Unofficial/Official Mazatlan-Manzanilla word just in!!!

[IRL_Joanie]

I just got off the phone (after reading one of our Roll Call Posts) and called HAL's Shore Excursions office at: 888-425-9376, again...

They have JUST this morning received an email stating that all future Mazatlan Port of calls are being rerouted to another port. Unknown at this time as to where, will depend upon what they can get together ASAP. We should be notified via email/TA's in the next week or so.

The Rep said that the date & time of the Port of Call should remain the same, just the destination will change.

I specifically asked if Mazatlan will definitely be replaced with Manzanilla and she said it depends upon a few things like what they can get put together quickly, etc., etc.,...

Also, for those of you who have friends or family going this Saturday, they will be notified on board the ship and Shore Excursions on board will be able to assist with new plans.

I asked iff I could post this on Cruise Critic and she stated it is Unofficially/Official......

Joanie

[erewhon]

Thank you for the information.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Thanks for the information.

We went through the same thing last fall with Falmoth in Jamaica not being ready to accept cruise ships and HAL kept saying -- yes the ship will go there -- and no it will not go there. And then some of the cruises went to Ocho Rios and others went to Montego Bay.

Personally -- we were at Manzanillo a number of years ago -- very nice, small port. Everyone was very friendly.

[lorekauf]

Thanks for the info. I hope it's true. HAL has a long history of giving out incorrect info. Either way, I'll be fine with it.

[startwin]

I feel bad for people who have booked private excursions in Mazatlan, and the tour people there. I think it's a knee-jerk reaction quite honestly. Been to Mazatlan several times and felt no less safe there than anywhere else in N. America.

Hopefully they will post something on the Holland America website if it is, indeed, true.

[CowPrincess]

I feel bad for people who have booked private excursions in Mazatlan, and the tour people there. I think it's a knee-jerk reaction quite honestly. Been to Mazatlan several times and felt no less safe there than anywhere else in N. America.

Hopefully they will post something on the Holland America website if it is, indeed, true.

I'm with you startwin on feeling bad for the people in Mazatlan -- Randi, Frank, all the rest who rely on tourism. And the folks on Stone Island.

We will be sorry to miss Stone Island. Just want to reiterate, in case it makes any difference :D -- DH and I are voting that we get to go to La Paz if we are not going to Mazatlan!

[IRL_Joanie]

Thanks for the info. I hope it's true. HAL has a long history of giving out incorrect info. Either way, I'll be fine with it.

My HAL PCC just called about 1/2 hour ago and confirmed it. She said this is not the first time that they and the Shore Excursion people are told last minute.

She has some ideas of where the new ports will be, but sais she could not give me the details until they are confirmed with the Ports themselves etc.

So for all, keep checking with your TA, PCC or emails, and check your phone voice mails.

She also said she had no idea how long this diversion of ports would last..... Of course, I do not think any of us can guess that:)

Joanie

[casavaha]

Everybody loses because of this change. Mazatlan is a great port for tourists. They
have all the infrastructure.

Spending 2 days in Cabo (if that is what is planned) is another mistake. Go to
La Paz. Stay 2 days in PV is also better.

I think these knee-reactions are a big mistake.

Greg

[CowPrincess]

Everybody loses because of this change. Mazatlan is a great port for tourists. They
have all the infrastructure.

Spending 2 days in Cabo (if that is what is planned) is another mistake. Go to
La Paz. Stay 2 days in PV is also better.

I think these knee-reactions are a big mistake.

Greg


Casavaha, on our only trip to Cabo, we were totally unimpressed with it. I'd be even more unimpressed if we ended up spending 2 days there -- I have no idea what we'd do -- maybe just stay onboard? :)

For us, on the Sea of Cortez itin, it would make economic sense to go to La Paz -- much less fuel required (I'd suspect) to get us there than to take us to Manzanillo.

[solocanadian]

I just got off the phone (after reading one of our Roll Call Posts) and called HAL's Shore Excursions office at: 888-425-9376, again...

They have JUST this morning received an email stating that all future Mazatlan Port of calls are being rerouted to another port. Unknown at this time as to where, will depend upon what they can get together ASAP. We should be notified via email/TA's in the next week or so.

The Rep said that the date & time of the Port of Call should remain the same, just the destination will change.

I specifically asked if Mazatlan will definitely be replaced with Manzanilla and she said it depends upon a few things like what they can get put together quickly, etc., etc.,...

Also, for those of you who have friends or family going this Saturday, they will be notified on board the ship and Shore Excursions on board will be able to assist with new plans.

I asked iff I could post this on Cruise Critic and she stated it is Unofficially/Official......

Joanie
Thanks for update Joanie. Guess we will just have to wait & see what HAL can arrange - not a quick & easy job IMO. Last April our docking at La Paz was cancelled due to something or other. Even the local Baha Ferry was just sitting out at sea waiting. The sea didn't appear rough to me, however we sailed around in a big circle for approx. 1/2 hour and then left the area - one missed port on that 14 day cruise. I'd be willing to chance La Paz again because it is a beautiful place. Never been to Manzanillo but it doesn't look that convenient to cruise passengers.

[igraf]

HAL can't win. If they react quickly then it is a knee-jerk reaction. If they react slowly then they are putting profits before safety.

I enjoyed my day in Mazatlan on my last cruise, though we could have done without the "Hey Amigo!" timeshare salesmen yelling at us in the terminal.

My vote would be for three different stops.

igraf




Everybody loses because of this change. Mazatlan is a great port for tourists. They
have all the infrastructure.

Spending 2 days in Cabo (if that is what is planned) is another mistake. Go to
La Paz. Stay 2 days in PV is also better.

I think these knee-reactions are a big mistake.

