Games to Occupy the Youngest Travelers on Holiday Travels

This holiday season when packing up for grandma’s house, be sure to bring along a variety of electronic games for kids and kids at heart including Nintendo DS games, Leapster games, Pogo games, and other video games to occupy time during travels and for fun nights together. Many resorts offer a gaming area for kids now and some accommodations are even supplied with a gaming console. These games are compact and make great stocking stuffers and gifts for future car trips, long waits in airports and other transportation means. The biggest trend noticed is how companies are capitalizing on movies and creating games to keep the movie alive after returning home from the theater or when the DVD ends.

Nintendo DS Games
Gaming has evolved quite a bit since Atari’s Pac Man and Asteroids as there are many more games that have been introduced offering new ways to play, immerse and engage. Every popular character seems to have transcended into its own video game. It is not uncommon for video game launches to coincide with theatrical releases. Good news is that the Nintendo DS games offered by Electronic Arts (EA) are compact, easy to travel with and ensure hours of fun. With its wireless element, family members can compete against each other, creating another level of competition!

Below are just a few titles and descriptions to take along during holiday travels or to surprise your favorite traveler.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince: Experience the thrills, action, and excitement of the Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince while engaging in exciting wizard duels, mixing and brewing magical ingredients in Potions class and taking to the air to lead the Gryffindor Quidditch team to victory!

Littlest Pet Shop Friends: Offering co-operative play and delightful new graphics, Littlest Pet Shop Friends takes girls and their friends on fun quests such as delivering party invitations, serving up cake and ice cream and gathering party decorations, all in preparation for the biggest party ever!

Hasbro Family Game Night 2: Featuring OPERATION, JENGA, BOP-IT, PICTUREKA, and CONNECT 4X4, Hasbro Family Game Night 2 offers traditional and new modes to play these Hasbro favorites. MR. POTATO HEAD returns as master of ceremonies and your host in a brand-new “GameShow” mode which transports players to a live television game show studio complete with an audience and “Challenge Wheel.”

G.I. Joe The Rise of Cobra: G.I. JOE The Rise of Cobra features 16 playable characters – including four unlockable COBRA bosses – each with unique abilities and weapons. Adding to the adrenaline rush is an intense single-screen co-op mode allowing two players to easily unite as a team in a classic struggle between good and evil to defeat the powers of COBRA.

SimAnimals Africa: With its brand new art style, SimAnimals Africa takes players on an adventure across jungles, deserts, savannas, river deltas and more! All new animals, each with their own unique skill, are ready to play like never before. Kicking zebras, rock-breaking rhinos and lions that excel at hunting will assist players in keeping the environment happy and unlocking new areas, animals, and special items. New mini-games give players more ways to interact with the animals.



There are games for everyone and many are available on multiple platforms including the Wii and Sony Play Station. Below are a few other titles by Warner Brothers and stimulating creativity and taking movies to the next interactive level for kids.

Where The Wild Things Are: The award-winning children's adventure coincides with the movie release in 2009 as players assume the role of Max, “King of All Wild Things” and team-up with the fearsome but loveable creatures to solve action puzzles and overcome challenging obstacles to save the tribe before it's too late.

Scooby-Doo: First Frights: An action-adventure game for the Wii, DS and PS2 complements the DVD release, Scooby Doo: The Mystery Begins, this title features co-op play allowing two people to work together to solve mysteries, combat enemies and collect clues to unmask each episode's mysterious villain.

Scribblenauts: The award-winning pick-up-and-play game for the Nintendo DS from Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment in which the character Maxwell acquires the Starite in each level by solving a series of puzzles armed with their stylus, notepad and imagination.

Astro Boy: The Video Game: The official game of the upcoming movie, a young boy robot utilizes his full arsenal of iconic weapons and abilities to battle robot enemies and colossal bosses on multiple platforms.

There are other electronic-based games that are sure to delight travelers of all ages beyond the Nintendo DS platform.

Pocket POGO Handheld: Yahtzee, Connect 4, Battleship, & Monopoly: Perfect for waiting in line and compact enough to fit into a pocket or purse, test your skills with some childhood favorites that grownups still like to play. POGO games incorporate electronic elements with the classic games and are the perfect travel accessory for backseat or in-flight fun!

