Following an announcement in August of this year that it would no longer be visiting the ports of Mazatlan or Puerto Vallarta due to concerns of drug violence, Princess Cruises has decided to return to the two popular Mexican ports in 2012. Owned by Carnival Corporation, Princess has already added stops in Cabo San Lucas to its itinerary and announced that both of the dropped destinations will be added to the schedule by next year.

“We are planning for a long way out,” said Princess spokeswoman Julie Benson. “We look forward to returning to these ports and putting them back on the schedule.”

Although Mexico has been the focus of media reports about drug violence in recent months, tourism officials agree that popular tourist destinations, such as Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta, remain safe for visitors. Nicknamed the Pacific Pearl, Mazatlan is known for its fishing and has more than 20 miles of beaches for visitors to explore, while Puerto Vallarta is known for being one of the friendliest destinations in the world for visitors and offers easy access from the United States.

“We’ve been working closely and having lots of discussions with Mexican tourism officials,” shared Benson. “We were always hopeful we could go back.”

According to a recent press release, a ship named Sapphire Princess will sail south of the border to Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta a total of six times between November of 2012 and April of 2013, marking a strong return to the region, which has historically been an excellent performer for the corporation. In addition, the Star Princess and Grand Princess will visit Mazatlan twice between September of 2012 and March of 2013 as part of a trip that will depart from San Francisco.

Also of note, Holland America and Disney cruises will also be returning to Mazatlan in January of 2012. Disney is planning weekly stops, while Holland America will incorporate regular twice-monthly stops into its schedule.