overthehillcruiser

We were just there in March.You do not need the chair lift . It is an easy walk...We did not actually go down to the beach as we did a tour on our own and walked out the gate and down the hill to the meeting point..Most everyone agrees West Bay beach is the nicest, but about a 30-40 minute ride from Mahogany and taxis are not cheap. This is why a lot of people opt for the tour guide/driver for the day deals.I hate for anyone who has not seen Roatan to just stay at Mahogany. There are a lot of options, but not much real close.

Thank you so much. I appreciate it.:)

My friend says allow 60-90" ck in for flight. Cabs can only drop off @ the airport but are prohibited from picking up inside airport property. You have to go outside the airport itself about 100 yards where they will be happy to pick u up! I remember that weird cab deal now that she said it from the good ole days of going to Coz 2-3x per year!

 

 

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[YOUTUBE]3vysq6c4wvU[/YOUTUBE]

This is 7455 on Magic..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vysq6c4wvU

Good post !

I am honestly torn on this subject. We have been sailing the western Caribbean ports for several years now and Roatan has become my absolute favorite place to go. Every time we book another cruise, we say it's time to head back to the eastern side and end up back on the western. (With the exception of our next cruise, which will be eastern, and that's basically because that's where the Getaway goes). But we do have another western cruise scheduled for November.

 

I feel so bad for the NCL crew member, his family, and the rest of the NCL crew that knew him. It's just so sad. But I do agree with others that state that it's just as bad in some of the big cities here in the US. We just don't hear about it unless it's on your local tv or it happens to be someone famous. It happens everywhere, even in the small little towns where everyone knows everyone and even the rich neighborhoods. Crime does not discriminate who it's against or where it is at.

 

I'm also confused and concerned with a few other things...like the reports that state Honduras is the #1 ranked place for murders and crime. I'm sorry, but I take that as Honduras itself and not Roatan, even though Roatan is a part of Honduras, it's not actually the same "piece of land". Yes, I'm sure the stats include Roatan, but a majority of it probably comes from Honduras itself as a whole. The same goes for Mexico. People freak out when you are going to Mexico. Yes, Mexico can be bad, but you are going to Cozumel, which is just like Roatan and an island OFF of the mainland.

 

Mexico vs Cozumel:

 

 

Some people (yes, even cruisers) don't understand "where" exactly the ship is going when they say "Mexico". Can crime happen in either of these places? Of cours, just like it can and does happen in your backyard (meaning neighborhoods/communities/cities). I honestly don't believe the "stats" for either of these places reflect Roatan (or Cozumel) itself, but includes all of Honduras or Mexico. (Yes, I'm aware of the other crimes that have been reported in Roatan-family renting a car and being shot at and the daughter of General Mills being killed).

 

As for Carnival not pulling out of Roatan, well of course they won't. They have invested $62 million dollars in creating that spot owned by them and they are not about to lose that money. By having a majority of their passengers stay at Mahogany Bay, they make even more money because the people are fearing for their life to go outside the compound that Carnival created and spending their $$ there instead. It's a win-win for them.

 

As for people saying to book ONLY ship related excursions, this protects you from the ship leaving you, it does not protect you from something that "could" happen. Anyone remember the 14 year old cruise passenger shot and killed in the middle of gang gunfire in St Thomas close to Coki beach back in 2010? We sailed to St Thomas right after that happened. Some said it was a cruise ship sponsored tour, others did not. However, they were with a BUNCH of people and it happened. So even being in groups won't always protect you. Yes, it gives you a better opportunity to not be targeted, I'm not saying that. Just that things can and do happen no matter what.

 

There are accidents that happen all the time, it's just not highly publicized until you see it happen on a cruise ship. Carnivals mishaps with being stranded out to sea, could happen to any of the ships. Costa Concordia sinking, could happen to any ship (I mean how do YOU know what the background of your Captain is? You can only hope he is not as careless as that Captain was). Elderly man getting back on the ship and a huge wave killed him. Conditions of the sea change constantly. That could be one of us getting back on the ship. Freak accident. Not too many months ago a worker on the ship docked was crushed. The child that drown on Carnival back in October? The child that drown in the hands of the grandmother this year? Things happen. It's good to be informed. It keeps us on our "toes" and makes us aware that we always need to be aware of our surroundings, try to stay in groups or whatever makes everyone comfortable. We each have our comfort zone.

