Should I cancel my trip to the Caribbean?
Perhaps you have a trip coming up in the next 30 to 90 days. Should you consider canceling your trip to the Caribbean? Well, it depends. Here is some information you may want to consider to assist you with making a decision.
According to Cleveland.com, the CDC has a three-tiered level system to gauge your travel health risk. When checking the CDC website here, if the warning is a Level 3, you should avoid non-essential travel; if the warning is a Level 2, then travel with enhanced precautions. If the warning is a Level 1, travel as you usually would with precautions. As of this writing, places like Italy and China are a level 3. Most of the Caribbean, as of this writing, is at Level 2.
If you decide to go on your trip, here are some health practices we use to keep ourselves as healthy as possible when we travel:
Take Vitamin C or Airborne type supplement at least one week before travel and while on vacation to keep your immune system in good working order.
Purchase hand sanitizer and use it after touching commonly touched surfaces.
Purchase antibacterial wipes and clean down all the surfaces that you might touch while in the airport and on your flight. Use it on the back of your seat, your armrests, the seat tray, your seat belt, etc.
Please turn on the overhead air and allow it to blow down on you to blow away germs that might spread through the air.
You can also find other great information about traveling during this pandemic and how to protect yourself on the CDC website located here!
If you are considering canceling your trip, here are a few things to keep in mind. If you purchased travel protection with Cancel for Any Reason, that was a smart move. Most likely, you can receive all your money back except for the cost of your travel protection. Travel protection without "Cancel for Any Reason" may not allow you to receive a refund for your trip. This is because pandemic or epidemic issues, such as the Coronavirus is not a covered reason. So, many airlines, cruises, and tour operators will not offer a monetary refund but will allow you to rebook your vacation without fees. In some cases a limited time frame for travel is stipulated, however, many policies state that by the end of this year you must rebook the trip. Contact your travel advisor, tour operator, airlines, etc. to learn about the policies that specifically relate to your trip.
From our research, we are learning that many resorts, cruise lines, or tour operators are adding additional benefits through revised canceling and booking fee policies regardless of whether you have travel protection, at any level, or not. This change could be a benefit to you, even if you wait to find out about any such revised travel policies if they have not revised the canceling and fee policies yet.
It is going to be impossible to know how long and how widespread this disease might spread over the next 30 to 90 days. This pandemic makes planning for summer or even deciding on what to do if you already have travel plans nearly impossible. Do not listen to everything you read on Facebook or Twitter from panicking people who believe there is one answer for everyone. Your choice of whether to travel or not is up to you, so you must make sure you are making your decision on facts. So review the CDC website and sign up for news alerts and information to get the facts.