Westerdam Cruise Cancelled Due To Cartel Violence

We so wanted to take the Nov 24th Westerdam Mexican Riviera cruise from our home port of San Diego . July 2nd the San Diego Union Tribune stated that 19 men were shot at a beach resort in the Mazatlán area of Sinaloa State ,a drug cartel shooting was because El Chapo,Guzman us now in US Custody waiting trial for his crimes

Apparently the cartel clans are vying for supremacy ;but ,always violently . We decided to cancel our Cruise because these things never settle easily or quickly & the last time this type of violence occurred the cruise lines stopped sailing to ports impacted by the Cartel violence

FWIW the US State Dept did not have this posted as of a couple of days ago

Your title and post are confusing. Could you please clarify; did YOU cancel your Westerdam cruise, or did HAL cancel the cruise?

We so wanted to take the Nov 24th Westerdam Mexican Riviera cruise from our home port of San Diego . July 2nd the San Diego Union Tribune stated that 19 men were shot at a beach resort in the Mazatlán area of Sinaloa State ,a drug cartel shooting was because El Chapo,Guzman us now in US Custody waiting trial for his crimes

 

 

 

Apparently the cartel clans are vying for supremacy ;but ,always violently . We decided to cancel our Cruise because these things never settle easily or quickly & the last time this type of violence occurred the cruise lines stopped sailing to ports impacted by the Cartel violence

 

 

 

FWIW the US State Dept did not have this posted as of a couple of days ago

This does not make since. Sounds like you are canceling? You need to make sure you stay in the tourist area and. Listen to warning. Lot of the problems I read are near la Paz area. Hope we don't let them scare the tourists away. Partner and I sailing on the Oosterdam In Oct and look forward to our year visit to Cabo, PV, etc. I wonder if these problems decrease during the full tourist season?

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Please hit the red triangle and ask the mod to amend the title of you post to "I cancelled". The cruise line didn't. You did.

Of course, that is your choice but perhaps you also shouldn't travel in certain areas of the United States and a lot of other places too.

there is no "safe" place any more. There are only safeguards we can all take.

I'm glad you did the right thing for you.

Bad choice of words in the title.

Please hit the red triangle and ask the mod to amend the title of you post to "I cancelled". The cruise line didn't. You did.

 

Of course, that is your choice but perhaps you also shouldn't travel in certain areas of the United States and a lot of other places too.

 

there is no "safe" place any more. There are only safeguards we can all take.

 

I'm glad you did the right thing for you.

I agree there areas in San Francisco We won't goto... no matter where you are at you should watch your surroundings. Always good when group of travelers go sight seeing together.

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Your title and post are confusing. Could you please clarify; did YOU cancel your Westerdam cruise, or did HAL cancel the cruise?

I agree the title is confusing!! I thought HAL

Cancelled the cruise not you.

That's your choice. Sorry to hear You chose to cancel the cruise.

Denise:)

It obviously is a personal choice. Did you phone HAL first to express your concern? I'm sure they would not go to a port they thought was too dangerous. We actually just booked this cruise recently as we enjoyed it last year so much.

You always have the option of staying on the ship too if you are concerned.

Sorry you felt you had to cancel.

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Sorry you had to make that choice. I believe HAL will not endanger its passengers.

Sorry you felt that you needed to cancel your cruise.

I, too, was confused by the title of this thread. It sounded like HAL cancelled the cruise.

I remember some time ago when HAL cancelled Mazatlan and just stayed overnight I think in Puerto Valarta because of the violence there.

We have areas around us that we would not go into. We certainly haven't sold our house and moved because of it.

Here is what actually happened. There were two prior shootings by the gangs that prompted the police security action detailed below:

"Local police officers encountered the convoy of gunmen on a rural road outside Villa Unión, and the groups exchanged gunfire, Cristóbal Castañeda Camarillo, the deputy secretary of public security in Sinaloa, said at a news conference on Saturday in the state capital, Culiacán.The Sinaloa state police and soldiers of the Mexican Army were called in to support the local police, Mr. Castañeda said. After the shooting stopped, the authorities counted 17 dead. It was not clear if any of the gunmen had escaped."

