Royal Caribbean cruise ships have stopped docking in Manzanillo after a major warning for holidaymakers to avoid the city, sometimes dubbed the ‘murder capital’ of the world
Spiralling gang-related murders and kidnappings in port cities popular with major cruise lines have triggered Level 4 “do not travel” warnings for holidaymakers. Major operators like Royal Caribbean will no longer stop in many of these once-beautiful and popular destinations due to the rising risk of violence.
Tourists have been told “violent crime and gang activity are widespread” in the city of Manzanillo, in Colima, Mexico, with homicides and “targeted assassinations” common among cartel members. The US has cautioned travellers about visiting the area, with the stark warning that “shooting incidents between criminal groups have injured or killed bystanders.”
With over 600 recorded homicides in just the first nine months of 2024 and one of the highest murder rates in the world, the state of Colima has often been handed the awful accolade of global “murder capital.” It even holds this reputation within Mexico itself, with a homicide rate five times higher than the capital city.
Cartel violence in the country has spiked in recent years, rising to a shocking peak of 33,141 murders in 2018 and remaining around that level since, according to the Council on Foreign Relations. This has followed the power vacuum left by the collapse of the Sinaloa drug empire after the multiple arrests of Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman.
With criminal organisations now fighting over his former territory, there are over 31 travel advisories in place across the entirety of Mexico. Various cartels are believed to control up to a fifth of all territory in the country.
But despite this, the port city of Manzanillo, the largest in Colima, has sometimes been described as a beautiful area, with striking white buildings that look out over its two large crescent beaches.
On the Royal Caribbean website, it is described as: “Not be the first place on Mexico’s Pacific Coast you think to visit, but its golden beaches, lively fishing harbour and emerald rainforest will leave memories that will last a lifetime.”
Local media has reported Royal Caribbean cruise ships no longer stopping in the city, which is under the same travel warning as places like Afghanistan and Iraq. Other liners, such as Princess Cruises, still list Manzanillo as one of their destinations in the coming months.
Meanwhile, other cities along the country’s coast are also reportedly affected by travel warnings, due to the threat of serious violence. Puerto Chiapas, near the Guatemala border with a reputation for fine coffee, has been given a Level 3 travel warning.
This means tourists should “reconsider travel” to the city as a result of rising crime, causing major cruise operators like Norwegian and Holland America to halt journeys to the port.
