Is Costa Rica Safe for Cruisers?
By Gene Sloan, The Cruise Log

Costa Rica is moving fast to reassure cruisers that it's safe to visit the country in the wake of last-week's much-publicized attack on a group of Carnival passengers on shore.

Officials pledged on Tuesday to double the number of police on patrol in the port city of Limon during cruise ship stopovers. They also say they'll install security cameras around the city so police can keep a closer eye on vehicles carrying tourists.

The moves come less than a week after three armed assailants held up a group of passengers from the Carnival Legend, which was in Limon for the day. In a widely reported twist, the cruisers fought back, killing one of the alleged muggers and sending the other two running.

In the aftermath of the incident, Carnival initially canceled upcoming port calls in Costa Rica, but this week the line says it'll return to the country starting with the Legend's March 8 voyage.

Costa Rica, long one of Central America's most popular destinations, has been surging as a cruise stop in recent years as the fast-growing cruise industry looks for alternatives to increasingly crowded Caribbean ports such as St. Thomas and Cozumel. In the last four months, around 40 cruise ships have arrived with 85,000 passengers -- a period during which officials note there have been just four "security incidents" reported to authorities.

Still, crime against tourists is a growing problem in Costa Rica. The U.S. State Department's consular information sheet for the country warns that theft has become "common," and there's been a string of armed attacks against tourists on roadways. "Local law enforcement agencies have limited capabilities and do not act according to U.S. standards," the report notes.

Is Costa Rica safe to visit -- either by cruise ship or otherwise?

Personally, I've never experienced anything but warmth and friendliness from locals when visiting the country, and I've never felt in danger while there. Costa Rica is a peaceful place, and in my own mind I'd place the recent attack in the category of "random and rare." Indeed, I'll be taking my three little kids to Costa Rica (to a jungle eco-lodge) in just a few weeks for spring break, and haven't thought twice about it.