Due to the threat of an attack by Somali pirates, a luxury cruise ship went into a 10-day blackout mode during its journey from Sydney to Dubai, reported news.com.au.
The luxury cruise ship, the Sea Princess, was carrying 1,900 passengers on a 104-day world tour when the captain announced to passengers that there was a real threat of a pirate attack.
Caroylyne Jasinki said that the boat, operated by the Princess Cruises line, turned into a “ghost ship” from dusk to dawn.
“No deck parties, no movies under the stars, no late-night outdoor bar hopping or pool dipping,” Jasinski wrote.
“No lights, no party atmosphere, no lapping up tropical breezes on their balconies. All around the ship, as the sun set, all curtains were drawn and all shutters closed. Bright lights, which normally signal the presence of the Sea Princess on the ocean, were dimmed or turned off altogether,” she wrote.
Incidents of piracy in the Indian Ocean became an international crisis in 2008 when 120 acts of piracy took place off the Somali Coast. Since then, because of increased security measures, the number of attacks has declined drastically, with only 9 ships attacked in 2013.
In March of 2017, however, Somali pirates hijacked an oil tanker traveling off the Somali coast in what was the first capture of a commercial vessel since 2012.
The New York Daily News reported that Princess Cruises declined to discuss what prompted the extreme security measures.
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