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Cruise line suspends calls to Roatan after crew member killed
Norwegian Cruise Line has cancelled stops in Roatan, an island in the western Caribbean off the coast of Central America, after a crew member from the Norwegian Pearl was killed during an attempted robbery.
A suspect is in police custody following the murder on the island, which is part of Honduras.
"In an abundance of caution for our guests and crew, we have cancelled calls to Roatan this week for Norwegian Dawn and Norwegian Jewel," the cruise line said on its Facebook page.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of the crew member."
The Norwegian Pearl was the only ship in port on Sunday, April 6, the day of the attack.
Other cruise ships due in Roatan this week include the Caribbean Princess, Royal Caribbean’s Navigator of the Seas and Carnival ships Liberty, Legend and Conquest.
Royal Caribbean spokeswomen Cynthia Martinez said: "We are working closely with the Honduran government to improve security."
There are no immediate plans to cancel or change or port calls, she said.
Earlier this year, a family from the Carnival Conquest was robbed at gunpoint in the town during a shore excursion and Carnival now issues information sheets to cruisers offering advice and safety tips.
The UK Foreign Office has not amended its advice for travel to Honduras following the incident on Sunday, but it says on its travel advisory website: "There are high levels of violent crime and visitors should exercise a high degree of caution."
The US State Department issued a travel warning in December for US visitors.
It noted that resort areas such as Roatan have lower crime levels than the mainland but are "still high by international standards," it said.
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Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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