Looks Like Cozumel is Out for Now.
It hurts my heart to see nonsense and violence like this. Sadly it’s the world we live in. There are times where you have to make a decision for yourself and not wait for a cruise line to do it for you. I’m not saying anything negative against the lines, I’m saying sometimes a little common sense goes a long way. What am I getting at? Cozumel is out, at least for now. Stef and I won’t even get off the boat. We get it, we know the explosion was on a ferry going to and from Cozumel. It’s what the explosion represents that keeps us on board. We’re hoping that the cruise lines will suspend service to Cozumel sending a financial and political message for Mexico to get it’s stuff straight. I’m sure some will argue and say that’s an overreaction but we’re referencing a boat exploding around dozens of people and I’m not talking about a Michael Bay film. That plus the State Department has issued several warnings. They have more data than we do.
On Feb. 21st a ferry boat that normally shuttles people from Playa del Carmen to Cozumel exploded within feet of passengers, injuring 25 people including 2 Americans. The ferry is run by a company called Barcos Caribe. The good news? Barcos Caribe has been suspended from operating. The bad news? Additional explosives were found on another ferry owned by the same company. Even worse? The U.S. State Department has basically stopped short of saying don’t go to this port.
For those of you who still don’t know what I’m talking about… THIS (NSFW):
Citing a security threat, the State Department has closed its consular office in a popular Mexican resort city and warned Americans to “consider this information” before traveling to the area.
Considered. Thank you.
The State Department on Wednesday night issued a security alert for Playa del Carmen, a tourist draw on the Caribbean coast, saying the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City had received “credible information” about a threat to the city.
“Effective immediately, U.S. Government employees are prohibited from traveling to Playa del Carmen until further notice,” the security alert states. “The U.S. Consular Agency in Playa del Carmen will be closed until further notice.”
“Our priority is the safety and security of U.S. citizens abroad,” “We urge all travelers to review our information on travel.state.gov before they travel. We will continue to provide safety and security updates as they become available.”
Ok, they are basically saying do your research and make good choices. That’s the kind of thing a parent says when they know their kids are about to make a bad decision.
Quoting USA Today:
The alert stopped short of prohibiting all U.S. travelers from traveling to the resort town.
“We released a March 7 Security Alert to all U.S. citizens due to credible information we received regarding this security threat in Playa del Carmen,” a U.S. State Department official said in an email. “We recommend U.S. citizens planning travel to the area consider this information before making travel decisions.”
We’re not the only ones talking about this. Don from Don’s Family Vacations has quite a few things to say about the situation here:
I’m not sure when we’ll patronize this port again, but we will one day. We have a cruise in March that still has Cozumel on the itinerary but we won’t get off the ship that day.
If our cruise still goes to Cozumel next week, it will be a ship day for us. We’ll enjoy all that our beautiful ship has to offer. What about you? Have you been to Cozumel since the incident? Will you go to Cozumel? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
