Travelers stuck in Jamaica due to Hurricane Mellissa forced to pay for unwanted extended stay

Many travelers stuck in Jamaica after Hurricane Mellissa are having to pay a heavy price to extend their stays with no where else to go. The hurricane caused widespread destruction to infrastructure, including airports and other essential facilities. 

Halifax County couple Bridgette and Wayne Todd were told they will have to pay $500 a night for their room once the Montego Bay Airport is repaired. 

“They have jobs here… We shouldn’t be allowed to stay for free. But it’s definitely going to get a little expensive for the next few days,” Todd said. 

Travel agent Nita Cooper with Stars N Skye’s Travel Agency tells WRAL this is why she always encourages travelers to invest in trip insurance. 

“If they did have travel insurance, this would not be an issue,” said Cooper. “This is what it protects you from. In the event of any unforeseen circumstance, your insurance would kick in and cover whatever the additional cost would be.”

Many vacationers took to platforms like TikTok, expressing frustration at resorts charging market rates while visitors have nowhere else to go and no access to resort amenities. 

Rocky Mount resident Zabdiel Dewar, who is from Jamaica, has many family members working in the hotel industry. He tells WRAL that the last week has been devastating for the country and its citizens. He encourages tourists to empathize with hotel and resort employees. 

“You’re making minimum wage at a job, and there’s a natural disaster. And instead of being at home with your family, you have to be at that job,” said Dewar. “Put yourself in those shoes and think of how it will work for you. How easy that would be for you.”

Some Triangle travelers tell WRAL they hope to catch the first flight back to RDU, arriving no earlier than Sunday.