Pocket POGO Touch Screen: Scrabble, Battleship, Solitaire, Casino Island & More: With eight available games, the Pocket POGO is a step up from the POGO Handheld games in terms of advanced play. Using a stylus, in the Scrabble game, users can select from the four games testing speed and word making skills!

New games have launched throughout the year to keep the library fresh and coincide with big movie premieres or DVD releases, as reported by Leapfrog. This year’s titles will build on the established library of games that offer traditional learning, such as math and spelling, and will expand on the traditional with new curriculum, such as geography and map reading in X-Men: Wolverine and music in High School Musical.

The Leapster2 system, the industry’s first educational gaming handheld for kids aged four to eight, has released eight new titles in 2009. Many of the new titles below are connected to movies, which helps the younger kids identify with the brand on multiple levels. The Leapster2 and games are perfect for traveling (just bring batteries). Below is a sampling of the new games available this holiday season and what each title emphasizes on the educational level.

• Disney/Pixar’s Up! – early number sense, addition, subtraction, shapes
• Disney’s The Princess and the Frog – early math
• The Wolverine and X-Men – geography, shapes, word sounds
• Disney Fairies: TinkerBell – early math, addition and subtraction, patterns
• Star Wars: Jedi Reading – letter identification, phonics, spelling

“Educational gaming has evolved and is now recognized for delivering competitive and exciting gaming that rivals traditional videogames,” said David Perkinson, director of game development for LeapFrog.

Christmas Toys for Travel Joys

Besides decking the halls and the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, families are preparing to travel over the holidays. Whether traveling to grandma’s house or creating a new holiday tradition while embarking on a winter wonderland or tropical oasis, packing some toys, books, games and other time-consuming activities will make any trip more festive.

There is no shortage in choices for kids, but below are a few recommendations of toys that are sure to delight kids on their winter road trips and vacation journeys.

Elmo’s Tickle Hands
Fisher-Price lets kids have a chance at being Elmo…well, at least part of Elmo using his silly furry red hands . These funny hands vibrate and hear familiar phrases from Elmo and allow kids’ imaginary play to soar and gets them dancing when the Dance Mode is activated and kids are guided through Elmo’s new dance, step by step. There is even a DVD that accompanies these hands to teach kids the dance.

Matchbox® Mega Rig®Pirate Ship
Ready to sail the high seas and journey into pirate hood and swash the decks? With the Matchbox® Mega Rig® Pirate Ship, kids will feel as though they have joined the pirate clan as they sail away into their next adventure. Creative play is stimulated with the large pirate ship, the giant squirting sea creature, all while defending their treasure.

Uno Moo!™
The grown up card game has been transformed into farm animals for toddlers. Educational and fun, UNO Moo! Encourages colors and animal recognition and teaches kids to shout out when they are down to one figure. Even the adults will like this version and its packaging is ideal for traveling.

Barbie® Glamour Camper™
Now this is one camper that I would consider going on an outdoor exploration. A modernized and glammed out version of the camper many moms will remember as girls in the 70s, today’s young girls are ready for a road trip! Like the Barbie dollhouses, the camper is completely decked out and provides hours of enjoyment from the pop out tent to roasting marshmallows. The compactness of this Barbie vehicle is perfect to take on the road for real!

Barbie™ and the Three Musketeers Barbie Corinne™ Doll
Girl power strikes this holiday season as Barbie Corinne and her friends recreate the legendary Three Musketeers. Hot this holiday season, these princess Barbies are like the Diamond Castle characters and transform their outfits as they take on heroine roles. Barbie continues to be a role model for young girls.

My Toon TV
Kids love having people “watch” them, now they can see themselves in performance action by inserting themselves on TV with their own personalized character. Easy to use (no software required), kids will spend hours pretending and performing and most importantly, laughing as they watch their “character” dance away. Five songs are provided, but the ability to customize with their own music is also an option.

A Family Christmas CD
For car trips, creating a festive mood for this “quality” time together, playing holiday tunes are sure to add a fun element and one that is participatory in nature. Putumayo Kids has a series of international music selections that inspire travel around the world, but “A Family Christmas” CD is one that also has an educational twist on yuletide favorites. A few childhood favorites include a new version of “Holly Jolly Christmas” by Martin Sexton and a jazzy rendition by Big Bad Voodoo Daddy singing Louis Armstrong’s hit “Is Zat You Santa Claus?”.


