Catch with Florida beach 'guarantees'

Many travelers are wondering if they should scrap their Florida Gulf Coast vacation plans this summer.

Travel insurance won't cover oil spill cancellations in most cases, because the spill is now a known hazard, or in medical terms, a "pre-existing condition."

So, some hotels are now offering their own guarantees. But as we found out, those clean beach "guarantees" come with a catch.

Hotels trying to lure travelers

Vacationers love Florida's Gulf Coast. But news reports of approaching oil and tarballs have many people rethinking vacation plans.

Some are calling the American Automobile Association (AAA) for advice, but Elaine Zienner of Cinicinnati's AAA says "I think one of the most frustrating things about the oil spill is that the information and details change daily."

Zienner says the good news is that many resorts will now let you cancel if the oil closes their beaches.

She said, "they're offering a "book with confidence" deal, where if you book with us and our beaches are affected by oil in any way, your first night is free or you can leave and get a refund."

The Sandestin Result has just begun a "24 hour cancelation policy" for oil. Sterling Resorts in Destin now guarantees a clean beach or your money back.

Some hotels now have live webcams showing off their clean beaches.

But there's a catch with many of these guarantees.  In most cases, the beach must be officially closed.  Tarballs or a light sheen in the water are not enough for a refund, as long as the beaches are open.

What should you do?

As of June 10, no Florida beaches were closed and the Destin area is reassuring visitors that its beaches are white, and water is clear. So travelers with plans should still feel good about visiting at this point.

But if you're nervous about booking  a trip to the Panhandle later this summer, AAA suggests:

• Daytona
• Jacksonville
• Hilton Head
• Myrtle Beach, and
• Virginia Beach.

But hurry, rooms on those beaches are going fast, and there is no guarantee they won't be affected by the spill if the oil hits the loop and Gulf Stream.

So you may want to continue with existing Gulf plans at this point, and support the economies in the region.

As always, don't waste your money!

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