Travel Disasters

My news feed had a few examples of travel disasters that people should be aware of/prepared for...

• In this article, a couple on a cruise was off-loaded from their cruise ship in Mexico and left to make their way home while the wife was ill.  There are several take-aways from this incident including the need for travel/medical evacuation insurance, the fact that no one in serious medical distress should want to remain at the mercy of a ship's doctor (not that some aren't good medical practitioners but the on-board clinics are very limited and so is the doctor's scope of practice), and ships don't want the responsibility/liability of keeping an ill passenger on board so it behooves travelers to plan ahead for this sort of worst-case scenario.
• 183 passengers were stuck on an Amtrak train in the snow for 36 hours.  None of that sounds appealing but fortunately the train had electricity and food so passengers were mostly subjected to boredom on this trip.  In the case of travel planning, bringing snacks, entertainment options, and maybe a down blanket would have been a good idea.
• The past week has had several stories of stranded travelers due to snow and ice storms around the country.  Most of these travelers were stranded in their vehicles as highways closed and people were either left to their own devices in their cars or allowed to shelter in neighboring communities.  Again, no matter where you are or how you travel, you need to be prepared for whatever sort of disaster you find yourself in.  Water, food, shelter, clothing, entertainment, etc. are all each person's responsibility.