When you leave the United States it’s always important that you exercise caution. Most places are not inherently dangerous, but there will be criminals looking to prey on people who make bad decisions.
That’s why it’s always important to be aware of your surroundings no matter where you may find yourself in the world. In most cases, that means taking common-sense safety measures like sticking to well-trafficked areas and making sure you don’t carry your wallet in your back pocket or hold your purse loosely.
Related: Carnival and Virgin Voyages make key change to make cruises safer
Bad things can happen anywhere, but the United States Department of State tracks general safety levels in places US tourists visit all around the world. It uses a sliding scale to report danger levels:
Level 1: Exercise normal precautions.Level 2: Exercise increased cautionLevel 3: Reconsider travelLevel 4: Do not travel.
Jamaica, a popular cruise destination for Carnival Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean has been under a Level 3 warning since July 2022. That’s something cruisers need to be aware of, but they also need to understand exactly what they’re being warned about as the advisory was recently updated.
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The area around the port is generally safe.
Image source: Carnival Corporation
Make careful choices in cruise ship ports
The State Department warning for Jamaica is very specific and has been recently updated.
“Reconsider travel to Jamaica due to crime. Exercise increased caution regarding medical services. Some areas have increased risk,” the State Department shared on its website.
The warning did make it clear that some parts of the country are more dangerous than others:
“Violent crime occurs throughout Jamaica. Tourist areas generally see lower rates of violent crime than other parts of the country. The homicide rate reported by the Government of Jamaica is among the highest in the Western Hemisphere. Armed robberies and sexual assaults are common,” the warning continued. “The U.S. Embassy routinely receives reports of sexual assaults, including from US. citizen tourists at resorts.”
It also noted that local authorities that US citizens report slow or unsatisfactory responses to serious criminal incidents.
“When arrests are made, cases are infrequently prosecuted to a final verdict and sentence,” it added.
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Jamaica pushes back on the travel advisory
Jamaica’s Ambassador to the United States Audrey Patrice Marks has pushed back on the travel advisory. In a Facebook post earlier this year she said the advisory “distorts the reality and facts in Jamaica.”
In addition, Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett has also shared that since the advisory was issued, Jamaica has welcomed millions of visitors and continues to be one of the most popular destinations in the world.”
“The crime rate involving visitors is extremely low at 0.01 percent,” he told TravelPulse.
Cruise ship passengers should be wary when visiting any country with a Level 3 advisory. In many cases, the port area itself is closed off from non-cruise ship visitors (which is the case in Falmouth, Jamaica where both Royal Caribbean and Carnival visit).
Those areas are generally considered safe. When leaving the port area, however, in a country with a Level 3 travel advisory, it generally makes sense to stick to cruise line-sponsored excursions.
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The State Department also gave some tips to anyone visiting Jamaica:
Avoid walking or driving at night.Avoid public buses.Avoid secluded places or situations.Do not physically resist any robbery attempt.Be aware of your surroundings and keep a low profile.
In addition, the advisory contains language on healthcare and urged Americans to get travel insurance that includes medical evacuation coverage.
“Private hospitals require payment upfront before admitting patients and may not have the ability to provide specialized care. Ambulance services are not always staffed with EMTs or always readily available, especially in rural areas. U.S. citizens should bring extra prescription medication as common medications such as insulin can be difficult to obtain,” it added.
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