Here Are the Caribbean Islands Open for Business According to AAA

As you surely know by now, Puerto Rico was devastated by Hurricane Maria and needs our help. You can provide that help through avenues listed on this page.

The larger Caribbean, however, remains open for your travel business. As AAA has noted, the region has for the most part not seen the type of damage that would throw off its tourism industry. In fact, most of the wonderful islands and nations are as ready to receive travelers as ever, and those that saw damage would be benefitted by the money travelers bring. Here’s AAA’s list of destinations that sustained minimal or no damage, which it recommends to all those looking to travel soon:

• Antigua
• Aruba
• Bahamas
• Barbados
• Belize
• Bermuda
• Bonaire
• Curaçao
• Dominican Republic
• Jamaica
• Martinique
• Saint Lucia
• St. Kitts & Nevis
• St. Vincent & The Grenadines
• The Cayman Islands
• Trinidad and Tobago
• Turks & Caicos
• St. Vincent & The Grenadines

AAA also has recommendations for people traveling during hurricane season, which believe it or not is not yet over (it’s June 1 to November 30).

• Work with a travel agent – A trusted travel agent can serve as the travelers’ advocate, helping them remain informed and assisting with any itinerary changes that need to be made in the event of a storm.
• Consider purchasing travel insurance – Travel insurance is designed to offer protection against sudden and unforeseen events, such as hurricanes. Typically, travelers must have purchased travel insurance prior to a storm being “named” to receive hurricane-related coverage benefits. My note: Make sure you buy travel insurance before a storm is named, as I wrote here.
• Remain informed – Before, during and after a storm, travelers should check with their travel providers—including hotels, airlines, car rental companies, cruise lines, and tour operators—for the latest updates to itineraries or cancellation and rebooking policies.
• Be flexible and remember to pack your patience – In the event of a hurricane, travel plans may be disrupted, even for those not traveling to an affected area. For example, cruise ships often adjust their itineraries to avoid storms or help accommodate travelers on other routes.
• Share your plans – Before any international trip, enroll in the U.S. Department of State’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP). This makes it easier for the nearest embassy or consulate to contact U.S. citizens in case of an emergency.
• Check for Diamonds – AAA’s professional inspectors conduct on-site evaluations of nearly 59,000 Diamond Rated hotels and restaurants across the Caribbean, United States, Canada and Mexico. If something goes wrong at one of these properties, AAA’s member relations team is available to help members resolve their concerns.

For my travel insurance, I use Allianz. Read more on why in this post.

____________________________________________________________