The cruise ship passengers of ‘Sea Princess’ were in for the time of their lives when they were ordered to switch off all lights and music for a whole day.
What happened?
The cruise is currently on 104-day world cruise when the incident occurred. The 2000 passengers onboard were ordered to turn off their lights and music due to the risk of a pirate attack.
Passage through dangerous waters:
Cruise passengers, recalled that the luxury cruise ship become a mere ‘Ghost Ship’ when it passed through the dangerous waters known for Somali pirate activity.
Carolyne Jasinski, a media specialist from Australia, said; “The cruise liner was shrouded in darkness as it passed through the Indian Ocean, the Arabian Sea, the Gulf of Aden and the Suez Canal. Captain Gennaro Arma addressed the ship. He apologised for alarming passengers. However, the threat, he said, was real and the ship must be prepared for a pirate attack”.
All acts brought to a sudden halt:
Many interesting shows such as comedy acts, magic shows and bustling nightclubs promised on board the lavish ship were reportedly brought to a sudden halt.
Curtains were drawn and shutters were closed throughout the ship, and lights were turned off from dusk until dawn.
There were no lavish deck parties and late-night outdoor bars were closed for the passengers.
Pirate drill:
Jasinski revealed how the 1900 passengers were also put through a “pirate drill”.
“It was made very clear on the Sea Princess, very quickly, that this pirate threat was not something to be joked about. Any remaining smirks soon disappeared as the pirate drill alarm sounded and the crew was instructed to move to their designated muster stations.”
During the course of the drill, all the passengers were instructed to sit on the floor and hold on to the handrails incase the ship swerve. The passengers were also instructed to lock their balcony and entrance doors and take shelter in the corridors, so there would be two doors between them and pirates.
A Princess Cruises spokesperson said, “The company doesn’t discuss specific security procedures. They said piracy specific training is always done before its ships enter areas of concern. Any measures aboard Sea Princess were simply taken out of an abundance caution and not in response to a specific threat and are common to international shipping sailing in the region”.
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Source: News.com.au
