A TAD BIT NERVOUS About SAFETY

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A TAD BIT NERVOUS About SAFETY

Postby DavidD » Tue Feb 28, 2012 9:18 pm

My wife and I are celebrating our 10th Anniversary in April. We currently
are planning on celebrating at Desire Pearl. We are not swingers, but free spirited, and suspect we would enjoy the sexual energy of the place.
Anyway, my concern is the safety element. Cancun is not the most reputable of places these days and to make matters worse the police are corrupt.
Searches on the internet surfaces some real life horror stories.
So here is a hotel with new management, new employees, new security,
new bartenders etc. It just seems like a set up for possible disaster. How can one be so sure that we are safe from the Riff Raff that plagues Cancun. How do I know some scum bag is not going to drug our drinks, rob us, or worse rape my wife. While we all are having fun and getting inebriated, whose watching our backs? Who is guarding our rooms? Who is watching the beach side?
Don't mean to be a Joy Kill, but as I said, there are some real life horror stories out there, not just hype, but hard core reality. :shock:
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Postby CokeMann » Tue Feb 28, 2012 11:35 pm

fyi - Desire Pearl is about 50 miles south of Cancun

If you are really that concerned it sounds like you should cancel your trip.
- or get the real facts about Cancun and the Riviera Maya area.
Please use the forum links to book directly with Desire RM, Desire Pearl or the Desire Cruises.
This will help keep the forums economically self sustaining and Ad free for all to use.
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Postby Spongeworthy » Wed Feb 29, 2012 4:25 am

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Last edited by Spongeworthy on Tue Oct 08, 2013 5:07 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Postby DavidD » Wed Feb 29, 2012 6:53 am

CokeMann wrote:fyi - Desire Pearl is about 50 miles south of Cancun

If you are really that concerned it sounds like you should cancel your trip.
- or get the real facts about Cancun and the Riviera Maya area.


Dear CokeMann,
Thank you for your reply. I am disappointed however that your answer
is so flippant and disrespectful. I'd expect a more professional response from
a site administrator. I would love to get the real facts about Cancun and the
Riviera Maya. Perhaps you could post a link or some constructive information to help calm my apparent over magnified fears rather than
belittle and patronize me on a public venue. I would suspect that there are
other "newbies" that might appreciate such information as well.
It also troubles me deeply that you are directing our vacation away from Pearl. My wife and I are actually quite the fun couple and up until your
suggestion, were quite excited to be going to Pearl. Sorry you found my post so irritating.

And FYI- it is 31 miles from Cancun airport to the front door of Pear Desire
Regards
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Postby Wingit48 » Wed Feb 29, 2012 7:34 am

My partner and I have been going to Desire at least twice a year for the last 5 years. We have NEVER at any time felt the slightest bit threatened or concerned for our well being. This area is not at all like downtown Cancun...it is only developed along the beach with only upscale resorts. We have never seen any "riff raff" whatsoever nor have we ever been approached by drug dealers, hawkers or undesirables. In addition, we have never heard of one instance of someone feeling threatened or concerned for their safety. Security has always been understated yet apparent for the well being and comfort of the guests. We will be at Desire Pearl in April and are eargerly looking forward to a respite from a northern Maine winter. Put your concerns aside and have a great time.
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Postby Powderfinger » Wed Feb 29, 2012 7:46 am

Maybe the "flippant and disrespectful" reply was due to your loaded questions which contained nothing but every possible negative scenario which could possibly befall you......you know, all those things that could happen in your hometown. By the tone of your OP, there's no way anyone could calm your raging fears enough to allow you to relax enough to enjoy any vacation on the Yucatan. Perhaps before requesting links to calm your fears, you could post links showing us all the "Criminal Minds"-type behavior that has occurred in Riviera Maya resorts that has led you to have all this fear......



btw, the safety question has come up on more than one occasion, the search function is your friend.....
RMJan'08,'12,'16,'17Jan/Feb'09,'10,'11Feb'18June'13July'12,'14,'19July/Aug'10,'11,'15,'16,'17,'21Spt'09 Dec'18','19,'20
DPJuly'13July/Aug'18
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Postby Rusty » Wed Feb 29, 2012 8:18 am