Greg

[SJSULIBRARIAN]

Don't know if HAL will substitute La Paz for Mazatlan. When we were on a Sea of Cortez cruise last spring, after stopping at La Paz, the passenger gossip was that HAL would not be going to La Paz after that year as the port fees were just too high. Could be false, could be true but in looking at the itineraries this year, I do not see La Paz as a stop.

Barbara

[Okie1946]

I spoke with Karen at HAL and she verified with her supervisor that the only change in any cruise routes was to the one that is taking place right now. This was at 10:30 Central Standard Time and the stop at Matzalan is still on for any subsequent cruises.

Really wish all of the CSR's would get on the same page and give out the same information. It would help with the planning of any shore excursions.:confused:

[iamirish]

I love Mazatlan and think it is very safe -- two days in Cabo - the MOST Americanized port in Mexico - no way :mad::(:mad::(

I will spend my money somewhere else - maybe I will do one of those “time shares” in Mazatlan that some people complained about. :)

[kkorman]

I love Mazatlan and think it is very safe -- two days in Cabo - the MOST Americanized port in Mexico - no way :mad::(:mad::(


I think Cozumel wins that award.

[kkorman]

Everybody loses because of this change. Mazatlan is a great port for tourists. They
have all the infrastructure.

Spending 2 days in Cabo (if that is what is planned) is another mistake. Go to
La Paz. Stay 2 days in PV is also better.

I think these knee-reactions are a big mistake.

Greg

Mazatlan is one of my least favorite ports... I was debating on whether we would leave the ship on our port day. Hopefully HAL will take care of this for us. :)

[casavaha]

This is off the subject just a bit. We were coming from FLL on the Statendam, last
week. Our last stop was Cabo. My wife said she would stay on the ship. I said lets
go to San Jose. We checked with the port speaker on board the ship and he told us
that it was $50 per person for a taxi.

I did not believe him, so we got off the ship and as soon as we landed at the tender
dock, we went into the FONATUR office. FONATUR developed Cabo. Anyway, the
person at the desk told us to check with a tour co. at the end of the dock.

The tour desk told us $35 for 3 1/2 hours. We told him we would pay $25 pp. There
were 4 of us. All we wanted to do was go to San Jose.

I cannot say how much we were impressed with this small city. There is one of the
early missions in the Californias. Many narrow streets with very high quality shops and
art galleries.

I wish I had all day here. The next time you have to stop in Cabo, bypass it and go
to San Jose. Only about 25 minutes from Cabo.

Greg

[CowPrincess]

Casavaha, thanks for that info. Is San Jose the same as "San Jose del Cabo"? Most of our shore trips are being planned around "getting outta port" -- this looks like a winner :)

Back on topic: if we are diverted from Maz and end up with 2 days in Cabo, this looks like an excellent idea!

[boaterette]

It is really a shame. It is safer in Matzalan than it is to get off the freeway on the way to the dock in LA. It is one of my favorite ports and the peole are so friendly.

[startwin]

Still no official word, only what Joanie`s person has told her. It doesn`t seem to carry any authority yet.

[lorekauf]

Thanks for update Joanie. Guess we will just have to wait & see what HAL can arrange - not a quick & easy job IMO. Last April our docking at La Paz was cancelled due to something or other. Even the local Baha Ferry was just sitting out at sea waiting. The sea didn't appear rough to me, however we sailed around in a big circle for approx. 1/2 hour and then left the area - one missed port on that 14 day cruise. I'd be willing to chance La Paz again because it is a beautiful place. Never been to Manzanillo but it doesn't look that convenient to cruise passengers.

They cancelled that port that day because of the wind. I don't think there was any secret about it:confused:.

[4634717]

Two More Cruise Lines Cancel Mazatlan Calls; Reports of Increased Violence to Blame

http://www.cruisecritic.co.uk/images/e-letter-icon.png (http://www.cruisecritic.co.uk/newsletter/index.cfm?referral=news-icon)
http://www.cruisecritic.co.uk/images/Mazatlan-Cruise-Port.jpg
(1:45 p.m. EST) -- Holland America (http://www.cruisecritic.co.uk/reviews/cruiseline.cfm?CruiseLineID=21) and Princess Cruises (http://www.cruisecritic.co.uk/reviews/cruiseline.cfm?CruiseLineID=28) have now both canceled calls to Mazatlan (http://www.cruisecritic.co.uk/ports/newport.cfm?ID=58), following the lead of Disney Cruise Line (http://www.cruisecritic.co.uk/reviews/cruiseline.cfm?CruiseLineID=16), which pulled the port (http://www.cruisecritic.co.uk/news/news.cfm?ID=4332) from Disney Wonder (http://www.cruisecritic.co.uk/reviews/review.cfm?ShipID=149)'s seven-night Mexican Riviera sailings indefinitely.

Donaldm, who is currently sailing aboard Sapphire Princess (http://www.cruisecritic.co.uk/reviews/review.cfm?ShipID=300), posted the following this morning on the Cruise Critic boards: "The official announcement says in part: 'There have been recent incidents of violence in the Mazatlan area. As the safety and security of our passengers and crew in our priority, we reviewed our call to Mazatlan with our Security Department shoreside. Based on information provided, Princess Cruises, along with a few other cruise lines made the decision to cancel our call to Mazatlan this week.'"

Sapphire Princess is in the midst of a weeklong cruise in the region. Instead of its previously scheduled half-day call in Cabo on Thursday, the ship will stay for a full-day on Wednesday (when it would have called in Mazatlan) and spend a full day in Ensenada on Thursday.

However, the Princess change may not be permanent. According to line spokeswoman Karen Candy, "We have not made itinerary changes to future Mexican Riviera cruises for Sapphire Princess. Our next Mexican Riviera cruise will depart Los Angeles on February 12, 2011 and we will continue to monitor the situation and communicate any new developments or itinerary change."

