Don't let a Hurricane spoil your Caribbean holiday – Explore the Caribbean with Debbie

Arguably the best time to visit the Caribbean is during the months June thru October. Unfortunately this time coincides with the Caribbean hurricane season during which on average eight hurricanes form each year. This has never kept me from booking a resort in the Caribbean, on the contrary, this is the time to find some of the best travel deals! Booking a last minute vacation during hurricane season makes a lot of sense. You will not only save a lot of cash but also will be able to monitor general weather conditions up until a week before departure. To minimize the risk a Hurricane does spoil your Caribbean holiday and your financial investment, I suggest you plan your vacation carefully. Something to keep in mind is that although the hurricane season officially starts June 1 and ends Nov. 30, seventy percent of hurricanes form between August and October. Hurricanes are not evenly distributed across the Caribbean either. Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao, Trinidad, Tobago, Grenada and Barbados hardly ever are being affected by a devastating storm while the region around the Bahamas has the most frequent occurrence of hurricanes. While the changes your Caribbean island of choice suffers a direct hit are slim, it is a good idea to research the frequency with which your vacation destination has been in the path of a hurricane over the last 20 years or so. If you’re going to a resort, ask what the management will do to keep guests safe in case a hurricane comes your way. Various large resorts and resort chains have come up with a “hurricane guarantee,” offering you your money back for the days lost to bad weather or offering you free days during a later stay. Airline companies often waive their fees for rescheduling a flight due to weather related circumstances and many travel-package companies offer weather protection. In all these cases make sure you read the fine print and the disclaimers before you’ll pay in order to avoid disappointments. Using a credit card for your purchase can be helpful when filing a claim for services or goods that you have not received. Regardless what your travel company, airline or resort may offer you, it is a good idea to look into a weather insurance policy. I suggest you do this at the time of booking because, as you can imagine, insurance companies won’t sell insurance policies when a storm is looming. Rule of the thumb is that once a storm is named, you won’t be able to buy insurance. While being stuck on an island will generally mean that you have to stick out the storm, a cruise ship can outrun them. No major cruise ship has ever been destroyed by a storm with passengers aboard. A Caribbean cruise is a safe and affordable alternative to an island visit although you might encounter more rain showers and rough waters. Cruise liners always have a plan B just in case weather inhibits the ship to sail into a scheduled port.

When you happen to get caught in a severe weather situation such as a hurricane, you just should make the most of the situation. Especially when you travel with kids, it is important that you have a family plan in place. Bring for example some favorite games and plenty of music and books with you. Only if you feel your world ends when your vacation doesn’t work out as planned, you should refrain from planning a trip to the Caribbean during this summer and autumn. When staying at a resort it is very unlikely that a hurricane will cause harm to you or the ones you are travelling with. You might have to stay in a hurricane proof shelter, eat some cold food or have to deal with the fact you won’t be able to call home. What you get in return is an unbelievable story to tell and, when insured, a change of trying your “weather” luck again.

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