All You Need to Know About Cruising During Hurricane Season

Well, it’s that time of year again when we all start talking about hurricane season. Will it be an easy season? Will it be bad? Who knows?

We’ve already kicked off the season with Hurricane Fay, which brought heavy torrential rains and floods to most of Central and Northeastern Florida. The rain bands even touched north to some of Georgia and North Carolina with down pours and floods. Hurricane Gustov gave New Orleans quite a fright with mandatory evacuations, althought it looks like they might be spared the worst of it. With these two storms already under our belt, what will the rest of hurricane season hold for us?

The thing with hurricane season is, you cannot stop your life for it, and as discount seekers know, some of the best cruise fares to the Caribbean can be found during hurricane season, especially during the peak period, which runs from mid-August through early-October. But do you take a gamble and plan a Caribbean cruise vacation during that time? The answer is Yes! For starters, the chances of your particular voyage being affected by a hurricane are very slim, but it is a possibility, so you need to be prepared.

There is always the potential that your cruise itinerary may be impacted by a storm, but there is not much of a chance you’ll be put in harm’s way. Today’s modern ships come equipped with state-of-the-art satellite equipment to follow the paths of storms and head away from the storm track. Of course do keep in mind, hurricane season is not the time of year to plan a wedding on a particular island or any event, for that matter, that must take place in a particular scheduled port. Itineraries can be disrupted by even the mere threat of a storm.

The most important precaution you can take when considering a cruise during hurricane season is to buy cruise insurance, but make sure the policy covers disruption in case of weather-related events. Insurance is your protection so you don’t loose the money you invested in your cruise, and it is worth the nominal amount it costs.

CruiseOne offers a variety of insurance plans to accommodate all of your needs plus we offer all the major cruise lines, the very best direct prices along with excellent personal service.

Follow-Up: Questions about Hurricanes & Travel Insurance

How can travel insurance cover my vacation investment in the event of a hurricane or other unforeseen severe weather?

In the event of a covered hurricane or other unforeseen severe weather, travel insurance provides coverage under the Trip Cancellation and Interruption benefit. If your trip is cancelled for a covered reason, we will refund the pre-paid, forfeited, non-refundable trip costs trip up to the limit of coverage.

If a hurricane watch or warning is issued that may impact my travel plans, up to what point can I still purchase travel insurance?

Insurance must be purchased 24 hours prior to when the hurricane has been named. Once the hurricane has been named, Trip Cancellation and Interruption losses resulting from the hurricane are excluded from the coverage of the policy.

I'm worried that a predicted storm's path will be too near to the location of my upcoming insured vacation; can I cancel for a refund?

If the storm directly affects your travel arrangements or accommodations, you are entitled to Trip Cancellation or Trip Interruption benefits. For example: an airport is closed due to the high winds; you are forced to evacuate your hotel/resort; the road you are traveling is impassable due to high water. On the other hand, if you choose to cancel a trip based on what you think might happen — and not because the inclement weather has directly affected your travel arrangements — that would be considered a matter of choice — not a direct loss to your arrangements.

If my airport is closed due to a hurricane or other weather event, and my vacation is delayed, will I be reimbursed?

Yes, travel insurance will cover the expenses incurred if your trip is delayed and will cover reasonable, additional accommodations and travel expenses until travel becomes possible.

Certain restrictions apply.

All You Need to Know About Cruising During Hurricane Season

Well, it’s that time of year again when we all start talking about hurricane season. Will it be an easy season? Will it be bad? Who knows?

We’ve already kicked off the season with Tropical Storm Bertha, which brought rain to Bermuda while Hurricane Elida swirled around in the Pacific Ocean. With two storms already under our belt, what will the rest of hurricane season hold for us?

The thing with hurricane season is, you cannot stop your life for it, and as discount seekers know, some of the best cruise fares to the Caribbean can be found during hurricane season, especially during the peak period, which runs from mid-July through early-October. But do you take a gamble and plan a Caribbean cruise vacation during that time? The answer is Yes! For starters, the chances of your particular voyage being affected by a hurricane are very slim, but it is a possibility, so you need to be prepared.

