wigstheone
Sep 7, 01, 7:46 am
The thought of hurricanes used to keep Dawn Jaunch from vacationing in the Caribbean. But come November, she'll be hopping from island to island on a brand-new cruise ship.
Behind her change of heart: bargains too good to pass up. This year, says the plastics saleswoman from Minneapolis, Caribbean travel is so cheap "the weather made no difference."
Clouds? What clouds? Despite a predicted eight hurricanes this year -- and a slowdown elsewhere in the resort world -- travelers are flocking to the Caribbean. Thanks in part to a glut of cruises between the islands that has diminished the need for rooms, prices are 30% below their regular wet-season rates right now. Hyatt Resorts are adding perks such as free weekly greens fees (usually $100 a head) and baby-sitting, while Our Lucaya Beach and Golf Resort in the Bahamas is offering a free fourth night plus two-for-one golf. Meanwhile, with the recent drop in airfares, it's been possible to fly round-trip between Boston and Bermuda for as little as $129 and between Chicago and Jamaica for $283.
"I don't remember seeing deals like this in years," says Stacey Van Wyk, a Santa Ana, Calif., travel consultant whose bookings to the Caribbean have jumped 35% to 40% for the summer and fall this year. As for hurricanes, she says, they haven't really worried travelers. In a recent survey, 29% of Carlson Wagonlit Travel agents report bookings to the Caribbean are better than ever, while more than half say travelers who asked about hurricanes booked trips anyway. Gogo Worldwide Vacations, a major wholesaler to the Caribbean, reports bookings to the Caribbean, Bahamas and Bermuda have increased 19% for September compared with last year and 50% for October.
Increasing Activity
Of course your deal might not look so good if the wind blows your beach chairs away and you're hiding under your bed. New research suggests the Caribbean and Atlantic seaboard is entering a 10-year to 40-year period of more, and stronger, hurricanes. This year the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicts the same number of hurricanes as last year -- eight. Big wind aside, there's plenty of other weather this season to bum out a beach vacation, from extreme heat to heavy rain. "You're sort of pressing the envelope if you're going during the peak of that season," says a National Hurricane Center spokesman. "It only takes one to ruin a vacation."
So far, though, despite the dire warnings, there haven't been any major storms yet in the Caribbean this hurricane season (which runs from June through November). The last time a season got this far along without a major storm was 1984, which means travelers who have risked vacationing during this year's wet season have made a pretty good bet.
Indeed, Jason Sedler says he isn't worried at all about hitting Cozumel, Mexico, this month. After switching offices and buying a house, Mr. Sedler figured he deserved a vacation. "Maybe I'm naïve," says the pharmaceutical salesman from Irving, Calif., "but a hurricane isn't so bad compared to what I've had to go through."
For others, it's the thrill of the storm that actually makes the vacation. About a half-dozen tour operators around the country now offer storm-chasing tours (think "Twister"). Kevin Almeroth planned a family reunion in St. Lucia for the last week of June despite warnings by his travel agent about possible storms. The uncertainty "is part of the enticement," says the attorney from Savannah, Ga. In the end, nine family members enjoyed a week of sunshine and snorkeling at an all-inclusive resort at a 40% discount. "The only time it rained was one night and we were asleep," says Mr. Almeroth, a bit disappointed.
To help allay some travel fears, some hotels offer "hurricane guarantees." Westin's Caribbean resorts in Puerto Rico, Grand Cayman and St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands allow full refunds or a free vacation if a hurricane hits the island and interrupts your vacation (good through December). The Bahamas Hotel Association offers another stay at the same property or a full refund. Most major airlines, meanwhile, offer refunds if a flight is canceled because of a natural disaster. And of course, there's trip insurance, which covers the cost of the vacation (sorry, you have to buy coverage before the hurricane is predicted). Jani Miller of Central Travel in Findlay, Ohio, has another answer -- try a cruise. "If you have horrible weather, the boat moves; your hotel doesn't," she says.
Playing the Odds
What's behind the deals? A general boost in competition, both from cruises and new hotels, is driving this surge. Thanks to bigger ships, the number of berths available has grown to 5.1 million this year in the Caribbean region and Bahamas, up 28% from four million last year. Also helping is an increase in competition from mainland hotels, which have been growing at a rate of about 127,000 rooms since 1995, according to Smith Travel Research.
So what are the odds that a hurricane will strike your island? Experts say it's impossible to predict when and where a hurricane will hit far enough in advance for vacationers to plan around it. But during the past five years, the northern Caribbean islands have been frequently hit by violent storms. The legendary Lenny took vacationers by surprise in November 1999 with its rare, backward, west-to-east route, killing 13 and damaging some of the poshest resorts on Anguilla, St. Bart's and St. Martin, among others.
http://interactive.wsj.com/articles/SB999807832178678792.htm
Behind her change of heart: bargains too good to pass up. This year, says the plastics saleswoman from Minneapolis, Caribbean travel is so cheap "the weather made no difference."
