Imagine being in the middle of the sea on a luxury cruise ship when the captain gives an ominous warning. You need to be cautious and quiet — you're in pirate territory.
That's exactly what happened on the Cunard Cruise Line ship. They were in the middle of their maiden voyage when the captain warned about pirates in Southeast Asia. The cruise ship implemented security measures to keep their passengers safe as they journeyed through the Sulu and Celebes seas, according to TikTok. Tickets for the voyage start at $16,379 per person.
As part of the security measures, the captain ordered passengers to turn off the lights and shut the curtains. They also told passengers to avoid all open decks as well.
"This area is known for piracy threats," Capt. Inger Klein said in her startling announcement. "Therefore 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 no guests will be allowed access during these times for the duration of the transit."
Cruise Ship Warning
They dimmed the cruise ship's external lighting as well to avoid detection.
"I would like to emphasize that the safety and security of the ship, all guests and crew onboard is my highest priority," the captain continued. "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 cruise ship video drew plenty of responses online from people. Viewers were shocked that the luxury liner had to use such tactics to avoid detection.
"Some of yall need to watch Captain Phillips," one person wrote. "You won't be meeting Captain Jack Sparrow out there."
"You could not sell this kind of holiday to me just doesn't sound fun at all," another TikToker wrote.
Another person criticize the luxury liner.
"Imagine paying top dollar for a luxury cruise, only to be told to turn off the lights and hide like a zombie apocalypse drill!" one critic wrote on Facebook Thursday. "Cunard's Queen Anne was sailing from Australia to the Philippines through pirate-infested waters, reminding everyone that the real-life swashbucklers still exist. Would you still book the trip, or is this a hard pass?"
Meanwhile, a representative for the cruise line insisted it was just a safety precaution.
"As part of standard maritime procedures, our Captains may make precautionary announcements when sailing through certain regions," the rep told Business Insider. "There was no specific threat to the ship or its guests, and our onboard experience remained uninterrupted."
