October 28, 2025, 2:02 pm | Read time: 3 minutes
In Jamaica, there are fears of a disaster due to Hurricane Melissa–other Caribbean nations are also affected. What if you’re vacationing there or planning a trip? Important tips.
A severe hurricane is raging over the Caribbean. In Jamaica, devastation is feared due to Hurricane Melissa, and hurricane warnings have also been issued for provinces in eastern Cuba and parts of the Bahamas. What travelers need to know.
Overview
What if you’re on site?
Stay informed about the situation, such as through regional news. If evacuation orders and other instructions from authorities are issued, tourists should follow them. Current information and useful links to official sites are provided by the travel advisories of the German Foreign Office. For Jamaica, for example, they currently offer links to an overview of official orders and a map of the country showing the locations of emergency shelters.
The ministry consolidates all countries in the “Safe Travel” app. However, for short-term information, regional warning apps are often faster than the Foreign Office’s offerings. Package travelers are also kept up to date by their tour operator.
If hotel evacuations, rebookings, or route adjustments are necessary due to natural disasters, tour operators organize this for package travelers free of charge–those who booked individually must arrange for alternative accommodations or return flights themselves.
If this puts you in distress, you can also contact the German embassy or consulates. The Foreign Office also offers a crisis preparedness list for Germans abroad, in which you can register.
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What about trips planned soon?
Destructive winds, storm surges, and catastrophic flooding are expected in Jamaica due to Hurricane Melissa. Those who have planned a vacation on the island in the coming weeks or months read such news with great concern. However, in such situations, the advice is always: Better not to act hastily.
Package travelers should first contact their tour operator to get information about the situation and explore options like rebooking. In cases of devastation or unforeseeable situations on site, operators usually cancel trips on their own or offer alternatives.
Canceling a trip yourself in the medium term can, however, incur high costs if you did not select flexible cancellation options when booking. Otherwise, canceling the trip is only free if it is significantly affected by extraordinary circumstances, such as major destruction around the hotel and vacation spot.
Speaking of package tours: This generally includes when at least two travel services are sold as a package. Flight package tours, which include both flights and accommodation, are the most well-known variant. According to the German Travel Association, which represents many operators and travel agencies, booking a flight together with a rental car can also count.
Those who book everything individually must contact the individual contract partners–such as the hotel and airline–in the event of natural disasters when it comes to rebookings, cancellations, or refunds. Their terms and conditions are then decisive.
A comprehensive overview of travelers’ rights in the event of natural disasters is available online at the consumer centers.
How long is hurricane season in the Atlantic?
It lasts from early June to the end of November. The tropical cyclones form over warm ocean waters–the likelihood of strong storms increases according to experts due to the rising global temperatures.
With material from dpa