Operators have breathed a sigh of relief after Hurricane Dean failed to cause major damage to resorts despite being the third-most powerful storm to have made landfall since records began.
The category five storm, with winds of up to 170mph, passed south of tourist areas in Jamaica and Mexico between last weekend and Wednesday, but left them largely unscathed.
A Thomson spokeswoman said none of its 1,044 customers was evacuated from Jamaica, although in Mexico the operator flew about 1,300 clients home on Sunday, with the remaining 1,600 staying in the country.
A First Choice spokeswoman said about 520 clients in Jamaica remained in their hotels during the storm, while in Mexico the figure was about 2,500. Sixteen were moved to shelters.
She added: “Evacuation was not deemed necessary. It could have been far worse.”
A Thomas Cook spokeswoman added that no evacuation flights were needed for its 3,000 clients in the region, although flights to both destinations on Sunday and Monday were cancelled or delayed.
She added: “It wasn’t as bad as it could have been.”
Cruise operator Royal Caribbean International continued to monitor Hurricane Dean, which had been downgraded to category two at the time of going to press, after having to alter the itineraries Enchantment of the Seas and Rhapsody of the Seas.