Oil spill!
 

We are scheduled to vacation in the Tampa Bay are on June 17th. We need to cancel 30 days prior for a full refund. We are afraid that the oil spill will hit the Tampa Bay area beaches, we don't know what to do? Any suggestions???

I think Tampa Bay is safe for now. If BP doesn't get the gusher in check by June then there will be a lot more problems.

Personally, I'd wait until the last day (May 17th) and see where the spill is. They predicted that Destin would already have oil by now but it hasn't yet.

BkluvsNola, will you report periodically to keep us abreast of the oil situation in Destin? We, too, have reservations in the area (Seagrove Beach) and are waiting until the last minute. Thank you very much.

If you go to the noaa.gov website and click on the response/restoration link they have the latest info on where they predict the oil will be, but it only extends a day out. They also have 2 maps. One shows the history of the spill re: locations of the slick. The other has the one day prediction for where it's going.

The problem with predicting where it will be, and when, is that as the winds, currents, tides change, so does the slick. Three days ago it was closer to us (Pensacola Beach) than it is now. As bkluvsNola said, it was supposed to be ashore here by now. Tonight they said it will be at least another 72 hours.

Until they manage to stop the flow, it's impossible to know how far it's going to go. It may never get to Tampa, Seagrove, or here. There are some experts who hold that view. Others say (Tampa excluded) that it will definitely hit us. It's just a matter of when.

The BP people and a whole lot of other "experts" held a meeting at a church out here on the beach yesterday (you can find out more about that at PNJ.com) and the most common response was "I don't know." "We don't know." "They don't know." And while we all realize that they don't know "everything," we thought they should at least know "something."

Everyone I talk to says this uncertainty of when we'll get hit and how bad it will be is more stressful than any hurricane we've had coming at us.

I wish I could give those of you need to decide whether or not to cancel your plans more guidance, but I can't. I guess it kind of like buying stocks - what level of risk are you comfortable with?

Wherever you end up vacationing, I hope you have a great time.

Thanks Floridafran,
We would hate to change our plans and I think this oil spill is so horrible, it's a catastrophe! We will wait till the last day before cancelling, hoping and praying that it does the least amount of damages for everyone. It must be so horrible not knowng if this will hit your precious beaches, jus horrible. Thanks so much for the links, I will definitely be watching closely.

I just returned from the Plaza Beach Resorts on St Pete Beach. The beaches are beautiful and there is NO oil on the Beach. The Plaza Beach Resorts are so confident that the oil will not wash up on their beach, that they will give you a free stay if it does. Go to their website www.plazabeach.com and see the live beach cam and see the "No Oil" guarentee.

Tarballs have started washing up in Gulf Shores, AL. They still haven't reached Florida yet.

Florida has remain untouched from the oil spill. In fact, I have a vacation to Destin coming up in another week. I've been checking out my vacation rental company's website and they've been posting daily videos of the beach. They even told me I'd get a full refund if the beaches were closed due to the oil spill. Check them out. www.SouthernResorts.com

randymiller10 and Jaxonleaf,

Welcome to Fodor's. So please tell me about your interest in travel as I see you are new to Fodor's. Please note that soliciting or advertising is strictly forbidden here. I hope I'm wrong about you and you'll share your love of travel like all of us here, but I suspect you posted your advertising for other reasons and technically I could report you.

Please prove me otherwise by posting about all the places you love to travel to and all the trips you've taken.

No reply?

there is a complete video index of the oil spill on Frequency, updated hourly or more:

http://www.frequency.com/video/dispersants/76946

bkluvsnola, I really don't mean this in a sarcastic way, but I've seen some of your other posts (and you accused me of being a hotel vendor). So I'm wondering if you work for Fodor's? That would explain your comments & constant policing.