FF tickets & unavoidable delay

[LindaKE]

The recent hurricanes just got me wondering since we fly to/from cruises on our FF miles. In a situation like last week when the ship stays out to sea for two extra days, will the airline make a change on your return tickets? I know that the airlines closed down this time so I presume they allowed these passengers to get home at a later date even if they were traveling on award tickets. But what if the problem were something like terrorism at a foreign port or an accident like the one a couple of years ago where a sub surfaced right into a fishing trawler? Obviously the ship would be delayed in such circumstances. Would the airline take such circumstances into consideration or would you just have to buy a one way ticket home? I'm just wondering what to expect if I ever find myself in a situation where I can't get home on my FF ticket.