say they were targeting tourists.  I said there were attacks on resorts.

Crossfire can be deadly.

[herbanrenewal]

I usually check state.gov websites to see official US government recommendations

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories/mexico-travel-advisory.html

Being someone who tries to reduce risk I personally won't go exploring with a cab or small group but feel the type of things I like such as beaches and snorkeling with a cruise excursion within my risk category.

[mking8288]

Are things really any different now compared to 2009 ... armed patrol stationed at the Mazatlan cruise terminal ??  What does the U.S. State Dept advisory(s) recommend / caution against ??   We sailed from Los Angeles and lost CNN live news access onboard ... LOL but still managed to keep up with developing news on the go.  

 

It's always good to be street-wise, maintain a low profile and exercise common sense when traveling in unfamiliar places ... certain neighborhoods in Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, District of Columbia, and yes, even New York.  

 

The "violence" didn't stop us from going ashore and joined a local tour that met us just outside the pier. 

 

[ChiefMateJRK]

It's a shame that Mexico is such a big mess.  I don't think anybody is fully in control down there, and that really makes me nervous.  Things can literally change overnight in that type of environment, and an area that never had a problem can become a huge mess tomorrow.  If I can't be comfortable getting off the boat, then why sail there?  Unfortunately, it sounds like Jamaica is in the same boat now.

[sfaaa]

20 hours ago, Laszlo said:

Mexico? That could be a dozen cities here in the US

Drug gangs don't take on the US Army or shoot up airports in US.

[PTC DAWG]

I have never had any issue in Mexico…

[ChiefMateJRK]

1 hour ago, PTC DAWG said:

I have never had any issue in Mexico…

That sounds like "famous last words."  🤣

[Goldconnection]

There in November and December. Felt very safe.

[zzdoug]

4 hours ago, PTC DAWG said:

I have never had any issue in Mexico…

 

3 hours ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

That sounds like "famous last words."  🤣

I haven't had any issues in Mexico either, and I would travel to Mexico, but we are talking about low-probability, high-cost events. Different people have different fears of different risks. For example:  Many people who have never been injured in a car accident wear a seat belt anyway.

 

All risks involved with going on a cruise to Mexico can theoretically be quantified, but almost nobody does balance every possible risk, except maybe an actuary for a travel insurance carrier. And even they can only estimate generalized risks across policyholders and don't have specific information that an individual policyholder might have about their own situation.

 

ETA: on second thought, even insurance companies have to exclude risks from  policies if they can't accurately quantify and/or price them. 

Edited January 9, 2023 by zzdoug

[CILCIANRQTS]

In Cancun now.

Lots of National Guard troops at the airport checking out arriving passengers.

Hotel management person said they are on a higher state of alert right now.
Drug cartels control this country. You just have to hope they settle their differences away from tourist areas.

[weltek]

I commend you for wanting to research an area before booking. 

My personal tolerance tends to be fairly high. The only cruise port I've visited where I had concerns at the time was in Guatemala around 2007. I think all cruise lines still had some concerns about this port, but the Guatemalan government was really working on tourism, and were trying to make it safe. But we still had moderate concerns. We usually explore ports on our own, or hire a driver. For this port, we booked an NCL excursion that didn't go too far afield. 

I would do your own research about any Mexico cruise port you are visiting. Note that when travel advisories are listed, you need to read why and what they advise against to truly get a picture if it's a reasonably safe cruise port. For example,  they often say things like "avoid going into areas with low traffic or at night without a local guide." So, as a cruiser, you are probably only there during the day, and as long at you stay in well populated areas and/or stay with a guide, you'll likely be fine. 

Of course there are exceptions, but those are very rare. As someone said, the violence in Mexico's tourist areas still tends to be cartel vs. cartel, and even the cartels are probably interested in keeping tourism money flowing in, so...

Edited January 9, 2023 by weltek

[ChiefMateJRK]

8 minutes ago, weltek said:

you'll likely be fine

 

8 minutes ago, weltek said:

there are exceptions, but those are very rare

Nevertheless, I don't like those odds.😬

[rockfsh]

State Dept just issued a level 4 advisory for Sinaloa which includes Mazatlan

 

https://mx.usembassy.gov/security-alert-sinaloa-january-07-2023/

[ChiefMateJRK]

11 minutes ago, rockfsh said:

State Dept just issued a level 4 advisory for Sinaloa which includes Mazatlan

 

https://mx.usembassy.gov/security-alert-sinaloa-january-07-2023/

Yikes!!!

