Anyone Have Any Good Alternate Campaign Startup Ideas?

[AcesandEights]

I did a quick search, but didn't see anything, so figured I'd toss a thread out on the subject.

I was just kicking some ideas around during my commute this morning and was interested in what some people have used, or have always wanted to use, for a good start of a campaign.

I had decided if I was going to do a "home" campaign taking place in the US, I would probably start the campaign with foreign deployed troops and expats en route home aboard a tramp or merchant marine vessel. The ship runs in to one issue or another and the PCs must get off as quickly as possible, only taking so much and securing a lifeboat to make for shore as best they can. This would allow me to have a good range of characters involved without too much pre-game maneuvering and allow me to present factions & the setting of the current state of North America to the PCs as 3rd party outsiders. Seems a nice flexible way of doing things were I inclined to run a campaign in North America (which I'm unsure about).

Any other good ideas for jump starting a campaign people care to share?