Cruise passengers receive ominous warning as luxury ship crosses into pirate-prone waters
Passengers on Cunard’s Queen Anne received an ominous warning as the luxury cruiser crossed into pirate-prone waters on its maiden voyage during a 111-night voyage this week
Passengers on Cunard’s Queen Anne received an ominous warning as the luxury cruiser crossed into pirate-prone waters on its maiden voyage. The ocean liner was navigating treacherous waters in South East Asia during its 111-night voyage this week.
The International Centre for Counter-Terrorism says the waters surrounding Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines is a “hotbed for crime, piracy, and terrorism”. Captain Inger Klein announced: “This area is known for piracy threats.”
The last known abduction was reported in 2020. The unexpected and nervewracking announcement alerted travellers that heightened security measures were being implemented as the vessel crossed into the Sulu and Celebes seas, TikTok footage shows.
The 1,060ft-long vessel sailed into waters with a long history of piracy and maritime crime. Tickets for a trip on Cunard’s premiere voyage started at £12,677, Cruise Critic said.
A loudspeaker told passengers to turn off all their cabin lights, shut their curtains and stateroom doors. They also said to avoid open decks or external windows as the ship crossed the Pacific Ocean to the Philippines.
The March 13 video has amassed nearly 9million views and over 500,000 likes.
Captain Klein said: “We will be operating at a heightened level of security alertness during this period.
“The external promenade deck will be closed on both sides from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. overnight between the night of 14th and 15th of March.
“And guests will be allowed access during these times for the duration of the transit.” The ship’s external lighting was dimmed to help the cruiser travel safely overnight.
Pressurised fire houses on the promenade were there to thwart potential attackers. “I would like to emphasise that the safety and security of the ship, all guests and crew onboard is my highest priority,” the captain added, according to the video.
“I assure you that measures to prevent any unlikely incident have been well planned and the likelihood of this happening on a big ship like Queen Anne is absolutely minimal.”
The ship can hold more than 3,350 passengers, and it set sail on its 111-night voyage from Hamburg, Germany on January 7, stopping in England, New York, Mexico, New Zealand, Hawaii, China and Australia, alongside others.
A later video revealed curious cruisers using binoculars to look out across the sea before they arrived in the Philippines’ capital Manila on Sunday. Many social media users have expressed concern for the cruiser’s safety.
A TikTok user said: “You could not sell this kind of holiday to me just doesn’t sound fun at all". But a Facebook user said: “I assure you that measures to prevent any unlikely incident have been well planned and the likelihood of this happening on a big ship like Queen Anne is absolutely minimal.”
A spokesperson for the ocean liner said there was no threat to the ship or its guests.
They told Business Insider: “As part of standard maritime procedures, our Captains may make precautionary announcements when sailing through certain regions. There was no specific threat to the ship or its guests, and our onboard experience remained uninterrupted.”
The cruiser will return to Hamburg on April 29 following stops in Vietnam, South Africa, Singapore, Malaysia and England.
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