Holland America's Oosterdam (http://www.cruisecritic.co.uk/reviews/review.cfm?ShipID=283), which embarked on January 22 for a seven-day Mexico cruise, has replaced today's scheduled port call in Mazatlan with a call in Manzanillo. According to a statement from the line, the change was made "in response to recent incidents of violence in Mazatlan. Discussions will be occurring with local authorities to determine what steps are being taken to address this issue."

Like Princess, Holland America has only confirmed the Mazatlan cancellation for the current sailing. The line said it will make decisions regarding future calls on the basis of developments in Mazatlan and discussions with local authorities.

These changes come in the wake of a string of violent crimes in Mazatlan, including an incident in which a 68-year-old man from British Columbia was shot in the leg (http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Penticton+crossfire+Mazatlan+gangland+execution/4128645/story.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3a+canwest%2fF229+%28Vancouver+S un+-+News) during an alleged gang shooting on January 17. Furthermore, the Mazatlan Messenger (http://mazmessenger.com/), an online newspaper that covers Mazatlan and surrounding areas, reported on Monday that in January alone, "31 people have been killed in violent incidents, three of which occurred last Thursday."

In response to the situation, The Mazatlan Tourism Trust issued a statement calling the incidents extremely rare and the port city "one of the safest destinations in Mexico, legendary for its history, culture and the warm hospitality of its people."

"What other other cities would they pull out if they applied the same rule? Miami, Los Angeles?" asked MTT spokesperson Julio Birrueta. "It's more perception than anything else," he added.

Still, according to Birrueta, authorities have been quick to act, and the Public Safety Ministry designated a special Mazatlan assignment for 120 elite police officers.

"As you know, Mexico has a challenge in what we call the border areas [between Mexico and the United States]," he said. "We're 1,000 miles away, and we're really trying to make sure it doesn't spill into our tourist areas. We don't want the [recent] incidents to happen again."

In the past few months, a string of other cruise lines -- including Royal Caribbean (http://www.cruisecritic.co.uk/reviews/cruiseline.cfm?CruiseLineID=32), Norwegian Cruise Line (http://www.cruisecritic.co.uk/reviews/cruiseline.cfm?CruiseLineID=24) and Carnival Cruise Lines (http://www.cruisecritic.co.uk/reviews/cruiseline.cfm?CruiseLineID=8) -- have announced departures from the region (http://www.cruisecritic.co.uk/news/news.cfm?ID=4015), citing decreased demand, possibly due to health and security concerns.

Carnival and NCL, both of which currently have ships sailing in the region, have not reported any itinerary adjustments. Carnival spokeswoman Jennifer De La Cruz told Cruise Critic Wednesday afternoon that with Carnival Spirit (http://www.cruisecritic.co.uk/reviews/review.cfm?ShipID=176)'s planned Mazatlan call more than a week away, "we are continuing to evaluate the situation but have not made any changes at this time."

We'll be sure to keep you posted with any additional updates.

--by Shayne Rodriguez Thompson, Web Content Producer, and Dan Askin, Associate Editor

[Pam in CA]

I was on a 10-day cruise on the Sapphire Princess a couple of weeks ago and got off in Mazatlan to do some shopping. There were truckloads of heavily-armed soldiers on the road in front of the cruise port.

I'm looking forward to my cruise on the Oosterdam in early April and didn't have any specific plans in any of the ports. To me, the Oosterdam is the destination. I'm fine with wherever HAL decides to send the ship. I'd like to see Manzanilla, or the Sea of Cortez. :)

[Okie1946]

After reading everything and hoping that HAL will not be affected by all of the hysteria that has been associated with the shooting last week, as mentioned earlier - all a person has to do is go to the grocery store in Tuscon, walk down a street in LA, Chicago or New York, drive into the wrong area of town in Miami or accidently drive into the wrong part of Minneapolis (AKA Murderopolis) and get shot. Come on folks - you can walk across the street and get run over by a motor vehicle and wind up just as dead.

Let's not go into panic mode but plan on enjoying the vacation for what it is - a cruise on a beautiful ship with an amazing crew. If we get to go to Matazlan, that will be great, but if we are sent to another port, make the best of it. There will still be a great deal to see and do. I just feel for the majority of the good and decent people who are honest hard working people who will suffer if the ships stop going to Mazatlan.

[stired]

After reading everything and hoping that HAL will not be affected by all of the hysteria that has been associated with the shooting last week, as mentioned earlier - all a person has to do is go to the grocery store in Tuscon, walk down a street in LA, Chicago or New York, drive into the wrong area of town in Miami or accidently drive into the wrong part of Minneapolis (AKA Murderopolis) and get shot. Come on folks - you can walk across the street and get run over by a motor vehicle and wind up just as dead.

Let's not go into panic mode but plan on enjoying the vacation for what it is - a cruise on a beautiful ship with an amazing crew. If we get to go to Matazlan, that will be great, but if we are sent to another port, make the best of it. There will still be a great deal to see and do. I just feel for the majority of the good and decent people who are honest hard working people who will suffer if the ships stop going to Mazatlan.


Agree completely. Any cruise is better than doing dishes at home! :) And I think everyone is overreacting. Ships are still going to Jamaica and that isn't exactly a safe haven either. I intend to enjoy the ship and wherever we go is fine with me.

[sdschwrt]

Agree completely. Any cruise is better than doing dishes at home! :) And I think everyone is overreacting. Ships are still going to Jamaica and that isn't exactly a safe haven either. I intend to enjoy the ship and wherever we go is fine with me.

The ships going to Jamaica are easy to fill without deep discounts on fares. It has been reported that the cruise lines are having difficulty filling their ships to Mexico having to lower fares and thus impact their bottom line. According to the Mazatlan port authorities, port fees in Mazatlan are the highest of the ports visited and significant fuel savings will be realized by not going to Mazatlan.

