Pirates AHOY!

When I think of Pirates i fondly think of the likes of Captain Jack Sparrow or Captain Hook, harmless crooks pilfering here and there but causing nothing more than a little mischief and getting drunk on rum as the sun goes down on the horizon. That of course is not the reality when it comes to actual modern day pirates who are not only becoming sophisticated in the way they operate but pose a real danger to the well being of anyone unfortunate enough to come across them.

Recently guests enjoying their cruise onboard the Sea Princess found out just how serious the cruise lines take the threat of pirates when they were ordered to participate in a 10 day black out from dusk until dawn as the ship was effectively turned into a floating ghost ship. All curtains were to be drawn, shutters to be closed and all forms of entertainment ceased come sun down so as not to attract any unwanted attention as the liner carrying 1900 passengers travelled across the Indian Ocean, the Arabian Sea, the Gulf of Aden and the Suez Canal.

Passengers had to endure a ‘Pirate Drill’ where once the alarm was sounded they returned to their cabins to be counted and were advised to sit on the floor and hang on to hand rails in case the ship had to make a hard manoeuvre away from any approaching pirate ships.

The Captain apologised for alarming passengers but insisted that the threat to the ship was very real and that they must be prepared in the event of a pirate attack. Pretty frightening for those onboard I would imagine, not to mention a bit on the boring side having to go 10 days without any entertainment, but the safety of the ship and its passengers is of course top priority. Some passengers took this threat very seriously indeed, keeping their own eye out for pirates and calling the bridge to alert the captain of any suspect looking vessel that could be seen in the distance. Better than sitting in the dark I suppose!

The Sea Princess isn’t the only ship of course to take these measures, many cruise lines have armed guards come on board when ships must cross pirate infested waters (for want of a better word) and P&O ships have even been known to have military ships escort them until a safety zone is reached.

Have you experienced a Pirate Drill on any of your cruises and do you think these kind of precautions are necessary or a little far fetched?