I don't know about you, but this sounds to me that the Mexican police are on top of the situation and now there are fewer bad guys to worry about. I would have no problem visiting Mazatlan again and plan to do so soon.

igraf

Bad choice of words in the title.

I agree

Here is what actually happened. There were two prior shootings by the gangs that prompted the police security action detailed below:

 

 

 

"Local police officers encountered the convoy of gunmen on a rural road outside Villa Unión, and the groups exchanged gunfire, Cristóbal Castañeda Camarillo, the deputy secretary of public security in Sinaloa, said at a news conference on Saturday in the state capital, Culiacán.The Sinaloa state police and soldiers of the Mexican Army were called in to support the local police, Mr. Castañeda said. After the shooting stopped, the authorities counted 17 dead. It was not clear if any of the gunmen had escaped."

 

 

I don't know about you, but this sounds to me that the Mexican police are on top of the situation and now there are fewer bad guys to worry about. I would have no problem visiting Mazatlan again and plan to do so soon.

 

igraf

Hmm. A rural road outside of Villa Union sure does not sound like a tourist beach resort to me. In fact, it is 25km INLAND of the Matzalan cruise terminal :rolleyes:

OP made a hysterical headline unworthy of CC. Someone posted how to ask that headline be changed to reflect the truth, and it was not.

I love Mazatlan, one of my favorite Mexican cities.

Now Chicago scares me, and ,,,,,

Now Los Cabo's, that's another story. We have three Costco's here in Tucson and not near so many tourists.

My purpose of my post was to advise those going on any Mexican Riviera cruise of the potential danger .

Sorry that there are those that MUS T be critical & flame posters because they think that they know more .both AP & Rugters (mot sure of spelling ) have the true story & research it for accuracy ..The shootings where July 1st & it was reports as a Mazatlán Beach community where this happened .

Some time ago (you check it out ) beheadings happened in Acapulco & later on the one who did that massacre was arrested in Cabo San Lucas .

In my opinion Mexico is very dangerous because one ships have no guns to fight back ,two Cartels not only make $billions running drugs ;but also make mucho $$$ in kidnappings

It is up to any individual whether or not to potentially go in harms way .It was my personal choice not to & we are doing a much safer cruise destination & already booked

Perhaps I shouldn't post what I did .;but I wouldn't feel very good about myself not posting that danger . We have been to the Mexican Riviera well over 30 times & our youngest daughter got married in Puerto Vallarta 26 years ago . Things changed in Mexico & the Mexican government will never control or dismantle the drug cartels . For the poster that said the police got it well in hand must ask those who have had first hand experience with any Mexican police how trust worthy they are & of course they never ever take bribes & kick backs .

If you don't believe me about any of the above then absolutely dig into the present & past criminal activities in those 3 Mexican Riviera ports .

Hope this helps clarify any mistake I may have made by using the wrong wording .but ,I know human kind who think that they walk on water & are the ultimate judge -this is meant for those that must mock others so they feel superior

Bad choice of words in the title.

No kidding!

The cruise ships and passengers in Mazatlan are carefully guarded by special heavily-armed police officers wearing white uniforms. They are there to protect cruise industry from violence and also to eliminate any problems with police corruption.

To clarify what I previously posted, the 17 dead men were all bad guys. Five police officers were wounded.

igraf

.....In my opinion Mexico is very dangerous because one ships have no guns to fight back ,two Cartels not only make $billions running drugs ;but also make mucho $$$ in kidnappings

 

It is up to any individual whether or not to potentially go in harms way .It was my personal choice not to & we are doing a much safer cruise destination & already booked

 

.... For the poster that said the police got it well in hand must ask those who have had first hand experience with any Mexican police how trust worthy they are & of course they never ever take bribes & kick backs .