Is pulling out of Mazatlan out of concern for the bottom line rather than concern for safety?

[DMAB]

The ships going to Jamaica are easy to fill without deep discounts on fares. It has been reported that the cruise lines are having difficulty filling their ships to Mexico having to lower fares and thus impact their bottom line. According to the Mazatlan port authorities, port fees in Mazatlan are the highest of the ports visited and significant fuel savings will be realized by not going to Mazatlan.

Is pulling out of Mazatlan out of concern for the bottom line rather than concern for safety?

I wouldn't rule out this having something to do with negotiating port fees, but
going to Manzanillo takes more fuel than Mazatlan.

If the real problem is that they are having trouble filling their ships on the Mexican Riviera run, then one answer is fewer ships because the prices are already low. Carnival owns Princess and HAL and between the three they have the majority of the Mex Riviera business so the head clown at Carnival could pull one or two of of the 3 out of the Mex Riviera and make cabins scarcer if that's the problem.

I think the problem is a bigger one, a world wide excess of cabins in a slow economy. If the cruise lines had places to run their ships that made them more money then the Mex Riviera the ships would be there now.

[solocanadian]

This is off the subject just a bit. We were coming from FLL on the Statendam, last
week. Our last stop was Cabo. My wife said she would stay on the ship. I said lets
go to San Jose. We checked with the port speaker on board the ship and he told us
that it was $50 per person for a taxi.

I did not believe him, so we got off the ship and as soon as we landed at the tender
dock, we went into the FONATUR office. FONATUR developed Cabo. Anyway, the
person at the desk told us to check with a tour co. at the end of the dock.

The tour desk told us $35 for 3 1/2 hours. We told him we would pay $25 pp. There
were 4 of us. All we wanted to do was go to San Jose.

I cannot say how much we were impressed with this small city. There is one of the
early missions in the Californias. Many narrow streets with very high quality shops and
art galleries.

I wish I had all day here. The next time you have to stop in Cabo, bypass it and go
to San Jose. Only about 25 minutes from Cabo.

Greg
Greg: was that $100 for a round trip? In other words did the taxi wait to take you back to Cabo dock?

[GeriatricNurse]

Casavaha, on our only trip to Cabo, we were totally unimpressed with it. I'd be even more unimpressed if we ended up spending 2 days there -- I have no idea what we'd do -- maybe just stay onboard? :)

For us, on the Sea of Cortez itin, it would make economic sense to go to La Paz -- much less fuel required (I'd suspect) to get us there than to take us to Manzanillo.

Also, Cabo being a tender port, is usually a very rough tender! The water is quite choppy & the tendering seems to take forever! I too, was totally unimpressed with Cabo & I would definately remain on board for any future port of call there!:)

[IRL_Joanie]

Off topic only for a second to say that I will be AFKB (Away From the Keyboard) for a day or so as my 9 year old baby girl, shipperke had to have an Enucleation of her left eye (total removal) yesterday and she is not dealing well with her pain and fentonal patch.

Sorry to hijack the thread but needed to let you all know so you can answers questions etc for me. And, I did not want to start a new thread on the main boards.

Joanie

[CowPrincess]

It would be really nice if HAL put something on their web pages. Even if it was only "We are currently evaluating the situation" or similar. Something. Anything.

Offtopic: Sorry to hear about your pooch, IRL_Joanie. Best wishes for her and for you as caregiver. If the patch is not working, talk to the vet. Not everyone can use transdermal meds.

Back on topic: I don't really think anyone in this thread is overreacting. We are wondering what is going on, and where we will be going.

[sapper1]

Thanks for update Joanie. Guess we will just have to wait & see what HAL can arrange - not a quick & easy job IMO. Last April our docking at La Paz was cancelled due to something or other. Even the local Baha Ferry was just sitting out at sea waiting. The sea didn't appear rough to me, however we sailed around in a big circle for approx. 1/2 hour and then left the area - one missed port on that 14 day cruise. I'd be willing to chance La Paz again because it is a beautiful place. Never been to Manzanillo but it doesn't look that convenient to cruise passengers.

Don't you remember? The captain made an announcement in the morning regarding the high winds and the problem of entering the harbour with high windage. You must be a sound sleeper and didn't hear it.:)
Anyway, our missed port was due to danger from nature, not from any man-made threat.

[sapper1]

I was on a 10-day cruise on the Sapphire Princess a couple of weeks ago and got off in Mazatlan to do some shopping. There were truckloads of heavily-armed soldiers on the road in front of the cruise port.

I'm looking forward to my cruise on the Oosterdam in early April and didn't have any specific plans in any of the ports. To me, the Oosterdam is the destination. I'm fine with wherever HAL decides to send the ship. I'd like to see Manzanilla, or the Sea of Cortez. :)
They were all over the dock area last April as well as being spread around the shopping area we visited. They don't exactly give you a warm fuzzy feeling about being there.

[Himself]

This is a case of HAL putting the safety of the passengers first. Unfortunatly the port in question--I was there a little over ten years ago--has become dangerous and this type or these types of icidents will eventually kill business at this port.

[HuskerCruizer]

I have been to Mazatlan several times and I have never been impressed I hope they just skip it. I am going on March 7 and I would love to go to somewhere else

[solocanadian]

Don't you remember? The captain made an announcement in the morning regarding the high winds and the problem of entering the harbour with high windage. You must be a sound sleeper and didn't hear it.:)
Anyway, our missed port was due to danger from nature, not from any man-made threat.
Sapper: I didn't miss the announcement, just sat on my balcony on deck 7 and asked myself what wind! Even the waves didn't look that big and the ship wasn't pitching. I wan't annoyed - just dismayed.

