(WSVN) – Passengers on a 104-day cruise spent thousands of dollars to live in luxury as they traveled around the world. They were rather unsettled to find out they had to spend 10 days in a complete blackout in order to avoid a pirate attack.
According to Fox News, the 1,900 passengers on the Sea Princess had to endure a dusk-to-dawn blackout, where at dusk, the ship had to end all evening time operations, including deck parties and movies. Passengers were told not to be out on deck or on their balconies.
“In the case of a real threat, those passengers in outside cabins were told to close and lock their balcony doors, then lock their entrance door to their cabin and take shelter in the corridors,” wrote passenger Carolyne Jasinski. “That put two metal doors between passengers and pirates.”
She said the ship essentially become a ghost, with all curtains drawn and all lights dimmed or turned off. In addition to the blackout, Jasinski said all passengers also had to take part in drills in case of an actual pirate attack.
Piracy is still a problem on the high seas, especially in the Indian Ocean, the Arabian Sea and other areas. The passengers on the Sea Princess were traveling from Australia to Dubai.
The ship’s captain wanted to remind his crew and his passengers that the threat of pirates “was real and the ship must be prepared for a pirate attack.”
However, Fox News reports the ship was equipped with pirate-eluding tools, including fire hoses, officers on watch, and a even Sonic Boom weapon that could knock pirates off their ladders.
The ship never encountered any real danger, and spokesperson for the cruise told The Telegraph, “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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