There is always the potential that your cruise itinerary may be impacted by a storm, but there is not much of a chance you’ll be put in harm’s way. Today’s modern ships come equipped with state-of-the-art satellite equipment to follow the paths of storms and head away from the storm track. Of course do keep in mind, hurricane season is not the time of year to plan a wedding on a particular island or any event, for that matter, that must take place in a particular scheduled port. Itineraries can be disrupted by even the mere threat of a storm.

The most important precaution you can take when considering a cruise during hurricane season is to buy insurance, but make sure the policy covers disruption in case of weather-related events. Insurance is your protection so you don’t loose the money you invested in your cruise, and it is worth the nominal amount it costs.

Cruise Travel Insurance - You Never Know What's Out There

So, you are getting ready for your vacation. You’re bags are packed, your flights on time and the kids are waiting in the car cheering with excitement. You think to yourself, “This is going to be the best trip ever!” But you didn’t realize your luggage was about to get lost and you would end up having a mild heart attack on the cruise ship. Good thing you have travel insurance.

Trip Insurance is just like auto or home insurance. You hope you never have to use it but when you do, it’s important to have a good policy. No one starts off on vacation planning for something to go wrong, but each year thousands of travelers experience a problem along the way. Good travel insurance can help you visit the far flung corners of the world worry free.

If you become sick or injured on board a ship or in a foreign port of call, the cruise line has limited liability and responsibility to get you to the nearest emergency medical facility. They are not responsible for the costs incurred for medical treatment. While many foreign countries have excellent medical facilities, some are not up to normal U.S. standards. Patients and their families often desire to be transported back to the U.S. and if this involves an air ambulance the costs can run from $10,000 to over $100,000 depending on the circumstances. Air evacuation is generally covered under Trip Insurance policies.

Another popular feature of Trip Insurance is coverage for cancellation in the event of illness or injury prior to the departure. Most policies cover not only the travelers but also your immediate relatives. And your policy may even provide something called "pre-existing condition" coverage. This means that you may be eligible for coverage for medical conditions which exist before you depart on your trip. In this regard, timing of the purchase of the policy is critical to establish coverage applicability.

There are many additional benefits Trip Insurance offers including lost or delayed baggage, renter’s collision insurance, missed airline connection and more. Your Cruise Specialist can assist you in determining which Trip Insurance plan best suits your needs. Remember to carefully review all the details of your policy to insure that you have the limits and coverage needed to insure a stress free cruise. Proper insurance is the right way to start off your cruise, because you never know what’s out there.

Cancellation Insurance - Is it worth it?

You want the best vacation of your life. You've saved and planned for a long time, but sometimes unforeseen circumstances may force you to cancel your cruise. Without Cruise Cancellation Insurance, if you cancel your cruise after final payment, you will suffer penalties. There is no question about it. It could be $50 per person or could be the full cost of the trip. The cruise line doesn't often care if it was your life savings, if it was a heart attack, a death or if you promise to rebook and say good things about the line. You will not get your money back after final payment without insurance.

We mention insurance to everyone. We don't push it on anyone and it's certainly not required. But you should consider your own situation before deciding for or against it?

• Would losing the total cost of your trip hurt?
• Do you have family members who are ill or at risk of illness that if their condition turned worse you would abandon your travel plans? Young children or older family members?
• Do you have a pre-existing medical condition?
• Is your trip relatively expensive?
• Are you leaving the country for 10 days or longer?
• Are you at a point in your life where you’re susceptible to accident or illness?
• Are you booking your own air transportation?
• Have you ever experienced baggage delay or loss by the airlines?
• Does your insurance cover medical expenses in a foreign country? Probably not!

If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you may want to consider protecting your cruise investment.

Insurance typically costs less than 10% of your total trip cost and usually covers baggage, trip delay, trip interruption, medical expenses, medical evacuation, and more. The cruise lines' insurance typically doesn't cover pre-existing conditions, but, we have other insurance we sell at comparable pricing to cover these situations. Ask your cruise professional for a brochure explaining it in more detail?

Is Insurance worth it? If you have to use it, definitely? But insurance also buys peace of mind, which is not a bad reason to have it either?