Update: December 28, 2018 at 2 p.m. ET

The Bahamas Minister of Tourism Dionisio D'Aguilar has responded to the recent report of Royal Caribbean issuing a letter to Anthem of the Seas passengers warning them of potential theft and other crime in certain areas of Nassau.

According to CruiseRadio.net, D'Aguilar told a local media outlet that he didn't "like to be blindsided by these reports and letters."

"I'm sure he does not know where it is, but he is opining on the face of it, which is why it is important that the Ministry of Tourism create a forum to address these concerns and some of the myths that have grown up over the years," he added, referring to Captain Srecko Ban, who signed the letter.

"It's very difficult to meet with people on the front line of these cruise companies. It's the captain, the cruise director who we need to convince that Nassau is safe. The senior executives say all the right things to us but the reality on the ground is the front line people are not preaching from the same hymn sheet. We need to reach out to those people on the front line telling passengers these concerns," said D'Aguilar.

"There are 10,000 passengers that come to Nassau on any given day and I'm sure 9,999 of them don't have a problem. But, of course, we focus on the one. I don't know of any major or significant crime happening to a cruise passenger in quite some time. I don't know about petty crime but in my humble opinion, Nassau is as safe as any other city, and the cruise companies are putting out this generic warning as cover in the odd chance it does happen," he concluded.

D'Aguilar also suggested that an increased police presence might help visitors and locals to feel safer while pointing out that media coverage of violent crimes occurring away from the center of tourism contributes to the negative narrative.

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Royal Caribbean has begun issuing warnings to its passengers about the increase in crime in Nassau, Bahamas.

According to a report in CruiseRadio.net, a letter was recently circulated to those traveling on Royal Caribbean's Anthem of the Seas, warning them about such issues as theft of personal items in Nassau.

"I am writing to provide you with important safety information regarding our port call to Nassau, Bahamas," the note, signed by Captain Srecko Ban, stated. "We feel it is important to make our guests aware that Nassau has been experiencing an increase in crime. Non-violent crimes, such as theft of personal items, are the most common types of crimes being committed."

The letter also stresses that "thousands of visitors routinely travel to Nassau without incident," and that "visitors to Nassau, like visitors to all major foreign cities in the world today, need to be mindful of their personal safety."

A picture of the letter posted on CruiseRadio.net also reveals that the cruise line has been suggesting passengers consider various precautionary measures when visiting Nassau, including leaving valuables or irreplaceable items on the ship and not wearing obviously expensive jewelry. Royal Caribbean also suggests that passengers only carry the cash or credit cards they will need for their outing and refrain from venturing too far from tourist areas.

Among the Nassau areas that the letter says have been particularly concerning are Sand Trap, the Fish Fry and areas of Nassau that are described as "Over the Hill" by local residents.

In January, the State Department issued a warning about increased crime in the Bahamas. The U.S. government's warning noted that "violent crime, such as burglaries, armed robberies, and sexual assault is common, even during daylight hours and in tourist areas. U.S. government personnel are not permitted to visit the Sand Trap area in Nassau due to crime."

The same warning also cautioned against using jet-ski operators, which it says "are known to commit sexual assaults against tourists, including minors."

U.S. government personnel are not permitted to use jet-ski rentals on New Providence and Paradise Islands.

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