* And October 11 Makes Three
As repairs have continued on Veendam in Quebec today, technicians have determined a complete repair can only be made in dry dock. Unfortunately that process and getting the ship back in position will take longer than seven days, so Holland America is also canceling the October 11 sailing from Quebec to Boston.
* To Be Successful, a Change of Thinking Is Necessary
The contract for the firm that manages the cruise terminal in Mobile is coming up for renewal, and the city has asked for an extension while they consider what they are going to do. From the tone, it sounds more as if the city is considering more of a change of policy regarding the terminal, rather than considering simply changing the firm that will manager it.
No doubt this is going to engender a community-wide discussion. The local newspaper has already started it. The cruise terminal seems to be a hot potato. It hasn’t had a cruise line there regularly since Carnival left in October 2011. The city borrowed $18.6 million in 2008 to build the terminal, and payments on it go on until 2030. So there seems to be a mindset that the city must find another cruise line to occupy the terminal in order to pay the annual bond payment, or the terminal needs to be generating at least enough revenue to make substantial payments.
This thinking needs to change. If it doesn’t, not only will it never be successful in the eyes of the community, but chances are slim the city will ever find a cruise line to occupy it. They may as well stop looking for a cruise line now and convert the building to offices or a banquet hall or something that can easily be rented.
* Star Princess Returning with More Than Passengers
On Saturday, Star Princess will be Princess Cruises’ first ship to return to Cabo San Lucas after Hurricane Odile. When it arrives, in addition to passengers anxious to enjoy the port, it will also be carrying pallets of relief supplies for area residents who are still feeling the storm’s impact.
The complete articles appeared in the e-mail edition of Cruise News Daily delivered to our subscribers.
Showing posts with label Cabo San Lucas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cabo San Lucas. Show all posts
Friday, October 3, 2014
Wednesday, October 1, 2014
Cruise News Daily Headlines for October 1, 2014
* Carnival Set to Return to Cabo
Carnival will return to year round cruising to the Mexican Riviera from Southern California next week. The October 4 sailing from Long Beach will also be the first cruise ship to return to Cabo San Lucas after Hurricane Odile extensively damaged the city. In addition to passengers, Carnival Miracle will be loaded with relief supplies for residents of Cabo.
* More Details on the Fatal Accident aboard Carnival Ecstasy
More details emerged today about the 20-year-old man who fell from the mast aboard Carnival Ecstasy and died as a result of his injuries.
* Other Things You’ll Want to Know
CND subscribers also read about a guilty plea ... what's the matter with Veendam ... and permission to be shipped aboard.
The complete articles appeared in the e-mail edition of Cruise News Daily delivered to our subscribers.
Carnival will return to year round cruising to the Mexican Riviera from Southern California next week. The October 4 sailing from Long Beach will also be the first cruise ship to return to Cabo San Lucas after Hurricane Odile extensively damaged the city. In addition to passengers, Carnival Miracle will be loaded with relief supplies for residents of Cabo.
* More Details on the Fatal Accident aboard Carnival Ecstasy
More details emerged today about the 20-year-old man who fell from the mast aboard Carnival Ecstasy and died as a result of his injuries.
* Other Things You’ll Want to Know
CND subscribers also read about a guilty plea ... what's the matter with Veendam ... and permission to be shipped aboard.
The complete articles appeared in the e-mail edition of Cruise News Daily delivered to our subscribers.
Monday, September 22, 2014
Cruise News Daily Headlines for September 22, 2014
* Quantum of the Seas on the Way to the Seas
Today was another momentous day in Papenburg because Quantum of the Seas left Meyer Werft on its conveyance down the Ems River after a day’s delay due to weather conditions. Photos
* Floating Along
Princess Cruises has been floating along for fifty years, and this year the line is having a number of special celebrations to mark the milestone year. So there’s no more fitting way for them to celebrate their fiftieth year afloat than by having a float in the Rose Parade.
And because the Love Boat TV show has played such a major role in the company’s story, can you think of anything more fitting than to have the six original cast members from the series riding on the float?
* Other Things You’ll Want to KnowCND subscribers also read about skipping Cabo ... and on second thought.
The complete articles appeared in the e-mail edition of Cruise News Daily delivered to our subscribers.
Today was another momentous day in Papenburg because Quantum of the Seas left Meyer Werft on its conveyance down the Ems River after a day’s delay due to weather conditions. Photos
* Floating Along
Princess Cruises has been floating along for fifty years, and this year the line is having a number of special celebrations to mark the milestone year. So there’s no more fitting way for them to celebrate their fiftieth year afloat than by having a float in the Rose Parade.
