Anyone been in Honduras recently? Travel Warning

So in 2 weeks we'll be on Riviera for the Mayan Mystique itinerary. For the Roatan stop we'll be doing the Gumballimba Preservation Park (through O). I now see there's a State Department warning about travel to Honduras, an upsurge in crime against tourists, and extra military police in several areas, including Roatan.

I know these warnings can be a tad overblown, and that tour groups are typically a different matter than tourists off on their own, but was wondering if any O cruisers had any recent experience in Honduras. Thanks.

Last year, no trouble on the island. English speaking Roatan is different from the mainland. The guide said that the islanders were unhappy about the high prices of their electric company... which belongs to a Texan.

was there in november. nothing new. same deal as mexico or puerto rico. or houston for that matter. don't go places you have no business going. believe me, if the state department issued domestic travel warnings most big cities would be off limits.

We were just there in January, and had no problems. We were on a Carnival excursion, but I'm sure any reputable private excursion would be just as safe. Roatan is beautiful, the snorkeling is out of this world, and we can't wait to get to go back there.

The ONLY thing we heard was from a young couple we met on our ship, who was on their first cruise, and they got in a cab without a plan. They said the driver basically took them no where, and wanted about $40 for it, and they didn't have that much money on them. They asked if he would take a credit card (I know - stupid!) and he said yes, and he took them to an ATM machine. The machine was broken, so they asked if he could take them to the ship and they would get some money off the ship to pay him. He basically held the husband hostage while the wife went back on the ship to get the money. She barely had time to get the money, get back to the cab, and retrieve her husband before the ship left.

I think in their case, they just made poor decisions. They had no idea where to go, had not done their research on where to go, or how.

However, we had another older man we met, who was traveling alone, and he walked out of the port area to explore & had a cab driver stop to ask if he could take him anywhere. He asked the driver what he suggested, and he said he could take him on a tour of the island for $30. He made the deal, got in the cab, and had a wonderful day. He said the driver was extremely nice, and took him to a lot of neat places. So....I guess the moral of the story is - there are dishonest people everywhere. Just be aware of what you are doing, research before you go, and always ask before you get in a cab anywhere what the rate is, and get cab numbers for future reference if there is a problem!

PS: I recommended to the young couple: Next time you cruise, get on Cruise Critic and find out more about your ports, and what to do! :)

The mainland of Honduras has most of the crime. However, being a smart prepared visitor is always recommended.... No matter WHAT port you visit. People that have had problems or scares are usually those renting cars and going to spots that aren't crowded with hotel security, other tourists. Or walking around clueless to the stop and its points of interest...I mean really. Common sense and not traveling as a single...same as any huge city in the U.S.;)

Just back from a week in Roatan.....you should have a guide in G Park who will accompany you throughout the tour.....I stayed at Infinity Bay next to Tabyana on West Bay (not West End) Beach, no problems with crime, vendors, etc., only problem I had was that I had to come back home to cold NY!

BTW, I had always thought Tabyana Beach, Bananarama, Fosters, Mayan Princess, etc. were on West End Beach, they are actually on West Bay Beach. I had been using the wrong term for years, oops.

 

BTW, I had always thought Tabyana Beach, Bananarama, Fosters, Mayan Princess, etc. were on West End Beach, they are actually on West Bay Beach. I had been using the wrong term for years, oops.

See it all the time. We went to West End on our first visit and West Bay on our second. Two completely different animals. West End laidback and enjoyable, West Bay busy, busy, busy.

West End is a tiny "town" at the west end of Roatan. Most popular with serious divers. Anything a diver would need is there. Some nice tourist shops with local arts and small local restuarants. It's growing in popularity shown by the paved road now rather than dirt of just a few years ago. ;)

West Bay is a BAY with beautiful beach, condos,hotels, restaurants and great walk in snorkeling opportunities. Hee's where the cruisers and tourists come for the most part. Cruise days bring more people.