 

r

Looked at ABC news, BBC, Reuters, NY Times, all said it was in Villa Union, not in the beach town or in a beach resort. Only saw one (the San Antonio paper) which said "near beach town"... This was a quick 'net search. So, I'll stand by my research that it was Villa Union, miles away from Mazatlan...

But, hey, it's your choice to not to. But, please use the button to have the moderators correct the title so show that it is you, NOT HAL, cancelling the trip. It is a disservice to others to misrepresent the incident into something it is not.

""Some time ago (you check it out ) beheadings happened in Acapulco & later on the one who did that massacre was arrested in Cabo San Lucas .

In my opinion Mexico is very dangerous because one ships have no guns to fight back ,two Cartels not only make $billions running drugs ;but also make mucho $$$ in kidnappings """"

Cartels indeed make a lot of money, but almost in all cases murders take place within the drug scene. Hardly ever any tourist is involved. Same with kidnappings, although that doesnot happen as frequent as you seem to think. And of course you realise where most of the drugs are going? As long people want to use it, it will be supplied.

We travel a lot, not just to Mexico - where we spend our winters - , but also to many other countries, never had any problems.

Let me tell you shootings/murders unfortunately are not just in Mexico. We had some (drugs related of course) shootings in Amsterdam and other cities. On occasions of course we read about that also in various places in the USA.

So will we stop traveling/make cruises absolutely not!

Indeed you make it sound like HAL canceled your cruise, which isnot the case.

The day that HAL cancels their cruises to Mexico is when their is a viable threat to tourists. I always tell my friends that if you're looking to buy drugs or hire a prostitute you may be at risk in Mexico but that be the same anywhere????

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My purpose of my post was to advise those going on any Mexican Riviera cruise of the potential danger ...

Sorry that there are those that MUS T be critical & flame posters because they think that they know more ...

In my opinion Mexico is very dangerous ... It is up to any individual whether or not to potentially go in harms way .It was my personal choice not to & we are doing a much safer cruise destination & already booked ... Hope this helps clarify any mistake I may have made by using the wrong wording .but ,I know human kind who think that they walk on water & are the ultimate judge -this is meant for those that must mock others so they feel superior

mcruiser, no need to apologize for what you posted (including the title of your initial Post), as you have as much right to express your opinion on here as anyone else. IMO the only mistake you made was in expecting that the "serial Posters" (aka the In Crowd) would afford you (and your opinions) the same courtesy they demand from others.

Smooth sailing :ship: :ship: :ship:

We only ask that the title not be deceptive. Fake news is not a valid opinion.

igraf

mcruiser, no need to apologize for what you posted (including the title of your initial Post), as you have as much right to express your opinion on here as anyone else. IMO the only mistake you made was in expecting that the "serial Posters" (aka the In Crowd) would afford you (and your opinions) the same courtesy they demand from others.

Smooth sailing :ship: :ship: :ship:

We only ask that the title not be deceptive. Fake news is not a valid opinion.

 

igraf

Correct. Hysterical title which tells people HAL cancelled the Westerdam cruise because of cartel violence is totally false and misleading. Responsible posting and not posting fake news - this was NOT about Mazatlan, but inland - is all we are asking for. I'm not part of the "in crowd" - I'm actually derided by many of the usual posters as an outsider/interloper because HAL is not my favorite cruise line (but I cruise when it has something I want).

If the OP took the advice and asked for the title to be more appropriate, i.e. "I cancelled my Westerdam cruise because I am afraid of the drug cartels", none of this would have happened. All the hyperbole about "walking on water", "ultimate judge"... unnecessary. Stick around here for more than a few posts and you will learn people just do not take to fake...

We only ask that the title not be deceptive. Fake news is not a valid opinion.

 

igraf

+1!

The OP was advised how to get the title changed as well.

I agree that the title is misleading, implying that the cruise has been canceled by HAL, when in fact it's the OP who canceled their booking.

Did you know that anyone can report a post? And request that the title be changed, after the mods review it?

Peace to all y'all. Happy sailing.