For those who live in hurricane prone areas, how do you handle leaving 'IF?'

[krewzin]

My concern revolves around a hurricane heading for my home as I'm about to leave for my cruise. We live in the Tampa Bay area, and are scheduled for a July 25th 'Solstice' departure out of Lauderdale.

 

If, for instance, in the days before we leave, a cat 3 storm was bearing down on our area, I'd be hard-pressed to leave my mom, our pets, and our homes....knowing the potential for disaster is high.

 

Granted, with the unpredictability of these storms, our area could be in the line-of-fire for a direct hit, and....as has happened many times in the past...the storm could veer off in the 11th hour and miss us. But I'd have a really difficult time leaving, w/a hurricane out in the gulf heading in our direction (I'd be a wreck).

 

I know insurance companies don't provide for..."I cancelled because I need to stay home and put duct tape on my windows (levity)....." yet, this is a very real possibility at this time of the season.

 

From the policies that I've reviewed, Travelex seems to have the most reasonable coverage for our needs including the 'cancel for any reason (80% of non-refundable money returned)' portion which, based on my hurricane scenario, is probably the only way for us to go. But I was wondering how those of you who live in hurricane prone areas handle this situation at this time of year....rather than the obvious "travel at another time..." and whether or not anyone has faced this situation?

[mafig]

Probably a lot of people won't get where you're coming from, but I do. We used to book during hurricane season, but after going through Charley in 2004 (in Punta Gorda) we don't now.

 

Even if we had to evacuate, I know I'd want to get back to my home as soon as possible. So much to deal with, if there's a major hurricane you have to get in touch with your insurance company quickly, or you're on the bottom of their list and it may take months before they'll be seeing you.

 

No pets anymore, but if we did, I'd be worried sick about leaving them during a hurricane. What if their caregivers had to evacuate?

 

Sorry,but I've turned into a big chicken now regarding hurricanes. It took me a few years before hearing the weather channel theme didn't cause me to hyperventilate. How would you get in touch with parents, etc. if you're at sea. I would think it would be such a helpless feeling.

 

There might be no electricity or water. No phone service either. Cell phone service after our hurricane was hit or miss, lots of towers were down, everyone was using their phones at the same time ~ use your car to recharge.

[CruisinNole]

We live 90 miles south of you and frequently cruise in July, August, September. We don't get travel insurance for these usually shorter cruises. I think we feel like we would have enough time to make a decision as to whether we want to ride out the storm at home or just go ahead and cruise. Even if a hurricane isn't close, during hurricane season, we put up our wind abatement screens and garage door braces when we go out of town. We cruised a couple of years ago when a hurricane was in the Gulf. Can't remember which one. It did affect the cruise -- we weren't able to go to Cozumel but the hurricane did not make landfall near us. I'd go for the best insurance you can find and make sure that they will let you cancel at the last minute for such a reason.

[jackdiamond]

That is a very good question. Stupidly, I booked the Radiance out of Tampa for October 9. We live in S. Ft. Myers; and, my intention is to explore a policy at the time of final payment, which would include reasonable cancellation provisions. If so, and if a serious storm appears imminent we will not go. I recognize that we would not fully recover our investment, but that is the price you pay for stupidity. By the way, I would be most appreciative of the names of any insurance companies that any of you folks have used for this type of coverage.

[tortugas]

I don't worry so much about my home... insurance is for that. My pets? THAT is a different story. Our pet sitter will evacuate as needed with our pets. We have had to leave vacations early to get home due to a pending hurricane, but never on a cruise. Good thing is that all of the Caribbean is a very close plane ride home to a bunch of Florida airports, so that gives me a lot of peace of mind... getting home from across the ocean is WAY easier than getting home from across the pond!

[floridacruisers]

After going through hurricanes Frances, Jean and the north wall of Wilma passing right over our house in Port Saint Lucie, I understand your concern. Although no one has a crystal ball as to when these storms start up, late July is still on the low side of the season. The season ramps up mid August but who knows. It is a gamble so there's not much anyone can offer for advice except to get the best insurance you can. The odds are in your favor.

Phil

P.S. Notice we moved to Georgia. Care to guess why?????

