Hello, Ian and Gus,

Adrenn has kindly introduced me ;)

Unfortunately I've got some bad news...yes, Guatemala can be a little daunting on the security side, but outfits like Silversea and RSSC will generally contract with the top notch tour operators which will provide security and comfort. If Tikal is not your thing, Lake Atitlan and Antigua the old colonial capital are the best choices.

However, Guatemala has been seriously hit by Tropical Storm Stan this past week...the entire south coast (where generally the cruise ships dock at) has been cut off from the rest of country...entire communities have been swallowed up by mudslides, tens of hundreds are dead (Several towns dotting Lake Atitlan have vanished). A lot of roads and bridges have been washed out or severely damaged. The impact is such that my aunts and uncles living in Guatemala City are calling my Dad, who lives in the EAstern Part of Guatemala (they were spared this time around) for basics such as potatoes and black beans because a great majority of fruits and vegetables for the City come from the South Coast and the supplies are running out...so Guatemala has their version of Katrina right now, and the timing with your cruise is not very good...by the end of November they will probably have dug out but still in the midst of repairs...so it sounds like your best option right now is to stay on board and enjoy the service!