[sapper1]

Sapper: I didn't miss the announcement, just sat on my balcony on deck 7 and asked myself what wind! Even the waves didn't look that big and the ship wasn't pitching. I wan't annoyed - just dismayed.
There doesn't have to be any wave activity at all to make passage through a narrow channel in high wind unsafe. The high sides of the cruise ships catch the wind and they are pushed sideways as they try to go forward. Not such a good thing when the channel is narrow. If the wind is coming off the land there will not be much wave activity close to shore because there is just not enough fetch to build up the waves to any size.

Even when we used to sail in much smaller boats than cruise ships, I used to be amazed at the power of the wind and currents.

[Okie1946]

I have been following this thread with a great deal of interest as our cruise on the Oosterdam (sailing April 9th out of San Diego) is our very first one to Mexico. My husband and I have been looking forward to it with a great deal of anticipation. I really hate to see any port of call being cancelled because of community violence.

I am currently watching the early local news and just heard about the SHOOTER of a 12 year old girl (who is paralyazed because of the shooting) had just been arrested. This child was an innocent and was caught between two gangs fighting over "turf". This occurred in the middle of the United States. I am hearing about more and more violence taking place withing this country. Why all of a sudden are we all up in arms about what is going on in another nation, when we have SO muchgoing on within our own countries. L

Like I said in an earlier posting - the ones who are going to suffer the most from the cruise ships pulling out of these ports is NOT the cruise lines but the decent, hardworking people who live there and earn their livings from the tourist trade. The cruise ships companies won't lose any thing from it, all the passengers who stay on board will be spending their money on board ship. It is a win/win situation for them.

Anyway, that is my two cents worth. Myself, I was looking forward to seeing Matzalon and all of the history of the region. This would have been a totally new experience for us.

[luvcruisn']

There is a city bus that runs from Cabo to San Jose del Cabo. Costs very little, and buses run frequently from one city to the other.

[diamond blue]

Casavaha, thanks for that info. Is San Jose the same as "San Jose del Cabo"? Most of our shore trips are being planned around "getting outta port" -- this looks like a winner :)

Back on topic: if we are diverted from Maz and end up with 2 days in Cabo, this looks like an excellent idea!

We were just on the Osterdam from 15th to 22nd, doing the P.V., Maz., Cabo route. In P.V. we hooked up with a van driver that charged us a flat rate for the day & we had a great tour around. When we got to Mazatlan, there was a van driver waving a sign with hubbys name on it & he gave us a great tour as well. Then in Cabo, yet another van driver holding up a sign for us & took us to the other town, the other side of the airport & very much enjoyed it. The area was quiet, lots of shops & places to eat, great beaches along the way & felt very safe. The driver in Cabo even stayed with us until I was able to locate a store near the pier that I needed to pick something up from. We were also in the last 2 port, shown good bathrooms to use & other things that one should know. Would recommend any of the fellows we had to anyone. They all spoke perfect english, had a map to show us the route they would take & because it was a flat rate, we could go off for awhile on our own to do some shopping. Had lunch with friends wintering in Maz. & they said there had been 25 murders already this year.

[lorekauf]

I have been following this thread with a great deal of interest as our cruise on the Oosterdam (sailing April 9th out of San Diego) is our very first one to Mexico. My husband and I have been looking forward to it with a great deal of anticipation. I really hate to see any port of call being cancelled because of community violence.

I am currently watching the early local news and just heard about the SHOOTER of a 12 year old girl (who is paralyazed because of the shooting) had just been arrested. This child was an innocent and was caught between two gangs fighting over "turf". This occurred in the middle of the United States. I am hearing about more and more violence taking place withing this country. Why all of a sudden are we all up in arms about what is going on in another nation, when we have SO muchgoing on within our own countries. L

Like I said in an earlier posting - the ones who are going to suffer the most from the cruise ships pulling out of these ports is NOT the cruise lines but the decent, hardworking people who live there and earn their livings from the tourist trade. The cruise ships companies won't lose any thing from it, all the passengers who stay on board will be spending their money on board ship. It is a win/win situation for them.

Anyway, that is my two cents worth. Myself, I was looking forward to seeing Matzalon and all of the history of the region. This would have been a totally new experience for us.
So true. So many people seem to have amnesia when it comes to the violence in their own country. I'm no more afraid in Mexico then I am in Calgary. It a wonder that people leave their house when their so afraid of everything. I feel sorry for the locals.

[kkorman]

Here are my thoughts... when I am on vacation, I do not want to have to worry about accidentally getting hit by a bullet. I am aware that in my home town there is crime, but I am also familiar with what areas the crime is in and can choose not o go in them. I know enough to not go off the beaten track in Mazatlan... but wasn't the passenger in question was hit in the Golden Zone.

[lorekauf]

Here are my thoughts... when I am on vacation, I do not want to have to worry about accidentally getting hit by a bullet. I am aware that in my home town there is crime, but I am also familiar with what areas the crime is in and can choose not o go in them. I know enough to not go off the beaten track in Mazatlan... but wasn't the passenger in question was hit in the Golden Zone.
Lucky you that you can predict where crime is going to happen in your city. In Calgary an innocent bystander got shot and lost his eyesight in downtown Calgary. It was not considered a bad part of town. Again, I gang member got killed across the street from my parents house....again not in a bad area. That's excellent that your crime only takes place in the "bad" areas of town.

[CharlesOK]

For those who like to point out that there unsafe areas in our own country, nod we should all not be so quick to pull out of places that have had 31 murders since January. I am retired military and used to go to dangerous places for a living. I can only speak for myself of course, but, I do not spend my holiday money going to places like Detroit or Down-town LA. People don't want to spend their time looking at there surroundings for possible gang thugs. Darn shame, but there it is. If they feel threatened, they vote with their wallets and their feet. Natural response I believe! I do have a dog in this hunt, We board Oosterdam tomorrow AM. Might not even leave the boat, won't bother me 1 bit. This Spring when we go Trans-Atlantic, I don't plan on getting off for the first week or so either. LOL

[kkorman]

Lucky you that you can predict where crime is going to happen in your city. In Calgary an innocent bystander got shot and lost his eyesight in downtown Calgary. It was not considered a bad part of town. Again, I gang member got killed across the street from my parents house....again not in a bad area. That's excellent that your crime only takes place in the "bad" areas of town.

