Travel Advisory level 3 - Will Carnival still go?

[V_V]

One of the stops on our itinerary is Ochos Rios and I see that Jamaica is at a Level 3 Travel Advisory (meaning, reconsider travel). 

 

My question is: Will Carnival still go if the Travel Advisory is Level 3?  Should we even bother getting off the ship? I don't usually consider us to be paranoid travelers (we've been to several countries, include Jamaica before, and are mindful of our surroundings, etc.), but this does have me a little nervous. 

 

Is it safe to assume they would skip it if escalated to Level 4?

[blyle]

Only once when they were rioting in Belize were we not allowed to leave the ship.

 

[firefly333]

38 minutes ago, V_V said:

One of the stops on our itinerary is Ochos Rios and I see that Jamaica is at a Level 3 Travel Advisory (meaning, reconsider travel). 

 

My question is: Will Carnival still go if the Travel Advisory is Level 3?  Should we even bother getting off the ship? I don't usually consider us to be paranoid travelers (we've been to several countries, include Jamaica before, and are mindful of our surroundings, etc.), but this does have me a little nervous. 

 

Is it safe to assume they would skip it if escalated to Level 4?

Only of there is a huge fuss from pax will they not go. Royal stopped going to labadee haiti but sneaking back after the fuss died down and scheduled to go back in oct. Level 4.

 

Hasnt Jamaica been level 3 for years, not new. Carnival been stopping there in spite of level 3. As long as pax keep purchasing ships going there they go. Money talks. If YOU dont want to get off in the port, then dont. It's your call. 

[ARcruisin2]

I have to say after reading the advisory, I'd probably stay on the ship. Of course I have already climbed Dunns River falls and rafted the Martha Brae, the go-to excursions. 

 

@firefly333  and how would one do that? do to guest services and have them make note of complaint. I'm guessing all they would do is say it was on the itinerary when you booked. 🤷‍♀️

[V_V]

The last time we went was about 10 years ago and I couldn't tell you what the travel advisory was at that time, lol. We walked all over the place with our kids in tow (11 and 5 at the time) and didn't feel unsafe once. 

 

We'll probably end up getting off the ship and seeing how we feel about the area. More than likely we are going to end up at one of the beaches, so it will probably be a non-issue.

 

Thanks for your feedback. 

[Itchy&Scratchy]

53 minutes ago, V_V said:

The last time we went was about 10 years ago and I couldn't tell you what the travel advisory was at that time, lol.

we were there in Nov 2023, business as usual. Yes, with a kid, and our friends were with us with 2 kids. Didn't feel unsafe at all.

Oh, I have a photo from that day:

 

 

Edited September 5 by Itchy&Scratchy

[starstruck05]

I was just in Jamaica on the Liberty 3 weeks ago. No issues. I would say stick to ship excursions if you are concerned about safety. We walked the few shops in the port area and got back onboard since none of the excursions interested us. That was our maybe 3rd or 4th time in Jamaica and I'm pretty sure the threat level has never been below a 3 at any time.

[Elaine5715]

3 hours ago, ARcruisin2 said:

I have to say after reading the advisory, I'd probably stay on the ship. Of course I have already climbed Dunns River falls and rafted the Martha Brae, the go-to excursions. 

 

@firefly333  and how would one do that? do to guest services and have them make note of complaint. I'm guessing all they would do is say it was on the itinerary when you booked. 🤷‍♀️

I don't think they actually meant to make a phone call. 

[pcvtmom]

We were there in April. My husband was leery of getting off the ship, due to the travel advisory.  But I talked him into using Carnival's transportation to a beach, and the security there was excellent. (We were in Montego Bay, rather than Ocho Rios.) I actually felt safer than previous trips to Jamaica.

[john91498]

Almost all of Mexico is level 3, but carnival still sends ships there every week.

[audcc77]

My refusal to sail western itineraries is not due to safety but more of a personal choice. 
 

I realize that some ports are quite a distance from the cartel or other problems. 
 

My choice is more about not spending my hard earned $$ in areas where you have to walk amongst security carrying guns.  My feeling is that if you can’t get your act together enough to make it relatively enjoyable, then it’s a hard pass for me or anyone I am bringing with me.  

[ChuckF]

Was in Montego Bay in April.  Got off with my golf clubs, found a cab driver and off we went. Made arrangements for him to pick me up when I finished. Everything went fine. No issues.

[jimbo5544]

2 hours ago, john91498 said:

Almost all of Mexico is level 3, but carnival still sends ships there every week.

