Do Pirates Attack Cruise Ships?


Edith Laird, who lives in Seattle, traveled on a boat with her daughter and friends. She told BBC Television in an email that her daughter saw pirates outside the window. Astor was rescued, and perhaps many passengers did not even notice the incident.

Only two days later, on November 30, 2008, another cruise ship was attacked. Two pirate ships hidden in fishing boats attacked Oceania Cruise Line. The ship managed to avoid the attack. After the crew was released, the pirates tried to escape, but 6 of them were captured and taken to France, where they were brought to justice. The ship is still in service. 2008 was one of the most dangerous years for cruise ships.

Pirates attack cruise ships occasionally. However, the last attack occurred over a decade ago. In general, naval piracy is an antiquated practice, because many nations lack formidable navies, and many cruise ships are too well-protected for disorganized pirates to assail.

On November 28, 2008, on the way from Sharm el-Sheikh to Dubai, pirates were preparing to attack a fairly large cruise ship. Fortunately for Astor, there was a German frigate in this sea area. After a while, the attack ended, and the ship continued to head to Australia without any injuries. The ship is still in service under the name of another famous pirate attack on the cruise ship on the night of April 25, 2009.

However, these recent maneuvers failed to prevent three alleged Somali pirates from boarding and hijacking the vessel. The security team engaged the pirates, forcing the boats to halt their attack. In 2005, Somali pirates fired AK-47 assault rifles and rocket-propelled grenades at the luxury cruise ship Seabourn Spirit in an unsuccessful hijacking attempt. Petersen noted that the MV Seabourn Spirit was attacked in 2005, but the ship passed the pirates, who were unable to get close enough to board.

He explained that cruise ships are larger and faster than the boats used by pirates and that cargo ships have low freeboards, making it easier for pirates to board. In addition, the cruise ship’s crew is trained in preventive safety measures, so while Jasinskis’s story has certainly garnered a lot of attention, this does not mean that his ship is under an impending threat. However, cruise ships have rigorous anti-piracy procedures in place, especially in areas known to be highly attacked.

Where Pirate Attacks Happen

Most attacks take place within 100 miles of the coast, as many cruise ship pirates operate small boats and the United Nations begins to secure shipping routes in areas most vulnerable to attacks. Other areas with high risk of piracy.

Other cruise areas affected by the attacks include the West African coast of Nigeria, off the coast of Haiti, along the northern coast of South America and along narrow shipping routes in Indonesia. Somali Cruise Ship Pirates One of the most recent pirate attacks occurred in November 2005 on the Seabourn sailing off the coast of Somalia in East Africa.

Shipowners said pirates fired grenade launchers and machine guns at a luxury cruise ship off the east coast of Africa on Saturday. Piracy is common off the coast of Somalia, with several ships per month being attacked or hijacked, while valuables are stolen and the crews held hostage. However, Somali pirates can still attack in the Somali Basin and in the Indian Ocean.

Assessing the likelihood of pirate attacks

Although 162 ships were attacked by pirates in 2019, the number of ships attacked in 2020 has risen to 195… The number of ships attacked by pirates worldwide from 2010 to 2020. Pirates most frequently attack bulk carriers. Tankers were attacked by pirates 43 times and container ships were attacked 27 times.

Modern pirates usually attack merchant ships, but they are also known for attacking private yachts and cruise ships, stealing the personal belongings of crew and passengers instead of attacking the cargo of the ship. It is worth noting that previous ships from Royal Caribbean International, Azamara Club Cruises and many other cruise companies have recently passed the Gulf of Aden smoothly.

There is no reason to worry about action, but in the unlikely event that we encounter pirates, I will make an announcement and ask you to move away from the ships. Ships must have a security plan for a pirate attack. In addition to our regular continuing security training, additional piracy training is provided before one of our ships enters the regions of interest.

Based on what we have learned, it is clear that our ship is very different from the ships that pirates attack. In addition to being faster and more maneuverable, we also have more security personnel than the target ships.

How Cruise Ships Respond to Piracy

Cruise ship security personnel are, in most cases, essentially the first reagents, ensuring the continued safety of all passengers until they deliver the case to law enforcement at the port. This is not the first time such precautions have been taken aboard this ship. According to a blog post posted by Laura, a passenger currently on board, the crew guided their guests through a “safe haven exercise” designed to deal with the unlikely event that pirates would manage to board a mega-ship.

The vessel is currently on a 99-day cruise around the world and is chartered by one of Japan’s largest travel companies. It is unlikely that pirates will be able to board some of the larger cruise ships such as the Spectrum due to the height of the Promenade decks, but smaller cruise ships have been attacked in the past. Both types of attacks are unlikely on most cruise vacations, but there are a few simple precautions that passengers can take to further mitigate the risks.

Piracy occurs when the motive is purely for profit; pirates attempt to board ships with the intent to rob them or hold the crew or passengers hostage for ransom. We no longer mean a pirate like Jack Sparrow, but obviously we mean Somali pirates operating in the Gulf of Aden. From November 19th to 21st, we will be touring the area where this pirate activity took place.

Based on the email I received from a friend of mine, I think it’s good to know that commercial cruise lines seem to be very prepared for the pirate opportunity. While the very possibility of a pirate attack on a cruise ship makes us cringe, they are still much more likely to focus on the more lucrative cargo industry, as in the past.

While there are no book laws that would force shipping companies to comply, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) offers tactics, techniques, and technologies that offer compelling proposals for avoiding pirate attacks. The organization monitors pirate attacks around the world, and nearly all of them involve merchant ships and oil tankers.

Conclusion

Compared to the sheer number of cruise and commercial ships moving into the area – and given the fact that accidents involving cargo ships and oil tankers are clearly more common – these six accidents don’t make as much noise. First, they are faster than the small boats used by pirates and can easily escape even determined attackers. The weapons they wield have always made pirates so intimidating, and this is especially true today, when modern pirates use everything from night vision goggles to rocket launchers to loot ships.

Nicholas Finn

I've been the captain of a fishing boat for over 20 years, and I created Pirateering to share my knowledge of and interest in seafaring.

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