Economy blamed for cruise cancelations

Although cruise lines says worries about crime led to their avoiding Mazatlan, Oralia Rice, director of the state tourism office, said it really is a matter of economics. She declared that stops in Mazatlan cost cruise lines more than at other ports and that they earn more by selling shore excursions elsewhere. And while gang warfare is a serious problem in Mexico, Rice maintained that there have been no incidents in Mazatlan involving cruise ship passengers. Rice replaced Antonio Ibarra, the director of the state tourism office whose murder never has been explained.

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Jimm Budd

Reporting From Mexico City

Member of the Society of American Travel Writers