Meagan Drillinger
Acapulco
received a much-needed dose of good news at the recent Seatrade Cruise Global
convention in Fort Lauderdale when Holland America Line confirmed that it would
be returning to the port in 2017. The decision to have two ships visit the
beleaguered city promises to bring 5,000 new cruisers to the destination. The
first call will be Oct. 2, 2017.
Acapulco’s
reputation has been hit hard since 2011, due to widely reported incidents of drug-trafficking violence. But
the destination assures travelers that it is and will remain safe for tourists,
especially in the highly trafficked tourist zones. More than $300 million in
government investments have been poured into the city’s infrastructure to
benefit cruise visitors.
“Our
promotional strategy, which consisted of participation in numerous
cruise-industry conferences, improvements on Acapulco’s infrastructure and
negotiations with major cruise lines led to the success that we are
experiencing,” said Pedro Haces Sordo, president of the Acapulco Destination
Marketing Office.
Acapulco’s
cruise industry began to revive in 2014, and the destination reports that no
security incidents involving tourists have been reported. Cruise lines that
continue to call in Acapulco include Norwegian Cruise Line, Silversea Cruises,
Hapag-Lloyd, Regent Seven Seas, OCI, All Leisure and Japan-based NYK Line.
“In
the past, Acapulco received Carnival Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean International,
Celebrity Cruises, Princess Cruises, and Holland America,” said Alex
Casarrubias, port director of Acapulco. “Now, little by little, [lines] are
coming back. Holland America is the first one on the list [of those that pulled
out] to confirm its services to the destination. It is important to [note] that
Norwegian Cruises has always kept the destination in its itineraries with its
10- and 11-day calls to Acapulco from California.”
Among
the others who left Acapulco after violence escalated, Royal Caribbean does not
have any scheduled itineraries that include in a stop Acapulco. Similarly,
Carnival Cruise Lines said that it does not have plans to visit Acapulco for
departures through spring 2018. Celebrity Cruises reports no current plans to
return but with the note that it is certainly not off the table in the future.