Sherman's Travel

By now, you surely know all about the damage, chaos, and uncertainty created by Hurricane Sandy. This is more than a weather story, a travel story, or even a news story. It’s a massive event that has affected people in countless ways. At times like this, our thoughts are with those who have lost loved ones, seen their homes destroyed, or been forced to relocate. We certainly wish everyone the very best and hope that life can return to normal as soon as possible.

Of course, we are a travel company, so we tend to focus on that topic. As of today, nearly 20,000 flights have been cancelled because of the storm, leaving passengers stranded far from home or unable to begin their trips. Additionally, cruise ships have had to stay out at sea because of closed ports, with passengers forced to stay onboard for several extra days. With several bridges, tunnels, and highways closed, even car travel was nearly impossible.

It will take days, if not weeks, for the airlines and cruise operators to relocate all of their equipment to the necessary locations, so more cancellations, delays, and schedule changes are expected.

Have your plans been affected? Are you stuck somewhere hoping to get home before the weekend? Please share your travel stories with us in the comments.

Please be safe and patient out there!

Passengers of a transatlantic cruise from the United Kingdom to New York are suing the cruise operator for injuries that they sustained during a storm that created rough conditions on their ship. In 2006, the Athena left England for a 24-day journey to New York, New England, and Atlantic Canada. En route to North America, the ship encountered severe storms that tossed passengers violently, with one man dying after falling down a flight of stairs. Seventeen other passengers sustained injuries caused by the rough seas and are now seeking damages from the ship’s owners and operators, Classic International Cruises S.A and Arcalia Shipping Company Limited. It all leads to the logical question: Is anyone liable for these injuries? Read more

For travelers looking for great travel deals, the summer months offer lots of discounts in the Caribbean and Mexico, because summer generally means hurricanes and risky weather. But the Weather Channel has just issued its forecast for the 2012 hurricane season, and the weather looks promising for those tropical Atlantic travelers.

The experts predict 11 named storms, six hurricanes, and two major hurricanes (Category 3 or higher) for the 2012 season. The prediction is for storms in the Atlantic Ocean, not necessarily storms that make landfall. These numbers are well below the averages for 1995-2011, which had, on average, 15 named storms, eight hurricanes, and four major hurricanes. However, it should be noted that these are just predictions: in 1992 only six named storms were predicted, one of which was Hurricane Andrew, one of the most devastating hurricanes in recent history.

Be sure to check out our Top 10 Travel Emergency Tips for advice on how to handle hurricanes and other disasters.

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