Passengers Robbed Honduras

CRUISE PASSENGER
CRIME VICTIMS

The U.S. State Department reissued their Honduras Travel Warning just before Christmas and we reported this to you in early January (link below).  Subsequent to that article, we have learned that a family of 5, husband, wife and 3 daughters, rented a car on their own and ventured off to find a beach which is less frequented by tourists.   What they found instead was trouble, as they became the victims of an armed robbery.

News of this robbery surfaced on the web as the husband shared his story on the Facebook page "Missing America's Project".

According to reports, the family was vacationing on the Carnival Conquest and were not on a ship-sponsored excursion.  Fortunately, they were not injured but the car was wrecked, as they  tried to flea the robbers. The loan masked robber made off with the family's valuables including cash, iPhone and camera.   Carnival Cruise Line provided assistance to the victims once they were back on board.  

Many crimes that involve cruise passengers are crimes of opportunity.  If you read the State Department warning, they indicate that there are significant number of people that travel to Honduras without incident.  Of course for this family, that is of little comfort.  The warning suggests that you stick to well-traveled (guarded) destinations.  That of course is no guarantee of your safety, but statistically it increases your odds. 

We live in a society where crime is everywhere.  Often we hear about some crime incident where the news media mentions their surprise about where the crime occurred.   It can happen anywhere - so the only defense is to take all the precautions you can and be aware of your surroundings.  Traveling in groups is another safe practice that is also not a guarantee.

Do take time to read warnings and other information prior to your trip.  We've shared some specific links for Honduras below.  Please consult our International Travel tab above for more links.

Honduras Travel Warning Continued   U.S. Embassy Tegucigalpa Avenida La Paz Tegucigalpa M.D.C. Honduras Telephone 011-504-2236-9320 or 011-504-2238-5114 Emergency Telephone 011-504-2236-8497 or (504) 2238-5114 or (504) 2236-9320, extension 4100. Fax 011-504-2238-4357 U.S. Embassy Tegucigalpa  Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) List of State Department Alerts & Warnings

Cruise Itinerary Changes Following St. Kitts Robbery

Photo courtesy of Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park

In the wake of Sunday's brazen robbery at gunpoint of a bus full of Celebrity Mercury passengers on a St. Kitts shore excursion, at least two cruise lines have canceled calls on the island.   Carnival Miracle, scheduled to visit St. Kitts  headed to Antigua, and Princess Cruises' Grand Princess will make a similar detour on Wednesday.

Two masked gunmen on St. Kitts held up 17 passengers from Celebrity Cruises' Celebrity Mercury who were on a ship-sponsored tour, called "Essential St. Kitts", that includes a sight-seeing drive of the city of Basseterre.  The tour was headed to Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park, a popular tourist spot.

According to police reports, the gunmen blocked the road with a fallen tree which prompted the bus driver to exit the vehicle to clear the road.   When this was done, the band of robbers emerged from the  bushes and robbed the tourists at gunpoint before disappearing back into the woodlands.  The passengers' cash, jewelry, cameras and other valuables were taken and fortunately noone was injured in the incident.

Celebrity Cruises has cancelled the tour indefinitely and indicated that it will closely monitor the safety situation in St. Kitts, but has yet to cancel any calls at the island.  They released the following statement:


"We are thankful that none of our guests were injured in this unfortunate event, and will continue to provide them any support they may need.  A vacation is supposed to be filled with fun, rejuvenation and relaxation. An act of crime should not be part of any vacation, and we regret our guests had to experience those events."

St. Kitts-Nevis Observer was told by a police spokesperson, "this tour bus robbery is an unprecedented incident in St. Kitts, where visitor safety is of the highest priority. Last year, over (500,000) cruise passengers safely disembarked in St. Kitts...we deeply regret any type of incident that might tarnish our visitors' experience."

It is believed that the recent surge in violence in the Caribbean is linked to an increase in drug traffic. Much of the cocaine headed for the U.S. and European markets from South America transits the Caribbean.

Watch here for updates from the cruise lines in reaction to this incident.