Correct me if I am wrong, but this gentleman that was shot was not affiliated with any gang. There in lies my point. When the gang crime pours over to the tourist areas, that is when a cruise line should stop going to this port.

As CharlesOK has said, you can usually figure out where the bad parts of your town is... I in no way said that all crime happens in these areas.

[lorekauf]

Correct me if I am wrong, but this gentleman that was shot was not affiliated with any gang. There in lies my point. When the gang crime pours over to the tourist areas, that is when a cruise line should stop going to this port.

As CharlesOK has said, you can usually figure out where the bad parts of your town is... I in no way said that all crime happens in these areas.

There has been lots of crime in the Caribbean and ships still go there.........

[mtiffany24]

I took my two grandchildren to Alaska this June and decided to take the city bus to the port where HAL's Amsterdam was docked in Seattle. It was a short walk over a bridge to the ship but I didn't know it was in a very bad neighborhood. As we were approaching a pathway that seemed to lead to the ship a man came out and warned us not to go down that way as drug dealers were present!!! Needless to say we took a taxi on the return trip! So even in the good old USA.

[kkorman]

There has been lots of crime in the Caribbean and ships still go there.........

While there is some violent crime in the Caribbean, most is nonviolent (theft, ect.) When there was a recent murder in St. Kitts, cruise lines temporarily suspended their calls there.

The problem with Mazatlan (and a lot fo Mexico) is that the situation is not in hand. The perception of what is happening in Mexico if causing people to not want to go there. This drives prices on cruises to Mexico way down. It is better for a cruise line to react the way Carnival Corp has reacted to the situation or it will only further drive down prices.

[cruisin'mama]

Just off the Oosterdam this morning. We were advised a couple of days into our cruise that we would be skipping Mazatlan and going to Manzanillo instead. Also our itinerary changed. We went to Cabo first, PV second ( and arriving later than originally planned ) and ended in Manzanillo. I had to try to call to call the independent vendor for our tour in PV and the reception from the ship was awful!!!! We were able to change our tour to a later time but it took about 15 minutes of cell phone time for us to be understood due to the poor connection. The shore excursion desk had almost no info on Manzanillo available for the first couple of days. We ended up just "winging it" and got off the ship and booked a $10 pp round-trip to the beach with a private vendor right by the ship. They took us to a beach about 45 minutes away. There were little restaurants with their tables and chairs set out to be rented. It was just about $2 pp. There were local hawkers, but one no thank you was enough to make them move on. The waves were fairly strong and boogie boards could be rented. ( Didn't do it so I don't know how much they were.) Also saw someone rent a sea-doo. It was an ok day, but missed out on Randi's Happy Horses!

[CowPrincess]

cruisin'mama, thanks for the report on Manzanillo! Sorry you went through so much rearranging things in the other ports.

[tjcletsgo]

Here are my thoughts... when I am on vacation, I do not want to have to worry about accidentally getting hit by a bullet. I am aware that in my home town there is crime, but I am also familiar with what areas the crime is in and can choose not o go in them. I know enough to not go off the beaten track in Mazatlan... but wasn't the passenger in question was hit in the Golden Zone.

Wow, my sentiments exactly! I know that there are gang shootings in LA, and I don't go there!

[DMAB]

Cruisin',

Thanks for the info. Do you remember your arrival and departure times at Cabo SL and Puerto Vallarta? We have a 9:30AM whale watch trip planned for PV, looks like I will need to change that if HAL sticks with their timid approach.

[rick160158]

Correct me if I am wrong, but this gentleman that was shot was not affiliated with any gang. There in lies my point. When the gang crime pours over to the tourist areas, that is when a cruise line should stop going to this port.

As CharlesOK has said, you can usually figure out where the bad parts of your town is... I in no way said that all crime happens in these areas.
The newspaper has it that the tourist, a 60 year old male was walking out of the drugstore. The target was a 25 year old who was close to the 60 year old. They riddled the 25 year old with bullets and the tourist was hit with a stray bullet to his leg.

[cruisin'mama]

Cruisin',

Thanks for the info. Do you remember your arrival and departure times at Cabo SL and Puerto Vallarta? We have a 9:30AM whale watch trip planned for PV, looks like I will need to change that if HAL sticks with their timid approach.


Yes, I do. When the Captain's message came piped in to the cabin to make the announcement about the changes, I grabbed a pen and scribbled down the info on the back of my book. So our times were: Cabo 10am-5pm PV 10am-8pm and Manzanillo 8am-5pm.

Whether or not it stays the same is anyone's guess, but I hope this helps you for now.

[DMAB]

Yes, I do. When the Captain's message came piped in to the cabin to make the announcement about the changes, I grabbed a pen and scribbled down the info on the back of my book. So our times were: Cabo 10am-5pm PV 10am-8pm and Manzanillo 8am-5pm.

Whether or not it stays the same is anyone's guess, but I hope this helps you for now.

Thank you.

I did just see on vesseltracker.com that the Oosterdam is headed directly for PV on the 29 Jan trip. Go figure. They are either back to the original route or trying "Plan C" :D

[lorekauf]

Yes, I do. When the Captain's message came piped in to the cabin to make the announcement about the changes, I grabbed a pen and scribbled down the info on the back of my book. So our times were: Cabo 10am-5pm PV 10am-8pm and Manzanillo 8am-5pm.