Blokus® Game
Nothing beats a family game night and the new Blokus game allows entire family to participate. With only four colors, it is fairly easy for kids to catch on to the pattern and learning to keep building their pattern while blocking you in the process. Don’t be surprised if the kids outwit the parents!

The Night Before Christmas: Special Edition DVD Set
No trip should be taken without a portable DVD and with many hotels providing DVD players, The Night Before Christmas: Special Edition 2-DVD collection by Scholastic Storybook Treasures™ is a holiday tradition to be packed. This collection features animated stories about Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and other holiday celebrations are narrated by Anthony Edwards and Christopher Lloyd. The second DVD included in the set is The Twelve Days of Christmas, which features a sing-along to this recognized holiday song. Other holiday stories are featured on this disc to build upon children’s excitement – and parents too!

Treasury of 50 Storybook Classics: Animal Antics
This seven-DVD set is a must to wrap up for the holidays and to take on any journeys. Scholastic Storybook Treasures™ features “Harry the Dirty Dog”, “Click, Clack, Moo…Cows That Type”, “Make Way for Ducklings” and more. The collection of animal tales will have kids mooing, barking and laughing with these entertaining and quality animated tales.

Santa’s Game Bag:
Packaged in a miniature version of Santa’s bag, Minimus.biz packs some travel-sized games and activities to make traveling time fly, just like the attached reindeer can do! Available in different age ranges, the 4-year-old product includes pocket size Ohio Art® Etch A Sketch®, pocket size Ohio Art® Doodle Sketch, travel-size CandyLand®, travel-size Memory® Game, and more.

Boggle
Hasbro’s Boggle, the original three-minute word search game, is now packaged to take on the road. The ability to twist and shake and search for words will not only stimulate a kid while on winter break, but will also provide a fun challenge. With a built in timer, a competitive angle is also provided.

Monopoly Go
Hasbro’s Monopoly Go is a compact version of the classic Monopoly game, but is now packaged as a travel-friendly entertaining game for entire family. Taking a break from holiday stresses, families can spend time together by playing games such as Monopoly Go together.

Tag Junior
Leapfrog’s Tag Junior is specifically designed for the younger toddlers to stimulate reading and fun. Like it’s senior product, the Leapfrog Tag reader, the same technology is used, but now little hands have a bigger wand to help guide them through the magical stories. Now our youngest kids can “read” words on study board books in the Tag Junior collection. And for our senior Tag users, just in time with the release of the new Disney movie, “The Princess and the Frog” for Tag is now available and is beautifully illustrated.

Leapfrog Zippity System
Even if you’re travels are taking you to cold climates this holiday season, Leapfrog’s new Zippity System gives you a way for kids to burn off that holiday sugar while learning. LeapFrog and Disney have joined forces to create the Zippity Learning System—a TV-based gaming system for preschoolers that combines full-body movement, music, education and fun. The Zippity system lets kids bring the fun of Playhouse Disney to life at their house. Kids can dance, jump and move with characters from Disney Channel’s Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Disney Little Einsteins, Winnie the Pooh and more. Featuring an interactive mat designed for lower-body movement, kids can run, dance, jump and march their way through the eight provided programs coupled with additional ones such as Princess and the Frog.

Never have there been more options, but sticking to the basics of spending time together with games, books, music and movies, families are sure to create new holiday memories this season.

Note: Due to the growing popularity and surge of Nintendo DS games and other electronic games that are easy to travel with, these products will be featured in a separate article.

Exploring Florida’s Treasure Coast: Vero Beach a Family Beach Destination

Just as there are distinct differences between wines and within an actual type of wine—varying degrees of taste and flavors in a chardonnay—Florida beach communities offer unique opportunities for families. Each area has different family elements creating a new vacation experience. Contributing to these different vacation feelings is the resort.

We traveled over to the pristine and quiet Vero Beach area and experienced two very different resorts—each family friendly and each unique in its offerings and experience. Our first night was spent at the Vero Beach Hotel & Spa. This upscale property is owned by Kimpton Hotels and does not fail to meet the chain’s reputation as a luxury, hip, pet friendly, quaint boutique hotel. This modern boutique has contrasting elements as it sits on a relaxing beach front location, but its modern marvels makes a visitor believe they are in a trendy big city hotel.

