Roatan. How safe is it

[ILOVESHIPS]

Many ships are going to Roatan now. I was just reading  that Roatan  is one of the worst places for crime. Has anyone felt that way.

[doghog]

1 minute ago, ILOVESHIPS said:

Many ships are going to Roatan now. I was just reading  that Roatan  is one of the worst places for crime. Has anyone felt that way.

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/15-roatan/

[firefly333]

1 minute ago, ILOVESHIPS said:

Many ships are going to Roatan now. I was just reading  that Roatan  is one of the worst places for crime. Has anyone felt that way.

Sounds like  misinformation to me. It's a island, off from the mainland. Not saying they arent hurting but Belize for instance is the mainland. Imo much worse and more pushy. 

 

I wouldnt believe every rumor. Just be careful as always. 

[JeffT237]

We just returned from the Harmony that had a stop in Roatán. Our group felt completely safe and had an enjoyable time. Did a beach and snorkel tour, no issues at all. 

[kitkat343]

The mainland parts of Honduras are extremely dangerous.  The tourist parts of Roatan are very safe.  Roatan - like Jamaica and Cartagena - is not a port to wander off in by yourself or to get in a random cab in, but if you book a RC tour or prearrange a private excursion you will be fine.   This is actually one of my favorite ports for families, since there are wonderful animal excursions and excellent snorkling/diving.  We've used Bodden Adventures twice, and they can take you to the monkeys/sloths.  South Shore Canopy has an excellent canopy walk (we traveled with kids so didn't have a chance to zip line but their zip lines looked great).  There's an iguana farm and really nice beaches.   You can find a tour provider on tripadvisor or check the CC destination forums.

[LisaLisa87]

We had a great day when we stopped at Roatan during our Harmony cruise a few months ago. So much so that we booked a land trip for February. We had a fantastic week and were never concerned about our safety. We took the same precautions we would take anywhere while traveling (including in. the US). We mostly stayed in the tourist areas, but we did do an island tour with a local who took us pretty much everywhere. There is definitely poverty on the island, but every local we encountered seemed genuinely invested in helping to make sure that tourists felt safe and happy.

[Tree_skier]

I have been to Roatan a number of times with Royal Caribbean... Once I decided to just walk out of the port area and start to wander around.  It did not feel safe and after 20 minutes I turned around and headed back to the ship.   

 

That said, when on a Royal excursion to a private area it feels totally safe.  Last to time I did Maya Key.  It is a great private beach that isn't crowded.  When booking through the cruise line it includes transportation and lunch.  Drinks were extra but affordable.  

Edited March 12 by Tree_skier

[Cigar King]

My beef with Roatan is the never ending spammers hawking tours on the on another social media platform.  Other than that, the tours felt safe to me.  I don't think I would wander around on my own though.

[CSHS1979]

Safer than Labadee apparently 😉

[JamesEM]

I felt safe on my ship's sponsored trip to see some wildlife, however I would not venture outside the cruise ship area.  

[Scottdalfonso]

7 hours ago, LisaLisa87 said:

We had a great day when we stopped at Roatan during our Harmony cruise a few months ago. So much so that we booked a land trip for February. We had a fantastic week and were never concerned about our safety. We took the same precautions we would take anywhere while traveling (including in. the US). We mostly stayed in the tourist areas, but we did do an island tour with a local who took us pretty much everywhere. There is definitely poverty on the island, but every local we encountered seemed genuinely invested in helping to make sure that tourists felt safe and happy.

We did a full Island tour as well, it was great to visit the beach and the chocolate factory and the craft places, but it was also eye opening to drive through the villages. One sight I'll never forget is driving by the town dump, and mothers and their young children were climbing on the hills of trash to find stuff of value they could salvage or sell to make a few bucks. I told my son, " anytime you complain about not having everything you want- remember this ride and what you just saw" 

Edited March 12 by Scottdalfonso

[wolfganghowell]

We have been to Roatan for over 10 years on cruises.  We loved it so much we stayed there for a week at Infinity Bay.  Is there poverty and crime?  Of course - so use your common sense as you normally would.  Years ago a taxi driver told us the crime was not so bad there because everyone knows everyone else - and he said their mothers would take of them!  We walked along the West Bay beach at night and felt safe.  We went to West End and wandered around.  Safe.  The area around the port is pretty sketchy so on a cruise you should definitely have a plan to get out of that area either in a taxi at the port or an excursion either through the ship or the various resorts.  You are missing out on a wonderful experience if you don't explore Roatan - it's our favorite place and we can't wait to go back.  Tourism is their livelihood and we met amazing friendly people.  There are bad areas just like everywhere but I would not hesitate to go there.

[fdebustag]

We had a great day when we stopped in Roatan during our Oceania Cruises Miami to Lima leg last December and never felt unsafe.  Two ports before, in Mahahual Mexico, we met a couple who were on another cruise ship and had just been in Roatan the day before and they told us of the wonderful experience they had with a private tour offered by Cristian.  We contacted Cristian and arranged for a private tour and he did an excelent job at it.  We were able to do the equivalent of 3 ship tours for 1/3 of the cost.  He always made sure we were having a good time and that wherever we went we were safe.  Now, is it fair to say that there is no crime there? definitely not since crime is basically everywhere, but we never felt unsafe or threatened at any point in time.  If you want Cristian's information shoot me an email and I will gladly provide it to you.

