#PirateAttacks #CruiseShipSafety #ProtectionFromPirates
When it comes to the safety of cruise ships, one of the biggest concerns is preventing or protecting themselves from pirate attacks. This is a serious issue as pirates can pose a significant threat to the safety of passengers and crew members, as well as the security of the ship itself. So, how do cruise ships prevent or protect themselves from pirate attacks? Let’s dive into it and find out! 🚢
###Understanding the Threat
Before we get into the specific measures that cruise ships take to protect themselves from pirate attacks, it’s important to understand the nature of the threat. Pirate attacks on ships are not as common as they once were, but they still occur in certain parts of the world, particularly in regions such as the Gulf of Aden, the Indian Ocean, and the waters off the coast of West Africa. These attacks can range from petty theft to more serious acts of violence, and cruise ships need to be prepared to defend themselves against potential threats.
###Visible Deterrents
One of the most effective ways for cruise ships to prevent pirate attacks is by making themselves a less appealing target. This can be achieved through visible deterrents that make it clear to potential pirates that the ship is well-protected and not an easy target. Some common visible deterrents include:
– Armed Security Personnel: Many cruise ships now employ armed security personnel who are trained to repel pirate attacks. These individuals are often highly trained and experienced in dealing with potential threats, and their presence alone can be enough to deter pirates from attempting an attack.
– High-Speed Maneuvering: Cruise ships are equipped with powerful engines that allow them to quickly change direction and increase speed if necessary. This capability makes it more difficult for pirates to approach the ship and can discourage them from attempting an attack in the first place.
– Strong Lighting: Keeping the ship well-lit during the night can also act as a deterrent to potential pirates, as it makes it easier for the crew to spot any approaching vessels and alert security personnel.
###Physical Barriers
In addition to visible deterrents, cruise ships also employ various physical barriers to protect themselves from pirate attacks. These barriers are designed to prevent unauthorized individuals from boarding the ship and provide an additional layer of security. Some common physical barriers include:
– Razor Wire: Many cruise ships are equipped with razor wire barriers that can be deployed along the perimeter of the ship to prevent unauthorized individuals from scaling the walls and gaining access to the deck.
– Water Cannons: Some cruise ships are equipped with powerful water cannons that can be used to deter approaching vessels. These cannons are capable of spraying high-pressure water over long distances, making it difficult for pirates to get close to the ship.
– Safe Rooms: Most modern cruise ships are designed with safe rooms or “citadels” that are heavily fortified and equipped with communication and surveillance equipment. In the event of a pirate attack, passengers and crew members can retreat to these safe rooms and wait for assistance from security personnel.
###Communication and Response
Effective communication and a quick response are crucial in the event of a pirate attack. Cruise ships are equipped with advanced communication systems that allow them to quickly alert local authorities and request assistance if necessary. In addition, they also have established protocols and procedures in place to respond to potential threats. Some key points to consider regarding communication and response include:
– Distress Signals: Cruise ships are equipped with various distress signals, such as flares and distress calls, that can be used to alert nearby vessels and authorities to a potential pirate attack.
– Security Drills: Cruise ships regularly conduct security drills to prepare crew members and passengers for emergency situations, including pirate attacks. These drills help ensure that everyone on board knows what to do in the event of a security threat.
– Coordination with Authorities: Cruise ships often work closely with local authorities and maritime security organizations to gather intelligence on potential pirate activity and receive guidance on how to best protect themselves.
###Conclusion
In conclusion, cruise ships employ a variety of measures to prevent or protect themselves from pirate attacks. These measures include visible deterrents, physical barriers, effective communication, and rapid response protocols. By implementing these measures, cruise ships can reduce the risk of pirate attacks and ensure the safety and security of everyone on board. With proper planning, training, and coordination, cruise ships can navigate through potentially dangerous waters with confidence and peace of mind.
There are a few layers to this:
1) Intel, basically when a route is planned they know which areas to avoid which decreases the probability of a pirate encounter.
2) Lets say you are unlucky and do encounter pirates coming for you. Just because a ship is large doesn’t mean it can’t sail fast, so trying to lose pirates by heading full steam out to open seas is a viable option.
3) Large cargo ships especially if they expect pirates have water cannons around the deck. These can spray sea water at high pressure making it near impossible for anyone to board.
4) If all these measures have failed usually ships employ armed guards. I have met a dude who used to be a mercenary and told us he was most doing guard duty on cargo ships.
Mostly by not going where pirates are known to operate.
There are exception of course such as the Italian cruise liner during the 80s that was hijacked by the PLA, that one got famous with them pushing a guy in a wheelchair overboard and was made into movies and such, but it was more a terrorist hijacking than piracy for profit.
Mostly cruise ships don’t go places where they might be in danger for insurance purposes alone.
Cruise ships while potentially holding potentially more and better hostages than a giant cargo ship crewed only by a dozen people from a place where wages are extremely low are a bad idea for piracy for profit.
Yes you get a lot of valuable hostages from rich countries but you also have to deal with a large number of hostages and their rich country militaries.
It doesn’t take many pirates to control a dozen crew on a cargo ship, but hundreds of crew and even more tourist on cruise ship will be harder to control.
Also cruise ships are big and dangerous to be around evene if they aren’t hostile.
In 2020 a small cruise ship with engine trouble drifted close to Venezuelan waters and for some reason a Venezuelan warship tried to board them. Due to bad luck and bad planing on their part, the cruise ship went right through the warship and sank it without meaning to. (It helped that it had a reinforced bow to deal with ice.)
Cruise ships are not a common target for piracy.
there are multiple things they do.
first of all they avoid any area with pirates as much as possible.
then they often have military protection in areas with known pirate activity and lastly they have armed guards and procedures on how to handle these areas.
for example when my parents were on a ship passing near Somalia they had the lower decks outside area completely blocked off and armed guards stationed on there.
they also turned off all exterior lights and closed off the top deck so everyone was inside the ship.
its also only a small area where they had any risk so they simply pass through there quickly so they can get out in less than one night.
Also, cruise ships tend to ply the waters around and between wealthier tourist areas. There are fewer pirates in those waters because a) wealthier people don’t need to be pirates and b) those areas already have broader defense patrols underway .
Several ways:
* Don’t go where the pirates are.
* They are high. Boarding them from small boats is close to impossible.
* Ships, even civilian ships, are made from thick steel. Rifles won’t penetrate, and even if a RPG round hits, it’ll make a hole above the water line.
* Cruise ships have their own security onboard. They are mainly there to handle unruly passengers, but, if need be, they can fend off pirates as well.
* Radio. The can call for assistance. As boarding is next to impossible, any attack will take time, and that means time for support (probably air support) to arrive. Remember, the attacks usually happen pretty close to land.
* Secrecy. They don’t really announce their planned route to the world ahead of time, and the sea is big. Sure, there are “lanes of traffic” on the ocean as well, but the pirates can’t just hang around, that would get them caught. They need to do fast hits.
The lack of anything valuable on board. Some grandmas costume jewelry just doesn’t equal container ships full of goods
People have posted lots of stuff but I haven’t seen mention of the lrad which can be used as a sound weapon.
The real answer here is that there are too many crew members.
Pirates go after oil tankers/container ships because there’s only 6/15 people working on them at any time. The cruise ship has THOUSANDS. So when the pirates take the bridge (where you drive the boat from), the crew shuts down the engine (from inside the engine room 10 floors down). If the pirates take the engine room, the crew calls for help from the bridge. The cruise ship is so large and has so many employees that know the ship very well, it would be almost impossible to take control.
I see some good answers already, but wanted to add this:
Tldr: there are good reasons why the Navy prefers to use helicopters for boarding.
It’s actually very difficult to get from a small boat to a large ship if the ship isn’t cooperating. Honestly, it’s dangerous even when the ship is cooperating. Two Navy Seals were lost at sea just this week trying to board a ship.
The ship can use what speed it has, the wind, and waves to make boarders’ lives difficult.
When a ship is intentionally launching or recovering a boat, they’ll slow to bare steerage way (as slow as the ship can go while the rudder remains useful).
You position the ship between the wind and the small boat. This pushes the ship towards the boat rather than away. (You try getting on a rope ladder that’s floating away from you while you’re bobbing alongside in a tiny boat)
You don’t turn the ship while a boat is alongside.
And you don’t try it if the seas are too rough. Even say 3ft sees (which you absolutely wouldn’t notice from the bridge of a ship that size) feel like *a lot* when you’re in a small boat in open ocean.
If you’re a captain that’s decided to contest a boarding, you can do the opposite of those things. Keep speed on and maneuver. Even the very slow turns of a cargo ship can be significant as a delaying tactic and for using the wake as a weapon.
Also get on the radio and scream for help.
Cruise ships a as big as cargo ships with one huge difference: the value of their cargo. A container ship for example with a few thousand 40footers is worth a lot more than passengers. Sad but accurate. It’s all about money even for pirates, Somali or otherwise.
My in-laws recently went on a cruise that went through pirate waters. They sent us pictures of the precautions the ship was required to take which included barbed wire on all the railing and exterior stairs, armed guards patrolling the muster deck and the passengers were strongly persuaded to stay inside the ship. That said, the precautions didn’t really affect them or their enjoyment of the cruise. The crew did a lot of thing inside the ship to keep everyone entertained and not thinking about what was going on outside.
I worked on a passenger ship many years ago. When sailing through dangerous waters, we kept the fire hoses unspooled and had patrols on deck 24 hours a day
Nobody has mentioned Sonar or water cannons yet. Google ‘Somali pirates attack cruise ship’ to see how ships have *actually* fended off pirate attacks.
The sonar arrays these massive ships carry can be focused on the pursuing craft. Directed sonar used like this is basically a sonic weapon. If you hear about ‘special sonic weapons’ used that’s what they’re referring to.
Water cannons mounted high up can be strong enough to make boarding extremely dangerous, knock people off of boats or even capsize the little speed boats that pirates use.
Finally, cruise ships are massive, with multiple layers of redundant systems. Firing rifles is ineffective. Even firing RPGs at these huge ocean liners is unlikely to cause enough damage to be dangerous (ive read of at least one case where a cruise ship took a dozen rpg rounds without serious damage). Boarding is the big risk, once they get on board and get hostages the situation can deteriorate rapidly.
What type of weaponry would a large cruise ship have? I can imagine several snipers could be set up given cruise ships are relatively stable.
I’m not a pirate, so I don’t know. But I assume there is little value abord in a cruise ship.
They would have to deal with a lot of passengers and I can’t imagine any cruise ship going country would tolerate mass hostage taking, special forces would be on board before long.
There are easier, less risky and more profitable options.
LRAD is used on many cruise ships. I did a tour of a royal Caribbean ship and they had one on board. There’s also documented use of the device by cruise ships.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long-range_acoustic_device
I worked on cruise ships for years. In 2015 I was on a ship that passed through the Gulf of Aden (between Yemen and Somalia). These were smaller than average cruise ships so we were definitely a potential target. At our last stop before the gulf we picked up a handful of guys from a private security firm. They wrapped the back of the ship in barbed wire, had a sonar gun type of thing that looked like a small satellite which shoots a sound apparently so loud and directed that it ruptures the ear drums and leaves anyone it’s aimed at incapacitated. I’m sure the security contractors were also heavily armed though we never saw any guns.