In a property that boasts only 113 rooms and suites, there are more than 10 different room categories, fulfilling the needs of all travelers. For those staying longer, the two- or three-bedroom, ocean view suites are highly recommended as it is your home away from home. Giving you the homey feeling, you also have a temporary goldfish pet to keep you company. The suites are complete with a gourmet kitchen too, giving you more opportunities to relax over meals together or not rush in the morning before you hit the sandy shore.

Other unique kid offerings by the Vero Beach Hotel & Spa include a welcome gift for the smaller guest and their own child-size animal print robe, available for loan or purchase. The kid is a very important guest at this hotel as child comment cards are even provided.

For our next night, we journeyed up the trail eight miles to visit the Disney Vero Beach Resort. The design and layout of the property is reminiscent of the Walt Disney World Wilderness Lodge Resort, complete with a campground where kids and parents engage in camp songs and complimentary s’mores! Again, against the back drop of the Atlantic Ocean, many of the rooms offer ocean views and as you walk along the trails, you are within steps of the white sandy beach.

The pool at this Disney resort is a highlight as it is in the shape of Mickey Mouse’s head and features a three-story water slide that our toddler must have gone down 50 times! There are music and pool games throughout the day, a mini-golf course on-site, games to check out and on Saturday mornings, a Disney character breakfast to delight the little ones.

The Disney property has a very unique room offering for families—a stand-alone Beach Cottage, complete with three-bedrooms and pristine beach location!

While we did not venture far from either resort, the landscaping around Vero Beach further contributes to the overall relaxed beach feel of this town without high rises and traffic congestion as some of the other more prominent Florida beach destinations. We also felt as though we had two very distinct vacations built in one. Vero Beach will be a repeated family getaway for us to continue our beach exploration and making memories.

Photo Credits:
Compliments of Vero Beach Hotel & Spa
Disney Vero Beach Resort photos courtesy of Tropical Latitudes Travel

Summer Daze

The lyrics from a popular Grease song are true to describe the last few weeks of summer. “Summer days, drifting away…” Before Labor Day approaches, often regarded as concluding summer fun, take stock in your summer memories so far. Have you taken time to check off a few summer treats such as picking berries, riding a thrill ride at an amusement park, been buried in sand, swimming to your hands are prunes, taking a boat ride, fishing for the “big” one, hiking in cool mountain trails, reading that desired novel, playing outside, riding bikes, catching a summer blockbuster, or barbequing with friends?

So much to do and so little time. A common, yet delightful, summer day for my family is spent on the Gulf of Mexico on our boat and going to North Captiva Island, which is reached via air, boat or ferry, complete with a beach picnic. Here at Red Fish Pass, we are among a handful enjoying our own private beach paradise along white sand and more shells than you can possibly pick up. Not only is this indulgence perfect for our child, but it is a destination where we can go as an entire family—dog in tow!

The now 5-month old puppy loves running on the sand and helping Kylie dig for treasures. It was quite a site to watch Kylie with her pail and shovel building her latest creation with the puppy by her side helping her dig. The puppy is also a great help at helping Kylie discover hidden beach treasures! This is while we could sit and watch an endless perfect view of sand and water in front of us. It is days like these that all you can be is grateful.

As evening started to approach, we packed the boat back up and went for a delightful boat ride with both puppy and child asleep! One warning. Do not watch the Discovery Channel’s Shark Week before heading to the ocean. While enjoying the day, my eyes were constantly scouring the waters for dark lurking shapes.

Bask in the last few weeks of summer. Do something that you normally cannot do in let’s say November! Take a mental health day and create a summer memory for you and your family.

Travel Preparation: Obtain a Passport for Child

A tightening of the belt for passport requirements went into effect on June 1st, 2009for U.S. travelers. The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) now requires valid passports for land and sea travel with the continued exception for “closed-loop” cruises. These are cruises that originate and terminate at the same U.S. port.

This leniency applies only to cruises and many of the cruise lines are strongly recommending to their passengers to travel with a valid passport, one that is valid for at least 6 months beyond completion of travel.

According to the U.S. State Department, travelers by air will be required to present a passport book to enter or re-enter the United States. Sea travelers may also use the passport booklet or the passport card and now the continued option of birth certificate and photo ID. Qualifying cruise passengers opting to take advantage of this leniency will be required to show proof of citizenship such as a original or certified copy of a birth certificate and a government issued photo ID i.e. driver’s license. Children under the age of 16 will also be required to show a birth certificate as proof of citizenship.