[ChiefMateJRK]

On 1/8/2023 at 6:53 AM, mking8288 said:

Are things really any different now compared to 2009 ... armed patrol stationed at the Mazatlan cruise terminal ?? 

Were US citizens being kidnapped then?

On 1/8/2023 at 6:53 AM, mking8288 said:

What does the U.S. State Dept advisory(s) recommend / caution against ??

Apparently, their recommendation is now "do NOT travel."

[Hapreader]

We recently returned from the Mexican Rivera, puerto Vallarta, Cabo & Acapulco.

after reading American Dirt, we considered not getting off the boat in Acapulco.

we ended up taking the ship excursions in all three places & it was fine.  We explored each city & always felt safe.  All tourist areas, so nothing to be worried about.  
The Cartels have made life in these countries miserable for people, as their economy is suffering from reduced tourist visits.

we were on the amazing Bliss which was our favorite ship.

[disneydave]

Having recently returned from the Baja peninsula area personally I would go especially to tourist areas; this is a normal thing that happens from time to time unlike weekends in Chicago....those statistics have become normal. 

[RocketMan275]

From the Wall Street Journal.

 

State Department Issues Warning for Travelers Taking Ubers in Cancún

Tension between taxi drivers and ride-hailing drivers has recently escalated

 

Travelers to some popular Mexican tourist destinations should be cautious when hailing rides from apps due to conflicts between taxi and Uber Technologies Inc. drivers, the U.S. government warned this week.

 

On Monday, the U.S. Embassy and Consulates in Mexico issued a security advisory warning of disputes between drivers for ride-hailing apps and local taxi unions, which have in some cases turned violent. The alert is for the state of Quintana Roo, home to popular resort destinations including Cancún, the Riviera Maya and Tulum.

 

Taxi drivers in the area blocked one of the main roads between the airport and Cancún’s hotel district earlier this week, forcing tourists to walk to the airport or get police escorts, according to the Associated Press.

[carohs]

I don't feel anymore unsafe going to Mexico than I do sending my kids to school. In fact, I probably feel safer going to Mexico. At least there the cartels have a known target: each other. And motivation to keep away from tourism. School shootings are random, tragic, unpredictable, and just all around horrible with the objective seemingly to hurt as many innocent bystanders. Sorry side rant, but I've never felt unsafe visiting any touristy areas during the day. 

[ace2542]

On 1/7/2023 at 10:48 PM, Midsailor said:

Sorry I wasn’t more specific.  I’m concerned about the drug violence such as kidnappings, fires to vehicles, blocked roads as well as related physical injury and death.

Hope to travel to Mexican Riviera.  

Are you also considered to go the village of Midsomer Norton - a real place btw - in case you get hit with a posion arrow or get a church steeple dropped on your head for turning up late in WW2 like in Midsomer Murders on BBC America or is PBS it is airs on? 😱🤣🤣

 

You have got more chance of being hit by lightening than anything happen to you in Mexico. That is all confined to the cities.

[hmorrow]

Stay out of the cartels business. Don’t buy or sell drugs, and you should be fine.

I live in Mexico. Born  in NYC- rather be in Mexico! …..just sayin

[PTC DAWG]

On 1/8/2023 at 6:27 PM, ChiefMateJRK said:

That sounds like "famous last words."  🤣

Just had a great tour in Cozumel..local market, local foods, El Cidral and finally a custom margarita class…8 of us, we used fresh fruit etc to make them..each with our own blender..

Edited January 30, 2023 by PTC DAWG

[HuliHuli]

On 1/7/2023 at 9:51 PM, Liljo22 said:

The Cartels are not targeting tourists.  There has been gang violence between gangs which have killed tourists but not gangs purposely attacking tourists.

Oh wow - That will make your family feel so much better when you get shot that they were not targeting you.  How comforting. 🥴 💀 🐀

Edited January 30, 2023 by HuliHuli
typo