Vacationing During Hurricane Season

Would you vacation in the Caribbean during hurricane season?  I get that question all the time.  So let me answer that question with a resounding YES.  I am about to embark on a 7 day cruise to the Eastern Caribbean during the peak of the hurricane season.  I have traveled to Florida during the peak of the hurricane season.  And I will most likely book another trip in the future to those same areas during hurricane season.

Here is a fact about hurricanes that make them different from ice storms, tornadoes, earthquakes and other forms natural disasters; you know they are coming with at least several days of advance notice.  That, to me, makes it easier to plan a vacation during hurricane season, as long as I go into my planning knowing that things may have to be altered.

Cruise ships, for example, will reserve the right to change an itinerary if weather threatens their current path.  That does not mean that they will necessarily cancel the entire cruise, but you may end up going to a port that was not planned originally.  Resorts, in a lot of cases, will issue credits to their guests if their resort is in the path of a hurricane and evacuations are necessary.  And there is always the opportunity to buy travel insurance when planning a trip during hurricane season just to give you the added comfort of knowing your investment is protected.

Traveling during hurricane season has two large advantages which make it a great time to vacation, in my opinion.  First, the prices are generally lower for cruises, all-inclusives, hotels etc.  Travel companies/Cruise Lines know that consumers are skittish when it comes to traveling during the months of August to October and they tend to offer lower pricing to entice consumers.  Second, naturally crowds tend to be lower during that time of year.

Lower pricing and smaller crowds are a great combination.  Agree?

So don't overlook the opportunities that present themselves during hurricane season.  I know there are some of you that travel during the other times of year and your vacations have been effected by blizzards, floods, and other weather-related issues that occurred during other times of year.  So the key to any travel these days, including travel during hurricane season, is to remain flexible and realize things happen that are out of your control.  If you can do that, and if you add travel insurance to your budget, then you can still have a great vacation even if your original plans had to be altered.

What are your opinions and/or experiences?  Do you have issues with traveling during hurricane season?  I would love to get your feedback.