Like every other cruise line.  Apparently a lot of people visit Mexico.

 

https://roadgenius.com/statistics/tourism/mexico/

[jimbo5544]

2 hours ago, audcc77 said:

My refusal to sail western itineraries is not due to safety but more of a personal choice. 
 

I realize that some ports are quite a distance from the cartel or other problems. 
 

My choice is more about not spending my hard earned $$ in areas where you have to walk amongst security carrying guns.  My feeling is that if you can’t get your act together enough to make it relatively enjoyable, then it’s a hard pass for me or anyone I am bringing with me.  

Life is full of choices

[Mike45LC]

In 2011 (more or less), the cruise lines boycotted Mazatlan due to crimes against tourists.  After a few years, the local gov't and the cruise lines came to an accommodation and port visits to Mazatlan resumed.  (I do not know if the cartels were part of the discussions.  Maybe they agreed to keep their violence among themselves.)   I am not aware of the cruise passengers having been part of this decision.

 

Jamaica could find itself in the same situation.  If the cruise lines decide that Jamaica is too dangerous, they will drop the Jamaican ports.  

[ontheweb]

When we went to Jamaica on a Carnival cruise. we booked the Bob Marley bus excursion. We had a wonderful time, saw a part of Jamaica that tourists usually do not see, and always felt safe.

 

The excursion was from Ochos Rios.

Edited September 5 by ontheweb
added second paragraph

[jimbo5544]

11 minutes ago, Mike45LC said:

In 2011 (more or less), the cruise lines boycotted Mazatlan due to crimes against tourists.  After a few years, the local gov't and the cruise lines came to an accommodation and port visits to Mazatlan resumed.  (I do not know if the cartels were part of the discussions.  Maybe they agreed to keep their violence among themselves.)   I am not aware of the cruise passengers having been part of this decision.

 

Jamaica could find itself in the same situation.  If the cruise lines decide that Jamaica is too dangerous, they will drop the Jamaican ports.  

Apples and Orangutans.   

[vwrestler171]

If the US sent out alerts for their cities like they do other countries, you wouldn't be traveling to many of the homeports to even take a cruise.

[nc762shooter]

Not to mention "feeling" safe and actually being safe can be two completely different things. Almost everything we do in life carries an inherent level of risk and we become comfortable with the ones we do often, like driving. Which for most of us is probably much more dangerous than visiting some of these ports for a few hours LOL.

[ninjacat123]

We used Liberty Tours and felt safe out of Ocho Rios.👍

[jimbo5544]

43 minutes ago, ninjacat123 said:

We used Liberty Tours and felt safe out of Ocho Rios.👍

Despite the views to the contrary, we have traveled to Jamaica many times.  Always into and out of Montego Bay (as opposed to Kingston), and as long as you stay on property or do resort based excursions, you will be fine.  Cannot really comment on Ian Fleming in OR.

Edited September 6 by jimbo5544

[sanger727]

20 hours ago, audcc77 said:

My refusal to sail western itineraries is not due to safety but more of a personal choice. 
 

I realize that some ports are quite a distance from the cartel or other problems. 
 

My choice is more about not spending my hard earned $$ in areas where you have to walk amongst security carrying guns.  My feeling is that if you can’t get your act together enough to make it relatively enjoyable, then it’s a hard pass for me or anyone I am bringing with me.  

 

Does this not apply in the US?  At every large event in Cincinnati we have a contingent of SWAT officers with full gear and rifles at the ready.

[john91498]

Mazatlan, Mexico is a level 4 (Do not travel), but the Panorama still goes there every week. 

 

I've been there several times while the city is a level 4, but never really felt unsafe. Only difference I saw was a lot more military and police presence.

[TxTeach79]

I don't ever recall Jamaica (and several other places) NOT being at a Level 3. Always had a good time there with zero issues, it's a beautiful place. For me, if anything was unstable enough to halt tourism in a tourist destination, I'd probably hear about it in multiple places well before my trip. Don't really look at travel advisory levels. But hey, if it ever happens, I love days on the ship too. To each their own. 

[Jenner9]

On 9/5/2024 at 3:10 PM, pcvtmom said:

We were there in April. My husband was leery of getting off the ship, due to the travel advisory.  But I talked him into using Carnival's transportation to a beach, and the security there was excellent. (We were in Montego Bay, rather than Ocho Rios.) I actually felt safer than previous trips to Jamaica.

Where did you book the Carnival transportation? Was it an excursion that you booked ahead of time?