One of the things many people (me included) love most about cruising is the opportunity to visit multiple destinations in one trip without worrying about all the logistics of getting from place to place.
I love waking up to a different destination to explore each day, so for me, port-intensive cruise itineraries are particularly appealing.
Related: CDC warns of deadly disease outbreak in key cruise ports
But just because cruising makes it easy to sail to several different destinations doesn’t mean you should sail blind.
Researching your cruise ports ahead of time and being aware of any safety risks and precautions you should take is essential to help ensure smooth sailing throughout your cruise vacation.
Yes, cruise lines will only take you to cruise ports that are generally deemed to be safe, but that doesn’t mean safety threats don’t exist.
That’s what the U.S. State Department aims to help U.S. travelers understand as it issues travel advisories and alerts for destinations around the world. Even if the State Department doesn’t advise against traveling to a place, they often still warn of crime and other significant safety risks.
Doug Parker shared details on a new safety threat that the State Department is warning travelers about in a popular Carnival and Royal Caribbean cruise port, and other cruise news, on the June 5th edition of Cruise News Today.
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Cruise passengers face new safety threat in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
Transcript:
This is Cruise News Today with Doug Parker.
Good morning, here’s your cruise news for Thursday, June 5th.
Cruise passengers heading ashore in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, stay alert. That’s the message from the U.S. Embassy warning travelers about kidnappings linked to dating apps in the area. Visitors have been lured into private meetups, then held for ransom.
The U.S. State Department has Jalisco, where Puerto Vallarta is located, under a Level 3 advisory saying reconsider travel due to crime and kidnapping. To stay safe in port, just lay off the dating apps.
Related: US changes travel threat level for controversial Caribbean port
Norwegian Cruise Line is adding more cabins to its ships
And a new report from Cruise Industry News says Norwegian Cruise Line added nearly 50 cabins across its fleet during dry docks in early 2025.
The Norwegian Bliss led the way with 26 new staterooms, including balcony and premium suites. Pride of America was up next, following with 15 cabins after relocating the youth area.
The Norwegian Epic picked up eight cabins ahead of its European season. And the Norwegian Breakaway also entered dry dock, but didn’t add any new rooms.
These upgrades follow similar additions to Norwegian Joy and Norwegian Encore last year.
Cruise ship calls to the Cayman Islands are dropping
And cruise arrivals are down sharply in Grand Cayman. Yeah, the island saw a 27% drop in April compared to last year, the lowest for the month since 2000. This is excluding the pandemic.
Cruise lines are increasingly leaving the island off their itineraries, citing its reliance on tendering and lack of a cruise pier, making it less attractive for newer, larger ships. Plans to build a dock were rejected by voters over environmental concerns.
Related: Popular Caribbean port delivers major blow to cruise industry
And cruise stocks were mixed on Wednesday. Carnival Corporation: down 0.5%, 23.80. Royal Caribbean: down slightly, 265.58. Norwegian: up 1%, 18.39. And Viking: up 1.5%, 47.14.
If you have a lead on a story, let us know: [email protected].
This week’s Cruise Radio Podcast, a review of MSC World America, where you listen to your favorite podcasts.
Here in Seattle at Ray’s Boathouse, I’m Doug Parker with Cruise News Today.
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