“Did you see the hot soldiers who came on board?” was a common refrain among our fellow passengers as we reboarded our cruise ship in Aqaba, Jordan. “Nice guns!”
It turns out that, while we were marveling at the ruins of the ancient city of Petra, a well-armed private security team boarded our cruise ship to prepare for our upcoming voyage through “Pirate Alley.” We were five days into a 2-week cruise around the Arabian Peninsula but this was the first real acknowledgment that the voyage was going to see some changes over the coming days. For the last decade, Somali pirates have been striking out against private yachts and commercial vessels traveling past the Horn of Africa. The danger was depicted in the Tom Hanks' movie, Captain Phillips, in which a band of ragged fisherman-turned-pirates took over a container ship, with the lead pirate memorably declaring “I’m the Captain now!” That line soon became a common joke among the passengers as we made our way down the Red Sea toward the Gulf of Aden, which is the center of pirate activity.
Pirates have never taken over a cruise ship, though one or two had experienced an “incident.” Cruise ships are faster and have greater security than the vessels that typically attract pirates. And while cruise ships continue to navigate these waters without incident, Celebrity Cruises clearly took security very seriously. Prior to going on the cruise, we had been aware that the issue of pirates still existed. I’d done some google searches to see how, if at all, it affected cruise ships passing through the region and I didn’t find much, other than assurances it was safe. The company had already altered our cruise itinerary once before we even boarded the ship (our original departure port of Istanbul had been moved to Athens following a bombing at the airport in Istanbul) so we knew Celebrity considered security a top concern.
Even so, we were slightly taken aback to arrive in our cabin after an incredible day of exploration to find a letter from the captain explaining some changes to come over the next five days. Those of us with balcony staterooms were asked to keep all curtains drawn after sunset and turn off all exterior lighting. The crew closed all outside decks starting at sundown and any seats by the window in interior bars and lounges were off-limits. The idea was for us to be as difficult as possible to see at night. And if there were to be a problem, not being at the window was likely a good bet. Without specifically naming our new hired guns – whose soldier-like bearing, bulging biceps, and always-on-duty look made them stick out like a sore thumb among the passengers – the letter pointed out that we have “extra lookouts” on board. There was also a casual suggestion in the letter that we might experience some unusual activity:
During our transit of the Gulf of Aden, we will likely encounter many small fishing boats. Out of simple curiosity, some of these boats may sail in our direction. If that happens, I may take steps to keep them at a distance, including changing our course or even weaving from side to side to discourage them from getting too close. There is no reason to be concerned over these actions, however, in the unlikely event that we encounter pirates, I will make an announcement and may ask you to move away from the sides of the ship. Should this be necessary, please remain calm and follow the instructions provided to you at that time. I will use the code words "Safe Haven" and guide you with announcements.
Oh. Well. That was … unexpected.
The next morning, we were all required to participate in a pre-announced drill. My partner David and I had just finished having a late breakfast on the pool deck when the “Safe Haven” announcement came over the loud speakers. We were all ushered into an interior stairwell for the duration of the drill to make sure we could all follow instructions if the real thing ever happened.
In the end, while we did notice the ship change course one afternoon to avoid some small boats in the area, the entire experience of Pirate Alley was a mix of “Hey, isn’t this interesting” and “Wow, it’s kind of annoying we can’t go outside at night.” Beyond that, it was a typical cruise. By day we could lounge on deck and at night the bars, theater, casino, and other cruise diversions kept us busy.
The first night that we were finally able to go back out on deck, we raised more than one glass in celebration. Toasts of “We beat the pirates!” proved that not even marauding kidnappers were going to spoil our vacation. ARGGH, pass the grog!
