The cry that you hear from people who love cruising and who love Mexico — that would be us — is this:
“Somebody do something!”
News on the weekend that 22 Carnival passengers were robbed, at gunpoint, while on an organized shore excursion in Puerto Vallarta, has taken violence in Mexico to another level.
Until now, violence involving tourists was mostly around Mazatlan. Until now, victims were almost always individuals. Until now, cruise passengers took solace in being safe on shore excursions organized by the cruise line.
Where will it end?
Will the beleaguered law-enforcement of this once-great and mostly-safe country continue to lose its grip to the growing control of the drug cartels, as Colombia was for so many years? Will Mexicans who already suffer from poverty be plunged into deeper economic woes by diminishing tourism? Will cruise lines simply stop going to Mexico because they can’t find enough passengers?
As far fetched as no cruise ships in Mexico might seem, even those of us who have never hesitated to go there and enjoy the people are starting to wonder. Starting to worry. Starting to think about making Mexico a memory.
Those 22 victims were from the Carnival Splendor. That’s the star-crossed ship we told you about last week. It may be on the downward spiral as Mexico.
DAILY DEAL:
Diamond Princess
7 nights
May 26, 2012
Vancouver, Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway, Glacier Bay, College Fjord, Anchorage
Inside $699
www.princess.com