Cruise travelers worry about safety as conflicts grow
USA TODAY
As recent geopolitical developments across the globe have scrambled travel, cruise passengers may be second-guessing their destinations.
Spring break cruise season is upon us. But as recent geopolitical developments around the globe have scrambled travel plans, passengers may be second-guessing their destinations.
Cruise passengers were among those stranded after the United States and Israel's war with Iran began in late February, with the conflict forcing ships to abandon their original itineraries as guests struggled to get home. The U.S. State Department urged travelers to leave more than a dozen countries, including the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Egypt, citing “serious safety risks.”
Earlier that month, unrest erupted in Puerto Vallarta and other parts of Mexico after Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes – also known as El Mencho – who led the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación, was killed during a Mexican military operation on Feb. 22. Several Carnival Cruise Line, Holland America and Princess Cruises ships opted to skip stops in the city through at least March 12, parent company Carnival Corporation previously told USA TODAY.
Officials have reassured travelers of their safety, with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo saying the situation had "calmed down” in a Feb. 23 news conference (though some security specialists have urged caution).
However, experts said cruise lines are well-equipped to make changes as needed to protect their guests. “Number one, no one wants to put people in harm's way,” Stephanie Goldberg-Glazer, chief experience officer and owner of the travel agency Live Well, Travel Often, told USA TODAY. “And number two, these cruise lines have a lot of skin in the game.”
Long lines at airports, the Iran war and other developments have left some travelers concerned about venturing out on vacation.
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