 

As for NCL pulling out of Roatan. I hope they do for "awhile" just to show Roatan that they need to beef up security or get things under control the best any place can. But I do feel this is only temporary. Just like St Thomas was temporary when the shooting happened. People avoided getting off the ship...for awhile. Then it was back to normal. I love the people of Roatan and have never felt uncomfortable there, but I don't let my guard down either. It would be a shame if I never got to return. (Yes, we have a cruise booked for November there and planned on heading back to Little French Key).

 

Now my question is this...if they want to pull out of Roatan, which is actually a little island OFF of Honduras, and then take us to Trujillo, does this really make sense? I mean after all, this IS located IN Honduras.

 

 

 

If Honduras is #1 in murders, why would we be going there come next year or even this year? If NCL pulls out of Roatan "because it's unsafe", then does it really make sense they will be taking us actually to Honduras where it's even less safe? Do they plan on building this place to be a compound like Carnival has and all the cruise ship passengers won't go off the compound because of how bad Honduras is? I don't understand.

 

 

Roatan=off the main land of Honduras.

Cozumel=off the main land of Mexico.

 

Like I said, we are scheduled to go to Roatan in November, however looking at the site for this new place, when you look at the calendar on the site that shows cruise ships arriving there for Novemeber, when we are going, it has our ship listed already!!!

 

 

 

I believe that this has already been planned out way before the murder of this poor crew member. This just gives NCL a reason to switch to the other port by then. I do feel bad for the people in Roatan counting on the cruise ship money to generate into their little piece of paradise. It is truly a shame that this has happened for everyone involved. :(

 

Just to make it clear, I am not disagreeing with anyone that has posted or their opinions. I'm merely thinking out loud to myself on this thread and giving my thoughts. :) Please try to stay as safe as possible no matter where you travel.

I think I would give them a call...Last minute switches when you want to be booked by each other ? Not good IMO...

I'm with you on this one Guest..

While this maybe true, I am not even going to begin to believe this without far more info than this.

 

Like I said, do not believe everything you read on the internet.

Hi. We were there right after the robbery with a couple in a rent vehicle..I can certainly understand your feelings though if you have not been there..We have been all over the island by ourselves, and am looking forward to going back..

You've been there, so you have first hand experience and can vouch that you were safe when you went. That's fine. But I've never been to Roatan and totally have an uneasy feeling about what happened with this NCL worker and the others mentioned in the articles posted. I know violence can happen anywhere. I think people realize that. But I also don't get why people are acting like it's unreasonable to be concerned or have second thoughts. These stories are not about people veering off on their own and having the guts to take that type of calculated risk. People at the beach enjoying ship sponsored excursions, at the port in broad daylight. And it seems to be getting worse.

You will board your bus inside the pier area, but I would still go with Bodden. It is so much nicer not following a crowd behind a guy holding up a sign.. Bodden has a kiosk inside the area at Coxen and that is where you leave from with your driver. Big difference compared to a crowded bus, you can stop at a convenience store and get a cold Port Royal for a dollar.To us the private tour is the only way to go ..

Just call them and they will take care of it then. Has worked well for me.

I am having a hard time understanding why so many people are canceling their cruises, excursions, etc. I feel sorry for the tragic loss to the crew member and his family, but this occurs everywhere..You can choose to stay home or go and see the beautiful island...No matter where we travel I know how to keep an eye out for any possible trouble, and my fears are much less in Roatan than other stops. Just my opinion..

After too many cruises we are doing an AI in Cozumel in June. Curious if anyone has flown in to or out of the airport lately? Trying to find out how much check in time I need to allow for our departure flight. Also, I am thinking of just walking out to the street to catch an $8 cab to our hotel instead of opting for a $65 transfer, only about 4 miles. Any info on the cab situation or check in time appreciated.

Hi. You just need to walk out of the tourist trap pier area where you can catch a cheap cab to Mahahual, very short ride..We are going to give Tropicante a try in November..You will not need reservations unless you are doing an AI at a beach club.

Myself, I would pretty much trust any of the reputable tour guides. We have been with Bodden, Rony, and a private person we met through our friend the Security boat driver at Coxen named Witsell James..If you are booked with one of the well known ones you will be fine...

We have a private tour next week and have considered canceling because of recent events. I am fully aware that murders happen in every town in the US and many places all over the world but I am just concerned about not knowing the area and doing a private tour.

 

I would love to hear your thoughts!

