Manzanillo and Puerto Vallarta: Hurricane Simon Reaches Category 4, Flights Suspended and Cruise Calls in Doubt

October 10, 2026 — Hurricane Simon grew into a Category 4 storm overnight and is forecast to reach Mexico’s west-central coast early Sunday. Airlines have suspended commercial flights at Manzanillo for today, Puerto Vallarta is shutting down non-essential activity from 5 p.m., and cruise calls along the Mexican Riviera remain in doubt into next week.

Update: yesterday’s story had Simon as a hurricane still well offshore. Since then it has jumped to Category 4, the hurricane warning has been extended north to El Roblito, Manzanillo’s commercial flights have been suspended and the first Puerto Vallarta flight cancellations have been reported.

The storm

The National Hurricane Center expects more strengthening today and puts the center near or just inland of the coast early Sunday. Tropical-storm conditions could begin this afternoon. Farther north, Tropical Storm Rachel had 60 mph winds at 5 a.m. PDT and was moving east-northeast at 21 mph, well off Baja California.

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Airports

• Manzanillo (ZLO): airlines suspended all commercial flights for Saturday, October 10, according to airport operator GAP. The airport itself stays open for general aviation and military flights. Restart date: TBA.
• Puerto Vallarta (PVR): open as of Friday afternoon. Local outlet Tribuna de la Bahía reported, without official confirmation, that it could close between 4 and 6 p.m. Saturday. Aeroméxico was the first airline to cancel, dropping the Puerto Vallarta stop on flight AM58 on the nights of October 10–11 and October 11–12. Reopening: TBA.
• On the ground: Jalisco ordered non-essential activity on its coast to stop from 5 p.m. Saturday, including public transport and gas stations, and asked visitors to reconsider weekend trips.

Ports and cruise calls

• Mexico’s navy closed Lázaro Cárdenas to all vessels on Friday. Puerto Vallarta, Manzanillo, Barra de Navidad, Zihuatanejo and Acapulco were closed to small craft. Reopening: TBA.
• Manzanillo’s cargo terminals suspended work for Saturday and expect to resume Monday, October 12.
• Mazatlán: the port authority has already cancelled Star Princess (October 8) and Royal Caribbean’s Voyager of the Seas (October 12). Holland America’s Zaandam was also due October 12 with no change reported. Discovery Princess (October 13) and Carnival Panorama (October 14) were still listed.
• Virgin Voyages has already moved Brilliant Lady’s October 10 cruise to Santa Barbara, San Diego and Ensenada. Carnival says it is watching Carnival Panorama for possible changes.

No cruise line has published new Puerto Vallarta or Manzanillo cancellations in the past 24 hours. Expect decisions once the storm’s track over land is clear.

What it means for airline travelers

• Do not try to non-rev into Puerto Vallarta or Manzanillo this weekend. Manzanillo has no commercial flights today, and Puerto Vallarta may close this afternoon.
• When flights restart, cancelled revenue passengers get rebooked first. Standby seats out of PVR and ZLO are likely to be scarce for several days, so have a backup plan before you list.
• If you are already there, follow your hotel’s shelter instructions. Transport and fuel stop at 5 p.m. Saturday on the Jalisco coast.
• Mexican Riviera cruises from Los Angeles, Long Beach and San Diego are still sailing. Your flight to the embarkation city is not affected, but expect port swaps or extra sea days.
• Weather changes rarely bring a refund of the fare. Check your line’s notice for onboard credit or port-fee refunds; none have been announced for next week’s calls yet.
• No interline or travel-industry rate changes are tied to the storm.

Sources

• National Hurricane Center — Hurricane Simon Intermediate Advisory Number 12A
• National Hurricane Center — Active tropical cyclones
• Latinus — Aeropuerto de Manzanillo suspende vuelos comerciales por el huracán “Simón”; Semar cierra puertos en el Pacífico
• Tribuna de la Bahía — Inician cancelaciones de vuelos a Puerto Vallarta por huracán “Simón”
• The Rio Times — Hurricane Simon Grows to Category 4 as Mexico Braces
• DataPortuaria — Hurricane Simon Halts Operations at Manzanillo Terminals
• Out & About Puerto Vallarta — Puerto Vallarta Closes Beaches and Schools in Preventive Measure as Hurricane Simon Approaches
• Los Noticieristas — Se previenen las navieras por fenómeno meteorológico “Simón” y obliga a cancelar arribos a Mazatlán, Sinaloa
• Cruise Hive — Every Cruise Ship Impacted By Tropical Storm Rachel So Far