And because the Love Boat TV show has played such a major role in the company’s story, can you think of anything more fitting than to have the six original cast members from the series riding on the float?
* Other Things You’ll Want to KnowCND subscribers also read about skipping Cabo ... and on second thought.
The complete articles appeared in the e-mail edition of Cruise News Daily delivered to our subscribers.
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Just When You Thought It Was Safe to Go Back to Mexico
At the end of October we reported a sizable gunfight in Cabo San Lucas, previously thought by cruise lines to be isolated from the violence that's plagued other Mexican port cities on the west coast. As it turns out, just a couple days later there was a well-organized daylight armed robbery of an upscale jewelry store virtually across the street from the cruise ship pier in Puerto Vallarta - in the early afternoon while Holland America passengers were coming and going to their ship across the street.
Neither of these incidents directly targeted cruise passengers, nor were any directly involved, but these are the types of incidents which worry cruise lines and have caused them to cancel calls, because the violence could easily involve cruise passengers who happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
In this case, the robbery was in the GAD jewelry store in the exclusive Plaza Galerias. A large number of Holland America passengers were reported to be in the square adjacent to the shopping mall at the time of the robbery. Reports say that two armed robbers stood guard at the door of the store while four more moved quickly through the crowded store to the more expensive jewelry, clearly knowing what they wanted and where it was. There were no shots fired, but the store manager was beaten severely in the head with a pistol by one of the men. The robbers told employees not to call the police, or they would return and extract revenge.
At the end of the robbery, all six men fled in different directions. There was reported to be a large police presence outside the mall. If they had been informed, and a gun battle broke out, the Holland America passengers in the square probably would have been involved.
The November 1 incident was brought to our attention by a reader who saw a single article about the robbery in a local Puerto Vallarta newspaper.
Cruise lines again are probably considering the situation. Holland America and Carnival continue to call at Puerto Vallarta. Princess suspended calls, but has signaled their intention to return during the winter season. Disney has also returned for the winter season.
Ports along the west coast seem to be in full damage control mode lately, stressing that the extremely violent incidents Americans are hearing about in the news are far away from their ports. If the subject of violence in their cities comes up, they tell you that there were only a few incidents which involved tourists and they were just minor
street crimes. Never mind the ones that happened to local citizens who weren't tourists.
A couple of weeks ago, Mazatlan organized a large press trip to show how much the city has to offer, and reassure media about the safety. They only seemed to invite people whom they knew would write positive articles and not ask probing questions.
In one interview resulting from that trip, the person from the tourist board said there had only been a couple of minor incidents "targeting" tourists, and he went into detail describing two street crimes. The interviewer never
brought up the widely-reported incident when a Canadian tourist (not a cruise passenger) was killed by gunfire in
the parking lot of his Gold Zone hotel when the target of a drug-related execution ran and the rival gang sprayed the area with automatic weapon fire trying to hit the fleeing man. It was true that the tourist wasn't a target, but it also certainly wasn't a "minor street crime."
In another interview from that same trip, another reporter talked about how he "didn't feel unsafe." But then again with the way these incidents pop up and then disappear quickly, one wouldn't feel unsafe. In the recent Cabo San Lucas incident at a shopping mall, there was no inkling of trouble until the armed men, who were apparently hiding out from police in the parking lot were spotted by police and opened fire with AK-47's. Police returned fire, but it quickly stopped as the men fled into the mall, and shoppers were pinned down for hours, not wanting to come out while police searched, in case the gunfire would erupt again.
That same reporter who felt safe, also reported on the safety of the cruise port and interviewed the port manager. They talked about the 20-foot walls around the port, the guard tower, and the way tour buses can drive right up to the cruise ships so passengers never have to walk outside the port. The reporter never asked the obvious questions about if Mazatlan is so safe, why the port felt it necessary to build 20-foot walls around the port so most cruise passengers won't be exposed to the area around the port.
The Cabo San Lucas and Puerto Vallarta incidents seem to demonstrate that this "pop up" violence is spreading in Mexico, and can crop up even in areas thought to be "safe." The Puerto Vallarta incident especially is an example of the type of violence that cruise lines have feared most.
With the 2011-2012 winter season just beginning, and most cruise lines beginning to relax and return to their established Mexican Riviera itineraries, it's going to be interesting to see how the cruise lines respond.
The original article appeared in the November 28, 2011, edition of Cruise News Daily.
