We Cruised To Mexico The Day The Cartel Violence Erupted

It was my first time going to Mexico, and I was a little worried about safety to begin with. Then, before we even left the port of Los Angeles, we got word that the cartel was causing chaos in the very place we were headed.

We boarded our boat for a 7-day cruise on Sunday afternoon. After we got settled, we made our way to the observation lounge to get a drink and begin our vacation. That's when we overheard someone on the phone with their travel agent, talking loudly and sounding alarmed.

"Looks like we aren't going to Puerto Vallarta!"

Our first stop was supposed to be Puerto Vallarta, but the city was facing unrest after Mexican Cartel Leader 'El Mencho' was killed in a raid. The cartel retaliated, setting cars on fire and threatening to kill civilians.

It wasn't until the next day that the captain made the announcement that we wouldn't be stopping in Puerto Vallarta, due to the US Embassy advising no travel. We were already at sea at this point, and we didn't have much information. Internet service was spotty, and what we did find was mass confusion, chaos, and, of course, AI slop of misinformation. A letter from the captain was placed by housekeeping in our room.

Tourists Trapped In Mexico

We heard that tourists were sheltering in place at their resorts in Mexico because airports were closed down. People on the ship were starting to worry about even getting off the boat at our other two stops. Many people were asking the staff if they thought it was safe.

Our Friends And Family Worried The Whole Cruise

When we did get service and could connect with the world, our phones blew up with text messages and voicemails from family members, warning us of the danger in Mexico. Fueled by misinformation, they were worried. It was assumed that all of Mexico was under attack, and they worried about us.

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Tanks Guarding Mazatlan

We did eventually make it to Mazatlan on our cruise. We were told it was safe, and they had a strong military presence there. When we got to shore, it was clear they were on alert. We saw multiple Mexican police patrols. Soldiers in full combat gear were riding around in police trucks with flashing lights. We heard they had armored tanks at checkpoints protecting the city.

In The End, All We Lost Was A Day In Puerto Vallarta

Instead of our stop in Puerto Vallarta, we spent an extra day at sea. Which we honestly didn't mind. We already had a complimentary food and drink package, and the weather was wonderful, so we ended up saving some money anyway. Plus, the boat traveled more slowly since we weren't in a hurry, and you could hardly feel it move, so there were no worries about being seasick.

We did get to experience some of Mexico with our stops. We fortunately didn't have anything crazy happen, and we were thankful that our cruise line kept us out of harm's way.

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