A satellite image shows cars on fire along a coastal road in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico, February 22, 2026, following the assassination of drug lord Nemesio Oseguera, known as “El Mencho”, during a military operation.
Vantor | Via Reuters
U.S. travel companies are scrambling to redirect cruise ships and care for tourists to Mexico after violence and chaos erupted in several coastal regions of the country following the assassination of a cartel leader.
The U.S. State Department has expanded its warning to travelers to shelter in place in several regions of Mexico, including the tourist hotspots of Cancun, Playa del Carmen, Cozumel, Tulum, Tijuana and Puerto Vallarta.
Violence erupted after the Mexican army killed the leader of the Jalisco New Generation cartel, Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes. Known as “El Mencho,” he led one of the fastest-growing criminal networks in Mexico, known for trafficking fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine into the United States and for brazen attacks on government officials who challenged him, the Associated Press reported.
As roads were blocked by burning vehicles, airlines canceled flights and cruise lines rerouted ships to avoid ports with potential problems.
Carnival Corp. said Princess Cruises’ Royal Princess and Holland America Line’s Zuiderdam were bypassing their scheduled stops in Puerto Vallarta on Monday. Norwegian cruise line said its ship, the Norwegian Bliss, canceled plans to stop in Puerto Vallarta on Wednesday.
MSC Cruises USA said sailings to Cozumel and Costa Maya, Mexico, are currently proceeding as planned, but shore excursions may be adjusted or canceled.
However Royal Caribbean said it currently has no ships in the affected areas, CNBC has learned that some of its excursions in Ensenada, Mexico, are affected.
Airbnb told CNBC that it has activated its “major disruptive events policy” in the state of Jalisco and other affected regions. This policy overrides the host’s individual cancellation policy, allowing guests and hosts to cancel reservations without consequences.
“We are monitoring this situation closely and are focused on supporting guests and hosts in affected areas,” an Airbnb spokesperson said.
In a note to investors, Truist Travel and leisure analyst Patrick Scholes wrote that Hyatt is the most exposed of the international brands, with 8.5% of its total rooms coming from Mexico. Marriott has the second largest exposure, with 3.3% of its overall rooms coming from Mexico.
Typical travel insurance policies often have exclusions for terrorism, political violence or civil unrest.
Squaremouth, an online travel insurance marketplace, warned would-be travelers that “violence in Mexico is now a predictable event, or what the insurance industry calls a known event. So tourists cannot purchase coverage now to cancel their trip.”
However, a Squaremouth spokesperson told CNBC: “If you’re going to Mexico soon, especially during spring break, buy CFAR [cancel for any reason] or IFAR [interruption for any reason] as add-ons are a smart move given the uncertainty.