No chances ...

While most of this "Swine Flu" hubbub is overblown, there's one place where you can't take chances. On a cruise ship, sickness can spread like wildfire among such a closed population. As avid cruisers, Mrs. F and I are amazed by all the precautions taken to ensure a bug doesn't get started among the passengers. In light of that, the ships ain't going to Mexico:

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The itinerary changes came a day after five of the world's largest cruise lines announced plans to suspend all stops to Mexico, based on recommendations by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to avoid nonessential travel to the country.

Carnival Cruise Lines, the world's largest cruise line, released an itinerary update for eight ships that were previously scheduled to stop in Mexican ports between Wednesday and Friday. The ships that were scheduled to stop in Progresso, Cozumel and Ensenada either will stop at Key West, Fla., or Nassau, Bahamas, or will spend a "fun day at sea," according to the itinerary, posted on the company Web site (www.carnival.com). Ships scheduled to stop in Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan and Cabo San Lucas will instead stop in San Francisco or stay out at sea.

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Figure 2000 to 3500 passengers per ship and the money it puts into the local economy at each port call. Now, start multiplying ...

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Princess Cruises, which is owned by Carnival Corp. (www.princess.com), released an itinerary for two ships, the Star Princess and the Sapphire Princess, scheduled to make stops in Mexico through May 7. Instead, those ships will stop in Santa Barbara, Calif.; San Diego; Catalina Island, off the Southern California coast; San Francisco; or will spend the day at sea.

For Holland America lines (www.hollandamerica.com), the ms Veendam, which is scheduled to launch Friday, cruising from Florida, through the Panama Canal to British Columbia, will pass up stops at Huatulco, Acapulco, and Cabo San Lucas. Instead the ship will cruise Golfo Dulce, an inlet in Costa Rica, making stops at Puerto Caldera, Costa Rica; Cortino, Nicaragua; and Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala.

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Mexico is taking a big hit thanks to this virus, not to mention the loss of international travel thanks to the drug violence in its border towns and eastern provinces. As I've said many times, there are better places to spend your travel dollars. Mrs. F and I used to go regularly when we were first married, but once we found the Dutch Islands (Netherlands Antilles), we've had no desire. When they clean up their act, we'd like to redo our honeymoon cruise (Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan, Cabo San Lucas), but I ain't setting foot in Mexico until they do.