GIMME THE PRIZE! To go, or not to go...

Hi Gang,

I am the lucky winner of a pretty nice (and legitimate) prize, but I am faced with a decision. I know which way I'm leaning, but would certainly appreciate hearing some other points of view out there. Here are the details:

• 10-day trip
• Aboard the luxury liveaboard, the Solmar V
• Departs from Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
• One person only
• Non-transferrable
• Air not included

For more information on the Solmar V, visit this link: http://www.solmarv.com/

Now, the obvious concerns are all over the media right now...namely the H1N1 Swine Flu virus and the issue with crime in Mexico. Normaly neither of these would phase me, but there is a complication to this...namely, my 7-week old first born son. My wife is actually less concerned than I am, but he's become so immediately important to me that if it posed a realistic risk that I could either a) carry a potentially deadly virus back, or b) become the victim of a violent crime while down there, that I would consider just letting the trip go. I am not concerned about the flight cost; however, I think it's realistic to be concerned that getting one might be more difficult than normal due to cancellations, etc. on the part of the airlines.

My original plan was to go in January of 2010 (because I have burned up all my vacation with a trip on the Nekton and my son's birth). I expect that the H1N1 outbreak and its severity will be largely done within a few months time, so I am waiting that out anyway pursuant to the aforementioned plan (no, I'm not an attorney, the words just *work* here ). As far as the crime part goes, the only real potential for crime is either a) in Cabo, which is a VERY short stay (although I will probably get a hotel for a day or two on the ends of the trip to check it out a little - never stayed there), and possible piracy (which, while a real concern is not very likely).

I had also thought I would pay the fee (which is substantial) to add my wife to the trip if she were interested (which I think she would be) as well, so this suddenly becomes a potentially expensive endeavor as well.

Anyway, I've droned on enough here...I am very curious what the group has to say about this...you have the helm!

-S

Wait till it boils over as its waning now contact our agencies in regards to any travel warnings in Cabo.

1) Avoid the pork chops

2) Tourists, if they stay on the proscribed track, are largely immune from crime.

3) taking your wife/gf to Mexico is like coals to Newcastle

Was there something else?

Your fears are mostly unwarranted. Although there is crime in Mexico the usual precautions prevail. Don't carry large sums of money is a no-brainer. Just pretend that you are in Detroit and you'll be OK. Go with a group, not alone. Stay around the tourist traps, no exploring in the outskirts, wanting to see how the peasants live. That's asking for it Gringo.

Keep in mind that the swine flu will most likely crop back up a little stronger in the fall and winter months. I would hope that by Jan 2010 we would have a vaccine for it though.

Personally, if I were to go on a long trip like that, I would rather go with my wife. If that were somehow impossible, I'd at least want to go with a good friend. Maybe see if you can delay the trip a little more to give yourself time to save the money for your wife to go?

I hear your pain.
Last summer, I won a 7 day cruise aboard Blackbeard's Cruises, in the Bahamas. Unfortunately, the two windows prescribed by the trip voucher were two periods of time I could not be away from work (#$%^&* standardized tests for my students!). Alas, I gave it to a friend.

Hope your trip works out for you. Sounds like a great one!

Sometimes, its the "free" stuff that costs the most.....

First, if I was flying into MEXICO CITY I might think twice - if not, I'd go for it - in reality, the chance of infection is small even flying into Mexico City, and a free trip - I'd go!

Your comment about flights is just the opposite; plenty of availability and the prices have been dropping

In Cabo you will be fine; its a tourist area and not a lot of crime - heck, a bus could hop the sidewalk in CO while you are walking down the street, you could choke on a chicken bone, a jealous husbund could mistake you for the guy having an affair with his wife and shoot you......

You get the idea - in many ways crime wise I think you are far safer in Cabo

You asked about pirates; know they have been in the news a lot lately but their main area of operations is off the coast of Africa, not Mexico.

Personally, I think you have a better chance of seeing Jesus, or beamed up to an alien spacecraft, than being attacked by pirates in the Sea of Cortez.

How 'bout some details on how you won this trip - I'm sure it was not by winning a sophisticated travelers contest (LOL, 'cmon, lighten up) - was going to offer to take it off your hands, but saw it was not transferable - but let us in on how you won!

And to be serious - and nice - you recently had the birth of your son - congratulations; realize these questions are coming from that, but I'd go for it.

Flu outbreaks generally last a few weeks and burn out. This flu does not appear to be behaving in any significantly abnormal way. Booking in 2010 ought to be pretty safe.

The only way you can avoid bringing home viruses to your child is to barricade yourself in your house. And remember, he's 7 weeks now, but by the time you go on this trip, he'll be almost a year old, and much better prepared to fight illness.

I did all my graduate research on flu, believe me, swine flu is nothing to worry about, it's one more case of EVERYBODY PANIC from the press. It is a relatively mild strain of flu, go enjoy your trip.

We're heading to Mexico in a month.

Most of the fears are overblown by the media; not to trivialize the deaths or the risks of any serious illness, but when you look at it, how many people die in this country each year from the latest strain of the flu going around? A certain percentage of the deaths in Mexico have been due to the victims being denied health care, and the consequently higher fatality rate has led to the impression the disease is deadlier than normal.

Crime? We have crime here in the U.S. as well, and in both countries, all we can do is exercise due prudence to try and make ourselves less of a target for the criminals. When you look at the statistics for the number of Americans traveling to Mexico each year, versus the number that become victims of crime in Mexico, the picture you get is that we're really not in any greater danger there than here. About the only real difference is victims sometimes feel a bit more helpless there because of a perception that the local police aren't as interested in helping foreigners. Frankly, I've found that the police here in the States aren't always as helpful as we'd like, because of being swamped with petty crimes and not having enough resources to devote to it.

I grew up in Southern California, and lived there for almost 35 years before getting transferred to Arizona. I've been here in Tucson, little more than an hour's drive from the Mexican border, for nearly 16 years now, and it wasn't until last year that my wife and I visited Mexico for the first time. We both decided it was time to quit letting fear rule our lives in that regard. We booked a cruise for our anniversary last year, and enjoyed a port of call in Ensenada, Mexico, and then took scuba lessons in September and drove to Mexico for our cert dives in October. Both times, we had a blast.