Princess has started a countdown until Royal Princess arrives at Los Angeles, the first time the ship, or any of its class has been on the US West Coast. It's just 200 days until it arrives (from South America) and begins a spring series of Princess' signature seven-night Mexican Riviera cruises on March 23, 2019.
Details appeared in the September 4 edition of Cruise News Daily.
Showing posts with label Mexico. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mexico. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 4, 2018
Wednesday, December 20, 2017
Mexico, Ahoy!
Another line has decided to try to cultivate the Mexico-sourced market for cruises on the Mexican Riviera. This time it's UK-based Cruise & Maritime Voyages, and they will operate in Mexico as Cruceros Maritimos Vacacionales with the 46,000-ton Magellan, which was originally Carnival's 1985-built Holiday.
The program will begin during the winter of 2019.
The program will begin during the winter of 2019.
The complete story appeared in the December 19 edition of Cruise News Daily.
Tuesday, December 19, 2017
Shore Excursion Bus Crash Kills at Least 12
A tour bus carrying passengers from Celebrity Equinox and Royal Caribbean's Serenade of the Seas flipped on its side this morning on a two-lane highway en route from the port at Costa Maya to the Mayan ruins at Chacchoben, near the village of Mahahual. Twelve people reportedly died (11 passengers and the tour guide) and the other 16 passengers reportedly were injured to some degree.
The complete story appeared in the December 19 edition of Cruise News Daily.
Tuesday, August 22, 2017
And Watch Out for Stray Bullets
The US Department of State today issued a new Travel Advisory for US Citizens going to Mexico.
Two places they have stepped up the cautions are in Baja California Sur (including the cities of Los Cabos and La Paz) and Quintana Roo (including Cancun, Cozumel, Playa del Carmen, Riviera Maya, and Tulum).
Two places they have stepped up the cautions are in Baja California Sur (including the cities of Los Cabos and La Paz) and Quintana Roo (including Cancun, Cozumel, Playa del Carmen, Riviera Maya, and Tulum).
The complete story appeared in the August 22 edition of Cruise News Daily.
Monday, May 22, 2017
Princess Ups Their Game on the Mexican Riviera
The Mexican Riviera is coming back. Cruise lines are beefing up their offerings both in terms of hardware used and in terms of number of sailings. The number of sailings is being boosted, but the real growth seems to be in the hardware.
Princess today announced that during the winter 2018-2019 season, they will have 35 sailings from Los Angeles and San Francisco to Mexico.
The complete story appeared in the May 22 edition of Cruise News Daily.
Princess today announced that during the winter 2018-2019 season, they will have 35 sailings from Los Angeles and San Francisco to Mexico.
The complete story appeared in the May 22 edition of Cruise News Daily.
Thursday, January 26, 2017
Thursday, March 24, 2016
Holland America Expands to Mexico
If Donald Trump is going to build a wall, Holland America is going to give you a way to sail around it. The line announced a 2016-2017 winter schedule to the Mexican Riviera that is expanded from last winter and sails with a larger ship.
Next winter, the 1,916-passenger Westerdam will sail 13 seven-night cruises round trip from San Diego to Mexico. The itinerary calls at Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta. It also has three full days at sea to enjoy all Westerdam has to offer.
The complete story appeared in the March 24 edition of Cruise News Daily.
Next winter, the 1,916-passenger Westerdam will sail 13 seven-night cruises round trip from San Diego to Mexico. The itinerary calls at Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta. It also has three full days at sea to enjoy all Westerdam has to offer.
The complete story appeared in the March 24 edition of Cruise News Daily.
Monday, May 11, 2015
West Mexican Violence Alters Cruise Plans
Violence in western Mexico is growing as the federal government is launching an offensive against the drug cartels resulting in what looks like a war in some locations. Although the violence is limited to only a few instances in Puerto Vallarta, and limited to arson fires at gas stations and bank branches, it is enough of a potential threat to cause several cruise lines to change plans for calls at the city.
Details appeared in the May 11 edition of Cruise News Daily.
Details appeared in the May 11 edition of Cruise News Daily.
Friday, August 9, 2013
Cruise News Daily Headlines for August 9, 2013
* Watch the Sun
Two weeks from now, she’ll be like a new ship. Sun Princess has entered dry dock at the Sembawang shipyard in Singapore for an update that will have a dual purpose.
* Other Things You’ll Want to Know
CND subscribers also read about riding out of town on a rail ... and Cork ready for record..
The complete articles appeared in the e-mail edition of Cruise News Daily delivered to our subscribers.
Two weeks from now, she’ll be like a new ship. Sun Princess has entered dry dock at the Sembawang shipyard in Singapore for an update that will have a dual purpose.
* Other Things You’ll Want to Know
CND subscribers also read about riding out of town on a rail ... and Cork ready for record..
