Pack up your maracas, Carnival is returning to Mexico! The cruise line wasn’t happy with putzing off the California coast, and the CDC says that swine flu isn’t deadly enough to keep us out of Mexico forever. By the end of the month, souvenir-seeking Americans will again be able to down margaritas and scoop up trinkets in Cabo, Cozumel, and Puerto Vallarta.

Late last month, in the wake of an outbreak of the H1N1 influenza virus, five of the world’s largest cruise lines suspended all stops in Mexico, docking instead at Santa Catalina Island, San Diego, Santa Barbara and San Francisco.

Many frustrated passengers complained bitterly, saying the alternative stops and on-board compensation were woefully inadequate. The cruise lines tried to appease passengers by offering full or partial credit toward a future cruise.

Some passengers were also given $20 in on-board credit for every port that was missed and not replaced with an alternative stop.

No word yet on when the other cruise lines will man up and start docking in Mexico again.

Carnival Cruise Lines to resume visits to Mexico this month [The Los Angeles Times]
(Photo: Charles Jeffrey Danoff)

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