Cancellation due to Hurricane Warning: if your destination is under a NOAA-issued hurricane warning some plans recognize this as a covered reason for canceling the trip.

Destination made Uninhabitable: limited to just a few plans prior to 2005, this benefit which allows trip cancellation if your hotel, resort, or vacation rental is devastated by a storm, is a standard for most companies today.

Primary Residence made Uninhabitable: the wrath of Katrina reminded us it’s not just about being able to get where you’re going but also whether or not you’re able to leave if your own home sustains destructive damage.

Cancel For Any Reason: an optional benefit that supports ‘traveler’s choice’ allows you to decide whether or not to cancel your trip. 

InsureMyTrip Hurricane Information Center:  Since 2006 InsureMyTrip has posted important information about hurricane coverage including how it works and when to buy it. Visit InsureMyTrip.com for up-to-date information and expert assistance.

To learn more about the protection plans that best suit your travel needs, visit www.insuremytrip.com online or call (800) 487-4722 to speak with a licensed travel insurance professional. Whether you simply need one question answered or want step-by-step assistance selecting a travel insurance policy, InsureMyTrip’s expert Customer Care representatives are available to help seven days a week, 365 days a year.

For all the latest in travel insurance information, connect with us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter (@insuremytrip).

Travel insurance covers many things that are not covered by credit cards, homeowner policies, and healthcare plans.  Here are ten clear-cut reasons consumers can’t afford not to have travel insurance protection:

(10) Lost, Stolen, Damaged or Delayed Baggage:  current data estimates that 30 million bags are mishandled each year as a result of airport congestion, reduced flight availability, and mounting baggage volumes.

(9) Travel Delays/Missed Connections: 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.

(8) 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. 

(7) Non-Traveling Family Members:  if a loved one needs your care and attention, this can also cause you to cancel your trip; another important reason to have travel insurance.

(6) Illness or Injury: getting sick or injured before you leave can cause you to abandon your trip plans. Getting sick after you’ve left, or if you’re traveling abroad, can really hurt too. Some national healthcare programs provide limited, or in certain cases, no coverage at all once you travel outside the U.S. 

(5) Pre-existing Medical Conditions: if you, a traveling companion, family member, or business partner have a pre-existing medical condition (injury, disease or illness), trip insurance is a must. But plan ahead as the majority of travel insurance policies require that you purchase your policy within 7 to 21 days of your initial trip deposit to be eligible for pre-existing medical conditions coverage, as well as financial default protection, and terrorism. 

(4) Medical Evacuation: finding yourself hospitalized in a foreign country may raise a host of concerns as well as fees if you require transport to a more appropriate medical facility or one of your own choosing. 

(3) Trip Cost Protection:  $5,000 seemed a small price to pay for a fun-filled family vacation until you had to cancel the trip.  Travel insurance protects your investment. 

(2) Hurricanes & Severe Weather:  Mother Nature can be a powerful force to reckon with especially if you are traveling to earthquake, hurricane, or flood prone areas. Travel insurance coverage for weather-related trip cancellations and interruptions is a calming force against the storm.

(1) Unforeseen Events: as the popular adage Murphy’s Law states: “things will go wrong in any given situation if you give them a chance”. Travel insurance helps keep Murphy at bay by protecting against the unexpected and provides significant peace of mind as well.  

Trip cancellation and interruption protection, the most popular form of insurance coverage, is based on the occurrence of unforeseen events. 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.

The key is to plan ahead. Will you be traveling through or to a hurricane-prone region? Do you live in a hurricane zone where weather could prevent you from taking a trip to somewhere else? Travel insurance provides undeniable peace of mind protection, but more importantly when it comes to tropical storms and hurricanes, it is a fundamental necessity.

Not all travel insurance policies are created equally. Coverage for weather-related trip cancellations and interruptions differs by insurance company and plan. The covered cancellation reasons can include:

• Cancellation due to Weather: when common carriers such as airlines and cruise lines cease service due to weather
• Cancellation due to Hurricane Warning: cancellation of your trip if your destination is under a NOAA-issued hurricane warning
• Destination made Uninhabitable: if your hotel, resort, or vacation rental is devastated by a storm
• Primary Residence made Uninhabitable: if your own home sustains destructive storm damage
• Cancel For Any Reason– an optional benefit that allows you to choose whether or not to cancel.

