Acapulco, Mexico

            Sunday, 2 Feb 2020 – We were scheduled to dock at Acapulco at 8:00 AM.  Acapulco is a major seaport on the Pacific coast of Mexico, 240 miles south of Mexico City, with a population of about 673,479.  Acapulco is located on a deep, semicircular bay and has been a port since the early colonial period of Mexico's history.  It is a port of call for shipping and cruise lines running between Panama and San Francisco.  Acapulco is also Mexico's largest beach and spa resort city, and one of Mexico's oldest.  It came into prominence in the 1940s through the 1960s as a getaway for Hollywood stars and millionaires.  Due to a massive upsurge in gang violence and murder since 2014, it no longer attracts many foreign tourists, and most now only come from Mexico itself. 

Monument to the Boy Heroes

After our usual start of breakfast, swimming, hot tub, and lunch, we walked off the ship into Acapulco.  Although Acapulco is reported to be one of the most dangerous cities in the world, the local taxi drivers kept assuring us that we would be safe, as they tried to entice us into taking a tour with them.  However, we decided to just walk along the pier for a few minutes, and then return to the ship.

Acapulco Billboard

We had been pleasantly surprised that a Catholic Mass was scheduled at 6:00 PM in the library.  Therefore, after dancing at 5:15 PM in the Horizons, we went to the library for the Mass, which turned out to be a “service,” not a Mass.  The service was led by a fellow guest, Mr. Rosselot and his wife, from Santiago, Chile.  There was no priest and, therefore, no communion.  We did an opening, two readings, the responsorial, the Gospel, the Nicene Creed, offering the sign of peace, and concluded with the Lord’s Prayer and Hail Mary.  Sally read the responsorial.

            After dinner we watched a 1986 movie, “The Mission,” on our stateroom TV, starring the much younger Robert DeNiro and Liam Nielson.  The movie was about Jesuit priests working with the Native Americans in 1750 South America.