Disney Cruise Line and other cruise lines cancel stops at Mazatlan!

I booked our Cruise on the Disney Wonder going to the Mexican Riviera last February. We will be on the Wonder from March 6^th to the 13^th. The family is excited to go on our second Disney cruise but we have had concerns about going to Mexico from the very beginning. Living in Southern California we hear a lot about the violence in Mexico and the problems with the drug cartels. The problems come across the border into parts of California. We figured that going with Disney they would not stop at a port if it was unsafe. As long as we either stayed with Disney planned Port Adventures and/or stayed on the ship we will be safe. Still we kept our eyes open for what is going on and we are watching for things happening in the ports we were scheduled to go to.

Several days ago I was looking at our reserved plans for the March 6^th-13^th Disney Wonder cruise to the Mexican Riviera. I noticed that one of the ports of call had been changed. I saw that Mazatlan was not there and Cabo San Lucas was listed twice. I thought it was a mistake and thought nothing of it. I figured that the website was wrong because I had book a Port Adventure for Mazatlan and it was still there.

Today I saw the news report saying Disney and other Cruise Lines are dropping Mazatlan and decided to look into things. I’ve received no notice about a change of itinerary or a safety concern for our cruise. First I checked the Disney Cruise Line website and I found nothing there about Mazatlan being dropped as a Port of Call. No safety warnings were posted on the site as I’ve seen in the past when there was a hurricane or other problem. In fact the page that tells about Mazatlan and showing the Port Adventures for there is still there. This is very disappointing to me. I thought Disney would do better at helping guests make informed decisions. After checking the site I decided to call DCL and ask about the stop at Mazatlan. I wanted to make sure I knew exactly what was going on. I was told that Mazatlan as been dropped as a Port of Call and that the ship will go to Cabo San Lucas for two days instead.

How do I feel about this? I have mixed feelings. I feel sad and concerned because tourists have been injured in areas where the Cartels have so far stayed out of. I feel safer because Disney showed they are willing to change plans to insure the safety of their guests. At this time I’m considering my options and watching what is going on. If things get much more violent we may change our plans and reschedule our trip and go out of Florida or go to Alaska. In truth I like that idea better but the cost is so much higher for us going from Florida or to Alaska than it is from Los Angeles to Mexico.

By either changing our plans and going out of Florida or some other location or just staying on the ship even if we go to Mexico we are sending a message to the government and tourist industry in Mexico. Get control of the drugs and violence or lose money! Hopefully someday soon they will get control so this beautiful area of the world can be enjoyed without fear. By getting control the quality of life of the area will improve because people will come and spend their money bring jobs and stability.