For children under the age of 16, applying for a passport booklet can only be done in person and costs $60, compared to a passport card for $10. There is also a $25 execution fee that is payable to the location where passport documents are being submitted.

In addition, both birth parents need to complete a consent form. This ensures that either the mother or father is aware that their child will be able to travel out of the United States. Visit the State Department’s Web site for specific details about passports for children.

When just one of the birth parents is traveling with the child on a cruise or when the child is traveling without his/her parents, a notarized consent letter is required for cruises as well and is always good to have on hand for the grandparents or other adults responsible for the child.

Another difference for children obtaining a passport is that they are valid for five years for children under the age of 16, compared to 10 years for those 16 and older.
Many community postal locations offer passport fairs, complete with a photographer on site to capture your little one, and they are available for multiple attempts as the photo has to meet very specific criteria. When obtaining a passport for our then one-year-old, it took three attempts to get a photo that was approved.

All air travel and cruises that begin and end in different U.S. ports or foreign ports will still require a valid passport or other recognized WHTI compliant document.

Lynn Torrent, senior VP of sales and guest services with Carnival Cruise Lines says, “We’d like to take this opportunity to remind all our guests that proof of citizenship is required in order to travel and failure to present a valid document at check in will result in denied boarding and no refund will be issued.”

Future travelers struggling with the dilemma of “do I or don’t I need a passport?” will be better served by visiting the U.S. State Department WHTI requirements Web site. This site offers explanations of terms and requirements as well as tips for living abroad and overseas Citizen’s services. Applications for passport booklets and passport cards are available for printing as well as locations to apply in person and the frequently asked questions section offers a broad spectrum of answers to possible issues.

When planning for the dreaded “what if” scenario, even travel insurance may not protect a traveler when trying to re-enter the U.S. from a foreign port if they need to return to the U.S. due to an emergency.

Bill Thomas, CEO of Tropical Latitudes Travel, explains “Since the passport card is not valid for air travel, the continued leniency policy for closed-loop cruises does present some concerns for travelers without a valid passport. Should an emergency arise and cruisers need to disembark in a foreign port and fly back to the U.S., they might face delays in admittance back to the U.S..”

The best protection for the entire family? “Have a valid passport,” Thomas states.

In 2007, 18.4 million U.S. passports were issued, according to U.S. State Department spokesperson Adriana Gallegos. From 2008 through 2009, 7.1 million have been issued. “The demand has been lower than expected,” Gallegos says. “We attribute this to a delay in the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative and the current economic conditions.”

Photo Courtesy of the U.S. State Deparment

The Flying Debate: Kids Allowed?

As a freelance travel writer and owner of travel pr firm FSR Ventures, I monitor media inquiries carefully, especially those dealing with family travel. So, when MSNBC travel columnist Christopher Elliott recently posed the questions, “should kids be banned from airplanes” and “should kids be allowed to fly in first class”, I felt compelled (understatement) to provide my commentary.

Elliott did respond to my response to him, which is more than many journalists do and I do appreciate that he is a parent; however, I do believe he approached this article with biasness based on the pure article topic.

You can see my comments to this journalist by reviewing the article below. I am not saying that my viewpoint is the correct one, but I do strongly believe that we cannot discriminate against our children especially considering that I’ve experienced more rude adults on flights than kids. Let’s not forget that 9-11 happened as a result of “adults”, not kids.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30745204

Based on Elliott’s personal travel experience where his child embarrassed him in first class, that episode could have occurred in coach just as easily. Is he trying to say that those who paid less or opted to not use frequent flyer miles for an upgrade should have to endure a child who is misbehaving or more so, a parent who was not prepared to keep their child occupied and entertained? I am not saying that kids do not act up. In fact, our toddler had one of those incidents, but we took control and remedied the situation.

To suggest that because a child cries on a plane should be banned from flying or should not be allowed to sit in a seat their parents purchased is insane. Can I call for the same ban on rude adults or terrorists?

What do you think? Please post your comments regardless of how you feel.

Tropical Family Travel During Hurricane Season

Today, June 1, 2009 launches the official start of Hurricane Season. While the 2009 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Forecast predicts nine to 14 named storms (which is a less active season compared to 2008’s predictions), it only takes one to cause catastrophic damage. NOAA forecasts four to seven hurricanes, and one to three category 3+ hurricanes for this year’s hurricane season which goes through November 30.

