The COVID-19 situation has affected the entire world – and that definitely includes travelers. With borders closed down and stay-at-home orders in place, many would-be vacationers have had to cancel or postpone their vacations.
Here’s what to do if your Belize vacation has been affected by the coronavirus shutdowns.
Rebooking Belize Accommodation and Tours
Accommodations are the first thing you’ll want to rebook. There’s no point changing your flights if your hotel doesn’t have availability on your new dates. Contact your Belize hotel directly to ask about their COVID-19 rebooking policy.
Ideally, you’ll be able to move your booking to a new date without penalty, and at the same rates that you were originally charged. If you’ve booked through a third party site, know that it may be harder to make changes or receive a refund.
However, if you do end up losing an accommodation deposit, try to find a silver lining: due to low demand, you may just be able to nab more luxurious accommodations at a more competitive price!
Tours are generally easier to rebook than accommodations but be aware that some smaller tour companies may be slower to respond due to high customer service demands.
Rebooking Flights and Transport
Flights are often easier to rebook than accommodations. At the moment, most airlines are offering free cancellations or rebookings – and so are most third-party providers – so take advantage of these while you can. (As a bonus, our local airline Tropic Air is offering free changes to any 2020 reservations for up to two years!)
If your planned vacation is still months away, you can probably let your reservation stand, and make changes closer to the date. If your trip is coming up, you may wish to cancel, push out your booking, or get in touch with your airline to see what your options are. Don’t forget to check that your rebooking covers all connecting flights, as well as ground connections.
Updating Travel Insurance
When rebooking your vacation, you’ll also need to adjust your travel dates with your insurance provider. Be aware that your costs might be slightly higher due to the global spread of the coronavirus, and many travel insurance policies no longer offer coverage for changes, cancellations, or other impacts from COVID-19.
Sirenian Bay is Here for You
Sirenian Bay is committed to offering our very best to guests across every part of your stay. We’ve adjusted our rebooking and cancellation policies reflect this policy.
Any of our guests needing to rebook rooms, tours, or packages due to COVID-19 are welcome to do so within 12 months – and always at the same rate as the original booking. We’ll simply shift any deposits already paid towards your future stay, with any balance charged on the scheduled based upon your new check-in date. And if that just won’t work, we can provide – and have done so – refunds for guests who have had to cancel altogether due to COVID-19 concerns.
If you’re an existing guest and have questions or concerns about your booking, please get in touch. The team at Sirenian Bay will do everything we can to ensure that your experience is a positive one.