[Orlandocruiser]

How do we manage cruising during hurricane season?? We don't - the closest we have ever come to cruising during "the season" was one the third week of November. After the year of 3 hurricanes in 6 weeks no way am I going to leave my house for somewhere I can't make it back from. (I was in Rhode Island for Charlie and DH was home alone:eek: - while I was glad to have missed it I was really lucky that the airport reopened the day I was schudeled to return.)

[andawayigo]

You really have to live in a hurricane prone area to understand your concerns. We cruise every summer because of school vacations. If there was a hurricane bearing down on our area, no, I would not leave. I need to be here to put up the shutters, take steps to safeguard personal property etc. When we book a cruise, we just take our chances and hope we will be spared. The question you raise is one I have thought of many times.

[bellybutton530]

Texas Gulf coast resident here, 26 miles from the water. Suffered thru Rita and Ike and the wake of destruction they left. I was booked and paid for the 2005 WB transatlantic on Galaxy (Rome to Galveston) before both Katrina and Rita. Boss tried to tell me my vacation was cancelled, but when I presented him with my $20K invoice, he had to let me know; apparently he has only heard of Carnival....)

 

We actually shored up my house and went on the cruise; I had some wind damage only. The ship sailed thru the remnants of Wilma in the open Atlantic.

 

The heart of Hurricane season is August thru October; plenty of time for me to get my affairs in order and still make the 20 Nov Connie cruise.:p

 

 

[Aquahound]

I'm in about as high a hurricane prone area there is. I always give a house key to a trusted friend when I'm gone. If a storm arises when I'm gone, they can go close all my shutters.

 

That being said, we usually have some sort of inclination to the next week's tropical weather. In most cases, we know a week out if a storm is even headed in our general vicinity. If that's the case, we put all our lawn furniture inside ahead of time so our friends don't have to do it.

[jackdiamond]

We live in S Ft. Myers; and, when we depart we close all our hurricane shutters, and we give a key to a trusted neighbor with the request that if they stay and crank up their generator, to please place our freezer and fridge stuff in their fridge etc., in the event of power failure, which is almost always a certainty.

In view of the concerns of others, I contacted Captains Club vis-a-vis the insurance: and, I have concluded that we are just as well off to take a chance. In other words, if it looks grim we will not depart and we will sacrifice our cruise cost, but not the prepaid tips or taxes and port fees.

[teajak]

I'm in about as high a hurricane prone area there is. I always give a house key to a trusted friend when I'm gone. If a storm arises when I'm gone, they can go close all my shutters.

 

That being said, we usually have some sort of inclination to the next week's tropical weather. In most cases, we know a week out if a storm is even headed in our general vicinity. If that's the case, we put all our lawn furniture inside ahead of time so our friends don't have to do it.

We have two cruises scheduled this year during hurricane season.A few years ago I decided to give our grandchildren what couldn't be replaced,photos,videos, some antiques, cut glass, things like that. I still have a few things I would hate to lose but nothing that couldn't be replaced, we are done with pets. We put everyting away outside so no one else would need to do it. Insurance in Florida is very expensive but very necessary. Works for us.

[rucruisn2]

We live on the East coast of Fl. If a hurricane were coming here, there's no place I'd rather be than on a cruise ship! I'd close the hurricane shutters on the house and go. The ship stays away from the storm. Who wants to be here in a storm? Not me! No power means no air conditioning, no thanks. Go and have a good time.

[EatonDoolittle]

After going through hurricanes Frances, Jean and the north wall of Wilma passing right over our house in Port Saint Lucie, I understand your concern. Although no one has a crystal ball as to when these storms start up, late July is still on the low side of the season. The season ramps up mid August but who knows. It is a gamble so there's not much anyone can offer for advice except to get the best insurance you can. The odds are in your favor.

Phil

P.S. Notice we moved to Georgia. Care to guess why?????

 

 

My thoughts exactly - July is still pretty early.

Seems like there is one (somewhere) every Labor Day, and then they are off and running.

 

July is just rain and more rain, when it seems like your grass grows in front of your eyes. Actualy a good time to get away, tho it will likely also be raining in the Caribbean -

[krewzin]

My major problem with leaving (if a hurricane were approaching) would be concern over our 2 houses and our pets (2 dogs that would be in a kennel, and 2 cats being cared for by someone who visits our home twice a day).

