Louisiana Travelers Urged to ‘Reconsider Travel’ to These Spots

The holidays have come and gone and across Louisiana from Mandeville to Maurice and Serepta to Slidell folks are taking down red and green and reindeer and either hauling that stuff to the attic. Or, which is a more likely scenario in Louisiana, folks are trading out the red for purple and gold and replacing the reindeer with a Mardi Gras mask. 

Since we are officially into South Louisiana's Mardi Gras season that brings to mind a topic that is quite popular when Fat Tuesday rolls around, namely a Mardi Gras vacation. Mardi Gras is a great getaway time for Louisiana travellers because most of us get time off from our jobs, our kids are out of school, and travel prices to many places are mid-winter cheap.

You probably know someone who has already booked a cruise for Mardi Gras or later this spring or summer. If they are sailing out of the Port of New Orleans chances are they are heading on a Caribbean cruise. Which should be wonderful and relaxing. But, there are some places on your journey that have just been included in the Department of State's new travel advisories for 2025.

As of late December, the Department of State has raised the threat level for travellers to Guatemala and Belize. Both of those countries are popular stops for many cruise lines. The threat in Guatemala is listed as a "Level 3" or "reconsider travel" advisory. A Level 3 advisory is the next-to-highest warning issued by the Department of State so it's pretty significant.

Meanwhile, in Belize, the threat level is at Level 2 which on the State Department scale means "exercised increased caution". The threat in Belize, like the threat in Guatemala, is related to crime and the lack of response from local authorities. In Guatemala, several areas of the country are considered to be unsafe for any travellers. In fact, the U.S. Government won't allow employees on the ground in Guatemala to travel to certain sections of the country at certain times of the day.

If your cruise itinerary includes stops in these countries please consult your cruise coordinator for specific details about going onshore. There are places that tourists can visit safely in these locales but the situation could be changing on a daily basis, so it's worth it to know before you go.

It's always good advice to "keep your head on a swivel" and be cognizant of your surroundings no matter where you go. A little common sense and precautionary planning ahead of time can really give you peace of mind when you travel. But in some places, even that won't be enough.

Or you could make the choice to spend your "off time" at home.