Airlines Offer Fee Waivers, Cruise Ships Change Routes As Tropical Storm Dorian Heads for Caribbean
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Tropical Storm Dorian is making its way slowly but surely through the Caribbean on its way toward Puerto Rico. While the islands are under hurricane warnings and watches, airlines and cruise ships aren’t taking any chances. Instead, they are offering passengers free waivers to change their plans.
According to CNN, Delta, Southwest, American, Spirit, and Frontier are all offering some type of waiver to passengers who have plans to fly to Puerto Rico and other parts of the Caribbean in the coming days.
Delta will allow customers with flights scheduled through Aug. 29 to parts of the Dominican, Puerto Rico, Haiti, and Saint Lucia to change their flight without a fee. Passengers can also cancel their flights and use the value toward a future Delta purchase. American, Spirit, and Frontier will also waive fee changes and allow rebooking of canceled flights.
Southwest, CNN noted, is offering a similar rebooking option for passengers flying to Turks and Caicos, the Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico. However, passengers must rebook within 14 days of their original travel date.
Airlines aren’t the only ones having to modify their plans due to the storm. According to USA Today, Royal Caribbean has already modified the itineraries for three of its ships — Allure of the Seas, Harmony of the Seas, and Symphony of the Seas — to avoid the brunt of the storm.
"We continue to monitor the path of Tropical Storm Dorian and potential impact to our vessels, and will communicate any scheduling changes to our guests," Melissa Charbonneau, director of corporate reputation for Royal Caribbean Cruises, said in a statement. These changes, she noted, were made "to ensure the safety and comfort of our guests."
Disney Cruise Line also changed the itinerary for its Port Canaveral-based Disney Fantasy cruise as well.
Dorian is expected to pass near Puerto Rico on Wednesday as a strong tropical storm, CNN reported. However, the storm is expected to quickly weaken as it moves north toward Florida. If you have plans to visit the region in the coming days via ship or air it may be best to contact your airline or cruise ship operator directly to discuss any options.
Source: https://www.travelandleisure.com