BREAKING — Cruise Lines Cancel Puerto Vallarta Ship Calls

MAY 12, 2014 – PUERTO VALLARTA Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises and Disney Cruise Line have canceled calls this week in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, citing recent violence in the resort city.

Royal Caribbean’s 2,501-passenger Jewel of the Seas and Disney’s 1,754-passenger Disney Wonder will skip stops at Puerto Vallarta scheduled for today, while the 2,170-passenger Celebrity Infinity bypassed the port on Sunday.

“Jewel of the Seas and Celebrity Infinity’s calls to Puerto Vallarta were canceled due to the recently experienced episodes of violent civil unrest, stemming from criminal gangs that have engaged in armed conflict with local authorities,” said Royal Caribbean Cruises spokeswoman Cynthia Martinez.

Royal Caribbean Cruises is the parent company for both Royal Caribbean and Celebrity.

A Carnival Cruise Line vessel scheduled to visit Puerto Vallarta today, the 2,124-passenger Carnival Miracle, will go ahead with the call but some shore excursions have been canceled, stated Carnival spokesman Vance Gulliksen.

Celebrity is just one of the lines suspending visits to Puerto Vallarta
Celebrity is just one of the lines suspending visits to Puerto Vallarta

Gunman earlier this month set fire to cars, buses, banks and gasoline stations in and around Puerto Vallarta and the surrounding Jalisco state, and they traded gunfire with soldiers and police. The violence erupted after security forces launched a campaign against an increasingly strong Mexican drug cartel in the region known as Jalisco New Generation.

The cruise ships that are skipping Puerto Vallarta have replaced the call with an extra day at sea.

Liam Cusack

Liam P. Cusack is the Managing Editor of Cruise & Travel Report (www.cruiseandtravelreport.com), a publication dedicated to providing travelers the same news that industry insiders receive. A self-described “travel nerd”, Liam is an Ocean Liner and Cruise Industry historian who has traveled to more than 60 countries, every US state and sailed on more than 60 cruises. After nearly two decades as an award-winning political journalist and investigative reporter at a major NYC daily newspaper, he decided to dedicate his career to helping avid travelers, like himself, be more well-informed. With Cruise & Travel Report, Liam strives to provide news and tips to make every vacation a dream vacation.