Resorts and advisors prepare as Hurricane Melissa heads for Jamaica

Jamaican resorts issued a flurry of updates as Hurricane Melissa, a Category 5 storm, approached the island. 

Sandals and Beaches Resorts, which has seven Sandals properties and the family-friendly Beaches Negril in Jamaica, said it was offering accommodations to guests unable to travel due to flight disruptions.

"With more than four decades of experience operating across the Caribbean, the resorts are well prepared for weather-related events," Sandals and Beaches said Monday. "Each property follows detailed, time-tested protocols led by trained teams who are equipped to respond calmly and effectively as conditions evolve."

It added that the Sandals Foundation, the nonprofit arm of parent company Sandals Resorts International, was "ready to activate and provide support in the coming days to serve local communities in need."

In a Facebook post, the Round Hill Hotel and Villas in Montego Bay said it was working closely with the Jamaican government and its emergency services teams to prepare and provide updates. The property also assured followers that its management and staff "have extensive experience, training and are fully prepared for the hurricane's arrival and the recovery that follows."

The Palace Company's Moon Palace Jamaica in Ocho Rios also shared an update on social media, stating that "the hotel's shelter will be fully prepared and ready for use should it become necessary." 

Excellence Oyster Bay said its team is "taking every thoughtful step to ensure the well-being and comfort" of guests and staff and remains focused on "keeping everyone informed as the weather evolves."

The Tensing Pen Resort in Negril said that it had evacuated all guests and would remain closed until conditions were fully assessed.

Travel advisors monitor the hurricane's track

Travel agencies around the country meanwhile have been monitoring client travel to destinations in the path of the hurricane.

At Brownell in Birmingham, Ala., a client was supposed to be in Jamaica right now, but thanks to proactive monitoring from their advisor last week, they postponed their trip, according to chief operating officer Rene Alldredge.

Alldredge said she follows the same procedure any time an event like a storm looms or other catastrophe occurs: She logs into TripSuite, the agency's technology platform, to run a report to identify clients already in, or soon to be in, the impacted destination. That includes clients who might be traveling several weeks out, depending on the situation's severity.

Then, she reaches out to their travel advisor via email and Slack, sharing relevant links to trusted websites. In the case of Hurricane Melissa, that is the National Hurricane Center, which is providing updates on the storm.

Travel insurance updates

Most travel insurance will cover trips impacted by Hurricane Melissa, but it won't unless it was purchased before the storm was named on Oct. 21, according to travel insurance comparison site Squaremouth.

"Travel insurance is only designed to cover the unforeseen," Squaremouth said. "Once a storm is named, you can no longer buy a policy that covers that storm."

For insurance to cover financial losses if a trip is canceled due to severe weather, one of a number of situations must occur, Squaremouth said: The destination is uninhabitable due to damage; the destination is inaccessible due to a hurricane; an airline or cruise line has canceled the trip because of a hurricane; there is a hurricane warning at the destination; there is a mandatory evacuation in place in the destination due to a storm, or the traveler's home has been damaged by a hurricane.

"Most travel insurance policies reimburse up to 100% of your prepaid and nonrefundable travel costs," Squaremouth said. "However, you'll need to provide receipts for your prepaid expenses and proof of your trip cancellation or interruption when you file a claim to recoup your money."

On Monday afternoon, hurricane warnings had been issued for Jamaica and the Cuban provinces of Granma, Santiago de Cuba, Guantanamo and Holguin, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Hurricane watches were in effect for the southeastern and central Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands. Tropical storm warnings were in effect for Haiti and the Cuban providence Las Tunas.