State Dept is Relaxing Parts of the Travel Warning for Playa Del Carmen

[The Chairman]

You have information that the Cancun ferry bomb that injured dozens of people was due to a guy who was trying to perpetuate insurance fraud and is now in jail?

What she said! @Christi Yeah, it's pretty common knowledge, so I'm not sure how you missed it if you did all that reading. We have a whole thread dedicated to that incident, so you might want to start right there. I've only spent 6 weeks in that region and another 4 weeks in other parts of Mexico, so I'm no "expert". I don't feel all that safe in Cabo San Lucas, but it's doable for a night before a live-a-board. I do feel safe in Puerto Penasco, Cozumel, Playa del Carmen, Tulum, El Mar de Cortez and the Socorro Islands. Your mileage may vary, but for the most part, I feel safer in Mexico than I would in Miami, New York or Chicago. I feel uber safe here in O'Brien, but that's just me, I guess.

 

[ggunn]

We were talking about bombs, she threw in a bunch of other stuff that happens in the US in an attempt to make the point that it's really not a big deal and Cancun is safer than the US because lots of stuff happens in the US that we never hear about and I pointed out we were only talking about this particular incident which was a bomb blast that injured dozens in Cancun and made the news just like a similar bomb blast would make the news in the US.

If we were to consider all the stuff that happens in the US besides bombings then maybe we should start talking about all the shootings in Cancun on popular tourist beaches that have escalated in recent months and years.

And we are. Christi's point is that bad stuff happens all over. Just because where you are in the US is "safe", that doesn't mean that everywhere here is.

 

[Christi]

The bomb blew up on a ferry that operates between Cancun and Cozumel. It is the only major transportation route between Cancun and Cozumel and it's the primary means of transportation for divers such as myself who find it inconvenient and prohibitively expensive to fly into Cozumel directly.

Note that your local news and media who supposedly reported that it was insurance fraud (and yet there is not one news article proving this to be the case), also reported not one but TWO explosive devices found ON Cozumel AND that a local gang was claiming responsibility. Source AND link provided below:

U.S. issues alert after tourist ferry explosion in Mexico

Two more explosive devices were found attached to another ferry on the island of Cozumel on Thursday, local media reported, saying marine troops had secured the scene.

Local media also reported that a drug gang had taken credit for the blast.



One source. Please. Otherwise you're speculating and regurgitating theories.



I stay out of bad areas. I won't travel into Harlem in NYC. No need to put myself in unnecessary danger.

Look I’m not going to argue with you, but I’m
Not a tourist. I have lived on the island for 18 years and owned a business here for over 16 years. I’m very involved in the community and have dual citizenship. I have traveled back and forth betweeen Cozumel/PDC/Cun at least 100 times so I know the drill and how it works.

A ferry between Cancun and Cozumel does not even exist - period. Yes, people fly into Cancun but then must take a bus or other transportation to Playa del carmen where the ferry is. The ferry explosion happened after all passengers had disembarked in Playa del Carmen coming from Cozumel. That is fact - no speculation.

It’s quite possible that the “facts” aren’t publicized in any public information source - because media isn’t really known for that. I don’t need for you to believe me or the others that know the truth.

This is not an insult, just an observation. It seems apparent that you’ve never visited the area. If you allow yourself the pleasure, you’ll see just how different these three places are that you’ve lumped together as one. If you can’t fly into Cozumel, the safest way is to fly into CAncun, take the ADO bus to Playa and take the ferry across OR fly into Cancun and take a Maya Air flight from CUN to CZM. I guess you could also take the car ferry across as a passenger - it leaves from a port south of Playa del Carmen. The ferry incident was just that - an isolated incident. The threat has been removed, extra security had been implemented, and that particular ferry company has been shut down due to internal foul play. You can believe us or not - but it was months ago without another incident. But I would stop air travel too if I were you too - there have been bombs on airplanes more than once.

Enjoy your vacation wherever you decide to go. I have a busy day today so no more time or energy to spend here.

 

[ggunn]

First you use the local media as your source in an earlier post (regarding possible insurance fraud), then you say "the local media isn't known for facts".

Which is it?

What are you trying to accomplish with all this, exactly? You and Christi obviously disagree, but seeing as how she lives there and deals with this stuff on a daily basis (and you don't) I am inclined to believe her.

If you don't feel safe taking the Playa to Cozumel ferry, then by all means don't do it, but beyond that... what?

 

[amoses]

Stop already. Geeeez. If you think it's dangerous, don't go. I will personally be there in a week and a half and can't wait. Not worried a bit.

 

[The Chairman]

As I said earlier, I was planning a trip to Cozumel via Cancun

Can you cite a source??? Just one?

Here's the deal, the paper that carried the info was in Spanish. Most of the autodramatic translations are impossible to read so the US news hardly ever gets "it" right and they don't mind forcing the news into something quite sensational to improve their ratings. Ergo, when the citizens tell me it went down one way, I'm going to listen to them.

You're free to act on your phobias and misconceptions. I had a great time while I was there last week. I'd go back in a heart beat too.

 

[Carlos Danger]

I was in Coz for 3 weeks just back in May and had a blast! So much so, I am going back this coming Saturday for another 9 days and can't wait to be blown away again!

(puns intended)

 

[ChuckP]

The most dangerous thing I've seen in Cozumel is the price of T shirts at the Hard Rock. Going back in August for 2-6 weeks, might even tear up my return ticket after another day like today....

 

[The Chairman]

Like most US citizens, I don't speak Spanish.

Yeah, like most Americans. That's a real condemnation right there. I actually read a translation and then the real thing on the Coz Insider forum I believe. Compared to my Russian, German and French, my Spanish sucks, but I got the gist of it in the paper.

Please, please don't hold me responsible for your personal ignorance. You don't have to believe me. You don't have to believe Christi. You can take the national news at face value because you think that they're so much more "reliable" than a local. I certainly don't. Remember, they're the ones who ruined our tourist economy here in Florida with their incessant (and unethical) reporting of the Deep Horizon spill. Not a drop of oil ever hit the Keys, but people believed the national news over the locals just like you. The press did far more damage than the spill and yet BP had to foot the entire bill. This is not an appeal to "fake news", because national news is what the national news is good for. When it comes to local events, I'm going to trust the locals. We lost 30/40 divers at our lost invasion because of this ferry incident. We saw them peel off right after the explosion. I don't make money on the Invasion, so there was no financial drain on me, but I certainly wanted to understand the situation since I was headed over there. I only did a modicum of research and found it pretty easily. Not sure why it's so difficult for you.

 

[Streydog]

I don't hold you responsible for my "personal ignorance" as you put it, however I will repeat my reasonable request for one source that substantiates your claim that the Cancun/Cozumel ferry bombing was an inside job by a guy who is in jail who was trying to perpetuate insurance fraud. You did "all that reading" before you headed to Cozumel so please, provide just one link since it's so easy to find.Even a local spanish paper that can be run through translation software that can easily find words such as "insurance fraud" and "guy in jail".

Otherwise you're just blowing smoke.[/QUOTE
The Flat Earth Society