I was concerned about an excursion in Honduras too, but after researching I came across this article and it helped quite a bit.

http://www.bbc.com/travel/feature/20140930-the-hunt-for-a-peaceful-honduras?ocid=global_travel_rss&ocid=global_bbccom_email_20102014_travel

From what I understand a NCL cruise ship crew member was attacked in Roatan so the cruise line was re-directing it's ships. I am not sure where they are going now. I will be going on the Jewel soon so I would like to know the destinations.

From what I understand a NCL cruise ship crew member was attacked in Roatan so the cruise line was re-directing it's ships. I am not sure where they are going now. I will be going on the Jewel soon so I would like to know the destinations.

Is this still the case? Is NCL still avoiding Roatan? Looking at booking shore excursions for our January cruise but didn't realize NCL had stopped going there. Our itinerary still shows Roatan?!? :confused:

Is this still the case? Is NCL still avoiding Roatan? Looking at booking shore excursions for our January cruise but didn't realize NCL had stopped going there. Our itinerary still shows Roatan?!? :confused:

I do not remember the date one of the crew members was assaulted in Coxen Hole. I do remember the ships being diverted to another port that week. I believe by the following week things were back to normal.

My guess would be if your itinerary says Roatan..at this point your ship will port there. No telling what will happen between now and then.

Is this still the case? Is NCL still avoiding Roatan? Looking at booking shore excursions for our January cruise but didn't realize NCL had stopped going there. Our itinerary still shows Roatan?!? :confused:

Maybe your ship will be going to the new NCL port

http://www.bananacoast.com/

Roatan is on our itinerary for week two of a B2B, in Feb. 2015 Spoke with an NCL rep., yesterday, and she assured me we will still be stopping there. Will have to wait and see if things change.

Please note this thread started February 24, 2014 and the first 8 posts are from early this year.

Note the following from above:

... I do remember the ships being diverted to another port that week. I believe by the following week things were back to normal...

Kat

From what I understand a NCL cruise ship crew member was attacked in Roatan so the cruise line was re-directing it's ships. I am not sure where they are going now. I will be going on the Jewel soon so I would like to know the destinations.

This happened back in April and the crew member was killed in the NCL/RCL port area for his Iphone. NCL pulled three ships out for a week to tell them they would not tolerate it...

This happened back in April and the crew member was killed in the NCL/RCL port area for his Iphone. NCL pulled three ships out for a week to tell them they would not tolerate it...

I just got off of the Dawn today.

We will be on the Jewel on Dec 6.

We stay in Roatan every winter for 6 weeks to 2 months.

I LOVE Roatan and the people.

NCL crew member was alone with a friend's new iPhone.

This was an isolated incident.

It was huge headlines in Roatan.

It is correct that NCL pulled it's ships for one week.

They returned to Roatan after one week and still go there on SOME cruises.

If your itinerary says Roatan, you will go there.

They have a new port in Honduras that has been in progress for opening for some time.

Every other cruise (approximately) goes to the new port.

This has nothing to do with the attack in April.

Roatan is safer than most US cities in my opinion.

Murder, assaults, and rape are VERY uncommon there.

Petty theft is probably the biggest problem.

Like anywhere, people should travel smart.

Never go to unknown neighborhoods.

Always travel with at least one other person.

Know where you are going.

Research well before you go.

Judy

Just back from a week in Roatan.....you should have a guide in G Park who will accompany you throughout the tour.....I stayed at Infinity Bay next to Tabyana on West Bay (not West End) Beach, no problems with crime, vendors, etc., only problem I had was that I had to come back home to cold NY!

 

BTW, I had always thought Tabyana Beach, Bananarama, Fosters, Mayan Princess, etc. were on West End Beach, they are actually on West Bay Beach. I had been using the wrong term for years, oops.

Sounds like you had a wonderful time. Since you spent a week there, where do you recommend snorkeling?

I know many people say Tabyana. Is that really the best place to see large coral formations and fish?

Thanks!