Particularly for sailors and those who take regular cruises, the Bahamas have always been a very popular travel destination. The capital, Nassau, is often both the only international location on a short cruise from Florida and the first stop on a wider tour of the Caribbean islands.
To serve the large number of travelers passing through the port, Royal Caribbean (RCL) – Get Free Report is currently in the process of building a new 17-acre development that will essentially function as a private beach club and is slated to open in 2025.
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But while almost everything about Nassau is tailored to sun-seeking tourists, the U.S. State Department recently raised the advisory level for those coming into the country after a string of murders in the capital at the start of the year.
Nassau is a very popular stop on a Caribbean cruise.
State Department raises Bahamas advisory level, tells travelers to ‘be vigilant’
“Murders have occurred at all hours including in broad daylight on the streets,” the U.S. Embassy in Nassau said in a Jan. 26 alert. “Retaliatory gang violence has been the primary motive in 2024 murders.”
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While the level was only raised from “take normal precautions” to “exercise increased caution” (the highest level is a “do not travel” advisory that is reserved for active war zones and authoritarian governments) and most of the violence has been between local gangs, the advisory is meant to draw attention to the fact that crime has been on the rise. Since the start of 2024, there has been a total of 18 murders in Nassau.
“The majority of crime occurs on New Providence (Nassau) and Grand Bahama (Freeport) islands,” reads the advisory. “[…] Violent crime,