The U.S. State Department has placed many popular cruise destinations under some form of warning or travel advisory.
A Level 1 warning urges travelers to “take normal precautions”, while a Level 2 warning asks them to “exercise increased caution”.
In some cases, Level 1 or Level 2 warnings include specific areas to avoid. For example, the Bahamas, which has several cruise ports, is under a Level 2 warning.
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The U.S. Department of State website states: “The majority of crime occurs on New Providence Island (Nassau) and Grand Bahama Island (Freeport).” “In Nassau, the ‘Over the Hill’ area (south of Shirley Street) is subject to increased Be wary, there is a high homicide rate due to gang violence, which mainly affects local residents.”
But the U.S. government’s Level 1 and Level 2 warnings do not mean “don’t visit these countries.” It urges people to avoid certain places and generally be more careful.
Level 3 and 4 warnings are much more serious. For example, Level 3 for Honduras contains a strong warning but also explains why cruise lines still call at Roatan.
“Violent crimes such as homicide, armed robbery, and kidnapping remain common,” the U.S. State Department said. “Violent gang activity such as extortion, violent street crime, rape, and drug and human trafficking are common.
“Local authorities may lack sufficient resources to effectively respond to serious crime incidents. Resources are concentrated around resort areas in the Gulf Islands, including Roatan, Utila and Guanaja, and security in these areas is relatively good.”
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Carnival explains why it stopped at port, issues serious warning
Many cruise lines regularly call at ports under warning levels 3 or even 4. Even though Haiti is under a level 4 warning, Royal Caribbean is still docking in Labatee, Haiti because it is a private destination far away from where the fighting and other problems are taking place.
Nonetheless, cruise fan LeAnne Taulman recently asked Carnival Cruise Line brand ambassador John Heald about the cruise line’s visits to certain ports.
“Good morning, John. I saw the travel advisory for Mexican Riviera ports yesterday. We are leaving on the Panorama on the 11th. Have you heard if we should disembark?” she asked.
Hilde responded comfortingly.
“Thank you. Please don’t worry; unfortunately this is normal in parts of Mexico these days,” he wrote. “We would never take you anywhere that is unsafe and we always recommend that you stay in the tourist areas and disembark for a tour. But you can definitely go into port and enjoy this wonderful place.”
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Heard is providing sound advice for any ports subject to travel warnings. Stick to tourist areas and only take reputable tours. These don’t have to be sponsored by your cruise line, but it’s important to do your homework and make sure any company you use has a good reputation.
Cruisers should also read any advisories issued by the U.S. Department of State and follow any specific recommendations provided therein.
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