Neither of these incidents directly targeted cruise passengers, nor were any directly involved, but these are the types of incidents which worry cruise lines and have caused them to cancel calls, because the violence could easily involve cruise passengers who happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
In this case, the robbery was in the GAD jewelry store in the exclusive Plaza Galerias. A large number of Holland America passengers were reported to be in the square adjacent to the shopping mall at the time of the robbery. Reports say that two armed robbers stood guard at the door of the store while four more moved quickly through the crowded store to the more expensive jewelry, clearly knowing what they wanted and where it was. There were no shots fired, but the store manager was beaten severely in the head with a pistol by one of the men. The robbers told employees not to call the police, or they would return and extract revenge.
At the end of the robbery, all six men fled in different directions. There was reported to be a large police presence outside the mall. If they had been informed, and a gun battle broke out, the Holland America passengers in the square probably would have been involved.
The November 1 incident was brought to our attention by a reader who saw a single article about the robbery in a local Puerto Vallarta newspaper.
Cruise lines again are probably considering the situation. Holland America and Carnival continue to call at Puerto Vallarta. Princess suspended calls, but has signaled their intention to return during the winter season. Disney has also returned for the winter season.
Ports along the west coast seem to be in full damage control mode lately, stressing that the extremely violent incidents Americans are hearing about in the news are far away from their ports. If the subject of violence in their cities comes up, they tell you that there were only a few incidents which involved tourists and they were just minor
street crimes. Never mind the ones that happened to local citizens who weren't tourists.
A couple of weeks ago, Mazatlan organized a large press trip to show how much the city has to offer, and reassure media about the safety. They only seemed to invite people whom they knew would write positive articles and not ask probing questions.
In one interview resulting from that trip, the person from the tourist board said there had only been a couple of minor incidents "targeting" tourists, and he went into detail describing two street crimes. The interviewer never
brought up the widely-reported incident when a Canadian tourist (not a cruise passenger) was killed by gunfire in
the parking lot of his Gold Zone hotel when the target of a drug-related execution ran and the rival gang sprayed the area with automatic weapon fire trying to hit the fleeing man. It was true that the tourist wasn't a target, but it also certainly wasn't a "minor street crime."
In another interview from that same trip, another reporter talked about how he "didn't feel unsafe." But then again with the way these incidents pop up and then disappear quickly, one wouldn't feel unsafe. In the recent Cabo San Lucas incident at a shopping mall, there was no inkling of trouble until the armed men, who were apparently hiding out from police in the parking lot were spotted by police and opened fire with AK-47's. Police returned fire, but it quickly stopped as the men fled into the mall, and shoppers were pinned down for hours, not wanting to come out while police searched, in case the gunfire would erupt again.
That same reporter who felt safe, also reported on the safety of the cruise port and interviewed the port manager. They talked about the 20-foot walls around the port, the guard tower, and the way tour buses can drive right up to the cruise ships so passengers never have to walk outside the port. The reporter never asked the obvious questions about if Mazatlan is so safe, why the port felt it necessary to build 20-foot walls around the port so most cruise passengers won't be exposed to the area around the port.
The Cabo San Lucas and Puerto Vallarta incidents seem to demonstrate that this "pop up" violence is spreading in Mexico, and can crop up even in areas thought to be "safe." The Puerto Vallarta incident especially is an example of the type of violence that cruise lines have feared most.
With the 2011-2012 winter season just beginning, and most cruise lines beginning to relax and return to their established Mexican Riviera itineraries, it's going to be interesting to see how the cruise lines respond.
The original article appeared in the November 28, 2011, edition of Cruise News Daily.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Cabo San Lucas Escapes Major Damage from Jimena
The eye of Hurricane Jimena has passed to the west of the popular port city of Cabo San Lucas, but the city still experienced strong winds, rain and heavy surf.
The tourist board at Los Cabos says that Cabo San Lucas escaped major damage, and the area is again open for business. (The airport has already reopened.) There was no known damage to the hotels and tourist attractions. Storm debris (palm branches and such) does litter the streets, but it should be cleaned up very quickly.
At this point, cruise lines haven't officially announced their returns, but it's expected that they will return with their next regularly scheduled calls.
The tourist board at Los Cabos says that Cabo San Lucas escaped major damage, and the area is again open for business. (The airport has already reopened.) There was no known damage to the hotels and tourist attractions. Storm debris (palm branches and such) does litter the streets, but it should be cleaned up very quickly.
At this point, cruise lines haven't officially announced their returns, but it's expected that they will return with their next regularly scheduled calls.
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