 

We don't have shutters to close, so short of my barricading up windows with plywood, our homes would be left relatively unprotected.

 

That said, yes....the odds are in our favor here on the west coast of Fl, that we should be okay until mid August (prevailing wind currents are normally in our favor until that time)...if memory serves, Charlie hit August 13th (our cruise departs July 25).

 

I've called the folks at insuremytrip.com and explained my concern....that if a storm was a day or 2 away from hitting *us* here in W central Fl, with no apparent consequences to our cruise ship departing from the opposite coast, that I would want to cancel to stay and protect our property. I asked if, to their knowledge, was there any insurance carrier that might extend any type of coverage in this situation OTHER than the 'cancel for any reason' option.

 

I was told to look at MH Ross and Global alert, as they in fact, had clauses that would cover us, 'as long as an official alert issued by the hurricane center/NOAA remained until within 24 hours of our ships departure.'

 

But the wording from the insurers description of such only mentioned this in it affecting the ships point of departure, rather than the hometown of the PAX.

 

So the only real option for coverage/protection is still under the 'cancel for any reason' add-on repaying 80%, which is certainly better than nothing (and at only $86 for the 4 of us, really isn't too bad).

[Aquahound]

Insurance in Florida is very expensive but very necessary.

 

Pffft! You can say that again! Try living in a flood zone at 3 ft above sea level! It's a huge price to pay to be down here.

[Gracie115]

So the only real option for coverage/protection is still under the 'cancel for any reason' add-on repaying 80%, which is certainly better than nothing (and at only $86 for the 4 of us, really isn't too bad).

 

 

How long is your cruise? $86 is really nothing and I may be interested in that for our Med cruise scheduled for prime hurricane season on 9/15/2011. I already have regular insurance for the trip. We've decided to just book it and pray that it's not our "turn" to get hit. After direct hits on both my home and business in 2004 with Frances and Jeanne and a pretty good swipe in 2005 from Wilma we are hopeing the odds are against Vero Beach getting hit again....but I'd happily add that "cancel for any reason" insurance for more piece of mind!!

[krewzin]

It's a 7 day cruise....and I agree, that $86 is absolutely quite reasonable.

[jackdiamond]

My major problem with leaving (if a hurricane were approaching) would be concern over our 2 houses and our pets (2 dogs that would be in a kennel, and 2 cats being cared for by someone who visits our home twice a day).

 

We don't have shutters to close, so short of my barricading up windows with plywood, our homes would be left relatively unprotected.

 

That said, yes....the odds are in our favor here on the west coast of Fl, that we should be okay until mid August (prevailing wind currents are normally in our favor until that time)...if memory serves, Charlie hit August 13th (our cruise departs July 25).

 

I've called the folks at insuremytrip.com and explained my concern....that if a storm was a day or 2 away from hitting *us* here in W central Fl, with no apparent consequences to our cruise ship departing from the opposite coast, that I would want to cancel to stay and protect our property. I asked if, to their knowledge, was there any insurance carrier that might extend any type of coverage in this situation OTHER than the 'cancel for any reason' option.

 

I was told to look at MH Ross and Global alert, as they in fact, had clauses that would cover us, 'as long as an official alert issued by the hurricane center/NOAA remained until within 24 hours of our ships departure.'

 

But the wording from the insurers description of such only mentioned this in it affecting the ships point of departure, rather than the hometown of the PAX.

 

So the only real option for coverage/protection is still under the 'cancel for any reason' add-on repaying 80%, which is certainly better than nothing (and at only $86 for the 4 of us, really isn't too bad).

L cnecked with Captains Club; and their policy for our Radiance cruise covers 75 percent of the cruise cost (prepaid tips and port charges and taxes are totally refundable)to be applied as a future cruise credit on a Royal ship within one year. Since we are already booked on three Celebrity ships through December of 2011, this is not a viable option for us.

[royalcruz]

We only book 4 day cruises during the season, and only if the price is very low. Once we booked 2 days before just to be sure. Otherwise I would suggest the cancel for any reason policies.

[Cruzaholic41]

After going through hurricanes Frances, Jean and the north wall of Wilma passing right over our house...

 

Just to name a few. Remember the phrase "Another week, another hurricane?" :rolleyes: