Travel Insurance Stops Winter Whiteouts From Wiping Out Your Cruise Vacation

It's that time of year again and Cruise Diva is sure to receive an email or two soon from cruise travelers who missed their winter sailing and are irate that either the cruise ship didn't wait for them and/or the cruise line won't issue them a refund for not getting to the embarkation port on time due to foul weather. Old Man Winter is up to his old tricks once again this week, closing airports, shutting down airlines, and leaving thousands of travelers stranded in his wake. However, as he wreaks his frosty havoc, remember that travel insurance protection can melt even the most chilling winter storms.

Jim Grace, President and CEO of InsureMyTrip.com, advises, "Travel insurance provides undeniable peace of mind protection, but even more importantly, it also provides consumers very real personal and financial protection if things go wrong. "During the stormy winter months when travel delays, trip interruptions, and cancellations become more of a rule than an exception, it's most important for travelers to plan ahead and prepare for the worst by purchasing travel insurance for the best possible outcome."

Trip cancellation and interruption protection is based on the occurrence of unforeseen events so once a storm has been publicly identified, it can only spell trouble for travelers without insurance protection. You need to purchase travel insurance coverage before a storm is predicted and named, not when it's bearing down on you or your intended destination. Coverage for weather-related trip cancellations and interruptions differs by insurance company and plan, and there are many products and options to choose from:

Package Policies: Trip Cancellation Package Policies offer the broadest protection, including coverage for trip cancellation, interruption, baggage and travel delay, as well as medical and emergency evacuation. To receive the most benefit from the travel insurance policy including financial default and terrorism protection as well as coverage for pre-existing medical conditions, the majority of the policies require that you purchase your policy within 10 to 30 days of your first trip payment.

Travel Delay: A delayed flight can strand a person for hours or even cause them to miss a connecting flight to a vacation cruise. These events occur often and can wreak havoc on your itinerary not to mention your wallet for hotel accommodations, meals, and transportation caused by weather-related delays and cancellations. In the event of a travel delay lasting 5-12 hours (varies by company and plan), travel delay coverage can provide from $150 to $250 a day up to $1,500 maximum (varies by company and plan) for covered expenses you may incur while stuck in limbo.

Missed Connection: In the event you miss the boat, this benefit covers missed cruise departures resulting from a 3+ hour cancellation or delay of all regularly scheduled airline flights due to inclement weather or any common carrier-caused delay. Maximum benefits up to the covered amount are provided to cover the additional costs of transporting you to the en route cruise, reasonable accommodation and meal expenses, and nonrefundable trip payments for the unused portion of your cruise. Coverage is secondary to any compensation provided by a common carrier.

Trip Interruption: Emergencies big and small have a way of happening when you least expect them to. But the cost of cutting your trip short to take care of the problem can create a crisis of its own. Most Package Policies will reimburse your trip cost (per/person) plus 50% more to get you home quickly in the event of an emergency.

Cancel For Any Reason: This is an optional benefit that empowers travelers to cancel trips for any reason including sudden unemployment, schedule conflicts, even bad weather, up to two days prior to departure. Cancel For Any Reason policies vary by company and must be purchased within 10-21 days of your first trip payment date.

"With so many products to choose from, buying travel insurance can sometimes be overwhelming, but InsureMyTrip's Customer Care team can help you to understand and choose the right travel insurance protection for your trip." Whether you simply need one question answered or want step-by-step help in selecting a travel insurance policy, InsureMyTrip's knowledgeable force of licensed and professional Customer Care representatives can help.

Established in 2000 and headquartered in Warwick, RI with additional offices and data centers in Connecticut and Oregon, InsureMyTrip.com is the leading, consumer-oriented online travel insurance aggregator worldwide. Featuring insurance comparisons from the top industry providers, InsureMyTrip.com is a unique, one-stop resource designed to meet consumers' comprehensive travel insurance needs all in a secure environment.