WestJet and WestJet Vacations information regarding the incident at the Grand Riviera Princess in Playa del Carmen

16 Nov WestJet and WestJet Vacations information regarding the incident at the Grand Riviera Princess in Playa del Carmen

WestJet and WestJet Vacations information regarding the incident at the Grand Riviera Princess in Playa del Carmen.

WestJet and WestJet Vacations confirm that three of our guests are among the deceased as a result of an apparent gas explosion at the Grand Riviera Princess in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, on November 14, 2010. WestJet Vacations has approximately 400 guests staying at the Grand Riviera Princess resort.

“This is tragic. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families,” said Gregg Saretsky, WestJet President and CEO. “We are working with both Mexican and Canadian officials to provide assistance where needed.”
Our WestJet Vacations representatives were dispatched immediately to the resort and have been working to assist all of our guests. In addition, WestJet Vice-President John MacLeod and WestJet Vacations Director of Operations Tim Croyle were coincidentally in Cancun at the time and were also dispatched to the resort.

Crisis counsellors are being made available to resort guests and an additional aircraft, with members of WestJet’s Special Assistance Team on board, has arrived in Cancun to retrieve those guests who wish to return home.

Friends and family seeking more information are encouraged to call the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT) in Ottawa at 613-996-8885.

Current re-accommodation efforts

Many of the guests staying at the Grand Riviera Princess Resort at the time of the incident remained at the resort; relocated to a safe area. A few guests have opted to return home on the additional aircraft provided to the area on November 14. Guests arriving November 14 and 15 have been relocated to the Blue Bay Grand Esmeralda with some guests moving to other resorts.

Future re-accommodation efforts

Effective immediately, WestJet and WestJet Vacations guests scheduled to stay at the Grand Riviera Princess Resort will be offered the option to move to a new resort, cancel their vacation package or re-book to an alternate destination. Re-accommodations are dependant on the scheduled time of arrival. Please advise clients inquiring about an existing booking at the Grand Riviera Princess to contact WestJet Vacations at 1-877-737-7002 for information about re-accommodation. Comprehensive re-accommodation information can be found at http://www.westjet.com/agent/en/help/reaccommodation.shtml