Extra, Extra: Windjammer cancels sailings

Windjammer Barefoot Cruises, which has been experiencing financial difficulties and some sporadic cancellations the past few months, has reportedly cancelled its cruises for the first week of October. Calls to the reservations center and operations office have gone unanswered.

Anyone who is booked for a Windjammer cruise at this time should:

** Call your credit card issuer if you've paid for a cancelled cruise and dispute the charges.

** If you've purchased travel insurance for a cruise that's been cancelled, contact the insurer now. Note: At least one major insurer, Travelex, has just announced it will stop writing policies for Windjammer cruises.

** If you're booked on a future Windjammer cruise, call your travel agent now.

Additional note: This type of situation provides an excellent illustration of why you should not purchase your cruise insurance from the cruise line itself. If the cruise line cancels a sailing because it has financial problems, you may never get reimbursed.