In the middle of your cruise or tour, when totally unexpectedly, you’re like a shipwrecked Robinson Crusoe. What can you do about it?

It happens more frequently than your travel agent likes to admit. Just recently a Russian tour company suddenly went bankrupt. It left thousands of tourists stranded in various parts of the world. Similar incidents can also happen when cash-troubled small airlines and cruise companies are forced to halt their services abruptly, leaving travelers to find their own way home.

While planning your next trip, whether you’ll go alone or with a group, check all insurance coverages carefully. Be sure they include trip cancellation, so at least you can get help and refunds to compensate for your loss. Also, if all else fails, be sure to always have enough money in your bank or credit card account. You may need it quickly to cover necessary personal payment for flights and other expenses to get home.

As soon as you know you’re stranded, act promptly to secure air or other necessary travel. If, as it happened to the Russians, your tour company abandons thousands of people at the same time, bookings will be difficult. Unfortunately, many other stranded people may suddenly be competing with you to get limited seats on the quickest and best flights home.

Examples of how to deal with the problem:  www.consumereurope.dk/Travel/When-you-travel/Package-tours/If-the-tour-operator-goes-bankrupt ...also...
www.yahoo.com/travel/travel-company-shut-down-leaves-tourists-stranded-93995147907.html