Sometimes, you cannot prepare for the inevitable. No matter how perfectly planned your vacation is, some things are beyond your control. Bad weather conditions like hurricanes and severe thunderstorms can force you to cancel your vacation. What can you do?
Keep Calm: While you have every reason to feel angry or distressed, it’s most prudent to suppress those emotions, because there are many things to attend to. Just accept these things happen and move on.
Contact the Appropriate Parties: If you have booked your tour through a travel agent, contact them immediately to see what they can do. This is rather straight forward. Things may get a lot more complicated if you had made the travel reservations on your own. Most likely, your flight would have been cancelled so it’s appropriate to contact them and get their recommendations on the matter. Since it’s not your fault, you will be issued a refund or a credit for future flights. You will then have to cancel your accommodation and any other reservations, such as car rentals, theme parks, or others. In some cases, you may be able to get a full or partial refund, but sometimes, you may have to bear the full burden of the loss. This is why it’s always wise to find out about these things before you make reservations., and consider travel insurance.
Contact the Travel Insurance Company: This is where the travel insurance policy will come in handy. If the travel insurance policy was purchased before the bad weather announcement was made and your vacation is cancelled as a result of the conditions, you will be covered. In the event that you have only purchased the policy after the bad weather announcement is made, you will not be eligible for coverage. As with all insurance policies, there are finer points which will come into effect so it’s best to talk to the insurance company for more details. Then, a claim will need to be filed.
Go on an Alternative Vacation: While you may still be feeling the disappointment of your cancelled vacation, it’s no point to brood over it for too long. Once things have settled down, plan a new vacation. Unless you have the time and resources to plan another elaborate vacation, simply go to a place which is not so far away. Canceled vacations can have adverse effects on people. By going on an alternative vacation, no matter how small or inferior, you will find some much needed relief.
If you are forced to cancel your vacation because of bad weather, learn to look on the bright side. Would you rather be on your vacation in the middle of a hurricane?
Photo credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/alpoma/