DavidD I guess there's a couple of things here not to be too personal but there are a lot of people like yourselfs that read to much into what the media puts out there and having little knowledge about a location leaves the miind to add in the blanks. We travel a lot to different countrys all the time and see a big delta between the media and for that matter the goverment say, like Bangkok last year three people killed in street riotes don't travel etc when you realise this one street less than a mile long in a city with thousands of streets needless to say more poeple die daily on the roads there every day. But you know that's why your here to ask questions to help reduce the fear levels. If you are worried you can book the transfers and the resort stay on the desire web sit or over the phone. The don't leave the resort until your ready to go home. Everything you need can be found inside the resort. You don't need to bring anything of value just a passport and credit card or two. But I think down deep you already know its not going to be a bad trip so take a breath and book one of the best holiday you can have as a couple and of course ask more questions
Ps sorry about any typos I'm using my mobile
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Postby wildandwackypacpl » Wed Feb 29, 2012 8:36 am

We've been going to Cancun for a while — first vanilla resorts and then finally Desire RM — and never, ever had an issue.

We've been to Mexico more than a dozen times — mostly in resort areas — and yes, there are some places I would avoid, mostly up north, but greater Cancun is pretty safe. Going to Jamaica — in our opinion — seemed seemed a bit more scary.

And to be honest — except for a naked catamaran trip — we didn't particularly feel the need to leave Desire, although we've spent lots of time in and around Cancun over the years, including one or two silly Senor Frog stories and never had an issue of any kind.

Frankly, I can think of places that are 45-minute drive from my home that are much, much worse...

Relax, enjoy and have fun.
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Re: A TAD BIT NERVOUS About SAFETY

Postby mfay » Wed Feb 29, 2012 9:24 am

DavidD wrote:Don't mean to be a Joy Kill, but as I said, there are some real life horror stories out there, not just hype, but hard core reality. :shock:


Nobody is trying to belittle you DavidD, but we live in a world where sensationalism is king and very few people take the time to look beyond it.
Even though you may not have intended your statements to be "hype" that is the way they come off to anyone who really has experience in the area- or who has really investigated.
Cancun is a good sized city- built solely for the purpose of tourism. As in any tourist area in the US or any country anywhere, there can be a few muggings, drugging drinks in nightclubs, etc. But the rates of violent crime are FAR lower in Cancun than in most major US cities. As has been said by others here, Desire Resorts are many miles away from Cancun in the Riviera Maya. And to take any comparisons a step further, the Mexican State of Quintana Roo that contains Cancun and the RM has an overall violent crime rate comparable to Wyoming. Statistics also show that almost almost 15 million people visited Mexico from the US last year. Roughly 300 of those died there from all causes. Only maybe 110 of those died from crime, and virtually all of those were involved in the drug trade and were killed in the border areas. Hardly horror stories when you dig a little deeper.
We've been to Desire 21 times in the past 8 years without incident. We have always felt totally safe at the resort where security is excellent, at the Cancun airport, and in Puerto Morelos (where Pearl is located.) Some of the same management, staff, and security will be at Pearl as at original Desire.
So if you are really interested in going to Pearl- forget about crime and security issues. You have much more important things to worry about. How many pairs of shoes the wife will need to pack, viagra or cialis, spf 15 or 30, etc.
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Postby shore128 » Wed Feb 29, 2012 9:54 am

David, we are leaving this Saturday for our 6th trip to Desire Riviera Maya. The issue of our safety hasn't even crossed our minds. We're excited about our vacation, and look forward to the new friends and fun experiences we will have on this trip, as each trip is different. We are sometimes asked by friends or co-workers whether we are concerned about the drug violence. We tell them it simply isn't an issue in this area. It is a very safe area that has top-notch resorts stretching along tens of miles of beautiful beaches. I like to take long walks on the beach. I seldom even see a local resident. Just tourists. When my wife takes a beach walk her safety isn't a concern of either of us. We live in Massachusetts, and there is seldom a week that goes by when there isn't a news report of another fatal shooting in Boston. But those are confined to a few relatively small sections. The downtown areas and nicer neighborhoods of Boston are very safe and great places to visit. The same with Mexico. There are very dangerous areas, but the Riviera Maya area isn't one of them.
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Postby miranda » Wed Feb 29, 2012 10:05 am

Many folks have the same 'fears' and 'apprehensions' about traveling to Mexico but we have never felt unsafe when we have gone.

We like to take long walks on the beach and the most fearful thing I have run across are the dogs on the beach. They bark and chase after people.

I am not normally afraid of dogs but I hear horror stories about them and if a dog comes towards me, barking, and doesn't stop barking and following me, it's a little unnerving to say the least.

But, as mentioned, we rarely leave the confines of Desire - we are there to enjoy it as much as we can.

I think Mexico tourism has been hit hard by the negative publicity and in the tourist areas they are really trying to show us travelers that visitors ARE safe.

Just travel smart, just as you would any time you walk out your front door. You will really enjoy your time at Desire - happy anniversary!
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Re: A TAD BIT NERVOUS About SAFETY

Postby CokeMann » Wed Feb 29, 2012 1:18 pm

DavidD - not disrespectful, just brutally honest - your very first post on this forum is phrased in a negative troll like manner and if you are already that fearful of a vacation in Mexico then the best advice I could give was that you should cancel your trip and go somewhere you would feel safe.

DavidD wrote:Cancun is not the most reputable of places these days
If you Google(or watch FOXTV) any city in the US would appear as not the most reputable of places

DavidD wrote:and to make matters worse the police are corrupt.
Partially true, but in Mexico it's just a little more obvious than in other US cities

DavidD wrote:Searches on the internet surfaces some real life horror stories.
If you search the internet for any city in the US you will find some real life horror stories about that place.

DavidD wrote:So here is a hotel with new management, new employees, new security, new bartenders etc. It just seems like a set up for possible disaster.
Original Resorts has been opening and operating successful hotels for many years Why would you think that the opening of Desire Pearl is set up possible disaster?

DavidD wrote:How can one be so sure that we are safe from the Riff Raff that plagues Cancun.
Are you implying that the 750,000 residents of Cancun city that staff &/or service most of the hotels in the HZ and the hotels along the RM for 3+ million US tourists a year are riff raff and a plague ?

DavidD wrote:How do I know some scum bag is not going to drug our drinks, rob us, or worse rape my wife. While we all are having fun and getting inebriated, whose watching our backs? Who is guarding our rooms? Who is watching the beach side?
Read the numerous trip reports from the forum members about Desire RM and expect the same from Desire Pearl.

DavidD wrote:Don't mean to be a Joy Kill, but as I said, there are some real life horror stories out there, not just hype, but hard core reality.
Please post links to these "real life horror stories" so we can all see that they are not hype......

PS - There where zero(0) homicides of US citizens in the state of Quintana Roo (Cancun and Riviera Maya) during all of 2011. Feel free to check for yourself at USA Government Consular Services.
Please use the forum links to book directly with Desire RM, Desire Pearl or the Desire Cruises.
This will help keep the forums economically self sustaining and Ad free for all to use.
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Postby DavidD » Wed Feb 29, 2012 3:55 pm

Dear CokeMann,
C'mon! I really didn't post my questions and concerns
in order to start an argument or debate. And I certainly didn't
mean to throw stones at Cancun or Desire Pearl. At this point
I believe I have recieved ample answers to my inquiry. You ask for a link, well here is one just as an example:
http://www.mexicovacationawareness.com/mexicostory.html

I'd like to thank ALL those who responded, but particularly those who were receptive and offered kind words, reassurance, sound advice, and even some statistics. Points well recieved. Thank you. I visited Cancun some years ago and I'm pleased to hear it's still a nice place.
Regards
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Postby bobjeannj » Wed Feb 29, 2012 6:12 pm

hey david,
if you suddenly have second thoughts or maybe didn't do your homework, you can always wait a little longer or find an alternative location.
the admins here aren't your travel agents.
If you use this site and read the posts related to safety in the area, you will find many responses regarding safety concerns, and multiple seasoned travelers to this area and their experiences.

my experience has been that this area is less perilous than the Atlantic city boardwalk. the locals are mostly home grown beachy types who work in the tourism industry. If you plan on getting somwreckednthat your wife is going to get raped, you either plan on drinking too much or have a outrageous imagination.
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Postby bsakatm12 » Mon Mar 05, 2012 8:02 am

Most of the issues have already been addressed, but I would like to share an anecdote. During our last trip to Desire, I had an interesting conversation with the driver as we were passing a checkpoint on the highway. He said that from the Mexican point of view, just from watching TV news and crime dramas on USA TV, the USA is a much more violent place than Mexico. He knew reality was somewhat different, but he made a good point.

To the OP, you are smart to be concerned about safety. However, the same is true if you're going to Cancun or Chicago. Where tourists gather, the parasites are sure to follow. In Cancun, the biggest threat to your safety is the time-share bandits at the airport. Keep an open mind, do your homework, take the necessary precautions, and enjoy a trip. Or, stay home. It's your choice.
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