Being a proper and competent independent diver (I believe there's even an ISO standard for that, doesn't PADI OWD claim to fulfill that standard?) improves the odds even more. Without the need to be hand-held or babysat.
That is consistent with my philosophy as well. I have seen virtually every procedure and piece of equipment fail over decades of recreational and commercial diving. As a result, I tend to think in terms of self-rescue whenever possible.
I doubt that I will do any more liveaboards or even tropical diving. Diving with hordes of divers is just not fun for me. That and regulations like no-decompression, staying above 100'/30M, no gloves, and endless other limitations designed for the lowest common denominator is also part of it. Looking back, the most enjoyable diving I have ever done was virtually solo on the California central coast. Diveable conditions are far less predictable than in the tropics but it meets those hard-to-define needs deep in me.