Puerto Vallarta and cruise officials vow to communicate better

The Florida Caribbean Cruise Association and officials from Mexican
government and tourism-promotion entities met in Miami on May 12 to discuss
skipped port calls in Puerto Vallarta this month.

They agreed “to improve and increase communications to ensure the
cruise lines are kept better informed and receive updates in real time about
the destination,” according to a statement from Puerto Vallarta’s press
representatives.

All cruise ship calls to Puerto Vallarta have been and are expected
to continue as scheduled, the statement said.

Three ships (Disney Wonder, Celebrity Infinity and Royal
Caribbean’s Jewel of the Seas) were scheduled to call at Puerto Vallarta this month instead spent
the day at sea because of violence and civil unrest that occurred in and around the city earlier this month. A fourth ship, Carnival Miracle, maintained its scheduled call but not
its full menu of shore excursions, according to a spokesman.

A statement from Puerto Vallarta cited “unfortunate events that
took place in Puerto Vallarta and other areas in the state of Jalisco on Friday
morning, May 1.”  It said problems were “quickly contained and resolved.”

“No harm came to any residents or visitors to Puerto Vallarta and no
disturbance, restriction or limits affected tourists in the area. All tourism
infrastructure and services including the cruise ship terminal, marina,
airport, convention center, hotels and resorts, tours, and ground transport
remained fully operational,” the statement said.

Carnival is the only cruise line that has regularly
scheduled weekly calls in Puerto Vallarta going forward. The Disney Wonder, which
was on a 14-night Panama Canal cruise when it skipped its May 12 port call in
Puerto Vallarta, now heads to Alaska for the summer, as does Jewel of the Seas.

Carnival in a statement said: “Given Mexican law
enforcement’s comprehensive security plans currently in place in Puerto
Vallarta, we will continue with our scheduled calls to the destination.
However, in an abundance of caution, since earlier clashes between local groups
and law enforcement occurred outside of Puerto Vallarta, we have temporarily
suspended a small number of shore excursions that require travel outside the
main city.”

Cruise officials attending the Miami meeting included representatives
from Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Celebrity, and Disney Cruise Line,
as well as FCCA President Michele Paige.

On the Mexican side, attendees
included the minister of tourism for the state of Jalisco, the tourism director
of the city of Puerto Vallarta, the director of the Mexican Tourism Board for
North America, as well as the directors of security for Jalisco and Puerto
Vallarta.