If the Christmas blizzard put the kibosh on your holiday vacation plans, there are still ways to to salvage your trip and protect your wallet. NY1's Valarie D'Elia filed the following report.

With the blizzard hitting during the busy holiday season, many travelers had their vacations disrupted and their patience tested. But airlines have relaxed their cancelation policies and other sectors of the travel industry are following suit.

For many of those stranded at the airport by the holiday blizzard, the angst does not stop there. Many passengers heading on long-awaited vacations found them cut short or involuntarily canceled because their flights did not deliver them to where they hoped to be.

Although there is no blanket rule, hotels and resorts are proving to be the most lenient, letting would-be guests off the hook. For instance, the all-inclusive Breezes Resorts chain is allowing clients to rebook with no fees, while late arrivals will not be charged a penalty either, if in each case they take their postponed trip within seven days of the original arrival date.

Hawks Cay in the Florida Keys is refunding all deposits, with the hopes beleaguered travelers will return in the new year.

Tour operators are also making goodwill gestures, as the U.S. Tour Operators Association says much of its membership is relaxing policies, issuing flat-out refunds or rebooking clients without a fee.

It will not be smooth sailing for passengers who missed their booked cruises, unless the cruise line booked the canceled air flight. When that happens, for instance, on Carnival cruises, passengers will be provided a future cruise credit, while those who booked air themselves are out of luck.

Royal Caribbean will help passengers catch up to the ship at their own expense at the next port of call.

Back on land, travelers whose car rentals are buried under snow on New York city streets should be sure to notify the car rental agency, so they are not charged for the extra days.

The long-term parking lot at John F. Kennedy International Airport is also adjusting the bill, if the receipt says the car was parked when the blizzard hit and could not be moved out.

For future protection from weather-related delays and cancelations, buy travel insurance and use a travel agent who can do the legwork to get a vacation back on track. The fees they charge to book a trip could be a small price to pay for sanity.