Passengers on Cunards Queen Anne receive ominous warning as luxury ship crosses pirate-prone waters on 111-night maiden voyage
The ship must go on.Passengers on board a Cunard Cruise Line ship received an ominous warning last week as the luxury ocean liner navigated pirate-prone waters in Southeast Asia during its 111-night maiden world voyage.The unexpected announcement alerted travelers aboard the Queen Anne that heightened security measures would be implemented as the 1,060-foot-long vessel crossed the Sulu and Celebes seas – a passageway with a long history of piracy and maritime crime, according to footage shared on TikTok.Fares for Cunard’s first-ever world voyage started at $16,379 per person, according to Cruise Critic.
Passengers were ordered via a loudspeaker to turn off all cabin lights, shut their curtains and stateroom doors and avoid open decks or external windows as the ship traversed the western Pacific Ocean to the Philippines, according to the March 13 video, which has amassed nearly 9 million views. “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.”The ship’s external lighting was also dimmed to allow the cruise liner to travel safely overnight, with pressurized fire hoses installed on the promenade to thwart potential attackers.The body of water surrounding Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines was once described as a “hotbed for crime, piracy, and terrorism” by the International Centre for Counter-Terrorism.
The last known abduction was reported in 2020. “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, according to the video.“I assure you that measures to prevent any unlikely incident have ...