Vance Becomes a Hurricane Off Mexico's Pacific Coast, Forecast to Reach Major Strength by Tonight
If you have a sailing on Mexico's southern or southwestern Pacific coast this weekend or next week, check Vance's track against your route. The advisory lists no coastal watches or warnings, but it expects life-threatening surf and rip currents from swells beginning this weekend. Ask your cruise line how it is handling port calls near Acapulco and Manzanillo, and follow the next NHC advisory due at 900 AM CST. Stay out of rough surf on any beach days.
My read is that this advisory is a weather note, not a cruise story, and anyone claiming itineraries are already changing is ahead of the facts. The National Hurricane Center says nothing about ships, ports or cruise lines. What it does say is notable. Vance went from tropical storm to 85 mph hurricane and is forecast to be a major hurricane by tonight, with rapid intensification continuing. It is still about 440 miles SSW of Acapulco and moving only 6 mph north-northwest. That slow pace matters because it gives the swells time to build. The real exposure is the surf: life-threatening rip currents are expected along southern and southwestern Mexico from this weekend into next week, and that is what shore excursions and beach days will face first. If I held a Mexican Pacific booking, I would watch the 900 AM CST advisory and your cruise line's notices rather than assume a cancellation. I would also skip the water at any port that gets those swells.