[Yankee6]

Its more than just a rumor or some people saying its unsafe.  The US Dept of State has a travel advisory out Reconsider travel to Honduras due to crime and kidnapping.

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories/honduras-travel-advisory.html

 

I want to take my family of 8 including 4 children on a private tour, but is it really worth the risk because some people that just were there said sure its safe?

[c-leg5]

On 3/17/2024 at 4:40 PM, Yankee6 said:

Its more than just a rumor or some people saying its unsafe.  The US Dept of State has a travel advisory out Reconsider travel to Honduras due to crime and kidnapping.

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories/honduras-travel-advisory.html

 

I want to take my family of 8 including 4 children on a private tour, but is it really worth the risk because some people that just were there said sure its safe?

I have been visiting Roatan for 15+ years by cruise ship before Coxen Hole port was developed the first time let alone several refurbishments. I have never had the warm fuzzy feeling that many people on this board have repeatedly expressed.
 

However we have taken multiple private tours over the years west, east, north and have never felt unsafe as such, and have had some enjoyable days.
 

The warning that you post is primarily for mainland Honduras which is a whole other issue, although I see Roatan is included in the shaded area. Crime and violence on Roatan is not fundamentally against tourists it is between local entities,  primarily politicians and between business owners. Follow some of the local news reports over the years and you will understand. There is a deep underlying problem but again with normal precautions chances are high, as a tourist you will be fine during daylight hours.  That is not to say there haven’t been incidents over the years where tourists have been targeted (including cruise ship visitors) but I haven’t read any recent events (although I don’t follow as closely as I used to).

 

For first time visitors there are several reputable tour operators which you reserve for the day. These offer convenient and good value tours. My main complaint with Roatan regarding transport is they don’t have a regulated taxi service. Point to point service is expensive and unreliable once you have done tours and now merely need transport from A to B and back.

Edited March 19 by c-leg5

[JMPJMP88]

RC Harmony stopped in Roatan on 3/13 we didn't venture out much from port. There is a new "mini beach break" area in the port area. Purchase a drink and you can swim and use their chairs. Enjoyed the music and swim up bar.

We felt safe enough but you should  always be aware of your surroundings and don't  let your guard down. 

[c-leg5]

7 minutes ago, JMPJMP88 said:

RC Harmony stopped in Roatan on 3/13 we didn't venture out much from port. There is a new "mini beach break" area in the port area. Purchase a drink and you can swim and use their chairs. Enjoyed the music and swim up bar.

We felt safe enough but you should  always be aware of your surroundings and don't  let your guard down. 

Where is there a swim up bar near Coxen hole? Is this new?
 

I haven’t seen any reviews to suggest they had progressed with the port developments that were planned pre-Covid or did you take transport from the port?

Edited March 19 by c-leg5

[JMPJMP88]

3 minutes ago, c-leg5 said:

Where is there a swim up bar near Coxen hole? Is this new?
 

I haven’t seen any reviews to suggest they had progressed with the port developments that were planned pre-Covid or did you take transport from the port?

Portof Roatan (coxen hole). Totally brand new, by just a few weeks. They had a swimming pool, with sea water of course. It ha a swim up bar, palm trees, small restaurant and live music. I'm  sure they will  continue to build this area up.

[c-leg5]

37 minutes ago, JMPJMP88 said:

Portof Roatan (coxen hole). Totally brand new, by just a few weeks. They had a swimming pool, with sea water of course. It ha a swim up bar, palm trees, small restaurant and live music. I'm  sure they will  continue to build this area up.

Thanks I didn’t realize there had been that much progress. I had asked about it recently but didn’t get the impression it was that far along. There were big plans originally.

Edited March 19 by c-leg5

[JMPJMP88]

1 hour ago, c-leg5 said:

Thanks I didn’t realize there had been that much progress. I had asked about it recently but didn’t get the impression it was that far along. There were big plans originally.

Here's the only pic I could find. My adult kids really enjoyed this area.

[c-leg5]

43 minutes ago, JMPJMP88 said:

Here's the only pic I could find. My adult kids really enjoyed this area.

Thanks that looks nice! I am surprised no one has mentioned this before.

[JMPJMP88]

1 hour ago, c-leg5 said:

Thanks that looks nice! I am surprised no one has mentioned this before.

I believe it was sai that it literally opened the week before we arrived. Hopefully, they will continue to improved it as it was nice to get off he ship and have it right there.

[JMPJMP88]

10 hours ago, c-leg5 said:

Thanks that looks nice! I am surprised no one has mentioned this before.

I found a few more pictures!

[c-leg5]

45 minutes ago, JMPJMP88 said:

found a few more pictures!

Thank you so much that really helps me visualize. I am amazed no one else has mentioned it. 
 

Here is the grand master plan that they are supposedly working towards.

https://roatantourismbureau.com/port-of-roatan

 

[JMPJMP88]

9 hours ago, c-leg5 said:

Thank you so much that really helps me visualize. I am amazed no one else has mentioned it. 
 

Here is the grand master plan that they are supposedly working towards.

https://roatantourismbureau.com/port-of-roatan

 

Wow! This is amazing, I really hope they can achieve this. I wish they could figure out something out for Costa Maya.