As a travel agent one of my least favorite times of year is
quickly approaching - Atlantic Hurricane Season. Right now most people are
excited for the start of summer, but for your friendly travel agent hurricane
season is a period of anxiety and stress. Any storm could be the one that
messes with my clients perfectly planned dream vacation! I know how excited my
clients are for their vacations because we’ve spent months together planning.
Nothing makes me sadder than when something messes that up.
I heard a report on NPR the other day that this hurricane
season is supposed to be particularly bad. That statement coming the year after
Super Storm Sandy doesn’t make me feel good at all. Let’s start with the facts about hurricane
season and what it means for travel:
Commonly asked questions
Q: When exactly is hurricane season?
A: Atlantic Hurricane Season is June 1 through November 30
Q: What Areas are affected?
A: Hurricanes can affect the coast of the United States,
Caribbean Islands, Central America, Mexico and even the northern coast of South
America.
Q: Is there a certain time in Hurricane Season that tends to
be the worst?
A: Yes, September is the peak. However, August through
October are all prime time.
Q: Are there any islands that tend to be off the path of the
average hurricane?
A: Yes! There absolutely are - parts of the southernmost
Caribbean such as Grenada, Aruba, Curacao, Bonaire, Barbados and Grand Cayman tend
to be hit less by hurricanes than other parts of the Caribbean. HOWEVER, they still can be hit. (I don’t want
anyone booking a trip there during hurricane season and blaming me!)
Q: So I should avoid travel during hurricane season?
A: Au contraire! If you want a banging deal to Mexico or the
Caribbean, be it by land or cruise ship, you will find them during the peak
months of hurricane season. I do most of my personal travel during hurricane
season when the deals are hot. I even got married in Playa del Carmen, Mexico
during hurricane season. My advice is to be sure to book your trip to a hotel
with a great hurricane cancelation policy and purchase travel insurance. If you
are someone that suffers from anxiety or has consistently bad luck- I’d say
visit the mountains during June 1-November 30 ;-)
Q: Well, what if I am on a cruise and a hurricane goes to
the island we are headed to?
A: Cruise Lines frequently re-route the ships out of the
danger zones. (Unless, you were on the Disney Fantasy with me last October…our
captain thought riding through Sandy would be a good idea. If you like being on
amusement park rides for 9 hours at a time, then you’d have no problem riding
in a cruise ship through a hurricane!) Bottom line- you will be safe, they will
re-route you. You might miss an island on your itinerary, but you will still
have a great, safe vacation nonetheless!
Q: So what are they saying for Hurricane Season 2013?
A: Well, no one can know for sure, but experts make their
predictions and this is what we are looking at. Several groups have predicted
that 2013 will be a particularly active Hurricane Season.
Here are some links to articles about Hurricane Season 2013
Predictions:
For fantastic deals by land or be sea during hurricane
season or any time of year, contact me!
Bon Voyage!
The View from my balcony while crusin' through Hurricane Sandy...