Whether or not it stays the same is anyone's guess, but I hope this helps you for now.
Thanks for the info. I just asked this on another thread:).

[Northshorecruisers]

I've not explored Mazatlan much, but wasn't really impressed with the little I saw. I wouldn't mind spending an overnight in Cabo or PV, as I really want to see more out areas that these two ports have to offer.

I don't blame HAL for pulling Mazatlan, but I do feel bad for all the very, very nice people there that rely on tourist dollars to make their living. If HAL continued to visit this port and a passenger was attacked or killed - all you would hear is that HAL knew of the dangers and did nothing.

I'm sure the main focus in finding a new port of call for HAL is to see which one will cost them the least to get to, yet reap the most dollars in revenue for HAL. With all these Cruise Centers popping up in ports of call, pax get off the ship, play at the Cruise Center, and funds go straight back to the cruiselines. Not the authentic ports of call I like to visit.

[BruceMuzz]

I just got off the phone (after reading one of our Roll Call Posts) and called HAL's Shore Excursions office at: 888-425-9376, again...

They have JUST this morning received an email stating that all future Mazatlan Port of calls are being rerouted to another port. Unknown at this time as to where, will depend upon what they can get together ASAP. We should be notified via email/TA's in the next week or so.

The Rep said that the date & time of the Port of Call should remain the same, just the destination will change.

I specifically asked if Mazatlan will definitely be replaced with Manzanilla and she said it depends upon a few things like what they can get put together quickly, etc., etc.,...

Also, for those of you who have friends or family going this Saturday, they will be notified on board the ship and Shore Excursions on board will be able to assist with new plans.

I asked iff I could post this on Cruise Critic and she stated it is Unofficially/Official......

Joanie

Manzanilla is a famous type of TEA in Mexico.

Manzanillo is a famous PORT in Mexico

[IRL_Joanie]

Manzanilla is a famous type of TEA in Mexico.

Manzanillo is a famous PORT in Mexico

Thanks Bruce, as you might have guessed by my lack of correct spelling of the city/port, I have no knowledge of the place:) I thought the lady said Manzanilla.

I did a search afterwards for Manzanilla Mexico and discovered that there is a small town about 30 miles from Manzanillo that is called Manzanilla... Wondered if I'd made a mistake and then saw others who posted the corrected name, so did not bother:o

La Manzanilla Costa Alegre Jalisco Mexico.

La Manzanilla is a small fishing village on the Pacific coast of Mexico, one hour north of Manzanillo and three hours south of Puerto Vallarta in the state of Jalisco in an area called Costa Alegre, which means Happy Coast. The neighboring towns around La Manzanilla are Cihuatlan, Melaque, Barra de Navidad, Isla Navidad, Tenacatita, Boca de Iguanas, Los Ingenios, Emiliano Zapata, Rebalsito, Careyes, El Tecuan, and Tamarindo.

Hey what did I know at the time??:D

I will say this though, Manzanilla sounds like it might be a prettier town/city to visit. Not as big as Manzanillo and less of a tourist trap. Prices probably cheaper also:)

Joanie

[Okie1946]

I'm sorry we won't be going into Mazatlan - we had a tour with Mazatlan Frank to go to the Pacifico Beer Brewery - and will be missing that now. However, we have to learn how to make lemonade when we get handed a bunch of lemons. So on that note - does anyone know anything about the new port that we will be going into?

I personally hope we don't get two days in Cabo. From what everyone of my cruising friends have said, if it is rough - we wouldn't even get to dock there.

Any way - hope some one can give us some current information.

[taxmantoo]

I'm sorry we won't be going into Mazatlan - we had a tour with Mazatlan Frank to go to the Pacifico Beer Brewery - and will be missing that now. However, we have to learn how to make lemonade when we get handed a bunch of lemons. So on that note - does anyone know anything about the new port that we will be going into?

I personally hope we don't get two days in Cabo. From what everyone of my cruising friends have said, if it is rough - we wouldn't even get to dock there.

Any way - hope some one can give us some current information.

Unfortunately for all concerned cruisers, the most current information as of today is that the Oosterdam did not go to Mazatlan last week.

HAL has not officially announced any other changes yet. Hopefully they will release some information this coming week.

[DMAB]

I'm sorry we won't be going into Mazatlan - we had a tour with Mazatlan Frank to go to the Pacifico Beer Brewery - and will be missing that now. However, we have to learn how to make lemonade when we get handed a bunch of lemons. So on that note - does anyone know anything about the new port that we will be going into?

I personally hope we don't get two days in Cabo. From what everyone of my cruising friends have said, if it is rough - we wouldn't even get to dock there.

Any way - hope some one can give us some current information.

Okie, it is changing each week. Last week the port sequence was Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallarta. Manzanillo

This week (Jan 29th sailing), the first port is listed as Puerto Vallarta on vesseltracker.com. The last port is Cabo San Lucas on the normal day but they will arrive 4 hours late at noon instead of 8:00AM according to my source in Cabo SL.

The middle port is a mystery but it's from someplace further than Mazatlan because they wouldn't be late if they were just coming from Mazatlan. Manzanillo is possible but would require leaving at 5:00PM and running the ship at maximum cruise speed all night. The don't like to run at max cruise because it costs more in fuel.

[Copper10-8]

Manzanilla is a famous type of TEA in Mexico.

Manzanillo is a famous PORT in Mexico

And then there's Mantequilla :cool:

[DizzyDallasDi]

And then there's Mantequilla :cool:


Or, Womantequilla :D

[Nancyquilts]

There is a city bus that runs from Cabo to San Jose del Cabo. Costs very little, and buses run frequently from one city to the other.
That's the way we went several times in the past. We picked up some Mexican pesos near the hotel at the end of the marina and walked over to the bus stop.

