Dangers continue in Mexico...
In what is being termed the first incident of its kind, a group of 22 passengers on a Carnival Cruise tour in Puerto Vallarta were robbed of their belongings by a group of masked bandits. The tourists were on a bus returning from El Nogalito to the docked cruise ship around 5 pm when the bus was stopped by armed assailants.
The robbers stole personal belongings including money, watches, cameras. No one was injured and the victims all returned safely to the ship. Mexican authorities were contacted, and no arrests have yet been made.
A formal apology was issued by Carnival Cruise Lines, and arrangements are being made to reimburse the victims for their losses.
Cruise line industry experts are reportedly shocked by this incident. Until recently, it was generally assumed that drug related violence had been limited to areas near the U.S. Mexico border.
The ship involved in the incident was damaged in a fire in November, 2010. The Carnival Splendor caught fire some 200 miles offshore from San Diego stranding passengers for three days.
The U.S. State Department has issued and updated travel warnings concerning travel in Mexico due to increased drug-related violence.
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