The complete articles appeared in the e-mail edition of Cruise News Daily delivered to our subscribers.
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
Cruise News Daily Headlines for July 31, 2013
* Looking Forward to the End of the Season
The All-Star break has just passed, and that means the baseball season is half over, but there’s a reason to hope this half flies by as fast as the first half. When it’s over that means MSC’s Baseball Greats cruises begin.
And this year, they’re going to be bigger than ever because they will be aboard the giant MSC Divina during its first winter in the Caribbean.
* Other Things You’ll Want to Know
CND subscribers also read about getting them to come to Puerto Rico ... legal resolution ... and the Mexican dip.
The complete articles appeared in the e-mail edition of Cruise News Daily delivered to our subscribers.
The All-Star break has just passed, and that means the baseball season is half over, but there’s a reason to hope this half flies by as fast as the first half. When it’s over that means MSC’s Baseball Greats cruises begin.
And this year, they’re going to be bigger than ever because they will be aboard the giant MSC Divina during its first winter in the Caribbean.
* Other Things You’ll Want to Know
CND subscribers also read about getting them to come to Puerto Rico ... legal resolution ... and the Mexican dip.
The complete articles appeared in the e-mail edition of Cruise News Daily delivered to our subscribers.
Monday, February 27, 2012
Cruise News Daily Headlines for February 27, 2012
* Fire aboard Costa Allegra
A fire broke out this morning (4:39am EST) in Costa Allegra's aft generator room while the ship was sailing about 200 miles southwest of the Seychelles and about 20 miles from Alphonse Island. More
* Carnival Passengers Robbed at Gunpoint in Mexico
Twenty-two passengers ashore from Carnival Splendor in Puerto Vallarta on a Carnival-sponsored shore excursion bus were robbed at gunpoint last Thursday afternoon.
None of the group was hurt, and they all returned to the ship safely. In this CND report we look at the cruise line's interesting reaction to the turn of events in Puerto Vallarta, and why we believe they responded (or not) as they have.
* Crew Member Overboard from Carnival Magic
Carnival Cruise Lines says that a male crew member jumped overboard from Carnival Magic on Saturday evening at approximately 10:35pm (CST) as the ship was en route back
to its home port of Galveston. The ship was reportedly about 100 miles southeast of Galveston at the time.
The complete text of these stories appeared in the CND editions referenced and was sent to subscribers.
A fire broke out this morning (4:39am EST) in Costa Allegra's aft generator room while the ship was sailing about 200 miles southwest of the Seychelles and about 20 miles from Alphonse Island. More
* Carnival Passengers Robbed at Gunpoint in Mexico
Twenty-two passengers ashore from Carnival Splendor in Puerto Vallarta on a Carnival-sponsored shore excursion bus were robbed at gunpoint last Thursday afternoon.
None of the group was hurt, and they all returned to the ship safely. In this CND report we look at the cruise line's interesting reaction to the turn of events in Puerto Vallarta, and why we believe they responded (or not) as they have.
* Crew Member Overboard from Carnival Magic
Carnival Cruise Lines says that a male crew member jumped overboard from Carnival Magic on Saturday evening at approximately 10:35pm (CST) as the ship was en route back
to its home port of Galveston. The ship was reportedly about 100 miles southeast of Galveston at the time.
The complete text of these stories appeared in the CND editions referenced and was sent to subscribers.
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Cancellations Extended for Mexican Ports
Holland America Line is advising passengers that port calls in Mazatlan and Acapulco have been canceled for sailings through March. This affects both Mexican Riviera cruises as well as Panama Canal itineraries.
Virtually all US-based lines suspended calls at the ports due to the potential for violence last winter and extended the revised itineraries through the summer and fall seasons. Most have tentatively left the calls scheduled for this winter season after the first of the year.
Mazatlan, especially, has been on a public relations campaign to convince the industry it is safe to visit the city, even bringing in journalists a few weeks ago to visit, with most saying from their experience in the city it seems very safe. (Most probed no more deeply than asking tourism officials if it was safe to visit Mazatlan, however.) Obviously there is more beneath the surface to prompt Holland America to cancel another series of calls over three months.
Updated 4pm.
The complete appeared in the December 15, 2011, edition of Cruise News Daily.
Virtually all US-based lines suspended calls at the ports due to the potential for violence last winter and extended the revised itineraries through the summer and fall seasons. Most have tentatively left the calls scheduled for this winter season after the first of the year.
Mazatlan, especially, has been on a public relations campaign to convince the industry it is safe to visit the city, even bringing in journalists a few weeks ago to visit, with most saying from their experience in the city it seems very safe. (Most probed no more deeply than asking tourism officials if it was safe to visit Mazatlan, however.) Obviously there is more beneath the surface to prompt Holland America to cancel another series of calls over three months.
Updated 4pm.
The complete appeared in the December 15, 2011, edition of Cruise News Daily.
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.
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