Clouds? What clouds? Despite a predicted eight hurricanes this year -- and a slowdown elsewhere in the resort world -- travelers are flocking to the Caribbean. Thanks in part to a glut of cruises between the islands that has diminished the need for rooms, prices are 30% below their regular wet-season rates right now. Hyatt Resorts are adding perks such as free weekly greens fees (usually $100 a head) and baby-sitting, while Our Lucaya Beach and Golf Resort in the Bahamas is offering a free fourth night plus two-for-one golf. Meanwhile, with the recent drop in airfares, it's been possible to fly round-trip between Boston and Bermuda for as little as $129 and between Chicago and Jamaica for $283.
"I don't remember seeing deals like this in years," says Stacey Van Wyk, a Santa Ana, Calif., travel consultant whose bookings to the Caribbean have jumped 35% to 40% for the summer and fall this year. As for hurricanes, she says, they haven't really worried travelers. In a recent survey, 29% of Carlson Wagonlit Travel agents report bookings to the Caribbean are better than ever, while more than half say travelers who asked about hurricanes booked trips anyway. Gogo Worldwide Vacations, a major wholesaler to the Caribbean, reports bookings to the Caribbean, Bahamas and Bermuda have increased 19% for September compared with last year and 50% for October.
Increasing Activity
Of course your deal might not look so good if the wind blows your beach chairs away and you're hiding under your bed. New research suggests the Caribbean and Atlantic seaboard is entering a 10-year to 40-year period of more, and stronger, hurricanes. This year the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicts the same number of hurricanes as last year -- eight. Big wind aside, there's plenty of other weather this season to bum out a beach vacation, from extreme heat to heavy rain. "You're sort of pressing the envelope if you're going during the peak of that season," says a National Hurricane Center spokesman. "It only takes one to ruin a vacation."
So far, though, despite the dire warnings, there haven't been any major storms yet in the Caribbean this hurricane season (which runs from June through November). The last time a season got this far along without a major storm was 1984, which means travelers who have risked vacationing during this year's wet season have made a pretty good bet.
Indeed, Jason Sedler says he isn't worried at all about hitting Cozumel, Mexico, this month. After switching offices and buying a house, Mr. Sedler figured he deserved a vacation. "Maybe I'm naïve," says the pharmaceutical salesman from Irving, Calif., "but a hurricane isn't so bad compared to what I've had to go through."
For others, it's the thrill of the storm that actually makes the vacation. About a half-dozen tour operators around the country now offer storm-chasing tours (think "Twister"). Kevin Almeroth planned a family reunion in St. Lucia for the last week of June despite warnings by his travel agent about possible storms. The uncertainty "is part of the enticement," says the attorney from Savannah, Ga. In the end, nine family members enjoyed a week of sunshine and snorkeling at an all-inclusive resort at a 40% discount. "The only time it rained was one night and we were asleep," says Mr. Almeroth, a bit disappointed.
To help allay some travel fears, some hotels offer "hurricane guarantees." Westin's Caribbean resorts in Puerto Rico, Grand Cayman and St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands allow full refunds or a free vacation if a hurricane hits the island and interrupts your vacation (good through December). The Bahamas Hotel Association offers another stay at the same property or a full refund. Most major airlines, meanwhile, offer refunds if a flight is canceled because of a natural disaster. And of course, there's trip insurance, which covers the cost of the vacation (sorry, you have to buy coverage before the hurricane is predicted). Jani Miller of Central Travel in Findlay, Ohio, has another answer -- try a cruise. "If you have horrible weather, the boat moves; your hotel doesn't," she says.
Playing the Odds
What's behind the deals? A general boost in competition, both from cruises and new hotels, is driving this surge. Thanks to bigger ships, the number of berths available has grown to 5.1 million this year in the Caribbean region and Bahamas, up 28% from four million last year. Also helping is an increase in competition from mainland hotels, which have been growing at a rate of about 127,000 rooms since 1995, according to Smith Travel Research.
So what are the odds that a hurricane will strike your island? Experts say it's impossible to predict when and where a hurricane will hit far enough in advance for vacationers to plan around it. But during the past five years, the northern Caribbean islands have been frequently hit by violent storms. The legendary Lenny took vacationers by surprise in November 1999 with its rare, backward, west-to-east route, killing 13 and damaging some of the poshest resorts on Anguilla, St. Bart's and St. Martin, among others.
http://interactive.wsj.com/articles/SB999807832178678792.htm