“Tropical systems acquire a name – the first for 2009 will be Ana – upon reaching tropical storm strength with sustained winds of at least 39 mph,” according to the NOAA Web site. “Tropical storms become hurricanes when winds reach 74 mph, and become major hurricanes when winds increase to 111 mph. An average season has 11 named storms, including six hurricanes with two becoming major hurricanes.”

A thought of a hurricane might put off some families from traveling to hurricane prone destinations, such as Florida or the Caribbean, but there are proactive steps travelers can take to ensure smooth sailing throughout hurricane season.

Author of Smooth Landings and owner of MacNair Travel Management Michael MacNair says "Whether you are taking a cruise or visiting an all-inclusive resort in the Caribbean during hurricane season, a traveler's two best defenses are to purchase travel insurance and to align with a travel partner."

There are numerous “fine print” items when a storm has been named, a hurricane is eminent or after an island or resort has been hit. Not to mention, for those living in hurricane areas, certain travel insurance items will allow for travelers to return home even if they are vacationing in a non-hurricane area.

Following are seven recommended travel strategies MacNair recommends to help prepare for the onset of hurricane season:

1. Use a travel agent.
Purchasing vacation packages through a travel agency will give travelers the peace of mind in knowing that travel professionals are their advocates and ready to help them through difficult travel scenarios. If a vacation is booked online, a vacationer may find they are on their own and it may be difficult to get through to one of their representatives.
2. Purchase travel insurance.
Be sure to read the hurricane clauses of travel insurance policies or ask the travel agent for guidance. Depending on policy purchased, a pre-planned trip can be completely altered and rescheduled with no penalties. Travel insurance can also protect the traveler who lives in a hurricane zone and needs to return to their home after a hurricane hit area.
3. Do not make assumptions.
Just because a storm or hurricane is spinning or went through the destination a consumer is traveling to, do not assume flights are cancelled or that a resort sustained damage. Always check with travel professional to check on status.
4. Be one step ahead.
Always call the airport early to check on the status of your flights. Many airlines allow online check-in up to 24-hours prior to departure. Check the weather at your destination a few days before your trip. Knowing in advance what the expected weather pattern is going to be will help a vacationer to prepare and take necessary steps prior to their trip.
5. Sailing around the storm.
If taking a cruise vacation, there is a good chance that a vacation will not be ruined by a hurricane. The cruise industry has state-of-the-art technology on all of their ships and they can alter their itineraries to avoid oncoming hurricanes. Be flexible when cruising during hurricane season and if the route is altered, look at is as a travel adventure.
6. Charged technology gadgets.
Accessing the Internet on wireless devices, gives travelers up-to-the-minute storm tracking information. Be sure to carry a fully charged cell phone and have the travel agent's number and after-hours emergency assistance number in hand in case alternate travel arrangements need to be made. Even while waiting in line at the airport, traveler should call the travel agent as they might be able to resolve the issue before reaching counter.
7. Take an extra day.
Particularly when cruising out of southern ports such as Ft. Lauderdale, Tampa, Miami and San Juan, consider spending a pre-night prior to cruise in the departure city. This has multiple benefits including a day to unwind and get into vacation mode and gives a cushion in case of delayed flights due to inclement weather.

Tropical Family Travel editors have traveled in the midst of several named storms and even weathered Hurricane Ivan during a cruise. The above steps are helpful to feel prepared for a weather situation that is only somewhat predictable at best. Purchasing travel insurance with a vacation package is one of the best investments families can make allowing the most flexible options if faced with making any changes. Be open to changing your itinerary if faced with a hurricane situation.

Bill Thomas, owner of Tropical Latitudes Travel, explains that for a honeymoon couple planning their dream trip at a Sandals Resort in Negril, Jamaica, they had to quickly change their getaway to Puerta Vallarta, Mexcio (far outside of the hurricane’s path that wrecked havoc on Jamaica).

“Since the couple thought ahead and purchased the travel insurance Tropical Latitudes Travel recommended, we were able to quickly change their honeymoon location as soon as the hurricane’s path was eminent,” he says. “Cruises are the other most flexible vacation packages during hurricane season as the ships often change their path to stay outside of the storm’s bans. While you may not visit one of the islands originally scheduled, be open to the adventure as you might discover something unexpected and new.”

Photo Credits: NOAA