The Puerto Vallarta tourism board said it is 'sorry' that Princess Cruises decided to cancel the remaining calls to its port in 2011 and insisted the resort area is safe. The cancellation also had other industry executives wondering what was behind the decision to avoid Puerto Vallarta.

Princess on June 20 said it cancelled calls to Puerto Vallarta and Mazatlan for three Sapphire Princess cruises departing Nov. 19, Dec. 10 and Dec. 31.

"Our security department continues to monitor the actions taking place in specific areas of Mexico," the company said in a statement. "As the safety and security of our passengers and crew is our highest priority and based on the continued violence in these areas, we’ve made the decision to cancel our calls to Puerto Vallarta and Mazatlan." The itinerary now includes a two-day call in Cabo San Lucas, one day in Ensenada and three days at sea.

Travel Pulse reached out to Princess to find out what specifically spurred the cancellation of Puerto Vallarta, but didn’t get a response by press time.

In February and March, Princess and several other cruise lines began avoiding Mazatlan after cruise passengers were robbed and a shooting occurred in a tourist area. No such crimes appear to have taken place in Puerto Vallarta - at least none that have gained widespread exposure in the media.

"Puerto Vallarta continues to be one of the safest destinations for international travelers," said Salvador Pena, director of the Puerto Vallarta Tourism Board. "A recent security/threat assessment study conducted by Thomas Dale & Associates (TDA), a leading global investigative and security firm, found that the number of negative events involving foreigners or non-foreigners is fractional compared to the large ex-pat resident population and the millions of visitors that come to vacation each year in Puerto Vallarta. The study also found that visitors to the destination feel safe and continue to visit Puerto Vallarta numerous times throughout their lifetime."

Pena said he "looks forward to welcoming Princess Cruises and its passengers to Puerto Vallarta again in 2012."