A tropical vacation after the biting cold winter is always a relief for any shivering body. There’s no better time to have this than during the summer, which coincides with the off season of most tropical islands in the Caribbean or the coastlines of Mexico. The hurricane season is an ideal period for vacationing because of the breaks from school. A lot of benefits await vacationers during the off season like cheaper fares and accommodation rates in most resorts. Another is escaping the maddening crowd; which is a normal sight during the peak season. You’ll enjoy moving around with less number of people filling the must see hot spots.
However, summer also means the threat of being caught in a hurricane or the rain from a hurricane nearby. It’s during the months of June to November where this natural phenomenon makes its landing on the most fabulous places of the Caribbean. It hits worst come the months of August through October. So better be aware and take lots of care. These hurricanes can be vacation killjoys but are not frequent enough to deter you from taking a vacation during this time of year.
It all depends on how you handle it. These are some recommendations on how to stop a hurricane from ruining what should have been a great, under the sun vacation.
- Look for those cancellation options that can benefit you
Before making a compromise with a hotel or resort, check if they give cancellation options. These are commonly referred to as “hurricane guarantees”. Recent times have seen the disappearance of this feature with most rental contracts. Choose a resort that has this, it can mean reimbursement for whatever fees you have paid when a hurricane causes a halt in your vacation. Same with the airline companies, most will give a change of flight or re-books without any additional payment once they ground a flight because of an impending hurricane.
- Leave the destination as soon as possible before a hurricane makes landfall.
When a hurricane strikes, you have to get out quick but safe. Know the relevant details of your lodging and flight arrangement so you can act accordingly. Though you didn’t get the vacation you desired, being safe is enough consolation.
- Insure your Travel
This is to save you from the heartbreak caused by lost money out of a cancelled vacation. Having travel insurance lets you make a refund or reimbursement of your pre-paid costs in case your target destination place is tagged unsafe because of a hurricane or other disaster. Getting travel insurance with a wider coverage is much better for you can have a money back option even for slight reasons.
- Watch closely the weather conditions for your vacation destination
You can make that clever move of distancing yourself from the hurricane when you interpret rightly the tell tale signs. The weather forecast can give you clues and timely data about the coming danger. Listening to the news can be one way to monitor the weather. Know the warnings issued by the National Weather Service for they know more about the movements of the hurricane. If you are already at the destination, speak to locals and staff at your resort about what they think is going to happen and follow any advice you are given as soon as possible, particularly if you are told to evacuate.
- Have a Plan B
If you’re under time pressure to make a vacation, have a backup plan just in case the original one fizzles out. Make sure your Caribbean or Mexico vacation is covered by a full travel insurance. If ever there’s a high possibility of a hurricane, you can make the cancellation and head off towards your chosen alternate place. It maybe a bit less glamorous than the one you wish you had but at least you still got one for a needed break within your time frame.
