Violence prompts cruise lines to cancel Puerto Vallarta calls

Gene Sloan | USA TODAY

Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises and Disney Cruise Line have canceled calls this week in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, citing recent violence in the resort city.

Royal Caribbean's 2,501-passenger Jewel of the Seas and Disney's 1,754-passenger Disney Wonder will skip stops at Puerto Vallarta scheduled for today, while the 2,170-passenger Celebrity Infinity bypassed the port on Sunday.

"Jewel of the Seas and Celebrity Infinity's calls to Puerto Vallarta were canceled due to the recently experienced episodes of violent civil unrest, stemming from criminal gangs that have engaged in armed conflict with local authorities," Royal Caribbean Cruises spokeswoman Cynthia Martinez tells USA TODAY.

Royal Caribbean Cruises is the parent company for both Royal Caribbean and Celebrity.

A Carnival Cruise Line vessel scheduled to visit Puerto Vallarta today, the 2,124-passenger Carnival Miracle, will go ahead with the call but some shore excursions have been canceled, Carnival spokesman Vance Gulliksen tells USA TODAY.

Gunman earlier this month set fire to cars, buses, banks and gasoline stations in and around Puerto Vallarta and the surrounding Jalisco state, and they traded gunfire with soldiers and police. The violence erupted after security forces launched a campaign against an increasingly strong Mexican drug cartel in the region known as Jalisco New Generation.

The cruise ships that are skipping Puerto Vallarta have replaced the call with an extra day at sea.