[HuskerCruizer]

Has HAL said anything new on this. I called them and was told to plan for Mazatlan and we would be told if that changed. I am not sure I feel safe taking my family onshore in Mazatlan so I am all for a change, but I would like to have some warning.

[Okie1946]

I have never been to Mazatlan, have been told by many friends that if you stay with your group, or the main areas that tourists frequent, you should not have any problems. We are booked through an independent guide service that was recommended highly by several friends and he will be sure that we don't stray off the beaten path.

I am looking forward to Mazatlan and all of the sites of the city. I just hope we get to go.

[4realrod]

My group was on the Oosterdam last week when they made the port change. I was glad to go to Manzanillo. They have completed a new cruise pier and you get off the ship right in the heart of the downtown area. When we arrived there were 30-40 school children ages 8-10 greeting us waving Mexican and American flags. They were so happy to see us as we were the first ship they have seen since October. I was there a couple of years ago and had a really good idea of the downtown area. We decided to hire a taxi for $20 each way and go to Bahia Santiago and stay at the La Bogeta beach. Our driver gave us a great tour on the way. We spent 3.5hrs at the beach and the food was reasonably priced. No charge to use the chairs or tables. The vendors were unobtrusive as opposed to Cabo. I would opt for Manzanillo instead of Mazatlan each time.

[maxout]

And then there's Mantequilla :cool:


"Like Buttah!"

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_PRPLRtM2un0/THM7Uni36EI/AAAAAAAAAYU/8e25N0wMjzg/s1600/coffeetalk.jpg

[Copper10-8]

"Like Buttah!"

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_PRPLRtM2un0/THM7Uni36EI/AAAAAAAAAYU/8e25N0wMjzg/s1600/coffeetalk.jpg

Parkay!

[erinpdx]

We were in Manzanillo on Carnival in November. The Carnival Spirit goes there every week during their Mexican Riviera season. It was our least favorite port- so much smog being pumped into the air that my throat hurt. We did spend the day at Las Hadas which was decent but I would still much rather go to Mazatlan than Manzanillo. We are booked on the Oosterdam for April. I'll guess we'll wait and see. Whether we go to Mazatlan or Manzanillo we are going to make the best of it and have a great time. :)

[Okie1946]

We are also booked to sail on the Oosterdam in April (9th) - Just wondering because we have not been able to find any one who is booked for that cruise. Am really getting discouraged. The April 16th trip is chock full of CCr's. Either way - I am with you. I would really prefer going to Mazatlan. :)

[erinpdx]

We are going the week before you- April 2nd. Is there no roll call for your group yet?

[norcal parrot]

Saw update on CC that Oosterdam is going to Mazatlan Wednesday as planned. Hope this gets worked out in the next two weeks.

[IRL_Joanie]

We are going the week before you- April 2nd. Is there no roll call for your group yet?

erinpdx, have you checked out our Roll Call yet? Roll Call Oosterdam April 2 2011 http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1306468

I again called Shore Ex today and they stated once again we will be getting emails telling us what is happening... What can I say, right handand left hand and still no official word. Now I understand why people were so upset over the Hurricane Lack of word this past year....

Joanie

[Marlster]

I agree that San Jose del Cabo is a wonderful small town and very clean, they are always sweeping the sidewalks, and very nice shops and art gallery there. I have spent 11 yrs. going to San Jose del Cabo, do not like Cabo San Lucas, only go there if I have to. You can take a public bus to San Jose del Cabo from Cabo on the main street. Dont forget if a cruiseship is in town the prices jump in Cabo but not San Jose. If I was having to stay in Cabo for 2 days I would be very happy.

[Okie1946]

erinpdx - so far there are two other groups responding to the roll call - one is a definate booking and one had booked but cancelled and might reschedule if the prices go down.

Looks like it will be pretty thin. the 4-2 and the 4-16 roll calls have been pretty busy.

[CowPrincess]

In a thread on the Mexican Riviera forum, Mazatlan Frank reports the ships will be docking in Mazatlan this week:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1350588

[RAYSAN11]

Here is a link to a post on the Mexican Riviera board that states that the ships are heading back to Mazatlan



http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1350588

[Okie1946]

Am very glad to hear that - we have a tour booked with Frank and don't want to have to give it up.

[CowPrincess]

Am very glad to hear that - we have a tour booked with Frank and don't want to have to give it up.

You've got a bit over 2 months before you sail. Things could change several times in that 2 months. No one on this thread really understands the rationale for NOT visiting Mazatlan last week, so I have to suspect no one really knows what has changed THIS week. We sail in just a few days, and I'm still not convinced we'll be going to Mazatlan. We just need to stay flexible, and not too emotionally invested in one port or another. (Of course, if we miss Guaymas or Loreto, I may not be as relaxed/unperturbed :) )

Please understand, I'm not trying to ruin your day or your cruise -- but this week's info may not apply to any other week.

[Okie1946]

Well - since this is our first cruise ever to Mexico and first time ever in the country - we are very excited about going there. I am doing everything I can to stay upbeat and excited about our plans. I really wish that people would quit being so negative about everything. That is what I have been reading alot of lately and it can really be a downer.

If you look for the bad in everything, you will find the bad; me I prefer to look for the good and I know the good will win out.

[DMAB]

Well - since this is our first cruise ever to Mexico and first time ever in the country - we are very excited about going there. I am doing everything I can to stay upbeat and excited about our plans. I really wish that people would quit being so negative about everything. That is what I have been reading alot of lately and it can really be a downer.

If you look for the bad in everything, you will find the bad; me I prefer to look for the good and I know the good will win out.

Okie, on February 2nd the Oosterdam pulled into Mazatlan (At 8:30 instead of 8:00AM as scheduled according to my info). Of course that's no guarantee they will still be stopping their for your cruise:D

The local Mazatlan news also says they have reached an agreement with the cruise lines.