If you’re a water-loving kind of traveler, you may be channeling Roy Scheider right about now: “We’re gonna need a bigger boat.”  That may work for you…but might we suggest a quick refresher in travel insurance instead?

Sure, we’re probably a little biased, but we do honestly happen to think that travel insurance is a good option to explore whenever you’re traveling, particularly if there’s a heightened risk that you’ll be waylaid by something like a hurricane.  Even if you’re not greatly concerned about the weather, however, there are some special considerations you may want to be aware of before you plan an aquatic adventure.  Some activities will require you to have specialized travel insurance, or may not be covered on certain policies.  Here are a few examples that many travelers probably aren’t aware of.

Charter Boats. Cruising is one thing; spending a couple of nights on a charter boat is another.  Most people assume that a boat is a boat is a boat, but it’s not always that simple.  Coverage for charter boats varies across policies and situations, and doesn’t necessarily look the same as the coverage for a cruise.   Be sure to speak with one of our Customer Care representatives when you’re researching your travel insurance purchase, and mention the fact that you’re chartering a boat, so you can get the full details on what may or may not be covered.

Scuba Diving. If you’re planning to take a dive, it’s crucial that you understand the limitations of travel insurance products before you make your purchase.  Many package policies will either exclude scuba diving altogether — meaning that if you are injured during the dive, your travel insurance supplier will not provide you with the benefits you would have had if the injury had occurred on dry land — or will only cover your scuba diving  adventure up to a certain depth.  You also usually have to be diving with a guide master in order to be eligible for travel insurance coverage for your dive.  It’s also important to know that these stipulations are only applicable to package policies; if you are purchasing travel medical insurance, you should also inquire about whether or not you’ll need to purchase an additional Sports or Hazardous Activity Rider to extend your travel insurance benefits to your scuba diving plans.

Professional Competitions and Racing. If you’re planning to take to the water for a competition of any kind, travel insurance unfortunately won’t cover those activities.  Any water sports that you undertake professionally while you’re traveling, as well as any races you may participate in, are excluded from coverage.  You can still, of course, purchase a travel insurance policy that will extend you the typical benefits for travel delays, cancellations, baggage loss, etc., to protect the rest of your itinerary; but for the time that you’ll be spending on the water, those benefits won’t apply.

If you have questions about how big a boat, er, travel insurance policy, you might need for your next wet and wild adventure, call our Customer Care Center at 800-487-4722., or contact us at customercare@insuremytrip.com.

If you’re in a time crunch and need travel insurance quickly, here are some tips to help you make an informed, though snappy, decision:

Don’t worry about fancy benefits. While Cancel for Any Reason (CFAR) policies are extremely popular with many travelers, for good reason, they’re probably not where you want to focus your search if you’re about to depart.  CFAR is intended to help you out if you choose to cancel your trip for any reason that’s not stated as being covered on your travel insurance policy.  However, if you’re putting together a last-minute itinerary, chances are you won’t be changing your mind.  Also, since CFAR policies require you to cancel — and notify all of your travel suppliers of your decision — a minimum of two days prior to your departure, last-minute travelers may not have time on their sides.

Do keep up with the news.  If you’re planning to depart quickly, you should scan the news and weather for any events that may disrupt your trip.  It’s likely that anything you find will not be covered by your travel insurance policy; since travel insurance is only for unforeseen events, any hurricane threats, possible airline strikes, or other threats to your travel experience that are already being discussed in the media will more often than not be considered “known perils” and won’t be covered.  Obviously, if you’re determined to travel, you should still purchase a travel insurance policy to protect you against any and all other disruptions, but it’s best to enter into your travel insurance purchase having a realistic expectation about what benefits are truly available to you.

Take advantage of time-sensitive benefits.  The good news about being in a hurry is that, since you’ll be purchasing your travel insurance soon after you’ve made your first payment on the trip, you’ll probably be eligible for some very helpful benefits that aren’t offered to travelers who wait.  Items like pre-existing conditions waivers offer valuable coverage, but are only available if you buy travel insurance within 10-30 days of your initial trip payment.  That’s good news for last-minute travelers.

Use resources wisely.  While it’s our goal to make it easy for travelers to buy their travel insurance from us online, we also offer personalized Customer Care assistance 365 days a year.  If you’re stumped, it may help you come to a more timely decision if you contact our licensed experts via phone or live chat.  You might also find that our Ratings and Reviews forum is a good resource to help you narrow down your options, so you can check “travel insurance” off your to-do list and get on with your last-minute trip.