Curious what would cause a sewage smell?:confused:

You stated it perfectly ..:)

Last year my girlfriend and myself spent some time in Honduras. We flew into San Pedro Sula, took a local bus to La Ceiba, took the ferry over to Roatan, then back to the mainland, and back to San Pedro Sula. We travel independently and at no time did we have any problems or feel unsafe. As long as you aren't involved in the drug trade, do something stupid, or go into areas that you obviously shouldn't be, 99.999999% of the time you'll be fine.

 

If you want no risk at all, just don't ever leave your living room. Don't fly, never get in a car, never cross the street, etc. A few years ago, I took a vacation to Kurdistan in northern Iraq, then stopped over in Iran on my way back for a few days. Again, in Iraq, I was smart and didn't head down south where the unrest was happening - northern Iraq is extremely safe and the complete opposite of the rest of the country. And a beautiful part of the world to boot.

 

As far as Honduras, if you are only going to be in Roatan during the day, there is nothing to worry about. I'd be more worried about getting killed driving to the airport on your way to the cruise port. Or getting hit by lighting.

Totally agree with crewsweeper.Also,maybe those of us who have been in the military have a little different perspective about armed soldiers or police.I was stationed in Madrid way back there in the late 60's and there was some kind of cop on every corner, even though there was no need ,as it was so safe then you could walk down an alley at night by yourself. We see the presence of armed police in Mexico all the time. We have been there umpteen times and never an issue.Myself, I like seeing there presence. If something should happen it would surely be nice to have help.We can all hide under our beds or we can choose to enjoy life. Myself, I am doing the latter.AS far as Roatan is concerned, compare the crime rate with some of our cities.

In many countries the police force is a part of the military and thus carrying automatic weapons is standard practice. The presence then of automatic weapons on security forces does not in and of itself mean that crime is rampant or your safety is in immediate danger.

 

As many have said here, it's all a matter of being aware of surroundings and exercising caution no matter where you are.

We are going in Nov as well on the Navigator. We have no second thoughts whatsoever. If you look at statistics,as stated above, you will find Roatan has a very low crime rate. When we were there in March I talked to some locals about the people being shot at and robbed, and it devastates them,as this is their only way to make a living.I feel a heck of a lot safer there than if I were in any of our larger cities. It happens here every day. So we can all hide under our beds or we can enjoy life. Myself, I am always ready to go back to Roatan.I really think that for those who have not been there,and who hear these scary reports,that once they visit the island they will have a change of heart. Please go and enjoy your cruise..:)

My wife and I have a November cruise on the Vision of the Seas that will visit the island. I think that Royal may want to take a look at safety there. The cook was murdered this month and earlier a family was robbed and shot at when they took a rental car on an island drive. Sounds like if you are with a group you might be OK, but ??? Maybe we should cancel this cruise and take on one that does not have so many concerns about safety.:eek:

Guess I must not be very observant, as in our trips to Roatan I have not noticed all the sawed off shotguns,or guards at every store, mostly just nice people.

Such as a lot of military presence, guards at every store armed with sawed off shotguns.

If you book through Bodden, that is it. His driver will pick you up very near the ship. I know things happen, but we just got back from Roatan, our 4th trip. My wife and I went way off on the more untraveled side by ourselves. I would not hesitate to go back, even after this news, in fact, we will be back in November and will go to West End this time..In our experience there we have not once felt threatened or even nervous, not saying it cannot happen, but I would go and enjoy Roatan..

Thank you for the response.

 

If I book through a third party through Bodden, do I walk farther looking for the local tour guide?

 

Asked in another way, by booking through RCI will the tour pick us up directly from the boat as opposed to walking outside of the secure port looking for the local tour guide?

A cold Port Royal sounds good right now..:)

This makes Carnivals Mahogany Bay beach all the better I guess. Gated beach and and patrolled by security.:) I'll have another cold Port Royal please.:D

image post

We have been to Roatan several times and wife and I have been in some pretty remote places and never a problem...Sad news for the victim's family. I hope they catch the killer soon.

Sorry I upset you..:o

Well I can spell it is Colostomy and I have to wear as I had stage 4 colon cancer , don't really find people wearing stuff like this or belly stuff to smuggle alcohol onboard all that hilarious . I already have to get almost stripped searched at airports now its looks like It will have to go through it at cruise ports . Not looking for any sympathy. Just some consideration . Hey I stick Plastic Bottles of alcohol in My cargo shorts , but figure another way of getting your alcohol onboard then this method.

Unless you can somehow haggle a good price , it is about as cheap to get one of the tour guides for the day. This is the only thing I do not like about Roatan, the high cab fares compared to other ports we go to.

That's $800 for both of you ?

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